It's Nice Lying Here

It was a gorgeous afternoon, the sun lay across the lawn beyond my window. I decided that I want a bed with windows around two sides; just glass as a bed head, just glass up against me as the day turns to night. So I can lay on my stomach and just gaze, unhindered, at the world all around. 180 degree view. Garden stretching away, as far as I can see.

I switched on my phone, it had been off for a day. Oops!

SMS. 16.02. Hey Christian, you want to go out for a drink tonight? Will be back in two hours – Tim

I had two messages from Nick. Ring me, ring me. Urgent!

SMS. 17.54. What? You’ve decided you’re gay? – Christian

I spoke to Nick. He’s good, coming out of his self-induced seclusion. It’s his New Year’s resolution. We spoke briefly about Silvia R.

Have I mentioned that Nick and Silvia Romero were seeing each other, quietly, for a time. Silvia was the first girl since Nick's post divorce seclusion. But I digress...

I said that Silvia had said nice things about him. But, when he asked me what, the only thing I could think of was that she had said that Nick had the most perfectly shaped penis. It just didn’t seem the thing to say, at that moment and really, I had nothing else. I must tell him that straight girls and gay boys do girl-talk… and about him. That’ll rattle him.

Of course, he wanted Guido’s phone number.

SMS. 18.05. (N) 040x 1xx 2xx – Christian

I spoke to Manny who told me that it was 37 degrees in Melbourne today, 36 yesterday, 38 Friday and 39 Saturday, ooo! There go my plans for going home tomorrow, I suspected. 23 Sunday… maybe I’ll go home Sunday.

SMS. 21.02. I’m @ Bolago in the, apparent, cool. How was the isle? – Christian

SMS. 21.03. Fantastic… I’m as red as a choir boy’s moisty… ps two messages from Manny. He wants to know where u r and your mobile no? – Tim

SMS. 21.29. I just spoke to him. Gave him my mobile no for the umpteenth time. Must come down and smack his arse. Prob see you tomorrow – Christian

SMS. 21.30. Ok. C U then. May come out with u New Years… I don’t want to go to Raw Hide, not my scene x – Tim

I tried calling Tom, but he wasn’t answering. I haven’t spoken to him for a week, despite him leaving a message, bad Christian.

SMS. 21.46. (Tom) Miss? – Christian

I lay in the cottage and smoked pot and lay on my bed with only one candle burning. Michael Jackson (Off the Wall) and then Roberta Flack lulled me to a relaxed place. I so wanted to gaze at the sky and the stars outside, but it was too dark.

SMS. 22.01. (Tom) Been writing script. Lovely and cool here. Was coming home tomorrow, but now Manny has told me the temps in Melbourne, maybe I’ll come home Saturday. I’ll see. Haven’t decided. Did want to come home tomorrow, but being a petal with no aircon, scared I might melt – Christian

Note to self, get your fucking aircon regassed!

SMS, 22.06. (Shelly) Did you hang tinsel on it? I did. 10 metres – Christian

SMS. 22.12. (Rachel) So that’s it then? – Christian

SMS. 22.14. (Leah) Did you have yourself a merry little Xmas? – Christian

SMS. 22.52. All over bar the shouting – Rachel

SMS. 22.57. To next year, then – Christian

SMS. 22.57. Off 2 Adelaide 2morrow but Fabio limped home with a hole in his side, guts protruding, so now we sit & wait 4 operation result – Rachel

SMS. 23.04. I’m lying in the cottage with one candle burning listening to Roberta Flack. Very chilled. Good luck with the cat – Christian

I sms’d Rachel, Leah, Shelly, but not Jill. Don’t know why?

SMS. 23.12. (Jill) Are you melting yet? – Christian

Because she never answers… that’s why. I can hear Josh Gale saying, Turn it up, luv. Or put a new battery in it. You... you do it. Jill explained why she doesn’t answer her calls, because her new blackberry/gizmo phone has such a soft ring that unless she has it by her ear, she can’t hear it. She's tired everything to find the volume control, to no avail. Techno Jill.

(Ed note – Jill tossed her fully loaded, super blackberry out of the car window in Kingsway, watching cars pulverise it to nothing, after she missed yet another call regarding work contracts, because of its, apparently non-adjustable, soft ring tone. She’s back, happily, using her old Nokia)