As years trickled by, my sheen might have diminished, but my experience made me a legend in the tinting world. So, when I was selected for the windows of a historical Melbourne building, my heart, or whatever a tint has, swelled with pride. I was about to witness history from a perspective few tints got to see.
But as I settled into my new pane, I met someone truly venerable: “Old Blue”, a deep azure window tint from the glorious ’80s. Blue was stretched over a bay window, proudly overlooking Melbourne’s bustling streets.
“Ah, newbie!” Old Blue crooned. “Back in my day, Melbourne was a sea of big hairstyles and neon tights. Mullets, as far as the eye could see.”
As days turned to nights and back to days, Old Blue regaled me with stories. “There was this one guy,” he began, his reflection dancing with mischief, “Rocked up every day in a bright pink suit, spinning a disco ball. Claimed he was the future of fashion.” He paused, chuckling. “Can’t say he was wrong. For a week, at least.”
From the windowsill, we observed Melbourne’s evolution. The trams transformed, the street art became more sophisticated, but the spirit? That remained untamed and untinted.
Old Blue’s stories weren’t just about hilarity, though. “Saw a couple right there.” He pointed at a corner with a more solemn hue. “Met every week for coffee. Watched them grow from awkward teenagers to a loving elderly couple. Reminded me that while times change, love and memories remain.”
In those moments, sandwiched between commercial tinting sheets, I felt a bond. A connection not just with Old Blue, but with the entire city’s past. Every brick and pane held stories waiting to be told. And as the world outside continued its race, inside, time stood still.
One day, as a business offering commercial decorative glass window tinting services in the Melbourne area arrived to renovate our building, Old Blue whispered, “Remember, Tinty. We’re not just spectacles. We’re storytellers. Preserve the past, but never fear the dawn.”
And as Melbourne’s skyline shimmered on the horizon, I realised the truth in those words. The world outside might change, but the tales we tints held would forever echo in the corridors of time.