Liz says: I was at work on a regular Tuesday, mid-August, and my mobile phone rang. I saw the dialling code and immediately the hairs on my arms went up. Not many people call me on my mobile during the working day and I just had a funny feeling I knew what is was about.
The soft Scottish accent filled my head and I held my breath. Could this be...? It was the Estate Agent from Loch Droma (see previous post - The Second House) and I knew exactly why they were ringing. I had been checking the Galbraith website, and in particular my 'dream house' Loch Droma, and was curious as to why it was still showing as 'under offer' despite the closure date being 3 months ago.
To refresh our memories, here is a pic! Look at that loch view and those mountains...
To cut a long story short, the winning bidder was not progressing with the sale fast enough and the seller was going to bail and re-list in the next 24 hours, unless......the second highest bidder (that was us) was interested. And if we were, our previous offer of £305,000 would be immediately accepted. This would leave us plenty for renovations too.
I must have been sounding slightly erratic because my colleague, Nicki, put her hand on my back and mouthed 'Are you ok?' with a concerned look. I breathlessly nodded like a crazy woman and managed to gasp into the phone a strangled 'For me - YES! But I need to speak to my husband first.' Oh my God, please John, please, please. Surely this was a sign? Fate, Karma, or an act of God - how ever you looked at it this must be a message from the universe that Loch Droma was meant for us!
I called John and gave him the one liner. Then I messaged my Dad to tell him in my state of heightened excitement, and he was positively ambivalent, or ambivalent in a positive way. And when I got home John and I talked about it briefly. I put my argument forward and then decided to give John space to contemplate, go for a run, and I was delusionally convinced he would come to see I was right after all (like he normally does) and give me the go ahead to grasp my dream the very next day - frolicking in that waterfall and swimming in my very own lake!
John's version of events: Liz called me to give me the 'good news' about the 'chance of a lifetime'. Loch Droma could be ours, no disappointing and stressful bidding against other buyers, and at a favourable price. Oh Lord, why?
That evening we spoke at length about it, I really really tried and I think at times that evening I was over the line (I even said it once), but my heart was very much saying 'no no NO'. I went for a run to try to clear my head and, on my return, said to Liz 'I'm really sorry, I just can't'. The next morning I said the same again: Liz - I just can't do it, I don't want to live there. The next 2 days were awful. Liz was in such a mardy-arse sulk as, not only had I denied her dream once, but twice and surely it was fate, blah blah, that we were being given the second opportunity. I hope it's all just a bad dream and we can not bear grudges on this one, the previous blog laid out all of my reservations and they still stood.
Liz says: Next morning John had given me his negative verdict and I went to work disheartened but still praying for a miracle as we had until 3pm to grab this amazing opportunity. Mum texted shortly after to warn me off because she knew John was not keen - which is why I hadn't mentioned it to her. I knew this would be her reaction. I was already in despair of John ever finding a property he could commit to, that we could afford. I lashed back at her. If she had looked back at her very last message to me, following our failed bid for Oban Uaine, she had said to me 'Don't worry, trust that God will sort you out.' And here he was doing just that!
John texted later to make sure I had called the estate agent, but I just couldn't do it. So John made the call. I was devastated for the second time. It was being held out to us on a plate, but snatched away again at the last second. I was miserable, and (very unreasonably) felt a little betrayed. I understood that it wasn't right for John, and I knew it would be a bit of a wedge no matter who finally won out - one of us would be bitter.
But as you will see in the next blog, Liz's sulk ended 2 days later with some important news!
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