19 to 17 - Nick Geale
Nick Geale | March 23, 2023
19 to 17 doesn’t seem a lot. If you close your eyes, it happens in a flash. When you open your eyes, it takes a lot longer.
I was brought home to Number 19 as a one-week-old, add another 52 years and I end up at number 17, next door.
The words “Should, Would or Could” are not written, they cannot change anything!
What I have learnt along the way is “everyone” has a story, all it takes is to sit down and “listen!”
I know I will be opening some “Old Wounds” writing this but I needed to get things off my Chest!
I’d appreciate if you can donate something towards Mental Health or try and understand it more.
This is my story, I have put lots of photos in as the research has helped me get through a tough period, so apologies in advance.
To my Dear Mother, Aunty Sandra and Amanda’s Parents, sorry for the “swearing”!
These are my words, no one has critiqued it.
Extract from my book - 19 to 17
I woke up in the morning and walked into my Aunty and Uncle’s lounge room. Aunty Elaine gave me a hug and said, “David has gone to heaven”! The Date was 6th August 1977. It was a Saturday and to keep me busy I still went to watch my School Rugby Team play. I remember talking to Mr Hillman and I told him, “my Brother had died last night”, he was already informed.
I arrived back home and still remember sitting in our back family room watching TV with my other two Brothers. There was a knock on the door and one of the Bombardier’s delivered a big box of fruit. I was protected from the gravity of the night before and I never ever witnessed my Parents crying which I thought was weird as I got older.
My small memory of the Funeral was the school kids standing on both sides of the driveway into the Church. I can recall seeing Peter Dobson crying in the Church and our back neighbour Liz was in tears too, not much more. There was no “counselling “in those days, so us three boys just sort of got on with it. I was 11 Years; Justin was nearly 13 and Anthony was 15. Mum and Dad were in their Forties and Mum became the rock in our home!
Going away on holidays was extremely rare to us. Mum and Dad decided after David died that we all go away up the Central Coast to Wamberal Beach, just outside Terrigal. It was good riding our body boards made of tough leather and slippery as. Dad was not a beach person so him being with us was a treat and are lucky to have some footage of our stay.
One of my distinct memories was watching Australia vs West Indies in the World Series Cricket on a black and white TV. It was the 1st year, 1977/78 played at VFL Park in Melbourne. The Windies needed a six of the last ball and the bowler was Mick Malone with Wayne Daniel facing. Malone bowled the ball and Daniel smashed it for six into the grandstand to win. It was then my passion of cricket was confirmed.
My brother Justin and I went to an early WCC game at Sydney Show Ground as games were not allowed to be played at the SCG. It was Australia vs West Indies. We were literally next to the boundary rope behind the slips. Any Cricket lovers out there will remember the “classic” catch that went to the slips and was fumbled, landed on the keeper’s foot and was eventually caught. I still remember the shouts of “catch, catch” by the slips and keeper and the players involved were Clive Lloyd, Derek Murray but cannot recall the third.
It was not until a good 30 years later that I noticed we were part of an Iconic TV Commercial. Let me try and give you a hint.” Lillee’s pounding down like a machine”. Quite early on the ad there were a few boys jumping up and down and it took me a few times watching it to realise that my brother and I were in the commercial.
