#short one shot in honour of Mick's birthday

[starry-eyed-extraterrestrial]

So I said I had a one shot in mind for if Nikki didn't make his usual Mick birthday tweet, and it's already quite late so I don't think it's happening (late in America anyway, over here it's already seven am the next day) so here's that angst fic I promised.

It's six thirty when Mick finally decides to open twitter. He's just had cake with Seriana that she made herself along with his favourite kind of pasta and earlier that same day they'd gone out on a bit of a nature walk together, no real words shared between them just comfortable silence and the enjoyment of each other's company. And now, with his love in the kitchen washing the dishes,it was time to look through all the birthday wishes he'd gotten on social media today and thank everyone for taking time out of their day to think about him and congratulate him on becoming even more ancient then he already was.

He squints his eyes then adjusts his glasses on his face and pulls his iPad off the dining room table and closer to his face to actually be able to read what the people said. Shit, he probably needed to renew his glasses soon and get a stronger lens. Besides that little annoyance, the birthday wishes make him very happy and he can't help the smile that slips onto his face at the sheer amount of people who care about an old fossil like him.

After looking through most of the messages and posts Mick gets his keyboard out and ready to make a tweet of his own. He types the message out using two fingers and posts it right away.

“Thank you everybody for the happy birthday luv. Also many many thank you's for liking my solo stuff as well. 

Peace and love back to all of you👽”

He feels so glad in this moment and leans back in his chair to  just take a second to appreciate everything he has and everything he's accomplished.

The easy smile is wiped from his face however when a tiny intrusive thought slips into his mind. He looks down at his tablet again. Should he look…

No, it was stupid Nikki would have tagged him like he does every year when he wishes him happy birthday and since he didn't see Nikki's post between any of the other birthday posts and messages he knows he's not getting one this year. Or likely any year after this with how pissed Nikki is at him.

Mick and Nikki are the same in a lot of ways, but in one place they differ. Mick gets over things quickly and Nikki may forgive but he never forgets. So it's safe to say that the years of Nikki's annual birthday posts for him are just lost to time forever. 

That thought makes him.. uncomfortable is the only way he can describe it, not sad exactly, he'd known what he was getting himself into with the lawsuit in the first place,he just feels kinda weird about the whole situation. 

Does this mean he shouldn't wish him a happy birthday this year either- would it be weird now? Would his birthday wish to Nikki feel more like a birthday wish from a stranger to him? Mick contemplates this, but not for very long as he pulls his tablet closer to his face again.

Just to be safe, Mick searches Nikki's name in the spacebar, he's typing a lot slower then he usually would, he knows that it's because he doesn't want to see. Doesn't want to confirm that their relationship is so frayed that Nikki can't even wish him happy birthday online, nevermind to his face by FaceTiming him for a minute.

He doesn't want to know that he and Nikki will most likely never be close again and that their relationship will most likely never return to even a quarter of what it was, even if they did make up. He and Nikki would become like Tommy and Vince, the two of them best friends at some point only to years later only really speak to each other for business reasons and in interviews to save face in public. He didn't want that for him and Nikki, but if it had to be so then…he supposes it has to be so. He's certainly not gonna go crawling back to Nikki and apologise for something he's not even in the wrong for.

When Mick finally opens Nikki's page, he's not surprised to see no mention of him and he suddenly feels very stupid for thinking that there would be any message waiting for him at all. He's suing them for Christ sake, Nikki's hardly gonna jump at the chance to even think about him let alone wish him a happy birthday. 

Mick decides that that's enough internet for him for one day. He sets the tablet down on the table and suddenly feels quite out of sorts. He then feels two warm arms wrap around his shoulders.

“Hey baby, what's wrong?” Seriana whispered in his ear, making chills go up his spine. He feels better almost instantly.

“Nothing now that you're here” he says and he knows it's cheesy and he can feel serianna roll her eyes in amusement at his half joke.

The rest of the night Mick doesn't even think about it. Why should he?There's nothing he can physically do to change the outcome he just received, it's his own fault that it's like this anyway, so why complain really. 

But later that night when he's in bed and midnight rolled around, he was up staring at the ceiling, letting the knowledge that he and Nikki weren't friends anymore sink in and when it does all he can think about is how he probably shouldn't send a birthday wish to Nikki on his birthday. 

He knows Nikki doesn't like it when strangers get his number and message him.

[batpadman]

Top: (From Left) Jake, Hanna, Chris and Jak Gunson, Me

2nd from Top: Rob and Tricia Greenwell

3rd Row Left: (From Left) Mick Hortle, Myself, Helen Hortle.

3rd Row Right: Tony Selvas and Me.

4th Row: UTAS Cricket Club Crowd!

5th Row Left: Jimmy Hortle and Carter Hansen

5th Row Middle: Andrew Kealy

5th Row Right: Jesse Greenwood and Mauro Saracino.

Strangers

As I recline in my seat a few thousand feet in the air, my mind cannot help but wander back to the time when I was travelling in the opposite direction. Agitated, fretful and ill at ease, the state of my mind could not have been further from how it is today. The people close to me would tell you that this is how I had been for a while. Quiet; more so than usual. Smiling less. Quick to anger and take offense. Unlike myself.

The cricket season had been successful yet not impressive enough to demand attention. Cricket seemed a futile pursuit. A demanding academic year combined with a gruelling summer of cricket had left me, to quote Tolkien, “thin, sort of stretched, like butter spread over too much bread”. Weary and bitter, a journey to the other side of the world was a gamble that could have gone either way.

I took the red pill. There was no going back. A place full of Strangers; far from the comforting presence of my parents that I had taken for granted my entire life. It was the best thing I ever did.

I could write several thousand words about Tasmania. About stunning views of the Derwent river round every corner in Hobart. About sweet, delicious Huon Valley apples. About the serene quiet of Bruny Island (disturbed only by the sounds of the wildlife as it comes to life at dusk). About the regal beauty of Port Arthur haunted by the ghosts of its past and the white sand beaches of the East Coast that stretch out as far as the eye can see. Yet in talk of greatness, the island in all its beauty pales in comparison to its inhabitants; the “Strangers” who transformed my outlook on life through friendship and random acts of kindness. Here are just a few of them:-

The Gunsons

Chris, Hanna, Jak, Jake, Nicholas and Thomas heard some foreign bloke was looking for a place to stay. Without meeting him, they agreed to let this stranger into their home and into their lives. They offered me a shoulder when I was distressed were there to celebrate with me when I was happy. They are family to me and I am so glad to have been a part of their lives. The memories, of evenings spent whiling away the time with good food and conversation (and the occasional game of late night table tennis with Jak) will be cherished.

The Hortles

My stay with Mick and Helen Hortle was short but no less pleasurable. Their home, much like its inhabitants, is full of character; unique mementos from their travels seem to give the place a personality of its own. It was during this week that I was exposed to how good vegetables can be. The meal Mick prepared for Jimmy’s birthday was a foodie’s fantasy. Every single ingredient (except for the duck) grown in their own back yard! It was an honour to be a part of the family occasion. Discussion ranged from topics such as feminism in Pakistan to the environmental impact of fish farming on the East Coast of Tasmania. One would expect nothing less from the parents of an Oxford scholar!

The Greenwells

I was introduced to Rob, Tricia and Charlie Greenwell by Paul, the club president (see below). I wasn’t the first stranger to be a beneficiary of Greenwell hospitality and I certainly won’t be the last. They gave me an all access pass to the veritable treasure of knowledge and experience that they have accumulated over the years. A life lived to the fullest and a journey to success that was choppy, but more exciting because of it. I hope that one day I will get another shot at trying to steal a game off Rob at squash or another epic battle against Charlie. Maybe when they set sail on a trip round the world…

The Selvas Family (Mair, Tony and the rest)

Kindness is letting an outsider stay in your spare bedroom for a night or two. But then, what do you call it if someone you’ve never met drives two hours to fetch you from the airport, drives along the coast for 8 hours to show you the sights, feeds you, and then to top it all off, gives you a member’s ticket for the Boxing Day test match? Is there a better word? If there is I haven’t found it. Twelve-year-old me won’t believe it but when I think back to Melbourne, it’s not the Boxing Day test match that comes to mind but the day before. Thank you, Tony and Mair for an unforgettable Christmas!

Paul Mc Namara

Paul picked me up from the airport all those days ago when I first got to Hobart. We were always going to get on well because of our shared love of cricket. I was most impressed by Paul’s relentless optimism. He had something positive to say about every situation and had the ability to put himself in people’s shoes and see things from their perspective. As president of the club, his role was challenging, stressful and required a level of dedication that few understood. As a friend, I could see how much it affected him. Yet he continued to volunteer his time for little thanks and through it all, his demeanour never changed. That sort of fortitude is certainly something for me to aspire to.

Andrew Kealy

Never have I ever met someone who can shrug off a 5fer quite like Andrew Kealy, but I guess that comes with the territory when you get one every week! I did a lot of dirt time in Oz but it could have been a lot worse if it hadn’t been for Keals demolishing entire teams by himself. All with a humble grin one simply does not associate with Aussie pacemen. In some hidden corner of the world, there is probably someone who has something negative to say about Keals. But that person belongs to the same category as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. Until I see them in person, I won’t believe they exist. Thanks Andrew for introducing me to the Aussie cricketer lifestyle.

The Fine Gentlemen of the University of Tasmania Cricket Club

Thank you Mauro, Freezer, and Carter for all the throwdowns and wangers. Wish you a long and prosperous first grade future at UTAS and beyond.

Thank you Jayde, Gordo and Grubby for backing me all the way, even when I didn’t look like scoring a run.

Thank you, Jesse, Andrew Kerr, Jimmy, Sam Leon and Noah, for your help and advice.

A big thank you to every single person at the club. From 1st grade down to the U12s that I coached, for taking me in and accepting me as one of your own. For the beef sausages and the conversations.

At the risk of being unnecessarily melodramatc, I’d just like to say that my winter in Tasmania has restored my faith in people. The chip on my shoulder has been surgically removed and my former self has been restored. I begin the English summer refreshed; ready to take life on with renewed vigour but more importantly, with a smile on my face. For this and so much more, I am extremely grateful.

I hope one day, to return to that place full of strangers, a stranger no more.