The Former Architect

We were walking through the apartment with its owner, discussing details of project. The place needed not just a new layout and a modern look, but also some new functions.

In one of the rooms a painter was quietly leveling the walls with gesso. At some moment he put down his spatula, turned to us and said, very weightily:

— Actually, I also was working as architect before. And listening to your conversation, I think...

The client gave me a soft smile, apologized and asked for one second.

She walked up to painter and, in a quiet but extremely clear voice, so that I could hear every single word, said:

— My dear former architect... Don’t mix up the roles. You were hired on this renovation as a painter. Please do your job properly and make sure the architect of this project accepts it from you without penalties and don’t make you redo it. And when you will be the architect on my project, then I will discuss with you the questions I’m discussing now with my architect. Please don’t disturb us.

After that she come back to me, apologized once more for the pause and calmly said:

— Sorry, I needed to close a small technical question. Shall we continue?

Two people remained standing in that room, both stunned by what has happened.

The painter, because nobody swore at him. Instead he was stripped from his right to be an expert, finely and without any noise.

The architect, because he saw the icy, merciless ease with which the client solved a question that laid outside the contractor’s competence.

Author: Gleb Ivlev