Mancunian

Hi Spikey , it does but then I got through all of the Drewth in one go, lol.

Hi Gary . You made a very wise choice, but then you are a very wise man.

Phew, all caught up. I see that nothing has changed while I've been gone.

Finally, the lads have spoken to Ken, it's a good thing too as unknowingly they are investigating the same case and it's a dangerous one. It is a shame about the delivery driver, he was probably tortured before suffering a horrible death. Ahmed appears to be the connecting factor between the missing girls and the empty apartment where the delivery driver saw the imprisoned girls. Ahmed's date must have her head in the clouds, either that or she is treating it all as a joke, or could it be possible she is an FBI agent who is also investigating without anyone else's knowledge, if she is I hope she is armed. Can they catch Ahmed in the act, or is Ahmed a red herring? So many questions and so few answers. Fingers crossed they find the missing girls soon, and they are not harmed. 🤞

You do not need to apologise. What you have said is exactly right and beautiful. Most importantly, it comes from your heart and will mean the world to Comsie.

Aloha Albert, wish Steve a happy birthday from me and I hope you both enjoy the celebrations.

The boys are putting themselves in danger even though they don't realise it. They could be killed or kidnapped and suffer the same fate as the girls and be forced into the sex industry. Who is Ahmed and what is his link with the sex traffickers? Is Ahmed his real name or a pseudonym? They should speak to Ken and tell him what's going on but I'll bet they are too caught up in the case to think about it until it's too late. Ken's end of the investigation is turning up information, and it's mostly the same information that the boys have found out. The address, the phone number and most likely the name. With the apartment being empty and the regular food delivery driver going missing it seems they have decided to move operations, they most likely tortured the delivery man until he admitted informing the police, thus enabling them to vanish before Ken and his colleagues arrived. Ken's investigation would benefit from the information the boys have, he may be able to get a description of Ahmed which would help. There also appears to be a European connection which I think needs to be looked into. The girls could be anywhere now, possibly en route to Europe or the Middle East if they are no longer in the US. And what has happened to the delivery man? Is he dead or part of this illicit trade, he may be another young student as many fast-food delivery guys are. An interesting case, I wonder what the next twist will be. 🤔

As you rightly point out, homelessness is an international problem, one that can only be dealt with at a national and local level. Too many Governments prefer to absolve themselves of responsibility and leave it to charitable organisations to deal with and sort out. When we question politicians about what they intend to do to alleviate the problem they make bold speeches and empty promises. They haven't got a clue what it is like to be homeless and only come in contact with homeless people and the charities who work with them when they want a photo shoot to look good in the public eye. One of our politicians even stated in an interview that homeless people deserve what they get for choosing that lifestyle, WTF, she obviously doesn't understand anything about the subject, nobody, or very few, chooses to be homeless! Our regional Mayor, @chris191070 will know who I mean, made a big thing about helping homeless people and even claimed he would eradicate the problem in Manchester. Within three months of being elected, he stopped talking about homeless people and appears to have little if anything since. I admit that he did help to set up a charity to collect and distribute funds to ease the problem but after several applications made by the shelter that I support nothing has been received. It seems our politicians are full of good intent when canvassing for your vote, but when they have it and they need to act all they are full of is hot air. I applaud and agree with your appeal for those of us who can afford to, give what we can, even a single pound/dollar helps to make a difference. Many organisations will also accept goods/items that they can make use of, some have shops that sell donated items which help to raise much-needed funds. For those who want to be involved, donating your time is just as valuable and will be welcomed by many of them. @Mikiesboy I'm sorry for getting on my soapbox in your blog, but you have raised a subject that I am passionate about and I know that you are too. Thank you for raising the subject and attracting attention to it.

Ken's been called in after a tip-off from an anonymous source, and the boys are already looking into it from the info available at the uni. Neither is aware of the other's involvement...yet, I wonder what each will find before their paths cross. I hope Ken can get to the girls before it's too late or they will be on a long journey to what will surely be a bad end. Ken will also need whatever information they give him, no matter how small that info is it will be important. I hope we can avoid the red herrings in this case, but I'm sure there will be some thrown into the mix.

I'm always a good lad, lol, I don't have time for anything else. I'm good just getting used to a new treatment regime which is tiring.

So the preacher has gone in search of his past, I wonder if he will find Aziel? And if he does, what will he discover?

Most of the time I only work the hours that I want to, usually it's about two or two and a half days a week but occasionally more. So I guess that wouldn't interest you, lol.

Another great short, but immersive, whodunnit from @chris191070. Ken Hall has become my favourite detective. I'm looking forward to more and his next case has already started. I love this series and I'm sure others will too. My recommendation is to read and enjoy.

Although he didn't say it I think Officer Stoner has told us that Carl's family has some pull that it shouldn't have, there is no doubt that the school are also aware of the influence. While it's good that Pete has been able to look after himself he is now injured and not so capable, which is why Carl is happy making his threats and boasting to his friends. Pete will need the support of his new friends and I hope they will stand by him. I don't think Mitch will remain in the closet for much longer, I get the feeling that either he or someone else will out him very soon. Carl needs to be dealt with before he causes more harm so I hope George and his lawyer can do what legally needs to be done, but I don't think that is going to be easy. George is a fantastic uncle who will make a first-rate dad, and reading between the lines I'm not surprised he has a lot of knowledge about gay sex and love, I've got my opinions on why and how he has this knowledge, have you? 😉 Pete's first time was clumsy and awkward, but it was real, which makes it believable and fun to read about.

I arrived home from another round of treatment at the hospital and naturally felt tired but otherwise happy, then I came to GA and the first thing I notice is a banner announcing some of the worst news that can be announced on GA. We have lost another of our 'greats', yes @Comicality was one of the greatest on GA and he has gone to join the other 'greats' that we have lost. We will all miss him for the friendship, support and encouragement that he gave us and we will miss the stories that he had yet to write, and they were many. We will still be able to enjoy his entertaining stories as they are here on our favourite website, and even his unfinished stories will continue to entertain us into the future. @Comicality was always there to help, give advice and support any author who approached him, he always looked for and found positivity in any story and encouraged an author to continue to write in his/her own fashion and style and gave encouragement to remain true to oneself. His stories will remain as our reminder of him and they will entertain future members. His writing advice will always be there in blog entries for us to benefit from and use as a reference. I would love to see those blog entries transferred to a separate blog, making it easier for current and future members to access. I think it would also serve as a fitting tribute to an author of his stature. I will miss @Comicality, I will and already have shed a tear or two to mourn his passing. But I will also remember him with fondness and continue to read and reread his stories and rejoice in the entertainment he has left for us. Our lives are poorer for having lost a great author and good friend. But we must remember that we are richer for having known Comsie and the legacy he has left in his writings, he will live on through his stories and blog entries here on GA and elsewhere. Farewell good friend, we shall meet again.

A nicely wrapped up whodunnit, you kept me guessing even after you started pointing toward Cal at the end of the previous chapter. The paranormal sex was an enjoyable twist. I wonder what's next for Ken?

I feel sorry for Pete after everything he's been through in life. But at the same time, I have a lot of admiration for this gutsy young man, what he's been through hasn't weakened him he used it and has become stronger for it. If he can continue to do that he will be a force to be reckoned with when he becomes an adult. His breakdown is not surprising but it had to happen at some point, now he can deal with those issues and become even stronger for it. I'm going to enjoy reading about his adventures in the future, I just hope that in the meantime he doesn't come to any harm from Carl or his half-wit cronies. He needs more friends like Mich and the baseball team.

There's a lot on this list that I've read, but there's also a lot that I haven't read so my reading list is expanding and I need to find time to write too.

During this time that we have spent in Ravello, the groundwork has been laid for better futures for some of our beloved young characters. However, it is marred by sad events. Regardless of what we thought of Elisabetta, she deserved a chance too. But did she have it before throwing her life away? Marco, our mouse, has finally come into his own. He may not be the mouse that roared, but he is a lot more confident than he used to be. Hopefully, Marco will experience more fun and discover more of the joys of life with Giorgio, as Giorgio discovers more about himself too. Giorgio has a lot to acclimate to, a new life without his sister. She may not have always been kind, but she was all he had to cling to for a long time, and now that has changed. Thankfully, he still has his Uncle Maurizio. Even downtrodden Cosmo has the chance to build a good relationship with his family. I'm hoping that he takes that chance and becomes a happier and better person. I for one, would love to see a brief follow-up to give us a brief glimpse of what the future brings for this younger generation. As always I have enjoyed our dip into life in Ravello and on The Amalfi Coast.

There are that many red herrings here we could supply a fish and chip shop, lol. Now it looks like either Cal or Franklin that could be in the frame, which is complicating things. It's possible that Theresa is collateral damage in this murder, unless she killed Gustav and was then killed by someone who discovered her immediately after the event, but now I've thrown us all off the scent, it could be anyone who committed the murder. My head hurts from spinning too much while trying to figure this out.

Aloha Albert, are you and Steve enjoying your weekend?

I was home-schooled for a large part of my education, only going to mainstream school for the last few years. As a result, I didn't receive any religious education until late in my education. The school I attended was very multicultural and as a result, had pupils of many faiths. Our RE classes were very different to what I heard other schools conducted. There was no indoctrination or forcing beliefs on anyone, many of our classes were assisted by clergy/holy men of different faiths who explained many of the differences and similarities between the faiths. It's really surprising how similar most are. One of the main parts of this that I remember is they all agreed that times now were different to when the different scriptures were written and we should not take religious writings literally as some things were no longer considered acceptable, i.e. stoning, they all considered it barbaric and had no place in modern society. Likewise, most faiths were leaning towards more acceptance of subjects like adultery. None, however, made any reference to homosexuality, positive or negative, they never referred to it at all. I can only guess that they were all given instructions to avoid the subject all together. They all spoke of accepting our fellow man regardless of differences, but I can't say they intended it to include anyone who is gay.

Hi B, make sure you are well rested for your new job, turning up for work bright-eyed and bushy-tailed will be a good starting day.

The funeral appears to have gone smoothly and Jason has made some good decisions for his future. The family have enjoyed their time together as much as they can given the circumstances, now Carlo and Brandon are doing what everyone must do and returning to their normal lives. I'm sure Carlo can and will help his friend overcome the hurdles in his life and relationship. Everything appears to be going smoothly, maybe too smoothly as I'm wondering what will happen next.

So there we have it, Thomas is the catalyst for Adam's metamorphosis, and Adam is a true angel. The questions that need answering now are, where has the priest gone and why, and will they be accepted by others or be scorned?