Summerabbacat

Hunter is delusional. Drug taking of this kind and living in squalor does NOT make you interesting, clever or cool; it makes you a pathetic loser. I felt some sympathy for him in the previous chapter when it was revealed he had had a difficult home life, although no more difficult than Puppy. That sympathy evaporated in this chapter. This may seem harsh and judgmental to some, but I have known people like Hunter in the past and observed the chaos they caused in other people's lives. Hunter said it best himself - I am a user. In more ways than one as has been revealed. Puppy's naïveté is not serving him well in social settings. He was forewarned of course, but he is a hormonal teenager so he should be given some slack. His hormones have however, completely taken over. It will likely take the wise counsel of Cindy or Max to heal the wounds of this horrible night. Very well written chapter @James Matthews.

The synopsis of the story indicates Dale and Hunter take in two kids in need. I anticipate these kids may be Ruth and Ian, suggesting Belle is either dead or incapable of looking after them, at least in the short term. I hope I am wrong. This continuation of the life of Hunter and Dale has been a rewarding read so far @FrankD. Keep up the good work.

Perfectly said @chris191070. Sombre indeed (and thank you for spelling sombre correctly). "But if I can give you some advice, it would not be wise to antagonise a bitchy old acid-tongued queen, who incidentally will be on stage on the night and looking for a target.” The return of a snappy "Ed Wienerism" much welcomed by this bitchy (not quite old) acid-tongued queen. Craig is quite the sharp business man isn't he. @Wombat Bill I love the explanation of your modus operandi "........ just stuck to the facts that drive the story forward". I agree that you have a distinct talent for this, but I think you still sell yourself a little (at least) short. As @ReaderPaul indicated you have held his attention to this story like few others do. I second that statement; the sheer joy of reading this story has helped me greatly through one of the unhappiest chapters of my life to date. Thank you. I am going to leave the finale and epilogue for another night as it will be a sad farewell to old friends.

Brilliantly researched chapter @Wombat Bill. The sheer enormity of the rescue effort for one small town was mind-boggling; not something I had given much thought to or seen articulated so well. Over 300 homes lost in Mallacoota is very sad, but I would think at least some of those would have the capacity to rebuild, if not in Mallacoota, somewhere else. 500 million animal lives lost (I remember reading at the time an estimate of 1 billion animal lives lost) is a catastrophe, a tragedy I cannot comprehend. Koala colonies in many parts of the Eastern states are unlikely to ever recover from the fires, and many more which survived are threatened by the relentless destruction of their habitat by greedy developers satisfying the real estate lust of the human population. The human population has not learnt very much from these fires with regard to the protection of non-human animals. Jonathan has never bottomed. Get over it bitch and give it a try.

I was determined (or so I thought) not to select the 'sad' emoji for this chapter. The impromptu fund-raising by all the boys had me heading in that direction again, but the reference to the arsehole being appropriately named 'Scott' gave rise to a throaty giggle. But damnit @Wombat Bill it was not enough, the inclusion of the death of the firefighter sealed it, a sad emoji again. Once again a beautifully and sensitively written chapter. If there has been anything positive to come from the recent chapters, apart from the pleasure derived in appreciation of our author's literary talent, it has been the sentiments expressed by my fellow CWB groupies @ReaderPaul, @chris191070and @NimirRaj. I am not one who normally has much faith in my own species, but your comments have been almost as moving as the words of our author. Although I was not personally affected by the fires, reading of them again in my current circumstances, has been a challenge, with the shedding of many tears. Your words have been very comforting.

Craig is a fuckwit and Aiden a spineless turd who cannot think for himself. I agree with @drsawzallthat if Jason were to question the true nature of their "friendship" it may shut them up, however, such a slight to their fragile masculinity could also backfire on him. It would not surprise me that under such circumstances Craig, and perhaps Aiden, may well turn violent and bash Jason. Both are cowards and would likely do so outside the workplace, under the cover of night and when Jason was not expecting it. The best way to stop these two pathetic losers from continuing with their childish and predictable behaviour would be for a third party e.g. Tom, to witness their taunts and humiliate them by casting doubt on the true nature of their "friendship". Tom may also have some influence and jeopardise their ongoing employment. Humiliation and retrenchment of both would see justice served well.

@ReaderPaulI live in inner-city Sydney, so the only "danger" I and my beloved feline family faced was breathing difficulties from the toxic smoke which blanketed the city for days on end. My various family members live scattered around NSW, both north and south of Sydney, both coastal and inland. One of my brothers and several of his children and grandchildren spent several nights on the beach with all their pets as the fires headed towards their homes. They were very fortunate, particularly so my brother as the fire was in his backyard when the wind changed direction and left the house unscathed. My mother and stepfather who live not far away from him had their beloved dog harnessed and the car packed ready to flee as embers showered from the sky all around them. They too were lucky as the fire did not reach their property, although some embers did set fire to homes nearby if I recall correctly. My family members who live south of Sydney and inland (equidistant between Sydney and Melbourne) were also on high alert as the temperatures soared above 50C on a number of occasions. @Wombat Bill another devastating chapter; the power of your few carefully chosen words once again creating such horrific images. I don't quite know how you did it, but I felt claustrophobic and anxious when reading of the bushfires relentless surge towards Mallacoota. I almost heard the sound of the exploding gas cylinders. I sobbed again for the wildlife.

For Thomas' mental health problems, for Virginia's care and compassion for him and for the loss of so much life from the bushfires 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. In recognition of @Wombat Bill's writing in this chapter and the heartfelt comments of my fellow CWB groupies, @ReaderPaul, @chris191070 and @NimirRaj

Dean redeemed himself in this chapter. I was disappointed with his somewhat callous attitude to Thomas' mental health in a more recent chapter, although in his defence it appeared Thomas' bizarre behaviour had frightened Dean greatly. Dean's comments regarding the wildlife and farm animals and the fate they met in the bushfires showed he is more sensitive than the average person, who is generally more concerned for the human population fleeing the bushfires and the toll they extract on their homes. I do recall news reports from the 2019/2020 bushfires for once reporting on the estimated death toll of wildlife, although perhaps this was only because the numbers were catastrophic and "attention grabbing" ie. newsworthy (I cannot help but be cynical). @Wombat Bill the images which preface this chapter, particularly the one on the right, are a stark reminder of that terrible time. I could almost smell the bushfire smoke looking at the image on the right. This chapter was profoundly moving, the sheer ferocity of the bushfires and the devastation they wreaked powerfully conveyed with "it is too late to leave". This chapter was like no other you have written; your words never so powerful and utterly despairing.

@NimirRajthe comparison of Ted Cruz to Scott Morrison is rather apt; both have gigantic egos, have policies heavily influenced by their narrow-minded religious beliefs and are homophobic. Both are a sad indictment on humanity and what it takes to be considered a "leader" in today's world. The content of the footnote thoughtfully provided by @Wombat Bill was prophetic, however, we Aussies were not aware of it then of course. Our "leader" has continued to "remain asleep at the wheel" throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, only awakening when taking pot-shots at state Labor party leaders, praising state LNP coalition leaders and blaming everyone other than himself for the vaccine rollout debacle. Astonishingly, he is apparently still ahead in political polls as the preferred PM. @Wombat Bill with a few simple words and a "tame" description of Thomas' injuries you painted a very vivid picture, for me at least, of the utter despair I feel Thomas has sunk into. I found reading this chapter strangely cathartic as I struggle to emerge from my own sadness of the past month. Thank you again for this wonderful story which is once again providing me with a joy I cherish more than ever.

It appears neither Dean nor Andy are really helping Thomas. Dean's somewhat callous attitude and behaviour has surprised me, however, it appears he was genuinely frightened to witness Thomas' behaviour in Jared's "playroom". I don't think Andy is helping Thomas either though by ignoring his delusions and trying to "hush" everything up. @chris191070may well be right; it may take the intervention of Justin, who is not always tactful but was probably closer to Jared than any of the others, to help Thomas. One thing is clear, Thomas definitely needs help, and the sooner the better. I am interested to hear what you may have to say @ReaderPaulfrom your experience. Is it better to be blunt with someone experiencing such delusions (a la Dean), gloss over them (a la Andy) or is somewhere in between the "ideal" path to take? Another nasty accident could well be Virginia and/or Desmond given what they are likely to experience at Mallacoota. As for the Prime Minister, if I remember correctly he was far too busy holidaying with "Jen" and the kids. Very little has changed since then. @Wombat BillI know very little of mental illness, other than anxiety, which I think is commonplace. Your writing of Thomas' delusions appears to be very realistic and without judgment. I think you are "handling" a very sensitive topic in your usual respectful and sensitive manner. Well done.

@NimirRaj for a brief moment I had exactly the same thought of Jared faking his own death, primarily because Thomas had not exhibited any behaviour that has been cause for concern. He seemingly dealt with Jared's death in the same efficient manner that he has dealt with other crises, albeit with great sorrow. Given his young age I daresay he has not experienced such loss before. I have a vague recollection of one the cast mentioning the stages of grief, and "warning" those experiencing it can move from one stage to another and back again with no apparent "order".

@chris191070 and @ReaderPaul I fear for Thomas' mental well-being too. At face-value he seems to have regressed into denial of Jared's death. I cannot imagine our author introducing Jared the ghost, but then, I did not imagine Jared would become such an unlikeable character either. The "smell of fear". With those three words @Wombat Bill you have brought back the horrific memories of those apocalyptic bushfires which decimated so much of Australia's wildlife in late 2019 and early 2020. Being a city dweller I only had to deal with the "inconvenience" of the bushfire smoke which made breathing difficult; however, the images of scorched koalas and kangaroos, and the deaths of so many other innocent animals, is still fresh in my mind. What makes it all the more tragic though, is government at both the state and federal level seems to have learned NOTHING; the destruction of the environment continues unabated, and I cannot, if I am to be honest, only blame those states with LNP coalition governments. Of course, the "fucking virus" has now consumed our lives to the exclusion of everything else, another thing we have to thank China for.

Mark "the Walrus" brought to mind the great Barry White, who had as one of his moniker's the rather unflattering, the "Walrus of Love". One of my favourite male singer-songwriters, so underrated and prolific; with a voice of such seduction, much like his contemporaries, Isaac Hayes and Teddy Pendergrass. Edward's quick wit shone at the party. His slight of Brett was brilliant and possibly a double put-down (did it perhaps have a sexual aspect to it too, Brett on his knees?). Brett irked me greatly in this chapter. I acknowledge he has a talent for the amusing acid-tongued put-downs that Edward is renowned for; however, to date he has displayed none of the compassion and warmth that Edward is equally, if not more so, renowned for. Edward's reminiscences of the past year were filled with such warmth and genuine affection. He reduced me to tears (which admittedly at the moment is an easy feat) with the beauty of his words. His self-deprecation so amusing, an illustration of his acute awareness of his character flaws, which are more than offset by his character strengths. He is such a wonderful character, capable of mixing humour and pathos with finesse and ease. It is no surprise to me that he is proving to be such a fine interviewer. I am very pleased to see Tristan is being given more "air time". He like Raj, is probably the least-developed of the main characters, which is by no means a criticism of our beloved author @Wombat Bill. Tristan has to date been somewhat of an enigma, more of an observer than a participant. I feel there is a lot more to him than meets the eye. Thank for your kind words @ReaderPaul. The experience of writing the interview for Edward Listens was most enjoyable. It was a very quick process and I got to experience what @Wombat Bill has stated on a number of occasions; the characters took hold of the story, I was merely a "vessel" through whose hands their words flowed. I found it very easy to write the dialogue for each as both had been so very well developed by our beloved author. Although I found it very easy, it did give me an appreciation for just how much labour our author puts in to write each chapter. Superb chapter @Wombat Bill, the highlight of which was Edward's reminiscences. He IS your supreme creation; your Anna Madrigal.

@chris191070 I too enjoyed Peggy "doing the rounds" of the party. My late Bassey and his baby "sister" Missy are two of my cats whom I could imagine behaving in such a manner. Almost fearless and fascinated by most humans. @ReaderPaul I think Peggy WAS the scene stealer. She, like most cats, is a good judge of character. She seemingly did not care for Brett and the feeling was apparently mutual. I must say I am beginning to find him somewhat tiresome and predictable too, so I have to agree with Peggy. I felt Dean's "discomfort" when Peggy started kneading his legs; my Frida loves to do this when she first comes to bed, but likes to knead my chest, and invariably I have little scratches around the bottom of my neck. Peggy ultimately chose her apparent favourite human, Edward, to grace with her presence. I must disagree however @Wombat Bill with the reference to him as her "master". If Peggy is anything like my cats, and Edward anything like me, Edward would be Peggy's favourite and most devoted (read slavish) servant. The ballet sounds fascinating and quite complex. The twins are an interesting couple to be sure. I have certainly noticed a niche market for twin porn in my 30+ years of watching it. I myself do not share the fascination, but can appreciate the concept of "double" or "mirrored" beauty. I have to agree with @ReaderPaul, I would not like to be named Isador either. I had heard of Isadora Duncan, but only because of the film starring Vanessa Redgrave, of which I recall very little. I saw it many years ago, but it apparently made little impression. I am not a fan of Ms Redgrave so perhaps this coloured my appreciation of the film. @Wombat Bill I believe I have made this observation before, but shall make it again. There are very few writers who can keep their audience entertained in a chapter where there is very little drama, no apparent introduction of a new plot or development of the story, and/or sex of any note. You are one of those few. A delightful chapter, with a much appreciated reappearance by Peggy. In celebration of the life of my Ava, a life which as you know has now ended, thank you for this posting which has provided me with such joy. PS. Peggy looks somewhat like my Frida, who was named of course, after the beautiful Ms Lyngstad, my favourite member of Abba.

@Filzmoos I did not realise the events which have taken place since Jason and Nathan first met, have taken place in such a short period of time. I assumed it had been several weeks at least since Jason and Nathan first met. Perhaps I have not been paying sufficient attention to such details, or have you not revealed this previously? Now that I know this, I don't feel quite so impatient with Jason and Nathan and their lack of revealing the true nature of their feelings for each other. I am almost certain that Jason's feelings for Nathan are reciprocated, and that like Jason, Nathan is fearful of revealing them. Nathan's apartment certainly appears to be very impressive. He obviously is used to the "finer things in life". I do hope this does not dissuade Jason from exploring a relationship with Nathan. Nathan's expressed grief over the death of his sister was surely a turning point in the relationship. It was very pleasing to read that neither party shied away from expressing their grief with tears. Real men cry.

What a delightful story, with a beautiful conclusion. I am so pleased Wayne's father was released from prison and that Wayne was fulfilled by embracing his roots wholly. @Ivor Slipper stories like this which are character-driven and realistic are ultimately so much more satisfying than those which rely heavily upon bizarre or convoluted plots, action and sex. Like I have done with some of my favourite musicians, I shall have to explore your "back catalogue" for further treats.

It was a pleasure to be a guest collaborator with you @Wombat Bill. I would like to dedicate the posting of this chapter if I may to my beloved Bassey, who passed away suddenly last month from a heart attack. He had battled kidney disease for the past 18 months. His beautiful face is my profile picture. His "sister" Ava, who I adopted at the same time as Bassey in September 2007, is also battling kidney disease and is losing the battle. Her passing is imminent. This is why the posting of a new chapter has meant so much to me; a colourful rainbow in an otherwise colourless past month.

A wonderful chapter @Wombat Bill. I may be a little biased though, given I adore both Donna and Abba (hence part of my profile name). It is sooooooooooooo good to welcome the cast back after a short hiatus, and could not have come at a better time for me personally. I like the way Edward easily adapts his interviewing style to suit the interviewee. The interview with Max was very informal, like two long-time friends having a gossip, with the occasional friendly dig at each other; whilst the interview with Tristan was a little more formal. Edward clearly recognised the purpose of each interview was different too, necessitating a different style. He is a very entertaining interviewer. Tristan's ballet sounds intriguing; certainly not a "Disney" concept though. It is more reminiscent of a storyline from Number 96.

What a pathetic excuse for a father Jerry has. I hope for a miracle and the release of Wayne's father.

I had the exact same thought about the smoking. A filthy revolting habit (and I am speaking from past experience).

As an Aussie born in the 1960's and raised in rural NSW in the 1970's I was exposed to many TV shows which originated from the UK. I have retained an enjoyment of and fondness for those simple comedies and dramas (especially crime dramas) set in small towns and villages in the UK. This story offers that same degree of comfort (with a splash of nostalgia) as some of those past delights. A most enjoyable story thus far, although both boys could use a little "push" (or better still a decent shove) to disclose a little more about their true feelings (patience is not my strongest virtue). Both boys have much to offer the other, so get on with it lads. I think Jason's mother strongly suspects her son is not interested in having a girlfriend, and may well suspect likewise of Nathan. She will I believe wholeheartedly embrace a relationship between the two.

Of course. My mind has been taking a few "holidays" of late. I completely forgot how to do a few basic things at work the other day. When I finally remembered how to do them I was more than a little stressed, which made the whole situation worse of course. I am not known for my patience, especially with myself, and am very unforgiving of any errors I make. More than a few expletives were 'dropping from the sky'.

Shirt lifters, poofters, bonza and the best pies in the world. You captured the essence of the western inland of NSW brilliantly @Wombat Bill. I have been to Gulargembone once on my way to Coonamble. Being coastal born and bred I have always found inland towns and their residents somewhat intimidating. And, you are correct, there is always a shop in inland towns claiming to have the best pies in the world. I am glad it was only a dream @Wombat Bill as I was concerned as to who was going to look after Peggy in Edward and Romel's absence. I thought it odd that Edward did not mention her at all as he struck me as a very responsible human companion for her.

I am curious as to why Thomas did not want to fly with a middle-Eastern airline and have a stopover there. If this decision is principle-based i.e. he did not want to contribute to the economy of a nation where LGBTQI persons are subject to violence or death, often sanctioned by the state itself, then I hold him in even higher esteem than what I did already. If word gets back to Rani that "her Daniel" may not be completely heterosexual (even if he is), imagine the snit she will have over that. "Little" Daniel may be best kept caged for his own protection. Lachlan seems delightful, perfectly suited to broaden Jonathan's rather narrow perception of gay relationships. After a number of "dark" chapters @Wombat Bill, this chapter was positively rosy. Craig and Justin offering employment to both Snowy and Thomas is particularly pleasing. It seems our group of friends are forging stronger ties all the time, they have become like a self-sufficient community, and I for one, applaud them for this.