retired_milla0225

Later on on Sunday 5th December And today's no brainer is ??

Starting back on the bus back to Melbourne (well, it's only eight hours, hardly worth a flight don't you agree ?) I sat in my customary seat at the front with a stubbie of Melbourne Bitter (you can tell the difference from one of VB you know) and pondered the match's outcome. There was an obvious conclusion to come to and it only took my to my third stubbie to see it.

What was so pretty obvious was that the looming prospect of Galekovic's return was to much for Theokolitos and his performance in the match suffered as a result. So next time there would be a change between the sticks.

Happy with my managerial prowess, I settled down for a well earned nap.

retired_milla0225

Wednesday 8th December ring ring, ring ring

De Smet was in his luxurious appartment when the awaited phone call came. He put down the bollecke of Straffe Hendrik that he was drinking, signalled to the techies in the corner of the room to start their magical 'trace' program and the flipped open the handset of the phone

Jan De Smet (JDS): "De Smet."

Mystery Caller (MC): "Er, do we have a deal ?"

JDS: "Let me say that I am persuaded to hear what you have to say"

MC: "So here's where you leave the Mo.."

JDS: "Not so fast, my young friend who said I was happy with the price, one million euros is way too much, I'll give you two hundred thousand."

MC: "No chance, one million or no deal"

The techie in the corner signalled that he had a lock on the phone's location.

JDS : "You really should have taken what I offered. No Deal.

And he terminated the call.

De Smet turned to the techie.

JDS : "Well ?"

Techie: "Vanuatu"

JDS: "Where the hell is that ?"

Techie: "The Pacific Ocean, sir."

JDS : "Fine. Get me Mr DeVilliers...... And find out how he's going to get to Vanuatu."

retired_milla0225

Thursday 9th December Something I've overlooked, but what is it ?

When I asked Aaron, my assistant, who we were playing at the weekend he helpfully pointed out that we were now into the midseason break and there wasn't another game until the start of January. He told me he was going up coast to see his folks who now lived in Cairns.

I thought a bit more travelling might be in order, somewhere in the pacific, perhaps....

retired_milla0225

Friday 10th December Somewhere in Italy

Mr DeVilliers was not a small man, but as many unfortunate people had found out he was very agile for his size. He achieved this by a combination of a daily punishing physical routine and ballet lessons. It was at one of these lessons that the courier from DeSmet found Mr DeVilliers.

Courier (PIC): "Package for Mr DeVilliers, is he here ?"

Mr DeVilliers (MDV): "That's me."

PIC: "Some travel documents for you, I think. Mr DeSmet would like you to travel immediately. There is a new passport in the name of Georges DeBrun, and you are travel agent looking for new destinations. Any questions ?"

MDV: "No seems fine, Tell Mr De Smet I shall leave on the first Alitalia flight to Sydney, and I shall fly onto Vanuatu from there"

PIC: "No Worries, Mr DeVilliers. By the way, nice tutu."

MDV: "I beg your pardon ?"

PIC (Pig Ignorant Courier) "I said nice tu.... Hey what are you doing ? ....ow....ow.....OWWWWWW"

Mr DeVilliers, put the body into the garbage dumpster outside the dance studio. He would be leaving in a moment and never planned to return so the impulsiveness could be forgiven, but he himself knew that he should try harder to channel that temper.

He opened the documents pack and took a quick look through the contents. He then took out his mobile phone.

MDV: "Seems I best phone DeSmet myself..."

retired_embartl

DeVilliers is a great name, his first name should be Xenon :thup:

Excellent to read this again, looking forward to see how it pans out.

retired_milla0225

Not entirely sure we'll ever find out his first name, BoN ! Thanks for the positive feedback too.

retired_milla0225

Saturday 11th December A pleasant stroll down Collins Street

Having no game to attend to meant I could have a bit of time to myself. The lads had been given a couple of weeks if during the break (obviously with strict instructions about keeping off the lard.), so I thought I ought to talk a stroll into Melbourne's CBD and try and find somehwere for a break, just a week or ten days.

I strolled into the first travel agent's I saw, and went to the first vacant desk. The girl behind the desk (for she was but a slip of a lass) was pretty and here name badge said 'Kari'.

Bruce Parker (BP): "Morning Kari, I'd like to book a holiday, for a week or ten days, beach resort, as soon as possible. What have you got on the short availability list ?"

Kari Mecklenberg (KM): "Good morning sir, we have a couple of packages, leaving tomorrow, that should fit your requirements."

BP: "Oh ?"

KM: "Yes, We've got seven days in Fiji or ten days in Vanuatu. Which would you prefer ?"

BP: "Actually both sound really nice. Tell you what why don't you give me details of both and I'll take them away and have a think. What time can you hold these deals until ?"

KM: "There are limited availability sir, so I'd try and make your mind up as quick as you can."

BP "Right you are, Kari, I'll see you in twenty minutes"

And with that I picked up the details and left the shop. I popped into the nearest bar and got a schooner of VB. Now which one of these should I choose, seven days in Fiji, or ten in Vanuatu ?

Decisions, decisions.

retired_milla0225

Saturday 11th December One Schooner of VB later

The beer was cold, wet and fairly tasteless, but that went for most of the beer in these parts. I'd treat myself with a trip to The Redback a bit later but now I had an appointment with a Travel Agent. The holiday had pretty much chosen itself, to be honest, so this wasn't going to be a long process.

Kari Mecklenberg (KM): "Ah, welcome back, sir, have you made a decision ?"

Bruce Parker (BP: "I sure have, Kari, I think I'll go to Fiji, if I may. I really can't afford to be away from work for as long as ten days, so the seven day break it is."

KM: "I'll just confirm your booking..... There.... the itinerary is: Flight from Tullamarine Airport to Sydney, a three hour layover there and then your fligh to Fiji. You'll need to pay the balance immediately, how will you be paying ?

I handed over my credit card. I'd managed to get one without any of the problems that you might imagine. As a new migrant into Australia the bank was used to not having much of a credit history to go on, and the kind word of my employer went a long way too.

The printer behind Kari's desk sprang to life.

KM: "Here you go, Mr Parker, here are the details. Flight leaves at 7am tomorrow morning. By the way, it is Bruce Parker the manager of The Victory ? isn't it ? Thought so, really like what you're doing to the side, do you think we can win the whole thing ?"

BP: "Well, Kari, thanks for the support, for one, and yes, if we steer clear of any more injuries, there's no reason why we can't keep this up. Anyway, must dash, I have a holiday to pack for"

KM: "Sure thing Bruce, enjoy your holiday."

I left the travel agency a happy man. I was going on holiday. Now there was the small matter of of getting a good old fashioned English sized pint of Redback. I knew just the place.

retired_milla0225

Sunday 12th December Is it morning already ?

One pint of Redback had turned into several and I'd rolled in home alot later than I'd planned. So it was no surprise when my alarm went off after what had felt like no sleep at all. I chucked some holiday clothes into a bag and set off for the airport.

I made the check-in gate with only a little time to spare before the flight was due to take off, so I grabbed a black coffee and a couple of pastries for breakfast. By the time I had 'enjoyed' the airport food it was time to board the flight.

It takes about an hour to fly from Melbourne to Sydney and I was on an Ansett 767 for the short hop across the continent's bottom right hand corner.

After take off I eschewed the stewardesses kind offer of a drink and tried to grab a brief nap. Before I knew it we were making our descent into Sydney airport. As we drew up to the landing terminal I noticed an Alitalia 747 being manouvered into an adjacent bay.

Now to get off and 'enjoy' a three hour layover, airside, at Sydney airport.

retired_milla0225

Sunday 12th December Are we nearly there yet ?

The flight from Rome had hardly been arduous for Mr DeVilliers. De Smet and the others in the chocolate cartle believed firmly in the benefits of first class travel and the flight had been a rather pleasant experince.

But what you couldn't deny was that it had been a long flight, and for an active man like Mr DeVilliers it was positivly constraining. There was room to move about in first class, but not much of it, and the thought of a whole day without a run, or at very least a decent workout filled the Belgian enforceer with horror.

Still, and as the plane began it's descent into Sydney airport, there was the prospect of five hours to wait before the connecting flight to Vanuatu. This didn't worry Mr Devilliers as it would some people, no here was a chance to stretch his legs, move about a bit, possibly get a bit of exercise, possibly a bit of enjoyment.

The plane touched down and was guided into the terminal next to a plane bearing the livery of Ansett, the Australian internal carrier. This didn't interest Mr Deviliers however, he just wanted to get off and have a chance to stretch his legs.