Summerabbacat

I have to agree with you @CincyKris, Mhairi retains some of the more irrational and restrictive points of view of her parents. My favourite of many songs from the Commodores that I liked @CincyKris, before Lionel assumed control and their output was primarily restricted to saccharine ballads (although I do love 'Still'). Reminiscing of the Commodores 'Brick House' brought back memories of Joe Tex's thoroughly offensive and un-pc (by today's standards) 'Aint Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman' which I loved and which had a great video clip of the song as sung on Soul Train, and Carl Carlton's 'She's A Bad Mama Mama (She's Built, She's Stacked)'.

Oh dear, the e-mail was not well received. Unless Owain wants to maintain a relationship with his nephew, my response to Mhairi would be one of two choices, both short and sweet. FUCK YOU or ?. What is her problem, does she have a "moral" objection to her son wanting to do some acting ? Does she think acting will "turn him gay" or he will be caught up in a web of drugs and promiscuity. Get a life Mhairi. I like the way Owain and Colin's relationship is developing @Robert Hugill. Yes it is slow, but they are not 16. It is a natural easy progression with no pressure to behave in a certain way or conform to certain beliefs. Must be a relief for Colin in particular after the relentless expectations of the battle axe and his brother. Perspicacity, almost as good as kibosh. Now you just have to find a way to insert concomitant into a sentence in a forthcoming chapter @Robert Hugill. Being an Australian who grew up in the 60's and 70's I was exposed to a lot of British TV shows and British slang and British idioms were commonplace. I am unsure if this idiom is of British origin, but "built like a brick shit house" was and still is very popular in Australia. It is so expressive and offensive (to some). I for one think it is marvellous.

This was my immediate thought too @weinerdog. Between them, Clarke and the odious Thomas Walker must surely know a judge who would at least be sympathetic to their cause, preferably (for them) a homophobe. I can understand Billy's annoyance with Diego's apparent omission of the many telephone calls/messages he received from Calvin to which he did not respond, but he, Billy that is, needs to keep his ego in check. His comment “You lied to me, and I was caught off guard" could be interpreted in two ways - your lie could damage our case or your lie made me look bad. In Billy's case it could be a little of both. I look forward to the arguments and counter arguments the case will rely upon. I daresay more will come out about Calvin's less than stellar parenting performance. A well written chapter @John Henry which seemed very realistic. I don't know if it is admissible in an American family law dispute, but I hope if it is, that Bryan at least has the opportunity to provide feedback on Calvin's treatment of him and Caleb in the past.

@Robert Hugill it appears several of your "Huggilites", myself included, may have been a little hasty in our assessment of Russ based on his apparent wealth and status. I get the impression now he may be a little lonely for genuine friends of a similar ilk and the company of those with no hidden agenda to impress. His apparent amusement with Toby's enthusiasm in particular was refreshingly laid back. I recall in the late 1980's when Kevin Williams appeared in William Higgins "Hot Rods 2: The Young & The Hung 2" and caused quite a stir when he was double-penetrated on a lazy susan. Now it is as commonplace as the tattoos which seem to be almost compulsory for gay or gay-for-pay porn stars to have. I can see Noah becoming very comfortable with and fond of Brian and Gordon.

The jury is in and it has delivered its verdict @Karl Anders. The consensus of opinion is "an impressive opening chapter", an opinion I share wholeheartedly. I like the relationship between Charlie and Joey. I have a sense that beneath Charlie's polite and calm demeanour there may well be someone you should not fuck with (or is it just wishful thinking on my part). If so, he will need persistence and diplomacy in spades to deal with Debbie from DCS. As pointed about by the good doctor (@drsawzall) she needs an attitude adjustment. She is ill-mannered “I’ll be there at 10 PM. Be home.” and seemingly devoid of any sympathy for the situation Charlie and Joey find themselves in. I realise in her role she likely deals with obnoxious, appallingly behaved and potentially violent people much of the time, but this is NOT a case of reported neglect or cruelty. Get over it sister and leave the bitch pills at home.

I suspect numerous @Ronyx fans would like to see a sequel to many of his stories @Cane23, just like you, @raven1, @weinerdog and me. His stories have a great impact on many of us.

The saddest of all his tales with the murder of Myles. I had an image of him resembling either Sylvester or EJ Johnson, both fabulous African American "divas". I have to agree though @raven1, a sequel would be wonderful.

My fellow @Ronyx-ers have all made some very good comments on this chapter. Whilst I might not agree with them all, they certainly are well expressed and thought provoking. I lost what little respect I had for Jim after the comments he made in this chapter. His comment about his ex-wife having let Seth "get by with too much" incensed me. I was so hoping Seth would respond with "how would you know, you were never around". If Jim had ever bothered to take the time to get to know Seth he would have realised he did not need to be "warned" about acting "inappropriately" in front of Emily. And as for him doing something inappropriate in his bedroom and Emily observing this, my response to Jim would have been that she should not barge in to his bedroom uninvited. Jim clearly had no real desire to get to know Seth; his invitation for him to stay was payback to Julie. I know it is not her fault and I am being completely unreasonable, but I don't like Emily at all. Precious little fucking millennial princess. And who eats dinner at 6.00pm? I still loathe Stacy. And as for her fellow skank aka Maggie, the question I have is why was she not also in trouble for the assault on Seth. She grabbed him by the arm and started the altercation. Imagine if Seth had punched her in the face. He would have been in trouble, but frankly she deserved it. Some of Stacy's anti-social behaviour can be attributed to Maggie as Stacy followed her blindly thinking Maggie was "cool". Maggie would be best described as something else beginning with the letter c, something entirely different to cool. Unlike most of my fellow @Ronyx-ers I don't think Seth's life has changed immeasurably for the better, but then I am a realist (some would say pessimist). On a positive note (to a certain extent), although disappointing for Seth, he at least had the opportunity to re-connect with his father, albeit for a brief period. If anything good came of this it is that Seth realised his father was not his "knight in shining armour", in fact, he was far from it. I wonder if Jim will make any effort to contact Seth now he has returned to live with Mommie Dearest. I have to say I think it very unlikely and after his treatment of Seth it may be for the best. There may be some improvement in Seth's relationship with his mother, but I doubt that his relationship with Stacy will ever be anything other than fractious. It will take a miracle for her to become a reasonable and pleasant human being, And now in deference to @weinerdog; thank you for mentioning @Ronyx's Brittle As A Bird. For me this is his magnum opus. And in deference to @Cane23, I have to agree that A Bridge To Yesterday was a wonderful sequel. Now if only @Ronyx would write a sequel to another classic (for me anyway), Down A Darkened Path.

I am looking forward to learning if the Bruno of No Going Back shares a similar sexual appetite to the Bruno of Brian: Taking Courage. Jimmie was soooooo predictable with his comment in response to Colin's reprimand. Kudos to Colin for addressing his unprofessional behaviour. And kudos to you @Robert Hugill for using the word kibosh. Like Jimmie, the behaviour of Colin's mother when he visited her was soooooo predictable. She is a miserable, whining, nagging bitch. Perhaps he should have dug a hole in her garden and told her to get in. The "star" of this chapter must be Owain's talented tongue. Whatta man. My kind of man. Yum.

I thought this may have been the case. I often find with music I "discover" a vocalist who has been around for some time when I purchase a current release. If I enjoy them I will often visit their back catalogue and invariably find, much to my delight, that their earlier work is just as enjoyable, sometimes even moreso, than the current release I "discovered" them with. Of course, this is often costly as I am not one to "stream" music. I have expensive hi-fi equipment which I have had for many years (e.g. my turntable, amplifier and one set of speakers are 40 years old and still going strong) on which vinyl and most CD's sounds vastly superior to the crappy quality of streamed music.

Your creative juices have not merely been flowing @Robert Hugill, they have been gushing. Like a literary tsunami, with chapters of either this story or No Going Back released it seems on a daily basis. It is as if you have sniffed story-tellers speed or taken a literary viagra. I am pleased to confirm that your voluminous output has not diminished the quality of your work. Barbara Cartland you are not. What a charming boy Toby is. I was very impressed he took such delight in a "small" pleasure like catching the bus on his own to visit Evie and Drew. And, although the attraction to visiting them is largely due to the "bug life" within their orchard, he clearly is very fond of them too. Brian's chat with Toby regarding his sexual activity with Noah was a lesson for parents on how to discuss sex rationally with a teenager, regardless of the gender(s) of their attraction. Brian, ably supported by his "partner in crime" (or should that be partner in a jockstrap) is much the better parent than Deirdre.

The good doctors (@drpaladinand @drsawzall) and the dog or perhaps in this context, the wolf (@weinerdog) summed up my thoughts on this chapter to a 't'. I had not previously felt anything but admiration or sorrow for Micco, but in this chapter I too wanted to kick his arse. His "scene" at the conclusion of the chapter was like watching a daytime soapie where the lies two characters have told each other keep them apart for weeks, months, an entire season (or even longer). @drpaladin your speculation that it may have been Micco's father who raped his mother and then murdered her and his sister is plausible, and given Burke's comment that he failed to protect her, I believe may well be the case. I suspect Burke was in love with Maria, but she spurned his affections and left with town with Micco's father, and he sulked and went off to lick his wounds. Micco's father may well have been a ne'er do well who failed to support his wife and family, therefore Maria left him and his pride was wounded. I had a great chuckle from a misread of one of your comments @drsawzall. Land of Miasma, stuck in the capital city Wallowing I misread as Land of Miasma, stuck in the capital city of Wyoming, which I knew to be the least populous state of the USA. I thought it was the bastion of Republicanism and religion, but have just read on "the 'net" that it is the least religious state in the USA and was the first state to give women the right to vote and to elect a female governor. It was until the 1970's predominantly a Democrat-supporting state but has become more conservative since the 1980's (much to its detriment - this is my comment). Martina is my number 1 murder suspect again, but I cannot offer any plausible explanation as to why. There is just something about her I don't like or trust. The building barometric tension seems to mirror the building tension in Micco's life @Libby Drew. Is there a connection between the two? I suspect there is, particularly as the former seems to be affecting the animals negatively too, a negativity which Micco feels instinctively. I was not at all surprised when he admitted to himself that his ability to understand his fellow species is inferior to his ability to understand his non-human friends.

Frozen meals and take-away. This will just not do Owain. You have been ill for sometime and is it any wonder. You have to be kinder to your body and eat better. I am surprised @Robert Hugill that Owain is useless in the kitchen. I assumed that having been exiled from the family home at 18 he would have acquired one of life's essential skills at a younger age than many, the ability to cook. His parents were complete idiots viewing cooking and eating for pleasure as sinful. The relationship is progressing well, albeit primarily driven by Owain. The attraction is clearly more than just physical, so it likely has a better chance of success.

OMG @Robert Hugill, now that was just plain cruel; you will have to be sent to the "naughty corner" (LOL). Only 525 words. Just enough words for Colin to argue with himself for being a prat and buy some freesias for Colin, but not enough words to deliver the fucking things and gauge Owain's reaction (LOL). Perhaps you can arrange for Brian and Gordon, resplendent in jockstraps and combat boots only, to pay a visit to Colin during work hours and put Jimmie and the other homophobes in their place with Olympian displays of strength from a couple of "pillow-biting shirt-lifters", before giving Colin a demonstration of guilt-free gay sex (another possible business opportunity @Robert Hugill).

Watkins is hideous; reptilian in appearance and behaviour (although I hate to demean reptiles by comparing this scum to them). A number of my fellow readers have expressed their views that Watkins is lying about the real "entertainment" which will be on offer at the new club. I too don't believe a word he said; I am in total agreement with the previous comment made by @J.El, the entertainer's will be severely harmed, if not killed for the perverse pleasure of those to whom such "entertainment" appeals. Otis continues to charm and delight Hudson. They are polar opposites as far as their life sexual experiences are concerned, yet something draws them together in harmony. If anyone is able to understand the horror Otis has likely experienced at the hands of his mother, it is Hudson.

Who said gay couples cannot make good/great parents. As noted by all my fellow "Hugill aficionados", Brian and Gordon are raising Toby in a far better environment than Val and Marina are raising Noah. I think the good doctor, @drsawzall, has made a very good point in his comment (as inspired by @akascrubber), Toby has the better living situation and Toby and parents, just may be what Noah needs!!! I don't think Val and Marina are necessarily "bad" parents, they are just so wrapped up in themselves and their careers they have seemingly little time to spend with Noah. They are very fortunate that in their absence Noah appears to keep himself entertained/amused without resorting to anti-social behaviour. Perhaps they have instilled in him a sense of propriety, although I think it more likely he is essentially a good person without having had much, if any guidance, from his parents. This story just keeps getting better and better @Robert Hugill.

I was quite angry with some of the cast and very angry with the others @raven1. Firstly, Carol Reinhart's platitudes that Seth will be able to leave home and go to college soon as the solution to his problems. I wanted to scream "how the fuck does this help you silly cow?". Seth is 16 years old and should NOT have to leave home to resolve problems caused primarily by his parents and selfish sister. If Seth can be "blamed" for anything it is that he did not pull his umbilical cord tighter around Stacy's neck. She can have all the counselling Mommie Dearest wants to arrange for her, but the only thing which will improve her is a casket. Jim's treatment of Seth was underwhelming at best. I can understand his wanting Seth to be home by a certain time if it was for his peace of mind (although I doubt Jim gives a rat's arse about Seth really), but the reason he gave pissed me off BIG TIME. Emily is what 7 or 8? If Seth coming home after she has gone to bed wakes her up then Jim as her father should tell her to go back to sleep. If she "puts on a performance" then she needs discipline. Do not let her become another Stacy. I was not disappointed in Aunt Marie @raven1. She acknowledged she and Uncle Steve were living elsewhere when Stacy and Seth were born and when Jim left. She can only disclose what Julie told her. It seems Julie has perhaps withheld information from her just as she has from her children. Although it hurt Seth, I was pleased Aunt Marie confirmed she agreed with his assessment of his father's absence from his life. It is quite apparent now his absence was at least partially due to his own disinterest in Seth and Stacy. Now to Craig and his response to Seth that he was partially to blame for the treatment his mother and sister dished out because he would disappear to his bedroom. I was FUCKING LIVID @raven1 when I read this and when Seth did not challenge Craig and tell him to GO FUCK HIMSELF. I thought he, Craig, was starting to show some maturity and compassion for someone other than himself, but this comment had him falling from 99 back to 1 just as he was about to reach 100 on that ladder. As has been the case in much of this story the snake bit him, and this time it was his own "snake" which apparently still dominates the "big head" on his shoulders. Finally I agree with the good doctor, @drsawzall, again. If it weren't for Ty, Blake, Aunt Marie and Uncle Steve, I would say the best thing to happen to the rest of the cast for Seth's sake, would be a stray asteroid. The rest of the cast are oxygen-thieves with little or no redeeming characteristics. Craig's profession of love for Seth was as shallow as Craig himself. Brilliant chapter @Ronyx. I have to say though that unless a miracle occurs in the next chapter (perhaps the asteroid @drsawzall), life for Seth will not have improved to any great extent. Maggie, Stacy and his mother are are all still cu,,s, his father has made little improvement to his life (although he may feel he can pat himself on the back for having re-connected with his son) and Craig's centre of his life is still Craig.

@CincyKris Owain made the first move as you assumed would have to be the case. He was admirably rewarded by his resolve with Colin bottoming for him with great enthusiasm. I rarely stereotype gay men, but I am always particularly pleased when a man whom the average person would assume would not bottom e.g. a butch tradie, relishes the role. Well done for "flipping the stereotype" @Robert Hugill. Colin's uncertainty will require patience on the part of Owain, but I believe Owain is anything but shallow and if he is attracted to Colin as he appears to be, he will invest in a relationship where he will likely have to give Colin a "little push" from time to time. I believe a strong friendship is likely to develop between the two before a relationship becomes a reality. "Shirt lifter" one of many delightful expressions used to describe gay men. This expression, "pillow biter" and "poofter" were probably the most prominent descriptions in Australia certainly in the pre-internet age, however, faggot seems to have become universal now. Personally I find faggot far more offensive than "poofter", although I am not sure why. Blossoming attraction is always a delight to read of @Robert Hugill. I enjoyed this chapter immensely, moreso because the attraction is taking some time to blossom.

I had thought as you @Cane23, apart from your last statement. If as we both suspect he is a potentially dangerous man, I envisage one who is used to getting what he wants when he wants, he would not hesitate to jeopardise Brian's custody of Toby. Let us hope he is not the manipulative arsehole we suspect beneath that veneer of bonhomie.

Very astute "wishes" @84Mags. One of your wishes is something which occurred to me hours after writing my initial comment and after reading a comment made by @drpaladin again. Micco accepted at face value what Martina told him the Tribal Council had said. How do we know she was telling the truth. I don't trust her. And after reading her comments again, I am incensed she referred to Micco as "Honey" before digging the knife in. Patronising bitch should have been slapped.

This was wishful thinking on my part @John Henry. I was venting more than anything else because I despise people like Thomas Walker. I thought CPS may be able to "heavy" the apartment owner if it is in disrepair or if it is public housing contact the government department responsible and "heavy" them. CPS equivalent in Australia has a similar reputation. I am a government employee myself and would not want their job regardless of how much I was paid (and it would not be much). Such jobs are thankless and no doubt the relevant department is under-resourced and restricted in how and what it is allowed to do and by when.

Now that was plain cruel @Robert Hugill. Just as things were getting a little steamy you left we readers, and by the sounds of it Colin, hanging. Is this the literary equivalent of sexual "edging"? I don't know who is worse, Colin's mother or his annoying brother. I have to say though, why does Colin take his washing to his mother's to do? Why could he not do it at night during the week and let it dry during the day or is the weather in his part of the world so bloody awful that it would never get dry without the aid of a dryer? Speaking of his mother, perhaps she needs to have an accident in the bathroom or kitchen and injure herself so that she would have something legitimate to complain about. If she were incapacitated she may have to live with the annoying Miles, Annalisa and the twins for a while. This might do Miles some good too as he would get to see what a pain in the arse she can be, or perhaps he would leave everything for Annalisa to take care of.

No predictions from you yet @weinerdog? I too think Rory may know something important or may have been going to disclose to Micco that he should not believe everything Martina has told him.

Thomas Walker is like a parasite or virus, spreading infection whenever he comes into contact with his "host". On this occasion the "host" for his dishonesty and deception was the District Attorney, his alleged high school and college friend. Although it is unlikely, I hope the dropping of charges against Amanda Rickman is raised at the preliminary hearing of Calvin's custody petition. I want justice for Diego and justice would involve disbarring of Thomas Walker, public humiliation for him and his cu.. of a wife, the sacking of the District Attorney (if the allegations are true) and the permanent and painful disabling of Calvin. Kenny's mother's life appears to be difficult, but my patience with her is decreasing with each chapter and each excuse. I assume the "state of the apartment" is the cleanliness of same. If she works long hours then perhaps Kenny needs to step up and help more if he is not already doing so. If the "state of the apartment" is its disrepair, then Child Protective Services need to get off their arses and demand repairs be made. Steve's contribution to the family increases with every chapter and should not be underestimated. @John Henry another masterful chapter. I am intrigued by your comment that "only one of those anecdotes about Calvin isn't real, and came from a different person entirely".

What a powerful chapter @Libby Drew. I found myself doubting my long-held strong suspicions Martina was involved in Sam's murder, but despising her for her treatment of Micco. She well may be caught in a "difficult balancing act", but I still loathe her and don't trust her one iota. She is a bully and a bitch. I also strongly doubt her sincerity and alleged concern for Micco. I wonder what Rory was going to disclose to Micco before Martina demanded she ceased speaking to him. I also wonder if Martina has been lying or at least embellishing her story that Rory and Frank have been expressing their concern at Micco's strange behaviour and his alleged fight with Sam. I still believe Micco's best defence against the allegations he murdered Sam are his connection with his brother wolves and the panthers. They know who killed Sam and unlike many of the other humans in this story, they don't have any hidden agenda and will not lie to him. I was surprised and somewhat disappointed though by his actions "I feel the wolves’ questions in the air. Clock how the panthers’ agitation swells to meet my own. Ruthlessly, I cut myself off from them all." All my distrust and hatred for Martina "disappeared" and was replaced with great sorrow when Burke disclosed to Micco how he found Chase on the catwalk two years prior to finding Micco in the same spot. I strongly suspect Chase's reason for being there and in a state of such despair and sorrow was his feelings for Micco. This story continues to entertain, enthral and at times enrage me @Libby Drew. Your story telling has never been better as far as I am concerned.