Summerabbacat

A conclusion one could draw from this fact is that it is not without good reason.

Which will be of great comfort and joy to Ollie, a boy who seemingly has experienced little, if any, since the death of his father. If Chris and Andre are approved to foster and ultimately adopt Ollie, this will also add a sense of security to Ollie's life, which at the moment must seem uncertain at least for him. Given his recent ordeal with his mother's boyfriend, combined with her rejection of him, he is remarkably well adjusted and resilient or at least appears to be.

OMG those bloody Tim Tams again @Paladin. At least Chris had the good sense not to pollute good wine with them. Tyron, Bradley and Ollie had better watch themselves for zits though eating all those Tim Tams and drinking soft drinks. It appears Ollie's mother has still not changed her attitude even though "the boyfriend" is now apparently going to plead guilty. What planet does this woman live on? Methinks she was a crap mother even before her husband was mistakenly killed (allegedly) and she took up with "the boyfriend". I am becoming increasingly suspicious of this woman and possible involvement she may have had in the murder of Ollie's father. It was very pleasing to observe the integration of three gay couples from the family business being welcomed to the party. My apartment complex is currently undergoing major remedial work and I have spoken with a number of the tradies. One of them, a man of 63 years of age and a refugee from Bosnia and Herzegovina, has taken a shine to one of my cats and we have had a number of friendly chats. I asked him about his experiences in Australia with, if any, gay men in the building industry. He revealed he has worked with many over the years and by and large there has been very little harassment of them. He recalled one job he worked on in Surry Hills (an inner-city Sydney suburb) had about 80% gay men working on the site. A most enjoyable chapter again @Paladin. I am very keen to learn what Ollie's mother's story is. On face value she is a cold-hearted bitch who does not deserve to have a son, but is there something unknown which has "warped" her mind?

I think it is delightful and indicative of what a wonderful person Keith is that he cherishes such fond memories of his "Gran". It is a shame the joy the memories of her bring also invoke thoughts of how vile his father was, but he can seek comfort in his memories of "Gran". His reaction to Thomas' query as to why he did not seek help to deal with his father's abuse rang so true; it was not the "done thing" in yesteryears to admit one had mental health or emotional or physical abuse issues to deal with. Thomas' offer to comfort Keith and be his sounding board when the dark clouds caused by thoughts of his father surface was indicative of what a caring person Thomas is and how far their relationship has advanced. His offer appears genuine and thoughtful, perhaps motivated by his fractious relationship with his father. He did "disappoint" though with his derision of ice cream and his insistence "to quote all the things in it that were bad for you". Thomas you really must learn that ice cream, whether it be dairy or non-dairy, is one of those foods for which nutritional value is completely irrelevant, much like potato crisps and champagne. A terrific chapter @Robert Hugill. Although anger, sadness and regret reared their ugly head for Keith, much of the chapter was joy-filled for him and Thomas, forged by the strengthening of their relationship which continues to delight this reader at least.

I suppose it is a vocational hazard and it appears Dante is not bothered by it. I am just a contrary old bitch at times and if someone made such a statement to me I would not take to it kindly. I don't recall you describing Vaughan's physical appearance in any detail @Robert Hugill, but for some reason I have had a very vivid image of him in my mind from the get go; his physical appearance strongly resembling the actor, Robert Bathurst, who played David Marsden in Cold Feet, which I saw sporadically when it aired on TV in Australia in the late 90's/early 00's.

The initial description of the party at Chateau Heyward had me reminiscing of the parties at Jay Gatsby's, even though it appeared to bear little resemblance to the ultra-extravagance at Gatsby's. Unlike the euphemistic and kind descriptions of the less attractive humans who populate your stories @Robert Hugill, your description of Chateau Heyward pulled no punches. "Seen for real, and up close, the house was as hideous as I’d expected, the neo-classical gestures all seeming to clamour for attention individually rather than hanging together. And its huge size didn’t help. It evidently had all the extras a modern house needed, indoor swimming pool, gym, cinema, the lot." I had a great laugh reading this, the nouveau riche are invariably "guilty" of tasteless ostentatiousness and signor Heyward apparently possesses it in spades. And it appears he may be a size queen too. I got the impression that signor Heyward's actions are carefully planned to maximise benefit for himself. The analogy of a Bond villain as commented by @Carybr a very good one. One of Vaughan's statements filled me with trepidation when I read it. He may not have meant it literally, but I bristled when I read "But no, he was not wearing it to the party, we’d found him a suitably colourful shirt and I’d allowed him to pair it with chinos in the make that he liked". The statement of a pompous and superior know-it-all to a less sophisticated charlatan. I certainly hope not.

I assumed Billy was deliberately pressing Crusty's buttons and I believe Diego, Steve and particularly Bryan and Caleb are probably better off not knowing why. It is clearly a strategy, one which if known may influence Bryan and Caleb's responses when they are cross-examined by Billy. I also still think Charlie uncovered something unsavoury about Crusty, something which may not be illegal, but could be very embarrassing for Crusty if it were to become public knowledge. Bryan's admission of depression is not surprising. I just hope it does not become known to Clarke as I am certain he will use it against Diego, he will try to level blame at Diego for this to have him stripped of his custody of Bryan and Caleb. I am also very concerned about Caleb's mental health. I vaguely recall expressing this concern in comments on an earlier chapter. He is very timid, easily frightened and easily manipulated as we have witnessed on a number of occasions. We have already witnessed Calvin and the human smoking fleshlight's reaction to this timidity in a recent chapter. If Calvin is successful in his bid to have has parental rights reinstated I believe the lives of both boys could be in danger, even if only by their own hands. And we learned Diego likes bears as well as daddies. Steve's dating profile read, 6 foot 8 Sasquatch.

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).