Realms of Eden: Home Fires B2A2

Dr Evans suddenly appeared beside him. "You are amazing, how do you feel?" Sydney told him never better but he could use a shower.

Leaving Kelsey with his gear he grabbed his bag of clothes heading off to the showers to find the rest of the team already in there. They clapped and whistled again as Sydney stripped off and found an empty stall turning the taps on full blast.

It was strange to shower in front of a full room of lads after having spent so many years doing it by himself hiding his bruises. The shower room was full of playful ribbing. When the room suddenly went silent Sydney looked around towards the door and was as stunned as anyone at the sight of the current Australian captain, Peter Bond, standing at the door with a rather beaming Ian Creighton.

Behind them Sydney could see a bunch of news reporters and cameras and wondered what the man was doing here. He turned off the shower and began drying himself conscious that all eyes were turned in his direction as the great man came over towards him. After tying the towel around himself Sydney looked up as the man held out his hand to him. Sydney was awestruck as he took the firm handshake from the man and barely heard himself as he said, "Pleased to meet you Sir."

Peter Bond grinned saying, "Sydney Douglas that was the most devastating piece of batting I have ever seen! I am sure that a few of my mates in the stand are still pinching themselves to make sure that it was real!"

Sydney smiled, "Well Number 4 has always been a bit of a dead track. I've scored a couple of runs on it before."

Peter Bond laughed and pulling a recorder from his pocket said, "Yes I see, 320 not out, 190 not out, 50 retired, 100 retired, do I need to go on?"

Sydney hung his head, a little embarrassed, acutely aware that he had only ever got out once on the wicket and that was trying a stupid run late one afternoon trying to get the team home by ten wickets.

Ian Creighton handed him his shirt and trousers and Sydney was grateful when Peter turned to answer questions from the reporters behind him as he managed to get dressed and ready to leave. As he sidled towards the door to escape Sydney he heard the Australian captain say, "I don't know, why don't you ask our new opening batsman what he thinks of it."

Suddenly Sydney was faced with cameras and reporters microphones and said, "Me! You have to be fucking joking!"

The room erupted with laughter and a man that Sydney had met a couple of weeks ago introduced himself as the chairman of selectors, Ted Russell. He handed Sydney a letter of invitation to play one-day cricket for the Australian side in the upcoming series against New Zealand. Sydney's head went into a spin and fortunately Kelsey appeared beside him and announced that Mr Douglas would hold a press conference with Peter and Ted in the players' rooms in about 30 minutes. With that they rushed outside where Sydney was violently ill under the grandstands as Kelsey sympathetically held his hand then passed him a cup of tea from her thermos.

"What is going on Kelsey?" he almost screamed at her. "I haven't even played a full season of first grade yet. I don't know who half those guys were out there today but they certainly weren't the best attacking side I have ever played."

Kelsey giggled. "Recall the faces again and tell me that you don't know who they are."

He thought about it and apart from a couple of faces the rest suddenly seemed familiar. A couple he had played against, he was sure of it but some of the others he suddenly realised were faces that he had seen on vid casts in regional matches all over the country. Suddenly he recalled that a lot of the players on both sides were also at the 30 over match he had played in a fortnight before when he had met the chairman of selectors, though he didn't call himself Ted then!

Sydney looked at her, his eyes were as round as saucers and she nodded her head. "Yep you just played against some of the best bowlers in the country and made them look ordinary."

He heard a small cough from behind her. The captain of the opposition stood behind her and with a sickening feeling in his gut Sydney realised that he was actually the current opening bowler for Australia. Sydney stammered out, "You look different from on the screens to real life."

The man laughed then said, "Actually we are the ones who should be sorry Sydney. You see we changed our names so that you wouldn't know them. But I don't think it would have mattered with the way you played today!" He held out his hand and Sydney shook it solemnly. The other opening bowler moved into the light holding out his hand as well and Sydney beamed as he stood with Kelsey, Mike Brennan and Joe "Quicksilver" Donnelly as Ian Creighton took a couple of photos.

They moved up towards the players' pavilion where there were still a lot of people hanging around. Sydney looked for his bag of gear and Tim appearing at their side handed Kelsey the hover card and said, "It's all in the back."

Turning to Sydney he gave him a quick jab in the ribs and said, "Congratulations big fella, give 'em heaps next month!"

Sydney grabbed his arm. "Not so fast, Mr Robbins!"

He gave up and said, "Ok you got me, who blabbed?"

Kelsey nodded towards the two big bowlers who were just in front of them. Tim held out his hand and said, "Tim Robbins, pleased to meet you Sydney. You are going to make a fine addition to our team and I wouldn't mind betting you'll be captain before too much longer!"

Sydney ducked his head down to hide his embarrassment from his praise and followed the rest of the group into the rooms and over to the tables that had been set up at the head of the room.

The conference was a confusion of lights and questions and Sydney was thankful when he felt Alfred set the nano-bots in action. He could see and hear more clearly than before. Sydney told the reporters that he was as stunned as anyone at the announcement and No he didn't have any idea that he was playing with half the Australian side today. In fact only thought that there was three players from the side.

Peter Bond stood and introduced him to Gareth Peterson. Sydney groaned as he recalled how he had told him to bowl in the opening over. Gareth regaled the reporters with a retelling of it as Sydney tried to find a place to hide.

"Tim, Mike and Joe you know," and Sydney nodded as they filed past.

Lou Johnson, the Australian spinner grinned as he shook Sydney's hand telling him that he would have to improve if he wanted to hit him for six sixes in an over instead of only five and a four. Peter roared with laughter as the cheeky spinner congratulated Sydney once again. Brian Smith, the all rounder and Dean Paulsen, the opposition's feared hard hitting opening batsman, chuckled as they told the reporters how Sydney had suckered them into almost giving away their wickets with his shrewd captaincy.

Then the guy who had not told his mate about Sydney's movement to leg slip came forward and surprised him by saying, "Jared Samson, welcome to the team," before giving him a tight smile and moved off to join the others over by the bar.

Peter looked shrewdly at Sydney and covering his mouth with his hand whispered to him. "Yes I know but he just needs a bit of an attitude adjustment and hopefully being twelfth man will help that along a few times."

Sydney nodded and answered a few more questions about cricket. Then he heard Ted Russell answer a question about being able to disguise the players because they were aware that Sydney spent most of his time listening to the cricket rather than watching it live because of his family circumstances. Sydney pricked his ears and felt Kelsey reach a hand to hold his as hurriedly she said, "Don't let them get to you over this. Just say you aren't ready to talk about it at the moment. In fact let me do it and just keep quiet."

The next reporter asked him about his parents support as an up and coming cricketer earmarked early on for Australian representative duties. Sydney turned to Kelsey who answered, "I'm sorry but the family issues with Sydney are of a rather sensitive nature. At this stage we would like to keep his personal life on a strictly private basis until such time as Sydney is more comfortable about the loss of his parents and feels comfortable talking about his early childhood."

The reporters smelled a story and more questions came in as Sydney marvelled at how coolly and logically Kelsey turned away the more probing questions and reverted to some stock answers about others.

Someone yelled out from the back. "Isn't it true that your parents hated your interest in cricket and soccer and tried to prevent you playing by withholding registration and game fees? Yet you still managed to scrape together enough to make the game and just play?"

There was dead quiet in the room at this outburst. Sydney looked at Kelsey then at Ian Creighton and Dr Evans. All of them nodded slightly and Sydney replied, "Yes Sir that is true. But sport was all I had and I really just wanted to play."

The same voice called out again. "And isn't it true that you played some of those games with the most horrendous marks on your body from beatings handed out by your father and mother for participating in other games that you were forbidden to play?"

Sydney was conscious of everyone holding their breath waiting for his response and he looked at all the faces waiting for him. He nodded and quietly answered, "Yes, that's true."

The room erupted with questions and Peter Bond stood and banged the table with his fist and screamed for quiet. The room quietened down and the voice from the back of the room shouted, "You are an absolute legend, Sydney Douglas!"

The room was suddenly full of cheering as Sydney found himself unable to see or speak through his emotions. Kelsey pulled him up from his seat. Between her and Peter Bond, Sydney was ushered out of the room and into the quiet sanctuary of the captain's room.

"I'm sorry about that Syd," said Peter, "we all know the story and that was why we were so interested in seeing you perform today and our little subterfuge. We have been watching you for the past 3 or 4 years. It was only going to be a matter of time before your talent really stamped itself on our game. My goodness I was so glad to be here and see it come up trumps today!"

He gave the man's shoulder a quick press and said, "Look, how about you and Kelsey sneak out of here and I'll keep this lot at bay. Ian's got the details for the training sessions so I will see you to meet the rest of the team in a couple of weeks, OK?"

Sydney nodded and thanked him again then Kelsey and he bolted to the hover and made it out into the traffic before anyone was the wiser.

She kissed him saying, "I hope the girls still have some Chinese left because I am starving!"

He laughed agreeing. Holding his hand tightly in hers she said, "I am so proud of you and not just for making the team but to answer those questions with dignity."

Sydney still couldn't believe the events of the day and it suddenly occurred to him to ask who was asking the questions from out the back. "I couldn't make out who it was and I was straining the nano-bots to clarify the faces." he told her.

She grinned. "I think I know who it was but I will be sure later when Dr Evans and Ian come around."

The big man beside her shrugged. "I bet the media have a field day with this!"

They arrived home where Jo, Jenny and Bonnie were bouncing around with the news they had heard about him making the fastest 200 in recent history and being selected in the Australian team. He accepted their kisses and hugs of congratulations.

Jo smiled. "Obviously I was wrong in saying that I find it a little dull. Though I should know by now that when you are around it never is!"

He grinned asking, "Was there anything else on the news?"

Jo said, "Only that you were going to give a press conference later this afternoon. It should be on soon." She flicked the monitors on and Kelsey suggested that they all sit and be quiet.

Munching Chinese while waiting for the news to start, Sydney was almost shocked out of his chair when a picture of his battered body suddenly appeared on the screen. The newscaster's voice started by saying, "A broken boy had his lifelong dreams fulfilled today by making the Australian team!"

Sydney hung his head and listened to the various reports of how he had been belted by his father, stabbed by his mother and shot by terrorists in a daring raid in a suburban hospital. Various file pictures of his classmates, teachers and teammates were haphazardly shown across the screen as the reporter continued. "the tragic story of a lonely and traumatised boy who finally won his own victory over adversity by becoming the newest opening batsmen for the beleaguered Australian cricket team played out a happy ending on the ovals of Brisbane."

Chapter 4 -- To be or not to be

Sydney sat on the bench that was the prop for the opening scene of the school play, he found that he was a little nervous but not overly so. Full dress rehearsals from the last few weeks had prepared him for his role as an old man reflecting on his life in the opening act. He smiled a little as both Kevin Bailey and Geraldine Lange, the director, gave him last minute words of advice. Geraldine also flashed him her Syddy's Angel knickers through the split in her long skirt telling him that he would know if he was a star or a failure by their placement or not on the hook in his dressing room.

The curtain rose and he could not believe the crowd of faces in the huge theatre that the school had booked for the presentation of the production to the public. They had had to change the booking a week or so ago for some reason that Sydney was never really given an answer for. Suddenly he knew why as instead of the opening music, Kevin and Geraldine stood at the front of the stage beckoning him to rise from the bench. Meanwhile the booth announcer informed the several thousand people in the audience that they were pleased to introduce the new opening batsman for the Australian cricket team.

A cacophony of whistles, cheering and clapping erupted as the audience stood. Sydney reluctantly came forward to stand between the two people. "Can we just get this fucking thing started, please!" he whispered fiercely to the smiling perpetrators of this additional embarrassment to himself.

"Not until you acknowledge your fans, Sydney," said Kevin with a huge grin.

Sydney bowed to the audience several times before they settled into their seats. He noted that the front row of the audience contained most of the Australian team, grinning and cheering at their new star. Among them were Ian, Ronnie, Jo, Jenny and Kelsey. He found his eyes almost filling with tears as the blonde head and bright green eyes of Thelma Daintree blazed back into his from where she sat happily smiling with Kelsey and Jo. "I love you," she mouthed to him as he met her loving stare.

Geraldine told him his mic was turned on and suggested he say a few words. "Thank you all for coming," he said as the pair on stage poked his hips. "I hope you enjoy the show."

Before anyone could say anything more he added, "Thelma Daintree I love you too, so nice to see you here!"

The blonde blushed as Jo and Kelsey made her stand up to acknowledge the gasps of the crowd who knew that the woman was heavily involved in setting up the most horrendous piece of military history to play in courtrooms across the nation. There was a repeat of the cheering, clapping and whistling. Sydney grinned as a few, "Get those bastards, Thelma!" came out from the crowd.

Eventually the audience settled and as Sydney resumed his place on the bench the curtain closed. His nerves had definitely gone and he prepared himself to sing and dance for the women he loved most dearly as he fervently hoped that the blonde would be his for at least tonight.

The song that burst from his lips as the music began was strong and full of the emotion of an old man that reflected on a life of love, opportunities and success. Bonnie's and Maria's sweet lilts sang in the background as he stood from his bench and softly shuffled across the stage. He found he no longer noticed the audience as for the next few hours he took them through the story of the old man's life that helped Oceania to become the most powerful nation in the world.

It was the story of President Craig Thomas, the most controversial and powerful man in Oceania's history. His love for his nation, broken and torn as it came out of the nuclear winter and began to rebuild. Thomas was a man with lusty appetites for women and men, purported to have had at least a dozen lovers in his time as president. All while he bullied, begged and commanded the scientists, engineers and other political leaders to forge a nation. He was either much loved or detested in the history books. Sydney loved the man.

The party at the back of the theatre was noisy and full of high pitched giggles and squeals as Sydney was swamped from all sides by the cast and crew. His arms were full of women who kissed, hugged and pressed themselves hard against him in sheer delight. Even Kevin Bailey clasped him hard against him and Sydney was concerned at the tears in the man's eyes as he stepped back still holding him by his shoulders.

"Sydney Douglas you are a dream come true! Though you are going to have to do that another twenty times yet!" the teacher said.

An hour later he was still being kissed and hugged as Geraldine screamed at the top of her lungs pointing to several monitors on the walls. "School Play burns down the House!" blazed across the banners on several entertainment sites. The little director was jumping up and down in excitement and Sydney noted her bra hanging from the hook above his door, along with about a dozen pair of Syddy's Angels panties and knew the reason for her ample breasts to be jiggling so freely. He sighed a little, Kelsey had already told him that Thelma had left, though he thought she may have had to wait for him for a while anyway.

"Listen to this!" squealed the long legged Maria as she danced around on her feet as if she was in need of the bathroom but was determined to read the information on her workbook before she did so.

"Sydney Douglas, new opening batsman for the Australian cricket team, has a big decision ahead of him. He is going to have to determine whether his voice or his twinkling feet and powerful shoulders are going to lead him into his future. After listening to the man sing with the voice of the devil and the angelic sounds that came from the beautiful Maria Castellantes, in her portrayal as the loving but besieged wife of President Thomas, this reviewer believes that the Australian team may just need to find a new opening batsman before Sydney even takes the field.

"The cast of Craig Thomas High gave one of the most wonderful and powerful performances of the play written by the enigmatic Pauline Kendrick, now principal of the school. The performance left the audience spellbound as the youthful cast made you wonder what year it was outside. For such a young group this old woman finds herself holding a great deal of hope for the world of tomorrow.

"Well done boys and girls, well done!"

Sydney held his principal tightly in his arms as the woman sobbed against his chest. "You wrote the play, Pauline?" asked Kevin Bailey, his voice was full of disbelief as he placed his arms around the woman as well.

The sobbing woman nodded before she sniffled and wiped her eyes with the handkerchief Sydney gave her. "A long time ago," she answered finally. "It was when I first got appointed to the school as deputy-principal and I researched the man that our school was named after.