The first thing Jock Palfreeman would do after setting foot on Australian soil would be to visit his grandmother.
Palfreeman, 32, is in limbo for two months as Bulgaria's Supreme Court of Cassation examines an appeal court's decision to grant him parole, following an unprecedented application from the prosecutor-general.
But that hasn't stopped him dreaming about reuniting with his family and friends, especially 93-year-old grandmother Barbara.
"My grandmother taught me what and how a man should be," he told AAP on the phone from Sofia.
"She comes from old traditions and old culture that have greatly influenced me in terms of the obligation to people around me."
The 32-year-old Australian is now staying with friends in the Bulgarian capital. Source: AAP
The Sydney man hasn't spent Christmas with his family since 2005.
But his name has been printed on a bauble and hung upon the Christmas tree every year since then.
"I don't know what Palfreeman Christmases are like anymore," he said.
"But when I was in Australia, the family is very big and for Christmas lunch, there was a buffet because there are too many people to seat at the table."
Palfreeman could end up back in prison where he's already spent 11 years for stabbing a Bulgarian law student in December 2007.
He's always maintained he acted in self-defence after he came to the aid of two Roma he said were being assaulted by Andrei Monov - the son of a well-connected psychologist who went on to become a politician - and his friends.
2012 and has since become a "folk hero" in the former Soviet bloc nation by symbolising a fight against political corruption.
Jock Palfreeman being interviewed by Australian Story during his stay in prison. Source: ABC TV
Now staying in Sofia with close friends, Palfreeman has spent the week scouring office buildings for rent in the nation's capital to establish a physical space for BRA.
And this drive to protect the rights of prisoners in Bulgaria could see Palfreeman one day settle in Sofia.
"I want to continue my work for prisoners' rights because there is no-one fighting for them," he said.
"I was at the complete mercy of the prison administration, and I don't want others to be in that situation."
If Palfreeman was to ever step onto an Australia-bound plane, while looking forward to seeing his loved ones and "relaxing on a beach somewhere", he would also worry whether that marked his last time in Bulgaria.
A fluent Bulgarian speaker, Palfreeman has a clear love for its people and said he was "truly grateful" for the help and protection provided by locals, including his lawyer Kalin Angelov.
"If it wasn't for Bulgarians, I would still be in prison," he said.
"As much as the Bulgarian state is corrupt and backward, the Bulgarian people are equally caring and full of love."
Indeed, posters can now be seen around Sofia bearing his face and the words: "Self defence is not a crime - corruption is. Freedom for Jock."
Palfreeman says there was one Australian who was in his corner throughout the entire ordeal - his father Simon.
"He has always been a role model for me, even before prison," Jock said.
Simon Palfreeman told AAP he has long drawn strength from his son's resilient character.
But the Newcastle-based pathologist said he won't rest easy until Jock has been picked up from Sydney airport.
"The bottom line is if Jock goes back to prison he may not ever come out, certainly not until the end of his term," he told AAP.
Jock's grandfather, Tony Palfreeman, shares this lingering concern, primarily due to the relentless hatred publicly directed toward the Australian from Andrei Monov's father Hristo.
Simon Palfreeman said his son's resilience had inspired him. Source: ABC TV
"He wants to see Jock in jail forever, which is very sad," the 88-year-old told AAP.
"Of course we all know how awful it was for him to lose a son, but given what really happened that night, it's not possible he can put all this anger into Jock for the rest of his life.
"We understand it, but we won't accept it."
Tony, who has kept a light on the hill at his Wollombi property since Jock's arrest, prefers to imagine cracking a cold home-brew beer with his grandson on the veranda and talking through his future.
He hopes this could be as soon as Jock's 33rd birthday, on November 13.
"It's been such a long time since he went to jail and we've always been waiting for his return," Tony said.
With wires...
