Summerabbacat

Peter and Uncle George both have maintained a sense of humour in the face of continued harassment and adversity, both poking fun at Nevada and some of the "oddities" of at least some of its residents. As a non-American the only things I know of Nevada are that Las Vegas is there, it is the state to go if you want to be married by an Elvis impersonator and conversely where you can get a quickie divorce, and prostitution is legal. A real paradox it appears to be. How disappointing, but likely very realistic, that another teacher wished to do harm to Peter after all he has been through, presumably solely because he is gay. Fortunately for Peter his posse of protectors seems to be growing and said protectors are not afraid to expose those who mean him harm. Another "fast and furious" chapter @Al Norris. I will be surprised if douchebag Danbury and more particularly charmless Chilton become virgin meat for Big Bad Bubba, but I suppose it is a possibility @drsawzall. Depending on their age they may have little appeal though.

I was doing really well with nary a tear shed until Dwight appeared not once, but twice, in Phil's "window". I am keen to learn more about him @Ronyx because it appears he may have been the "love of his life" for Phil, a life cut short by HIV/AIDS. Several other readers have expressed their concern for Stanley's welfare, with @weinerdog going so far as to wish Matt from Stuff People Do could make a guest appearance to provide counsel not only to Stanley, but perhaps to Mrs Sullivan too. It appears Mr Sullivan may be a lost cause, unless it was just the fact he caught his son watching porn, rather than watching specifically gay porn, which caused his outburst. Methinks it was more likely the gay porn, rather than just the porn, which has outraged him so. I hope that between Phil and Colin they are able to track down Stanley and provide him with the comfort and reassurance he so desperately needs. I was 1 month old when President Kennedy was assassinated. My father has on occasion recalled where he was at the time, he was bathing me and he and my mother were shocked as many were. I must confess I know little of his political achievements, these having been overshadowed in the press at least, by his alleged womanising, particularly with Marilyn Monroe. The joy experienced by Phil from something as simple as a clean shave and a fresh haircut was beautifully captured @Ronyx. I am often surprised when I have had a fresh haircut (as I did yesterday) what a "pick me up" it can be if I am feeling stressed, a little blue or unwell. The pleasure derived from simple things like this should not be underestimated, particular in today's often shallow modern world obsessed with technology and social media.

That looks it would perform the task painfully and efficiently @drsawzall. Just what De Douchebag "ordered".

I am an ardent animal rights supporter and strongly disapprove of the cruel and horrendous practices employed to remove the testicles of young male boars, rams and bulls; however, I do not necessarily disapprove of the same treatment being applied to male humans of any age. Line up Dr. Danbury, Carl and Jordan Turner, and the goons of Carl. It is time to reduce your overinflated egos to a more manageable and acceptable level and erase your toxic masculinity. It won't hurt, just one little snip and all shall be fine. Dr. Danbury should at least be charged with assault given the significant injuries he inflicted on Peter whether intentional or not. He certainly appears to be totally unfit to hold the position of principal of the school. Dr. Douchebag would be a more befitting name. I strongly doubt he is one of the "liberals" who are progressive and have led to Nevada being listed as a "Blue State". It won't surprise me if he is a God-fearin', gun totin', wife beatin', old boy Republican. As a non-American I am repeatedly dismayed and alarmed at the far-right nonsense which spews forth from the mouths of representatives of this party, and that there are those who believe it with the same degree of fervour as religious zealots (it is no coincidence methinks that they are often one and the same). Fucking flat-earth psychos just like Peter's mother, Mary, and her equally asinine brothers. Drama, drama, drama abounded in this chapter @Al Norris. The pace was fast and furious (the franchise is not the genre of films that have any appeal for me, but I have to say that Vin Diesel and the late Paul Walker both cause a 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥in the loins of this old carcass). This chapter, although dramatic, was still very believable, it did not descend into soap-opera implausibility. And now it is time for Uncle George to use some of his hitherto hidden wealth to take down those whom have hurt Peter in the present and the past, including the originator of extreme cruelty, the she-devil Mary. Slap that bitch into the middle of next week.

This chapter afforded Keith the second opportunity to refer to Thomas, without hesitation, as his boyfriend. What a welcome and refreshing change in a relatively short timeframe. Now all you have to do @Robert Hugill is afford him the growth to stop blushing when he is asked about Thomas or when he wishes to speak highly of him and their progressing relationship. "On a lively night out, the chance of getting away with an evening without the use of the word faggot, queer, fairy or poofter was difficult. The irony was that it affected Keith’s mates more than him, he was aware that whatever the liveliness of their language, they had his back when it was most important." It appears "the gang", apart from perhaps Hughie, are somewhat blunt and gauche, much like Nico appears to be, but ultimately they will stand up for Keith as was evident in a prior chapter when they intervened and essentially ejected Den from "the gang" because of his demonstrated homophobia and refusal to accept he was a homophobe. A short chapter full of humour as noted by my fellow Hugillite, @Cane23.

I remember Harold and Marjorie referring to the drug dealer who rented the shop next door to their quilt shop, the shop below the home Ollie lived with his mother and deceased father. Whose to say Ollie's mother had not found comfort in the arms of the drug dealer or was perhaps working with the drug dealer. Perhaps her poor choices are not restricted to the time after the death of Ollie's father, perhaps she made poor choices which contributed to the death of her husband.

I had wondered if her behaviour had changed so radically @Paladin and your first sentence above suggests she has not. The second sentence sounds ominous; I am speculating all kinds of horror stories for Ollie, but shall be patient and wait for all to be revealed by you. The most important thing for Ollie is that he has been removed from her care, and I use the word carver loosely as it appears that was little care on her part for anyone other than herself. I have to wonder if she was somehow involved with the drug dealer whom her husband was mistakenly killed for.

Perhaps I am naive @Robert Hugill, but if I were Dan and/or Vaughan I would be more concerned about possible financial malfeasance on the part of Heyward than any sexual malfeasance. There does not appear to be any suggestion(s) from any sources as yet that there has been any sexual coercion or underage participants involved in orgies or any other bacchanalian delights, but there have been questions raised regarding financial impropriety or financial difficulties on his part. I cannot get my head around going commando whilst wearing a tailor-made expensive suit. I am merely thinking of bodily functions and secretions which could potentially leave a stain if one had any kind of "mishap". Wearing underwear can lessen the "effects" of a "mishap" if nothing else. Anyroad - I had forgotten this particular colloquialism which I think I first encountered in Brian:Taking Courage. It is a rather quaint word, much like anywho.

So Ollie's mother is still angry with him that he allowed himself, a young teen, to be raped and beaten by her boyfriend. Reality check needed for Mum and soon; you are either incredibly naive or totally unfit to be Ollie's mother. Either way, you should never be given custody of your son again until you wake up to yourself. No excuses bitch. I hope Chris' work for the American's does not come back to bite him on the arse. It appears having David in his corner is going to be invaluable, particularly if there is any trouble with ASIO. Should Andre disclose to his parents his ordeal or not. I think I raised the same points as Skye in a prior chapter's comments (I cannot believe it, Skye and I agreeing on something, what is the world coming to). I am trying to recall if Andre is already aware of Chris and Beau's sexual trysts. I thought he was already aware, but in this chapter Chris stated “When I heard Andre disclosing tonight, I thought we should tell him, you know, about us" indicating this is not the case. Clearly my recollections are not as good as I thought. Whilst I liked the story of Chris and Beau @Paladin, I must state I think this story of Chris and Andre is infinitely better.

@Lee Wilson I also interpreted this comment to mean Liam was only gay for Mike, although it could also mean he was only gay for Mike thus far i.e. his same sex attraction may have only just manifested itself. I think Liam was pissed off because he wanted to hate Mike, thereby justifying the anger he felt towards his parents for thrusting a stranger intimately into his life without bothering to consult him. Is Liam jealous of the twins and the treatment they receive from their parents, is he annoyed by their exuberance or is it something more sinister?

I have never seen this TV show @Anton_Cloche as I don't watch TV at all, but I have to say I think as this character Dan Levy is smoking hot (and he looks hot as just himself too).

Clearly Charlie's research skills are vastly superior to those of Mr Clarke. He uncovered some major dirt on Crustypants, which Billy used to his advantage. Crusty has a penchant for blowing underage rent boys and being verbally humiliated by them because he really does have a small dick. The human ashtray fleshlight aka Mrs Amanda Johnson lied under oath when she stated it was something Bryan was wearing which caused Caleb's asthma attack. I assume the two rebuttal witnesses are Bryan and Caleb and the evidence may be a report from Caleb's paediatrician attesting to the fact that cigarette smoke aggravates his asthma. If I recall correctly Steve also videoed this incident on his phone. Mandy (a much more suitable name for this brain-dead, unitard-wearing ho) paid for Calvin's plane ticket for him to return to town (somewhere in Georgia, FloRida, Texas or Alabamy perhaps), and I dare say has paid for many other things since. I would like to be able to sympathise with her (actually I lie, just like Mandy herself) because I am certain Calvin is merely playing her, but she is such an objectionable and self-righteous bigot that she deserves what she will ultimately receive in abundance, NOTHING YOU DUMB C..T (except hopefully some jail time for perjury, where her skeletal frame will not sustain Big Momma's sapphic lust). Absolutely marvellous chapter @John Henry. I know the matter being argued is very serious, particularly for the sake of Bryan and Caleb, but I just had to choose the haha emoticon, primarily because of Billy's behaviour. Crustypants, Clarke and Mandy are playing into his hands and I am so going to enjoy seeing all three in deep shit as this farce continues.

Whilst I like Caroline, I do think she was just a little too inquisitive, particularly her question about Keith ever having a relationship with a woman again. Keith's response to her questioning seemed to please her, so I suspect her motives are genuine in that she is "fishing" to ensure Thomas is not going to be hurt. I get the impression she cares greatly for Thomas, whose relationship with his father appears to have been distant and fractured, although at least without the violence which plagued Keith's relationship with his father. Another of your wonderful physical descriptions @Robert Hugill. This time it was Isobel Bonner's turn. "She was a grey-haired woman, perhaps in her early 70s, tall and rather handsome with a very brisk manner. .... Rather proper, capable, and brusque, she seemed hardly the sort of person to be interested in art made from bits of plastic and Meccano. " I liked the description of Michael Atkinson's "artwork" too.

Or by Kathleen Turner as Beverly Sutphin whilst singing along to Barry Manilow's Daybreak.

I have suspected Uncle George is gay since chapter 1, and the frank advice he gave the boys in this chapter regarding the "less glamorous" aspects of gay sex have all but confirmed my suspicions. Said bus to be driven @drsawzallby Mary Wickes aka Sister Mary Lazarus or maybe just driven by Mary Wickes playing Mary Wickes (she was hilarious in the Doris Day/Gordon McRae films On Moonlight Bay and By The Light Of The Silvery Moon). It certainly appears Carl's family (likely Carl's father) has influence he has used to ensure Carl's "punishment" for his hate crime was laughable. With a little luck Larry Lundquist (love the alliteration @Al Norris) may be able to exert some influence of his own. The smell of corruption is not quite a stench, but there is certainly an odour in the air with both the police and the school principal treating Peter with indifference at best and homophobic contempt at worst. Methinks the "old boys" network and/or religious bigotry have raised their ugly heads yet again in Flat Earth Central. And what about Mary? What a c..t. I did not realise the extent of the boulder which killed Peter's father @Al Norris. I recall I read the chapter late at night or in the early hours of the next morning, so likely did not appreciate it. I recall realising he must have been disfigured and was appalled Mary made Peter view his body in the open casket, but a 15 ton boulder. I am surprised he was not just liquid with some shards of bone. Mary is despicable. I am a vengeful bitch @Al Norris so I sincerely hope you have a dreadful incident ready for Mary, one which will not end her without significant, long-lasting suffering.

A delightful chapter @Arch Hunter with Liam leaving no doubt he is at least same-sex attracted, if not gay (although seemingly there is still some lingering doubt in Mike's mind). Michael's apparently uncharacteristic behaviour and/or appearance resonated with me "Her husband follows closely. It’s been just a few days, but he looks differently. He clearly hasn’t shaved in a few days and his brand new baseball cap makes him look like he’s come from vacation, not a business trip". My suspicious mind immediately concluded he is having a mid-life crisis. Is the new look in lieu of, or in addition to, buying a Ferrari and acquiring a 21 year old millennial princess as his new plaything. If so, the Ferrari will ultimately cost him less financially, emotionally and time wise than a 21 year old millennial princess. Brody and Patrick are certainly a handful. I almost had a headache just reading of their hyperactivity and loudness, although given the dinner conversation, apparently loudness runs in the family. Thankfully, my immediate family are all feline and although on occasion "talkative", for the most part they are relatively tame and quiet, leaving me to enjoy my music loud. The family name - Cooper, Stone or Moore. Mike's mother's name has to be a little less commonplace as the rest of the cast, except for Brody, have relatively popular names. I think Eugenia or if a popular name it must be, then Susan.

As a teenager I was NOT a fan of Bob Seger, but as I have aged I have come to appreciate some of his more popular songs and particularly like Against The Wind. Knowing the lyrics of the song I think it a most apt choice to signify Phil's melancholic mood early in the chapter. Colin's ignorance of the devastation caused by AIDS, particularly to gay men in the 1980's and 1990's surprised me greatly, but when I stopped to think about it rationally, I can perhaps understand his ignorance as it is not the death sentence it once was and has lost much of the hysteria associated with it. The 1980's and 1990's were confronting times, watching people you knew, even if only by sight from going clubbing, waste away. "I looked over at the window and saw the emaciated face of Dwight. I had to blink away tears." A powerful and moving reminder of those times @Ronyx. And Colin's ignorance of the cause of Freddie Mercury's death also surprised, particularly when he said he was a fan of Queen. I guess given Freddie died before Colin was even born perhaps explains this. Colin's reverent recount of the times spent with his beloved grandfather was so beautifully and sensitively written @Ronyx. Shades of Mr Wilbur again (he is such a memorable character for me; compassionate, caring, loveable with a streak of the larrikin thrown in for good measure). The feedback for this story is overwhelming positive @Ronyx, feedback which I wholeheartedly endorse. You are onto a real winner with this warm, inviting, humorous and intriguing story.

You have certainly known some interesting characters in your time. I have known a number of bitchy Ron types. Several spring to mind whom I was very good friends with many years ago. Suffice to say as I got older I refused to accept their rudeness and arrogance any longer and have not seen or heard from them for a long time (and don't miss them either).

A chapter rich with interesting and in some cases, bitchy characters. Those physical descriptions you write so well were to the fore again @Robert Hugill. "By contrast, Martin had bulked up and was alarmingly like Mr Pickwick (luckily Dickens was his favourite author)", such a delicate description in lieu of "he was a fat porker". With just a few words of their physical appearance and/or attire I had a vivid image of most of those who made a guest appearance (for now anyway) in this chapter. The artwork exhibited by The Donald Mitchell (how delightfully pretentious) and Mirko sounded interesting. I am not one who appreciates great works of art at all and have rarely been to an art gallery in my life. I do like the photography of Robert Mapplethorpe, including his photographs of flowers. I saw an exhibition in the 80's or 90's and wondered why some people were so offended, although the fisting may have been a bit much for some (don't go and look at it if it so offends you), and like Andy Warhol's pop-art (I love the "Marilyn's"). Vaughan and Dan are embracing "coupledom" with such apparent ease and obvious enjoyment. You have once again created protagonists who are interesting, intriguing and immensely likeable @Robert Hugill. I really warmed to Vaughan in this chapter because he revealed a little more of his beliefs and has quite the sense of humour.

OMG all those Tim Tams and Coke consumed by Tyron and Bradley. Clearly neither has a problem with the scourge of many teens (and was certainly the scourge of my teenage years), acne. I know it is very un-Australian @Paladin I have never cared for Tim Tams. Now Mint Slice, they are a whole different kettle of fish. I rarely each such food now, but still enjoy chocolate with 95% dark chocolate my guilty pleasure. And as for that enormous breakfast eaten by Chris, Andre and Jamie, suffice to say I am vegetarian. A very light chapter, possibly before heavier chapters involving the trial of Ollie and Andre's rapist. I hope there is no confrontation between Ollie and his mother. If she dares to harass or blame him in person I hope she quickly finds herself persona non grata.

And how neglectful was I not to my mention, the most profound, the most moving, the most joyous paragraph you have perhaps ever written @James Carnarvon: “And you’re Marco Fardello,” he replied. “You help people without expecting anything in return, but when something’s not right, you burn. Around your friends, you’ve always felt like the odd one out… you’ve never thought anyone could really like you. But…” He leaned closer to whisper into Marco’s ear. “you’re way hotter than you think you are.” 😭😭😭😭😭😭💖💖💖💖💖💖

A return trip to Ravello is a welcome delight at any time of the year, but for this reader at least a return trip in the height of summer is when Ravello presents its most glorious self. From the avenue of oleanders to the scraping of my beloved cicadas, the lemons, the olives and the grape vines, the sparkling water off the Amalfi coast and the scorching midday sun, sheer perfection, and @James Carnarvon describes all with such reverence I can visualise myself there, enjoying these Ravelloesque delights. This story is somewhat darker than James' usual fare, but let it be said, his writing style is NOT reminiscent of a soap opera. Many of the reader favourites return, with the addition of three new characters who are integral to this latest work, all three of whom have had anything but happy childhoods. The highlight of this latest work for me was the growth, the extraordinary growth of Marco, my favourite "Carnarvon creation". Like Ravello itself, it was the "little mouse's" turn to shine, and shine he does. And finally on a very personal note, I have found James' stories of great comfort over the course of the last three years, through some very sad times. The joy his stories bring delight many, and it is the delight of these stories and the sharing of comments by his faithful readers, which have brought joy to me on many an occasion when sadness threatened to overwhelm.

Another entertaining and enlightening chapter @Al Norris. Unfortunately I was not surprised at the "punishment" meted out to Carl by the police. It hardly seems worth the effort of Patrolman Stoner to interview Peter for his side of the story. Unless Patrolman Stoner carries some weight, and given his position I think it unlikely, the visit is merely an exercise in formality, so that whomever is in charge can "tick the box" to declare both parties in the "disagreement" had been interviewed. My favourite part of this chapter was when Uncle George drop all pretence of civility and stated exactly what he thought of Peter's mother "The fact is, I’ve been waiting for something like this to happen ever since you got here. You’ve lived for eight years with that monster, never shedding a tear." Well said Uncle George, accurate and succinct.

I like the slow burn.

I have a strong sense of deja vu writing these comments @James Carnarvon, although I cannot remember which story it was or to whom the sentiments applied. I did not expect to be moved by Elisabetta's passing at all, but lo and behold you have done it again, moved the immovable, softened this hardened heart. With just a few well placed words you managed to have me in tears for Elisabetta of all people: "A flight of swifts darted shrilly by, drawing Marco’s eyes to the sky for a moment. As he stared up into the fierce summer blue, he wondered at the absence of Elisabetta and Giorgio’s parents, who were apparently too enmeshed in the consequences of their wrongdoing even to make their daughter’s funeral. Or maybe they just never gave a crap…". This summed up her life I guess. My sense of profound sadness for her was quickly replaced with anger at her parents, particularly her mother. Her husband very well may rule and subjugate her, but could she not just this once defy him to attend her daughter's funeral. Seemingly she is like Gemma, Marco's mother, unwilling to take a stand for the child she bore. Marco more than any of your other characters has developed exponentially. He is indeed my favourite. I just adore him, and with each chapter in this book that adoration became stronger. His gentle and caring nature in this book for some reason made me think more than once of Kofi Annan, a man whom I greatly admired, a man with a gentle voice and seemingly an innate kindness. Little mouse, little Kofi. This chapter was everything that is appealing, entertaining, enjoyable, enthralling and enriching in your writing @James Carnarvon. This chapter was worthy of not just 3 or 4 Kate Bush comparisons, but 5 Kate Bush comparisons (but I still don't like bloody Sami).