Early Morning

I sat on my balcony in the glorious sun and thought that I just wanted to stay there all day. Not move.

SMS. 7.29. (Rebecca) I’d like to take today as annual leave, what do u think? – Christian

I’m trying to justify taking the day off. I can’t quite manage it. Bugger! I just need to try harder, or give less of a shit. I’ve got to go to a play with mum tonight. Puts the kibosh on having the day free.

Rebecca never answered me. She never checks her mobile. It was a stupid idea. I went to work. I got there at 9.15am.

SMS. 11.31. Hi Chris, this is Leah’s old PA Ben. She mentioned that Tom isn’t too great. Please pass my love and best wishes and prayers to the deity of his choice! And don’t hesitate to call if I can help in any way. Take care – Ben xxx

SMS. 11.41. Hi Ben, he’s still critical, but every day he improves a little. I went & had a stern talking to him, he looked so small amongst the tubes & machines. He is still in an induced coma All we can do is send him good thoughts – Christian

SMS. 11.41. Rub his tummy for me and say the little dog hopes he gets better soon. The force is strong in him, we can’t deny that. You take care too! – Ben

Oh, yes, how many degrees of separation do we say there are? My ex-girlfriend – do we still call each other that? I’m not really sure anymore – who now lives in Sydney, her PA is Ben, who knows Tom. I assume he and Tom had a ‘thing’ I’m not really sure if that is true, or not, but they know each other anyway.

SMS. 17.02. I have been offered to take over the café on Beach Road. Fuck! – Rachel

SMS. 17.05. Go on, you know you want to – Christian

SMS. 17.05. As if I don’t have enough 2 think about. off 2 dinner at Jill’s. Wish it was alcohol over looking the water – Rachel

SMS. 17.09. A cask of red & plastic cups on St Kilda pier – Christian

SMS. 17.14. I’d rather a bottle & real glasses… our legs swinging over the side of the pier as we watch the sun set… – Rachel

SMS. 17.16. I find Jill’s house (life) so claustrophobic – Rachel

I left work early. I had a play to see with mum. Dumb Show.

The play focuses on Barry (Richard Piper), a fading king of television comedy, who is approached by two private financiers - Greg (Aaron Blabey) and Liz (Anita Hegh) - with an offer he can't refuse. But inviting the pair into the disarray of his private life proves disastrous for Barry, when Greg and Liz turn out to be muck-raking tabloid journalists of the lowest kind who threaten to expose his dirty laundry to the world.

I enjoyed it. Yeah, sure I did. You know, with live plays, there, normally, is always something to like.

It was on at The Concert Hall or, at least, the one next to it. I never really know what that one is called.

I put mum on the 72 tram afterward. We stand together in St Kilda road until her tram comes, and she hops on. You know, she's not young any more. I ask her if she is going to be alright and she says, "Oh Christian, of course I am. What could happen to me?" And then she is gone. I watch the tram sail off into the dark of St Kilda Road.

I walk home through the city. Yeah, sure, I often stop for a snack at the 711 in Federation Square. In the summer, it is more often than not a Slurpee, brain pain and all and in the winter, it is normally one of those faux health bars with sultanas and nuts and a yogurt topping. Then I walk up flinders Street eating, or drinking it. I walk through the Fitzroy Gardens from on corner practically to the diagonal opposite corner, you know, if you skew the maths somewhat, which just about leads me to the end of my street, you know, a couple of streets across and roundabout.

I always think of that girl at work who told me she would be too scared to walk through the Fitzroy Gardens at night and I told her the Fitzroy Gardens were perfectly safe, I walk through them in the dark all the time. A little later, I told her that I neglected to tell her that I was usually walking a 60 kilo Rottweiler, which she took as proof that the Fitzroy Gardens were not safe to walk through at night. I always think of her as I walk through the Fitzroy Gardens many times in the dark.

At home…

SMS. 17.21. She’s never moving! Does that mean never changing? – Christian

SMS. 17.21. Hmmmm my head is spinning think I may fall off this planet if I have 2 stand up – Rachel

SMS. 17.24. I know how you feel! – Christian

Nicholas called, as I was walking across Princess Bridge, in the fading light, to say there was a message on the answering machine saying that Tom had come out of his coma.

SMS. 21.04. (Leah, Aby, Jude, Jille, Rachel) Tom has awakened from his coma & is talking & complaining, so that all must be good. Well, I can tell you, I’m smiling – Christian

Aby called meet and said Tom was a sneak. She wants to slip into ICU with me tomorrow, acting as one of Tom’s sisters.