Friday, September 08, 2006

The Accountant

Ten years! It had been ten years since that life changing day. Life had taken a new course; from poverty to riches, from unpredictable to comfortable.

Brian remembered the lead up to the day clearly.

The artwork had taken almost two years to prepare. Intricate geometric patterns, fine lines, shapes and numbers, covered every inch of each massive canvas. The harmony of symbols and images was quite astounding.

It had taken three months to convince the prestigious Schwartz-Brakeman gallery to display his work. In the end they grudgingly gave him one night - a Monday.

He spent his last dollars buying champagne and imported beer. His then girlfriend, Mary, had agreed to waitress and his best mate had lent him a suit.

The night of the big event arrived at last.

Brian stood anxiously watching as people walked past his creations. He had poured his heart into this work; his passion was in every brush stroke. He longed to hear what people were saying as they walked quietly around the room.

One of the guests, a well dressed man in his late 40’s, seemed particularly excited by what he was seeing. This man noticed Brian watching him and introduced himself as Simon.

“You’re the artist?”

“Yes. Brian Brown – pleased to meet you.”

They shook hands.

“The symmetry of your work is astounding Brian. Your attention to detail is like nothing I’ve seen before.”

“Thank-you”, said Brian, hopping that this man’s enthusiasm might lead to a sale.

“Brian, I’m a partner in a downtown accountancy firm. I think your talents are wasted in art and I want to offer you a study scholarship with a guaranteed desk job at the end of it.”

The accountant handed Brian a business card saying. “You don’t have to decide right away, call me when you’ve made up your mind.”

Ten years! And now, as he sat looking over a complicated spreadsheet, Brian smiled.