Stjepan Babić

The following work of semi-autobiographical fiction may well comprise the theme to a book or screenplay.

(WCT: 1500)

A coming of age story based in suburban, multi-cultural Sydney, [input book or movie title here] tracks the life of Stjepan Babić. Steve, as he comes to be known for ease of pronunciation, is a first generation Australian. He fails to fully develop his own autonomy, therefore spends much of his early life devoid of meaning and purpose. Unable to garner independence, he detaches from yearnings within to become an artist.

Steve falls prey to the whimsy of those determined to suppress his calling. Faced with a chaotic sequence of life events, he eventually settles for a life of servitude. Those he might have relied upon to nurture, encourage and support his yearnings are in fact threatened by his abilities. They are therefore eager to have them banished. Now he is on his own. His only hope is to live through hell and survive to tell the tale.

As the byproduct of widespread European emigration to Australia, Steve is torn between nationality and lineage. He feels neither Australian nor Yugoslavian, a perception which only intensifies as the latter enters civil war. Unsurprisingly, given his Croatian ancestry, significant posturing regarding Serbian motivations dominates his immediate surroundings. He therefore grapples with his heritage among a localised community of Croatian expats, while simultaneously clashing with Australian traditions. It doesn’t take long for a range of strong emotional responses to brew up inside of him, begging for release.

Steve discovers early on that a certain sensitivity rules his thoughts. He owns a heightened capacity for creativity and can conceptualise abstract ideas. He later discovers these are the sorts of traits which might well be associated with the academic pursuits of psychology and philosophy. Whenever practicing his abilities Steve feels at one with the universe. Pain, pleasure, suffering and joy all appear amplified in his world. The human condition fascinates him.

An alter ego begins to manifest within Steve’s psyche, one invented to protect him from his surroundings; but, to truly understand the genesis of Steve’s plight, we must accompany him to an age of innocence.

At age three Steve is physically assaulted by his biological mother. These are the beginnings of an intense insecurity which will accompany him for life. Moreover, routine acts of manipulation at her hands are widely responsible for positioning him in opposition to his family. This includes his siblings. This malign family situation only grows as numerous cracks begin to emerge. Gestations of uncertainty follow as obsessions to capture the acceptance of those around him persist.

Immune from proper examination, his insecurities become evermore prevalent as days become weeks and years. As he strives to outrun the effects of ongoing emotional abuse, Steve acquires an indiscriminate mistrust for guidance and direction which lingers well into early adulthood and beyond. This leads to stunted maturation and difficulty learning. Compounding outcomes brought about by Steve's dilemma come to define him.

Caught up in a standardised cycle of manipulation, Steve endures his circumstances. A refreshing bout of post-teen independence limits exposure to his primary antagonists. However, notions of outflanking his troubled youth are short lived. Steve is now fighting a daunting uphill battle. Confused and desperate to feel adequate, he fails to build a reliable societal standing.

Increasingly the outsider, Steve’s shattered emotions wreak havoc on his choices. Unable to self-determine, his world crumbles. Alienated from friends, colleagues and family, he enters a lonely, protracted holding pattern characterised by bouts of depression, anxiety and addiction. By his mid thirties, Steve is well entrenched in a pattern of lacklustre activity. However, that is about to change.

Early one winter morning, plagued by insomnia, Steve uncharacteristically takes to walking the streets. While out, he is suddenly overwhelmed by raw emotion. A parallel world opens up as he imagines travelling back in time, mingling with ghosts of past, asking of them poignant questions. Weeks go by during which Steve routinely leaves the oppression of his broken reality to commune with spirits. He continues taking regular morning walks during which he uncovers buried, long forgotten memories from his childhood. Consequently, a detailed chronology of thoughts, feelings and stories begin to populate his narrative. The gravity of emerging discoveries begins to dawn on him.

Evermore the dedicated prospector, Steve ramps up reconnoissance activities. It is during a routine mission deep within his psyche that he stumbles upon a stockpile of virgin emotions. He explores this supply of mindly riches. This is vaguely familiar territory, however Steve is shocked to discover an entire suite of cognitive abilities laying dormant. Crucial faculties to do with higher reasoning stand largely ignored. Steve instantly prioritises his find. His imagination deepens and he begins to dream. He wonders what utilising these newfound resources might bring into his life.

The defining moment of Steve’s life arrives. He is penetrated by an apparition from destiny. As he pauses momentarily to receive a vision, vague yet familiar feelings begin to brew inside his bones. They resonate throughout his body, reaching a crescendo. Moments later, as might be anticipated when a charging yacht's untamed spinnaker embraces perfect harmony with wind and sea, his imagination unfurls, taking on a life all of its own.

At first he can’t make out exactly what he is seeing … a manly silhouette perhaps … off somewhere in the distance … a faint outline over a windswept desert horizon. Steve knows—instinctively, for reasons he cannot explain—that the creature, whatever or whoever it is, is visiting him from the future. Eventually, he is able to make out a human form. Someone, it seems, is walking towards him through a red hazy backdrop of dust and fire. As the enigmatic being ventures closer, Steve's anticipation grows. An intimate encounter with the mysterious entity seems inevitable. The silhouette gradually enhances in clarity and focus as it draws ever nearer. The ghostly figure now stops behind a final curtain of smoke, hidden from ultimate disclosure, as though poised for effect.

Steve begs for relief. The intolerable suspense is killing him. The spiritual being then takes one last step forward. All is revealed as the thick fog rolls away. He can’t believe his eyes. The visitor is none other than a future version of himself. He is staring head-on into his own destiny. As suddenly as the encounter arrived, it lifts and Steve wakes from his 'sleep'.

In this moment Steve is reborn. His long lost dream of becoming an artist fills him completely. Blocked portals within his mind blast through as suppressed creativity flows freely. He can finally comprehend his future. Something has awakened from deep within, and miraculously, he is intimately acquainted with its call. He feels the same familiar yearning of his youth, as though reunited with a long lost friend and they now revel in each other's company. A once cursed and comatose dream of being an artist resurrects from the depths of obscurity. His bondage is over. Never again will the fire that now burns deep within his soul be snuffed out.

Steve gets to work immediately. Armed with renewed purpose he recruits the courage to face life head on. Tapping into emerging sources of inspiration he orchestrates a comeback. His dreams begin to manifest as repressed thoughts and feelings reemerge. He tends to vast quantities of once hidden potential, in the process fertilising any small remnants of seed that may have survived the cerebral massacre of his formative years. His delicate work is rewarded, as steadily his autonomy is realised and a gratifying identity begins to materialise from the ground up with noteworthy effect.

Meanwhile, unaware of his aspirations, family and friends question his behaviour. Most appear cynical. Efforts to assert himself are dismissed. Again, as with his earlier years, he find himself dealing with fear and insecurity, however, this time things are different. Steve has worked tirelessly at bolstering his resolve. Those who once ruled his life, who revelled in their ability to crush his spirits, no longer had dominion over him.

Steve's reshaped faculties begin to burgeon. A once sparse, now prominent growth criterion intensifies as he enters a productive late life bloom. Historical anomalies are now his super power as one by one, past artefacts about-face to become machines for action. His consciousness, now a rigorous scanner, hungrily seeks out fresh sources of exposure. He is ready to learn. Importantly, Steve won't be taken for granted, nor will he bow to money, popularity or influence. A radical currency permeates his being. Through his veins runs the blood of a free agent. Steve's mind, body and soul are his own. Armed with a distinctive decision making compass, he has become a formidable contender. Those wishing to nefariously meddle in his affairs would do well to carefully reconsider.

Join Steve, as he wrestles with his past. Learn of his successes, failures, rebellious exploits, friendships, addictions, first love and more. Witness his reinvention from demoralised follower to thoughtful, perceptive free thinker. Appreciate Steve as a fierce defender of consciousness—the embodiment of life itself.

Based on true events, Steve's story serves to illuminate the intrinsic worth of self-evaluation as it relates to societal calling.