Good Morning, Sunshine

I walked out onto my balcony to see what sort of day it was, hot or cold? It’s been warm, followed by cold, stormy and wet.

It’s been raining all morning. It is cool but muggy. Lovely.

No, I think Melbourne’s changeable weather is way over exaggerated.

Now, I had only just cracked open the coffin lid, as I stepped out onto my Juliet balcony, over looking my street, the day, the world.

That was as I stepped outside into the morning to discover it was a lovely day, 25, or so, and sunny, with a breeze. And with that, I was quite pleased.

It was early, 9.30am. Lovely.

What to do for the day? What indeed.

I made a promise to be more, to all of my friends. But life got in the way, as life has a habit of doing. We all haven't talked in so long, you know together, around the same table so to speak, but it doesn’t seem to matter, it’s as though no time has passed when we do get together. That’s what friends are.

I feel like we are always working now a days, it seems to be a given, a sign of being productive. I found a local news article that describes ways we can fill our lives with work rather than love. It's easier than it sounds, ha, ha. But then, we all look like we have already found the secret.

Work to live, that’s my motto, it was Australia’s motto once. Not live to work. We need to rediscover the dinner table laden with food and wine, surrounded by friends and long evenings to consume all of it. Forget the board table Australia and go home to your loved ones. The corporate world eats it’s young and leaves the carcass bleeding in its wake, don’t forget that.

I see the young kid from down the road jog passed in those little black shorts and that kind of uncoordinated way he has a jogging. He has a particular look on his face, when he jogs, kind of expressionless mannequin crossed with disappointment. I don’t know how old he is? I remember seeing him in his dark blue school uniform, but that was probably a few years ago now. It’s funny how we all jog in our 20s when we don’t need to and then we all sit on the couch in our 40s when we do need to jog. It has something to do with sex, 20 year olds get lots of sex, 40 year-olds not so much.

He’s probably 20 now and going to uni now. 2nd year. Isn’t that what they all do? Kids from trendy middle class families. Go to uni. I look down and spot a nearly unsmoked joint in the ashtray on my balcony wicker table. I slide it into my mouth and light it. I couldn’t quite remember when I left it there. I went to uni, of course, but that doesn’t lessen my argument, about modern youth. The joint is a good vintage, I inhale deeply and exhale up into the sky. The jogging kid, I guess, would have a uni girl friend who he’d study with. Eat lunch. Travel to campus with by public transport. I hoped he’d have a uni boyfriend too. One of each. Really enjoy his uni days. Attend protests. Arm around a girl. Arm around a boy. Get shit faced. I didn’t do any of that at uni. I just studied and felt miserable just about every day I went. I had no one with whom to get shit-faced.

I sat down on one of the wicker chairs. The sun was nice. I was thinking about what I’d do today, but now I didn’t care. I puffed some more on the joint. I blew the smoke into the air high above my head.

The sky was blue.

“Come on Nat, we haven’t got much time to get to the concert,” says Lachlan. “And I’ve heard Atomic Waste goes on right on time.”

“Oh Lachie, no band goes on on time, they just don’t.”

“They do, apparently Spiro the lead singer has OCD bad and he has to.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Nat, this is Ashleigh, he’s coming to the concert too.”

“Hi Ashleigh,” says Nat.

“Nice to meet you,” says Ashleigh.

“So, how do you two guys know each other?” asks Nat.

“We do the same European History tute,” says Lachlan.

“You studying Arts too, Ashleigh.”

“Arts/Law,” says Ashleigh.

“Does the Arts degree soften the Law?”

“Something like that,” says Ashleigh.

“So, you can explain the ethics of what you do to your clients…”

“Something like that.”

“Or, so you can justify draining the folks of their life savings when you draw up the legal papers.”

“I was hoping to work in public law after I graduate.”

“Is that because you don’t have the stomach for corporate world.”

“Hey Nat, you are being a bit aggressive,” says Lachlan.

“No, it’s okay,” says Ashleigh. “I’ve got choices to justify, if only to myself.”

“Oh, am I? Sorry,” says Nat.

“Don’t be,” says Ashleigh. “It’s good, I like robust discussions.”

“You know my parents are going through a messy divorce.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” says Ashleigh.

“Yeah, me too,” says Nat.

“I bought us a couple of joints for the walk to Rod Laver,” says Lachlan. “Let’s smoke them as we walk through the park.”

“Get them out,” says Nat.

“The joints?” questions Lachlan.

Ashleigh laughs.

“You guys,” says Nat.

Lachlan puts both joints in his mouth and lights them.

"Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars," says Nat.

Lachlan hands each of them a joint.

“Now Voyager,” says Ashleigh.

Lachlan exhales a huge cloud of smoke. “Nat is an old movie buff.”

“I study drama…” says Ashleigh.

“You study drama?” questions Nat.

“It’s my one indulgence,” says Ashleigh. “My one frivolity.”

“Frivolity,” asks Lachlan.

Nat hands her joint to Ashleigh. Ashleigh hands his joint to Lachlan.

“We just watched Now Voyager, my lecturer is a Bette Davis nut,” says Ashleigh.

“Is she the old chick with all the white makeup who fed the budgie to her sister?” asks Lachlan.

“Yes, Baby Jane,” says Nat.

Lachlan hands his joint to Nat. Ashleigh hands his joint to Lachlan.

“I’m not really into old movies,” says Lachlan.

“I find them interesting,” says Ashleigh. “It’s another world that doesn’t exist anymore.”

“Exactly,” says Nat. “Great analogy.”

Nat and Lachlan hand both their joints to Ashleigh.

“Wow, hang on, are you guys trying to get me shit faced,” says Ashleigh.

“You catch on quick,” says Lachlan.

“I’d be into it,” says Nat. She smiles at Lachlan. Lachlan can’t help but smile as he looks from Nat to Ashleigh.

Ashleigh hands one of the joints to Nat.

The crowds started forming as they approach the stadium.

“Come on, lets go,” says Lachlan. He grabs Nat’s hand and Ashleigh’s hand and he runs them down the hill to the people milling around the entrance.

Nat and Ash take awkward last puffs on the joints and then throw them almost in unison onto the grass as they run past.

I chuckled a warm, nostalgic, chuckle to myself as I put the split out in the ashtray.

I was already imagining what Lachie, Nat and Ash got up to when they got home to Lachlan's place after the concert.