View (under conditions)

Mimis entered the house with a gigantic smile, shouting:
— Mary, the funds have unfrozen!

He had passed by the bank; there was even a return.
(We said there’s a bit of fiction too.)

With their savings, they could finally acquire a house.
They would start checking listings.
They would investigate alone — to avoid commission fees.

And the research began.

Their days filled with appointments.
They visited one apartment after another.

One owner assured them that from the flat in Neo Heraklio “you can see the sea.”
— And there are trees too, he added.

Mary was impressed.
They went.

A 1980s block of flats with a big garden and an open space on the ground floor.
The structure was in good condition.

The owner, smiling, opened the door with the confidence of a man who believes he’s selling treasure.
The apartment was average. The balcony, small.

Mary stepped out, looking for the sea.
— The sea? From where is it visible?
— Ah, today it’s cloudy. But if it’s clear, and not too hot, you can see it in the distance.

She stared at him.
Then continued:
— And the trees?
— Down in the garden. Didn’t you see them?
— But the balcony looks to the back.
— I didn’t say you see them. I said there are trees.

Silence.

They walked downstairs, staring into the void.
They felt naive.
Not just about the “view,” but because they believed the words of a messenger of dreams.

Owners describe their homes as they feel them.
Not as they are.

— Enough, they said.
— Let’s seek a real estate agent.

And they found one.
Fortunately.

To be continued in the next episode...