Stranger Things Have Happened | Marcus Bontempelli

one.

October 22nd, 2018. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Tullamarine Airport. Local time is 7:55pm and the temperature is 11 degrees. On behalf of Etihad Airlines and the entire crew, I'd like to thank you for joining us and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Have a lovely evening."

The feeling of sweet relief as the Boeing 787 came to a gentle halt was a welcomed sensation after the 22-hour flight from Heathrow to Melbourne. It was a tedious layover in Dubai to finally arrive at the desired destination; Home.

It'd been too long since I had made the long journey for pleasure and the guilt that surrounded that length of time had been growing and growing over the years. Sure, I had been back touring with the band but I hadn't spent more than a few days in Melbourne catching up with my Mum and avoiding everyone else. 

The last time we had toured Australia was the summer of 2016, majority of the people I had any intention of seeing were away on holidays and yes, that may have been by design but what you don't know is that the friendships that remained tied to my hometown were frayed and complicated. More on that later...

As instructed, I gathered the small amount of carry on that I dared bring knowing that I am a walking disaster when it came to over-packing. It really was time for a well-earned rest but deep down in my broken heart I knew that this would be a soul-searching endeavour that had been beckoning me from 17,000 kilometres away.

"Thank you so much" I barely whispered to the flight attendant as I lugged my weary body off the plane and into the terminal to collect my bags.

I anticipated an extended stay in Melbourne, knowing full well that this could be a trial run on a potential move back to the homeland so I packed accordingly. As my 3 enormous bags rolled around the carousel and into view, an involuntary sigh escaped my lips as I prepared myself to lift them off. Before I could reach out and grab them, a large frame muscled in beside me and very effortlessly snatched the first bag.

"Tommy" I breathed, relieved to meet the brown eyes of my longest standing best friend. Tom Liberatore.

"Sully" He greeted back, the nicknames we've had for over 2 decades finally being uttered after too many years apart. 

Tom was quick to scoop me up in the most ferocious bear hug and it genuinely felt like no time has passed between us. My feet eventually touched the ground after what felt like a lifetime of missed hugs were made up for and as I stepped back and readjusted my jacket, I was met with what could only be described as a shit eating grin.

"There was no way in hell that you were gonna be able to get that bag off on your own, Sull" Tom joked as he carefully leaned my first suitcase up against the wall.

"Um, I'm sorry but how do you think I got these fucking things here? Pure strength and determination" I playfully flexed what very little upper body strength I did have, making Tom roll his eyes and chuckle softly before processing my words.

"Hang on, things? Plural? How many bags did you bring?" He asked wide-eyed.

"Only two more but they're twice the size of the one you just got off so better start warming up, champ" I retorted with a cheeky grin.

After chasing my bags around the carousel and knocking several people over in the process, Tom and I made our way out of the terminal and into the brisk Melbourne evening. The smell was as I remembered and the lights of the Tullamarine car park glistened in the reflections of what I assumed to be the afternoon shower that so regularly rolled through Melbourne in October.

"It doesn't change, does it?" I mumbled more to myself than to Tom who was again hauling my bags into the boot of his very slick Benz.

"It really fuckin' doesn't," He groaned before slamming the boot shut.