Blood Worth Bottling

The Unexpected Beginning

I first noticed this bloke not long after I boarded the boat in mid 1942, by mid I mean like June that's when we left Australia. Actually I saw a lot of blokes but this one seemed to fascinate me. He was a lot more sophisticated than me, paler skin and a lot better posture for sure. Now I rustled up enough courage to talk to him but when I knocked him for six in the middle of the bloody ocean I decided I best leave him be.
I'd never seen the ocean before this trip, I'd never seen anything except red dirt and green grass on the odd Saturday when I got off work and decided it'd be a good idea to play footy or cricket with my mates in Marree.
Anyway, my names Tom MacKenna well actually it's Turlough MacKenna but never in my life have I been called Turlough, I even enlisted as Tom. I came from very remote South Australia, I never knew my mother and I never intended to go to war. I wasn't very old and I certainly wasn't qualified for anything when I went to the jungle, I had just turned 21 and I was about as naïve as they come. My dad who my grandma used to call 'an overly patriotic Irishman' had no time for Germans, Asians barely even Australians so he was not impressed when his son decided to enlist.
The boat ride to where ever the hell we were going was as boring as it was long. They called us Chocos, chocolate soldiers, because we were apparently supposed to melt under pressure, untrained soldiers who were inexperienced and unprepared which all meant the same thing really.
I was called a lot of things, a larrikin, a clown, a dickhead, an idiot but more than often a nuisance. So it kinda stuck, Tommy Nuisance and I guess you could say this is the story of how one nuisance became two.
___
"There are two windows on this side of the deck and you managed to smash both with the same ball, you're a nuisance Tommy MacKenna, a bloody nuisance," Will scolded trying to contain his laughter.
"How is that even possible? It's a empty fucking room!" Fred bellowed, shining a ball on his pants.
"A ball didn't fly through here did it? My mate has quite the swing," a man not much older than us appeared.
"City slicker," I scoffed, puffing at my cigarette.
"Melbourne you're quite right, uh the cricket ball?" The man smiled slightly.
"Here mate, you haven't got ours have ya?" Henry placed the ball in the mans hands.
"No sorry,"
Henry sighed, "good on ya Nuisance,"
"Hold on, is this yours?" A tall man appeared, fair haired and fair skinned, the same man who I'd seen before.
"Thank you, Dad gave me this," Henry shrugged, shoving the ball into his pocket.
"I'm Eric," the bloke from Melbourne smiled.
"Henry, pleasure," they exchanged a handshake.
"Right Eric we have a game to complete," the tall one nudged him forward, his eyes met mine as I blew out my cigarette. As they walked away he scowled slightly and I scowled back.
"That was a dirty look Tom, you don't even know the bloke," Will chuckled, securing himself behind the stumps.
I shrugged and belted the ball over the deck listening to it splash into the water.
"Fucking hell, you're a nuisance Tommy,"  two lads chuckled. 
Later that night we were called into tea, seated at our tables and told to shut up.
"Gentlemen we land on the beach in 24 hours, you will evacuate the boat then venture with guidance to your stations, if you make it to your stations you are to wait their until night fall then you will take as little material as possible and make you way out to patrol. You are to stay with one other man at all times do you understand?!" Sergeant Warnes was loud and his voice got lost in my head for a bit but being the idiot and social unacceptable person that I am, I yelled, "Righto sergeant need anything else from the shops?"
The other blokes laughed, "Private MacKenna keep that up and you'll be swimming," the sergeant warned.
"Sounds better than sleepin' on this bloody hunk-a-tin," I grumbled, slumping back in my chair.
"Good luck tomorrow Gentlemen May god be with you, as you were," Sergeant Warnes strolled out and I got up to find some more bread. I wasn't trying to be rude it's just how I was.
I was lost in thought when I was taken out by a chair. I hit the floor and looked up to see the fair haired soldier from before.
"God sorry mate didn't see you," he offered a hand but I brushed it off.
"Open your eyes next time," I said stepping away.
"Don't need to be so rude, I'm not the enemy," he rebutted, coming after me.
I didn't reply, "I see how it is, what are you going to do if we are partnered up?"
"Probably not speak," I scoffed spinning around to be greeted by a solid left hook. I stumbled back, keeping my feet before throwing one straight back.
"FIGHT!" Someone bellowed as this bloke and I belted each other for no particular reason. Cheering and clapping arose from the other soldiers.
"What is going on in here?" Sergeant Warnes bellowed.
Now I'd done it. The two of us looked at him with sheepish grins.
"My office, now, the both of you,"
I shoved him off me and stormed down the hall.
_
"I expected more from you two, both of you have fine reports, said to be quite worthy and fit soldiers, I didn't think of you as much of a fighter either Private MacKenna," he wasn't addressing me but I didn't know that.
"Well I'm not," we both replied in unison.
"Private MacKenna I was talking to-" the sergeant stopped and lent back in his chair. "Do you gentlemen know each other?" he asked.
"Na mate never met him in my life," I replied. 
"You address me as sir, and I don't believe you," Sergeant Warnes replied.
"No sir he's correct, we've never met," Lanky on my left said. I sighed, "this is ridiculous, what do you want?"
"For you two to be paired up tomorrow," the sergeant smirked as our eyes widened. "Shake hands and say your names," he urged.
I put out my hand, "Tom,"
He shook it, "Dan,"
"Good now bugger off,"
We walked out of the room and I slammed the door.
"Well I'll see you tomorrow," Dan said.
I scoffed and walked away in the opposite direction.