Ken84050

Neatly done! Graeme subtly reminds his northern hemisphere readers which way round the seasons are.

This seems to refer back to the last section of Chapter 22, so she pretty clearly meant Dave.

I've done something similar for "Leopard Skin Cover" on its old forum page https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/topic/38395-graeme-leopard-skin-cover/page-3 which seemed the natural place to put it. Perhaps some new reader may find it there. Re-reading that story was a real pleasure, reminding me of some of the background to "Leopard Spots". Knowing the gay player's identity gave a different slant to the story, and the first meeting between Ty and Karen in Chapter 7 was still delicious. My dating of the "Leopard Spots" prologue was incomplete. Sam referred to "next weekend", meaning the 29th and 30th March, so I dated the prologue on Saturday 22nd (because if he had said it earlier, the next weekend would have been the 22nd and 23rd). But the first part of the prologue had the Rosewoods watching the TV programme which was actually on Thursday 20th (according to "Leopard Skin Cover" Chapter 15). Sorry about that.

Graeme writes with dates clearly in mind. Even if the following chronology of "Leopard Skin Cover" has errors, it may be helpful to any reader who strays into this old forum. I did something similar for "Leopard Spots" on the 26th May 2015. Chapter Dates Dramatis personae Friday 21st February 2014, as Graeme said 1 Friday 21st 2 Saturday 22nd 3 Sunday 23rd, Monday 24th 4 Monday 24th 5 Tuesday 25th 6 Wednesday 26th February 7 Saturday 1st March 8 Sunday 2nd 9 Monday 3rd 10 Wednesday 5th 11 Wednesday 5th to Friday 7th 12 Saturday 8th, Sunday 9th 13 Friday 14th to Monday 17th 14 Monday 17th 15 Tuesday 18th to Friday 21st March 2014

At last Neil and Liam are becoming playful instead of always treading warily around each other. It's surprising that he could. Liam is strong enough to have severely beaten up a fellow footballer, so Neil is evidently no weakling. We can tell that they are about the same height, from Chapter 37: Unlike some authors, Graeme doesn't overload his stories with boring physical descriptions of all his characters. I don't remember any description of Neil, but there are two thumbnail sketches of Liam. In Chapter 28 Clarissa described him: In Chapter 38 Neil said to him: At the other end of Chapter 40 we find Ty being a perfect gentleman in conversation with Patrick O'Malley. A most courteous brat! If he is the only one that the Carlton club wants, I'm sure Patrick and others will find a way to treat Jim well. They seem to be humane people. But what about Deon?

The visit to Neil's parents may be a few chapters away, but Graeme's fans are bound to be thinking about it. I'm not expecting violence, but incomprehension. Remember Mary's querulous words in Chapter 38: The visit is likely to find the Rosewoods baffled about how their perfectly normal son became corrupted. Was something wrong with their parenting? Was it Liam's fault? Was it Jim's fault? Who is to blame? Patient explanations by Neil and others won't easily penetrate that mind-set. Or else I could be quite wrong.

I talk too much; but nobody else has commented on Doug. Neil is finding him an increasingly complex character. The newest surprise is Doug's relationship with Liam's autistic brother Noel. An alarming thought is that Noel may end up liking Doug but disliking Neil. That would put poor Liam under even more difficult pressure. Let's hope Graeme isn't that tough on him!

Neil is becoming more confident. In Chapter 39 he often takes charge. He is clearly in charge of his relationship with Liam. When Doug finished intimidating him, Neil put Doug on to the back foot. Neil decided to visit his parents, and to take Liam. He politely asked Liam to give him private time with Clarissa. He had firm plans about dealing with his father. A new Neil is emerging.

I don't agree with "creepy stalker". Tony seemed pretty perceptive in Chapter 35:

That makes very good sense. Speaking about Sam, in Chapter 7 Marcus said: But Melbourne now seems a much better option; if Marcus is still willing to move there, and if they can both find suitable jobs there. Then Neil and Liam could easily aim for the same university, and Deon could continue rebuilding the bond with his father. What if he also builds a bond with Clarissa? What if he is also drafted into an AFL club? Go, Deon!

Here's something completely different. Liam wants to be close to both Doug and Neil, who despise each other. Liam handles this wisely. He has been completely frank with Doug about his feelings for Neil since they began. Now in Chapter 38 he is completely frank with Neil about Doug. Such candour is surely the right way to win Neil's trust. There's a lot of honesty in Liam, despite his lying to his parents.

That's not realistic. Remember Doug's description of the other boy's injuries in Chapter 34: Now put yourself in the position of that boy's parents. With their son so smashed up, they would be in no mood to be preached at. The boy's homophobia may be addressed by another person at another time, but not by anyone connected with Liam. Bruce Bellweather would have needed to be very humble and conciliatory, definitely not on the moral high ground. Liam's violent temper is a serious problem. However, he is wooing a very gentle person, so I'm hoping that in the long run Neil's influence may be able to tame him. This discussion is another tribute to Graeme. Not every author can get his readers debating social issues.

I'm finding Liam's parents over-protective, perhaps because he's an only child. My wife and I have brought up two sons, and when they were almost 18 we would certainly not have tried to control their lives as much as the Bellweathers control Liam's. He does indeed deserve punishment for violently injuring another football player, but his parents' other stifling restrictions seem to me more appropriate to a 12-year-old. Here are two examples. I agree with Liam.

There's such a rich range of future possibilities for Neil and Liam, that Graeme is bound to develop something good even if there are bumps on the road. Now I'm looking forward to two other things. We all know about the invitation from the Carlton club in Chapter 31: Let's hope Graeme finds a way to involve Deon as well as Ty. But has anyone else remembered Clarissa's remark to Liam in Chapter 23? Since she said that on the 22nd April, Liam's birthday must be around late July.

That wonderful Chapter 37 really deserves all the euphoria here and in the chapter reviews. Unfortunately I've just spotted a dark cloud on the horizon. Other people including Liam will see Neil opening his presents. Sam and Marcus will offer Neil the prospect of disappearing off to a university in Sydney the following year while Liam is left behind. Their relationship has barely started, and the end of it may be in sight. Have pity on them, Graeme!

Graeme, you beaut! Kissing! While courting Neil, Liam has touched him only twice before: in Chapter 31 and in Chapter 36 But what progress now! So many people tried to bring them together, until Oliver requested slow music which did the trick. "If music be the food of love, play on." Neil was still timid, but Liam wooed him with the utmost gentleness while they danced. Little by little Neil gave up resisting his real feelings. It was beautiful to read, Graeme. I shall read it again. And again. I've previously been wrong about Liam's parents, but in Chapter 37 Beth says: That's a strong hint from Graeme! It now looks likely that Liam's parents will know perfectly well where he has been; and that they will forgive him, especially if Neil asks them to. Also, what about these predictions? Aha!

Waiting for the next chapter is more frustrating than usual, because of The Party which Graeme has anticipated for so long. However he surprises us, this chapter may be a watershed in the plot. All those footballers in serious training will need plenty of alternatives to alcohol. Still, alcohol may be a problem. Liam may drink too much and become aggressive, Alf may drink too much and become maudlin, or Neil may drink too much and become sullen. But surely Graeme won't let his characters do that, will he? Deon now has no obvious partner, so he may invite his sister Teresa to go with him. Paul rejected her in Chapter 29, but she may be luckier this time. For light relief, Evelyn will be at her flirtiest. Am I gushing like a teenage girl? This is Graeme, not Jane Austen.

Two more delicious details. First, from Chapter 29: From Chapter 36: Notice that it was Neil who had thawed enough to start that whimsical reminiscence. Of course Alf/Liam was only too happy to join in. Second, from Chapter 34: From Chapter 36: So Clarissa can trust Liam's honesty a bit more. Reading little things like those makes me chuckle aloud with glee. Graeme must have either a very good system of notes or a remarkable memory, to keep the story so well knit together.

Up to Chapter 35, certainly not. I'm just putting myself in their place in Chapter 36 and feeling sceptical. But of course we all want Liam to be at the party, don't we? Does anyone dare disagree? Right. I'm slowly catching up.

It's not obvious what distinguishes chapter reviews from this forum, so I'll just stay here. Thank you, Graeme, for another captivating chapter. Timothy and others have already given it well-deserved praise. There's just one detail that bothers me. Are Liam's parents really so naïve? They are well aware how much Liam wants to be at Neil's party on Saturday evening, and now he has an excuse to go out that very evening. When the time comes, he will dress to impress Neil. Won't his parents be suspicious about such finery merely for doing some school work with Doug? As always, we must be patient until next weekend.

Thank you for educating me, Graeme. Ballroom dancing and square dancing in the 1950s did require a partner. I had never noticed that the enviably wild and free dancing of present-day young people didn't need partners. So until last weekend I was as ignorant as Neil.

There now seems a good chance that Deon as well as Ty will be drafted into the AFL. It's sad to think of the close-knit Leopards team being broken up, but of course there will be changes at the end of the season anyway. Neil's initial attitude to Tony was jealousy, but Tony has become a good gay mentor for him (as has Sam). Comparing the Liam/Alf duality with the Jim/Ken duality never occurred to me, but evidently Graeme had it in mind all along. He really is a consummate story-teller. Liam's parents are good people, and their severity over Liam's violence is quite justified. In Chapter 34 even Doug seemed critical of Liam's breaking bones in response to homophobic taunting. The only person giving any support to Liam was, surprisingly enough, Neil: “The guy had it coming to him. He knew Jerk Face is gay and he’d been making homophobic comments all game. Jerk Face did well to wait for as long as he did before he lashed out.” Graeme never over-simplifies human mixed feelings. Liam is obviously desperate to get to Neil's party, but asking Doug for help is likely to make things worse. So who is the best person to entreat his parents? Why, Supergirl of course! They already know Clarissa from when she was Liam's girlfriend. Without using Portia's words, she can still plead that "The quality of mercy is not strained...." One of my little fantasies is that Bruce and/or Beth Bellweather happen to meet Neil somewhere like a shopping mall, while Liam is grounded at home. They offer Neil coffee and a chat. Neil's new friends are all of his own age or a few years older, but the Bellweathers can be an honorary aunt and uncle if Neil ever wants to talk with someone else of his parents' generation. They are too tactful to say much about Liam, but they may mention that he has been grounded since they heard about the bullying. Neil doesn't yet know about that, does he? If Bruce and Beth are ever to be Neil's "in-laws" it would be good for him to see what fine people they are. A small question for Graeme. More than once Clarissa has described Liam as a jerk but not a bastard. I'm quite familiar with "bastard" as a pejorative term, but the American term "jerk" is too subtle for me. Could you briefly explain the distinction, please, Graeme?

Clarissa! Gruff exterior and heart of gold - a fine Aussie. She now understands very well both the Village Idiot and Stubborn Boy, and we can rely on her to continue banging their heads together for a happy ending. Graeme likes happy endings. But she has only ten days to achieve it before Neil's party. Poor Deon. Football lost him Pamela, but football and Pamela helped him to regain his father. It was Sam (in Chapter 20) who first clearly pointed out Deon's kicking problem, and now he gratefully acknowledges that. He is such a dedicated player that I wish the Carlton club were interested in him as well as Ty. Thanks as always, Graeme. It's a long time until next Saturday.

Well, Graeme (or anyone else) is welcome to correct this chronology. Chapter Dates Prologue Saturday 22nd March 2014 1 Saturday 22nd 2 Saturday 22nd, Sunday 23rd 3 Sunday 23rd, Monday 24th 4 Tuesday 25th 5 Wednesday 26th 6 Thursday 27th, Friday 28th 7 Saturday 29th 8 Saturday 29th 9 Sunday 30th, Monday 31st 10 Monday 31st March 11 Tuesday 1st April 12 Friday 4th to Monday 7th 13 Monday 7th to Wednesday 9th 14 Wednesday 9th to Friday 11th 15 Friday 11th, Saturday 12th 16 Saturday 12th 17 Sunday 13th 18 Monday 14th, Tuesday 15th 19 Thursday 17th to Saturday 19th 20 Saturday 19th 21 Saturday 19th, Sunday 20th 22 Sunday 20th, Monday 21st 23 Tuesday 22nd 24 Wednesday 23rd to Saturday 26th 25 Sunday 27th 26 Monday 28th April to Thursday 1st May 27 Thursday 1st, Friday 2nd 28 Friday 2nd, Saturday 3rd 29 Sunday 4th, Monday 5th 30 Monday 5th 31 Tuesday 6th 32 Thursday 8th, Friday 9th 33 Saturday 10th to Tuesday 13th 34 Friday 16th to Wednesday 21st May 2014

Graeme has given us a splendidly horrible picture of Ty's father, a first-class villain. Doug's villainy is less certain. If some of his loyalty and support for his friend Liam could be extended to other people he might not be such a thug. He could even become a boyfriend for Clarissa. Sparring between those two would put Ty and Karen in the shade. Ty and Neil both handled Mothers' Day well in the circumstances. It even began the process of taming Neil's father. I'm still a bit disappointed that Lorraine and Becky weren't featured as well. Chapter 33 makes clear how differently Liam and Neil view Alf. Liam thought that Alf was showing his real self to Neil. Neil seems to think Alf was a cynical device for psychological bullying. That doesn't really make sense, as Todd or Ty may point out after Neil calms down. Since Liam is so obviously smitten, he would surely not show such malice. But Neil isn't ready to be logical. From Graeme's note about dates it seems that Chapter 33 ended on Tuesday 13th May. That leaves just 18 days until Neil's party, a major event on the horizon. Many thanks again to Graeme. Often I think about your fictional characters more than about various real people, although of course there is no helpful narrator standing by to explain real people's minds.