Naked Hero - The Journey Away

gazed on it. She wanted to hear his thoughts.
    “This is a class apart. It’s stunning,” he said without prompt.
    “What do you see?” asked Alinka.
    “It’s like I’m looking at some fantastic terrain from an aeroplane: bits of cloud in the way, but adding to the view, becoming part of it. Like how you see fields in Europe from above, but not regular, man made... this is untamed - a vast landscape.” He pointed to a part of the painting. “This symbol coming down from the top - three concentric circles linked by lines - so that’s a pathway travelled by ancestors, you said. It’s so vast, so they’ve travelled everywhere. Then there are these other tracks, footprints, coming and going to the central circle. Perhaps that’s man, the artist maybe, making his own journey, retracing the steps of the ancestors. This central circle seems important though, one of the journeys doesn’t lead out of it, but instead the journey ends there, and transforms itself into this most incredible creature, almost exploding out of the centre, or beamed out of it like a laser. If you ask me, it’s like... The Journey Away... and then... well it has to be... The Journey Home. It’s absolutely amazing... What should I have seen?”
    “Only what you see. Each person should decide,” replied Alinka.
    “Who painted it?” asked Lewis.
    “It’s by one of our most famous artists: Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri.”
    “Well, he’s had quite a journey. And he found something very special at the end of it,” said Lewis
    “Thank you... It’s called, ‘Man’s Love Story’. I think you saw that. I’ll leave you now to look at the paintings on your own.”
    “Thanks for taking the time to explain them. It’s been really interesting,” said Lewis. And then as she turned to walk away, he added, “Did he paint it for you?”
    Alinka looked back. “Yes,” was her simple reply.
    Lewis had no verbal response, just a smile for the woman who had inspired such beauty, and such love. Once she left them, he turned to Lee and spoke to him for the first time since entering the gallery.
    “I wouldn’t have guessed that you liked this sort of stuff. Thanks for bringing me, I really enjoyed it.”
    “I saw some Aboriginal art when I was in Sydney a few years ago. It’s incredible, isn’t it? I hoped you’d like it... a bit of culture with a difference.”
    “This one here is fabulous,” he said indicating to the painting he’d just described.
    “It’s for sale apparently. A million Aussie dollars, or something ridiculous like that - you could probably afford it.”
    “Probably, but it belongs in a gallery where everyone can see it,” replied Lewis, gazing again in wonder at the work. “I hope that’s where it ends up. ‘Man’s Love Story’... Yes, it belongs in a gallery... and then everyone can find it.”
    Was it in Melbourne? What he was looking for ? If all he wanted was a painting, then by God, he’d found the one.

Chapter 51
    Scott was waiting for Lewis in the players’ lounge. He’d got there early after the first men’s semi-final which he’d been commentating on. A match that Lewis had won as expected: four sets in the end, Livyenko managing to take the second on a tie-break, but that effort proved too much for him and he capitulated thereafter.
    Lewis was naturally jubilant when he arrived, but contained his joy well. He knew he needed to keep calm. Reaching the final was all very well, a great achievement, but a true champion would not be satisfied with only that. He still passionately wanted to win the tournament and banish forever the ‘One Hit Wonder’ label he’d been tarnished with.
    The rest of the team would be joining them shortly. Scott didn’t have long as he was due back in the commentary box soon for the next match, so after giving his congratulations and a quick analysis of the game, he cut to the chase.
    “Look, I really don’t have the time at the moment. So I was thinking that maybe we could chat more about the final this evening – once we know for sure who you’ll be up against. How about we do it over dinner? I’ll take you out - my treat. You deserve one after today.”
    Lewis looked at him a little surprised and felt his jubilation become strangely subdued. “What - just the two of us?” he asked.
    “Yeah! Why not?” answered Scott, doing his best to make it sound as if it wasn’t a big deal.
    Lewis didn’t buy it. “Are you sure that’s such a good idea?