NATALIE

Eora Sydney Inner West / Artist
I am in self isolation, which has put plans on hold for searching for a rental.

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I was inspecting rental properties, I visited three houses and each one was uniquely peculiar. The first was high up and constructed out of timber. The floor was old and rotting, the wood moving as I stepped on it. I had a sense it had been repaired over the years by an elderly man and that it wasn't structurally sound, I could see right through to the ground metres below, I declared I couldn't stand to live there. The next property was crowded inside, with ornate gothic carved timber features with a dark stain, but alongside a small and dated kitchen buffet with melamine cabinets that is more familiar to older rental properties in my area. The bedroom I inspected was an enclosed four post bed, dark and confined but decoratively beautiful. This house was maze-like and eerie. The third property was a subterranean residence shaped like a crescent with room after room and an entry either side that opened to a lush garden. The last room in this house let sunlight in and was filled with hanging plants. The floor of the house was entirely soil, compacted and dusty but not flattened so there were inclines and ridges. I decided that despite the hard dust floor I liked this place and I would apply to live here, maybe lay down some rugs to make it more comfortable. The property sat behind a steel fence overgrown and from the roadside it looked like an abandoned lot. When I left I wandered these streets with a sense that the suburb was lively and supportive. I ran into a friend and we discussed the last property then went to a party. The vibe at the party was kind of off, some people were casually sitting around a kitchen table chatting, I was sitting with some people on the floor in the next room, I think the environment and the conversation was just really boring and it was dragging me into a state of mind I didn't want to be in. Somebody at the table had a piercing gaze that they directed at me and I felt uneasy. My friend wanted to stay at this place but I decided to leave. That's all I remember of it.

(19/3/2020)