Summerabbacat

I chose the sad emoticon for this chapter as for me it was the strongest of all emotions I detected. Virginia and Jonathan share a sadness. I agree with @NimirRaj the source of the sadness may well have been a child Virginia miscarried. If so, I am certain Virginia and Jonathan must have had sex at least once for him to believe the child was his, as I cannot believe he would be moved to tears otherwise. He is very status conscious and may want to have had a child to "carry on the family name" in the jewellery business. A male heir would have been good for his ego, as well as looking good on his "resume" and potentially taking over the business later in life. Virginia's sadness I believe would have been the loss of a child; Jonathan's sadness damage to his ego and the loss of a business opportunity. I also feel a sadness for both Virginia and Jonathan that their adult lives have been largely a sham. I don't feel any sympathy for either as it is what they have chosen to do, my sadness is that they, particularly Jonathan, felt compelled to live such a life as it was "what one was expected to do". The final "sadness" is tinged with a feeling of anger too that Jonathan has no apparent care for anyone other than himself. His motivation to enter politics "appeared" at first to have had some degree of altruism. He had me fooled again I think. @NimirRaj previous comments about old white men wanting to enter politics as almost a hobby is beginning to ring true. If nothing else, I hope Jonathan's hair does not resemble a Brillo pad (Joanna Lumley's wonderful description of the late fool that governed the USA).

I agree with you @ReaderPaul. I hope I am wrong, but I have a bad feeling about Virginia rekindling her relationship with Desmond. I fear she is once again going to give Desmond "the flick" unless there is another explanation for the "signs of guilt" on her face which Desmond did not detect. I shall have to wait for @Wombat Billto reveal the source of the guilt, if in fact, it is worthy of revelation.

What delightful parents Dale has. I wonder if Hunter is going to have second thoughts again about Mayson being imprisoned if he learns Mayson has been subjected to neglect and/or abuse at the hands of his parents or others.

Firstly, I must offer my sincerest apologies to our "wizard of words" for failing to acknowledge and offer profuse thanks for the All About Eve reference in the previous chapter. An exceptional film released in a year (1950) which saw the release of two of the greatest films ever made. In my humble opinion, it was only bettered by one film in that year, the film that was nominated for all the major Academy Awards and won none of them (mostly losing to All About Eve I think), the masterpiece Sunset Boulevard. Well I shall not fail this time @Wombat Bill. Thank you (to the power of infinity) for the reference to Norma Desmond/Gloria Swanson and Sunset Boulevard in the teaser at the end of this chapter. It may sound trite, but this one small act of kindness has made me very happy for some moments in what has been a very worrying and stressful last three days. This is a chapter filled with so much to enjoy. It was off to a rollicking start with the appearance of Smidmore. On a previous occasion when he made an appearance I envisioned him physically resembling the character of Mr Rumbold in Are You Being Served (whom most would not accuse of being handsome), with the sense of humour, or more accurately lack thereof, to match. What a delightful surprise to find that Smidmore in fact possesses a rather dry wit. The following discussion between he and Jonathan had me in stitches: “But there’ve publicly announced that I, a happily married man, am gay.” “Price, we both know that’s not true.” “I’m glad you agree with me, so why can’t we sue them?” “The part I mean is not true, is about you being happily married.” Further joy was to be had with Jonathan's attempt to hold Thomas responsible for the "boiler and poofter" episode. I won't comment again on Jonathan's failure to recognise his part in this episode, other than to say Thomas has not forgotten his contribution. Thomas' railroading of Jonathan was achieved with such finesse that one could be forgiven for thinking he has been doing this for a long time. He is a natural. I kept thinking of Nathan Lane as Max Bialystock inThe Producers (not that I envision Thomas resembles him physically). Then we had the meeting between Thomas, Max and members of the Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby. @ReaderPaulthe names have been changed to protect the "guilty" parties, but I felt that our "wizard of words" had given @Summerabbacat equal billing when Damien uttered “Firstly, groups that take taxpayer’s money should not be allowed to discriminate. LGBTI groups have called for an end to permanent exemptions from discrimination enjoyed by religious organisations, particularly in government funded service delivery, employment and schools.” I wondered if somehow our "wizard of words" had taped me making these very comments on numerous occasions to work colleagues, friends and family members (especially those who support the Liberal/National Party coalition governments in Australia). Now for the identity of the anonymous caller. I strongly suspect that my fellow CWB groupie, our very own Paul Sherlock Holmes Poirot is correct. @Wombat Bill rarely (if ever) introduces a character into his works and then gives them nothing to do. So far Bernard's only contribution to the story was to be on the receiving end of termination of his services. His appearance to date has added nothing to the storyline, other than the conjecture some of we readers raised. The anonymous call may be his "turn to shine". Some may say @Wombat Bill introduced Chris in chapters 20 and 21 and gave him nothing to do, but I would strongly disagree. Chris exposed a characteristic of Jonathan, and not an attractive one, which had not previously been known. He also added a comedic touch with his Benny Hillesque double entendre's regarding servicing Jonathan. Excellent work again @Wombat Bill. Certainly deserving of the honorific title @ReaderPaul has bestowed upon you.

Quite so @ReaderPaul. As a chapter it was very much a post-mortem of its predecessor. The teaser at the end of the chapter suggests Thomas' public relation skills will somehow smooth ruffled feathers. This should be very interesting to observe. Our "wizard of words" will likely have an effective strategy for Thomas to employ. I have little doubt Thomas will be able to negotiate a truce between Virginia and Jonathan, he may be able to persuade the newspaper to print a retraction or present an alternative explanation for the evenings dramatic "highlights", but how will he convince a skeptical public the fabricated nature of Jonathan and Virginia's relationship is the real nature of their relationship. Only time will tell. Perhaps he can "borrow" some of your alliterative prose @ReaderPaul to dazzle the said public. @Wombat BillI sense Desmond may not be entirely comfortable with Virginia's penchant for expensive champagne. She may have to downgrade her tastes to the domestic variety if she wishes to retain him as her paramour. Perhaps she could become a spokesperson for domestic champagne to assist Jonathan's campaign, of course she would have to refer to it as pinot noir chardonnay (🤮🤮🤮🤮). I was immediately struck by another opportunity for Jared to employ the talent's of his friend "The Fixer". Is this alarming that I even noticed this, or is my distaste for this facet of Jared's character so great I am looking for opportunities to "bring about his undoing". All I can say is, if Tim Shand wrote the article for the Sydney Daily News, he had best watch his back. I fear Jared's attraction to pain and violence may not be restricted to and wholly satisfied by sounding, ball and nipple torture, and the elimination of homophobic sperm donors.

Agreed @Wombat Bill, @ReaderPaul's alliterative prose was very impressive. And, there is a word I don't think I have heard in a long, long time. Prose. What a great word, makes me think of one of the UK's greatest treasures, Kate Bush. I forgot to note @NimirRaj's pun as I observed it too. I think what made it even funnier is I think it was completely unintentional. Your "new talent" illustrated was to present a melodramatic scene filled with malicious exchanges, but do so with some restraint. The scene in question could have been "done to death", with dialogue so grotesque it almost became a parody, but this was not the case. It was like full frontal nudity, with discreetly placed fig leaves. How delicious, the hots for Snowy. What a wonderful contradiction of weather conditions. Alas, it is not true. He is a character who reminds me somewhat of Justin when we first became acquainted with him, a little naive and shy. I am always attracted (with the most noble of intentions I assure you) to characters who bear the hallmark of the underdog. I feel Snowy and Tristan could bring out the best in each other, even without the "snowballing".

Apologies accepted @ReaderPaul; the alliterative allusions are wonderful, especially the reference to our beloved author, @Wombat Bill, as the wizard of words. A most apt description. @NimirRaj for your sake I hope your loss of all control did not mirror Virginia's in all respects. Now for my comments on the chapter itself. I was totally gobsmacked to say the least as the drama unfolded. It was Virginia whose facade of respectability cracked, not one or more of the women from the Girls Just Want To Have Fun table. The champagne certainly loosened her tongue considerably; the old adage that people say what they really mean when drunk appears to be the case here. Virginia insulted her husband, Thomas, Jared and Justin. The first three I can perhaps understand as they have to varying degrees deceived her, Justin perhaps was just collateral damage. Ultimately Virginia is the one who will suffer the most though as she will I imagine be embarrassed by her actions, more so by her treatment of Thomas if her previous comments about him being like the son she never had were truthful. I hope that when she "lost all control" the loss was not wholly reminiscent of Mrs Emery from Little Britain. Whilst I have sympathy for Virginia for the loveless lavender liaison she has endured (I apologise @ReaderPaul, I could not resist the challenge, but am truly humbled by your superior cleverness), she has seemingly been happy to benefit from the financial rewards of being Jonathan's beard. It remains to be seen if that beard is "shaven off" after the party. I do think Jonathan's reference to Virginia as an "old boiler" was uncalled for, and it was this comment which appears to have been the catalyst for Virginia's voluminous vitriolic verbiage (what a great word @ReaderPaul, I could not resist "stealing" it from you). @Wombat Bill another chapter and another talent displayed. We your readers have witnessed Edward's castigation of "the group" at the party he and Romel hosted, the acid-tongued barbs of Ed Wiener on various occasions and the violent rant of Brendan at his day in court, however, all pale in comparison to Virginia's remarks to Jonathan, Jared and Thomas. Her remarks were the more malicious because they were to some degree at least truthful, motivated by hurt that she has obviously been feeling for a long time, but suppressed for the benefit of all, herself included. Although the drama which unfolded had a comic element, at the heart of it lay a great deal of unhappiness and regret. Your telling of this event rang true, the melodrama not overdone, the malice just enough. Another "feather in your cap" I say. The musical numbers were well chosen, the interlude between Juanito and Tristan very exciting and Max's emceeing with light-hearted banter just perfect. I really enjoyed Snowy making another appearance too. I hope you have further storylines "up your sleeve" for him.

I thought the incorrect image was still apt as it appears to be a middle aged woman with a flute of champagne ready for partaking. I assumed it may have been one of Cynthia's or Virginia's "girls" at the ready for a quick guzzle of Bolly. Chris could be short for Christian rather than Christopher. It is a popular name. I am sure our CWB groupie will take no offence.

I wonder what "dirt" Max's friend Chris has on Jonathan. I assume (perhaps incorrectly) Chris has a reputation for being confrontational given Max's alarm when he snapped at him to sit down and not follow Jonathan to the toilets. Perhaps Chris was previously rebuffed in pursuit of Jonathan for a dalliance of the sexual kind, or he may have had a mutually unsatisfactory one-night stand with him. We shall have to wait for @Wombat Bill to reveal all. Rani really needs to do something about her haemorrhoids; if not haemorrhoids, she clearly has something stuck up her arse, or maybe she is just a little jealous of Jeremy and Brett venturing out on their own and set for success, whilst she Rani, is still merely an "employee". She strikes me as a little "above her station", someone who thinks she should be progressing far more quickly than what she is. I don't believe Daniel will tolerate her nasty comments and bitching for too long, and it seems as if Sandra is not entirely impressed by her attitude either. The teaser for the next chapter has my tawdry imagination working overtime @Wombat Bill. I do hope the entertainment offstage is as salacious, or better still even more salacious, than the gossip between Cynthia's "girls" in this chapter. I have visions of a cat-fight between the Girls Just Want To Have Fun when their champagne consumption peaks; their well practiced decorous and dignified behaviour will be out-the-window, they will become just like Eliza Doolittle. Expletives (and hair) may be flying when the shit hits the fan. It may take someone with a rapier-like wit and an acid tongue (think Ed Wiener) to bring them under control. Bring on Auntie Mame I say.

@ReaderPaul although I disagreed strongly with many of George Dubya's policies, he did not strike me as being an inherently evil, conniving, backstabbing, manipulative, thuggish, entitled arsehole, unlike Trump who struck me as all of those things and then some. I cannot imagine Dubya provoking and supporting the violent attacks and rioting that beset the USA Capitol on 6 January 2021. I don't think George Dubya was all that smart (he could not correctly pronounce nuclear, which to his credit he laughed about when his wife lampooned him) and likely had many others behind the scenes truly "running the show". I suspect he was heavily influenced by his father, who was much smarter and seemingly well respected. Trump may have done some good things for the USA (although you will never get me to admit to this), but I think he is the worst president you have had in my lifetime (even worse than Nixon and Reagan). I think one only has to look at some of Trump's "prominent" supporters, whom he seemingly "courted", to draw this conclusion. Ted Nugent being the classic example; even ultra-conservative Republicans have distanced themselves from this truly heinous "human being". COVID-19 might finish him off though if what he has now claimed is in fact the truth.

Not necessarily @Wombat Bill. Jonathan will have that lesson to learn if he is going to have any chance of succeeding in politics; politicians, at least those from the major parties (especially the two that I loathe) rarely say what they mean, or they "wrap it up" in so much spin, that one is never sure exactly what they mean. Not that our lot are any different from others worldwide, although at least we have the Westminster system of democracy. I shudder to think what it would be like living under the rule of a clown like Trump or a murderous regime like many in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. You have my sympathy @ReaderPaulfor having lived through the Trump years; he made George Dubya look good.

@Wombat Bill I think you deserve to be awarded an honorary doctorate in literature (if there is such a thing). Another chapter with another educational opportunity for moi, this time courtesy of @NimirRaj (thank you). His inclusion of the abbreviation FOMO in his review had me wondering what it could possibly mean. I thought at first with absolute horror it may somehow be related to SCOMO. Hillsong forbid! Fortunately I came to my senses (OK no sniggering you bitches) when I realised @NimirRaj would not likely know who SCOMO is, thus looked it up on the 'net. Perhaps it is an abbreviation of more recent times for the youngsters who text, or perhaps I have just have never encountered it before. Whatever its origin, I think @NimirRajhas "hit the nail on the head" with this statement. I too feel Romel is suffering from FOMO, or is he perhaps a little jealous that his older husband has a new lease on life, which he Romel is not the cause of. I think Romel was a little precious for feeling he had been dismissed though. He gave Edward and Juanito no reason for the conversation to continue. Edward's actions in this chapter resemble Thomas' actions in the previous chapter. He is full of clever and interesting ideas, and seemingly possessed with the zest to follow them through. I believe he will succeed in his enterprise; Divas WILL be fabulous. Dare I suggest either Ed Wiener or One Eata may be in line for a Diva after showcasing their talents as drag queens. Hopefully there will be no feathers ruffled or trademarks infringed by using the names Divas. Perhaps Edward should check with the organisation which presents the awards first, and while he is at it, check with Makybe too. Dare to bare, very clever. Jeremy and Brett will do well to I think. Rani is a snippy little miss isn't she. She needs to get over it. I wonder if Daniel has sealed his fate with her. It may depend on the type and quantity of the prohibited substance.

Jonathan has chosen well for his campaign manager. Thomas is smart, astute and pragmatic, just what Jonathan needs to perform this role well. Thomas' idea to donate the proceeds of fund raising events may not have been his initial intent, but he readily made the suggestion when Jonathan indicated he would finance his own campaign. One could be cynical and state Thomas only did it because it will be good publicity for Jonathan, which Thomas does acknowledge, however, I believe Thomas is magnanimous by nature. I particularly like Thomas' idea of forming a committee to court the gay community and including Max and Charles on said committee. His reference to them as elderly gentlemen and a delightful couple "warmed my cockles". I look forward to their return appearance and hope they will not be limited to cameos. I also look forward to what our resident detective @ReaderPaul makes of the behaviour of Bernard Johnson. As Jonathan's former driver he may have much "dirt he can dish" on Jonathan. I seem to recall Jonathan has on occasion liked a little beverage or twenty; perhaps he has behaved indiscreetly when drunk with a rent boy or two in the back seat of the Rolls. Remember the old age "its the quiet ones you have to watch". Thomas again shows he is no fool. I believe he is awake to Jared and his antics. Thomas may play along for a while, but I sense Jared's lustre may wear off. We shall have to wait for our beloved author to reveal what he has up his sleeve. Another well written and enjoyable chapter @Wombat Bill, even if it is rather sedate by "Wombatian" standards. Given the teaser at the end of the chapter, this one could well be the "calm before the storm" though.

Both your major "predictions" have been correct. You either have a "sixth sense" of some sort or are very astute. I "predict" it is the latter, Paul Sherlock Holmes Poirot.

Oh dear, I see "storm clouds a-brewin'". Jared is mercenary, manipulative and dangerous, not a good combination for someone as naive and eager to please as Justin. I would like to believe Jared disclosed his involvement in Brendan's death solely to impress Justin, but I don't think that is the case. I believe the bigger motivation may have been self-protection, a form of insurance if Brendan's "suicide" is ever investigated. Jared has shown himself to be very adept at lying and I believe he would have no difficulty implicating Justin as an accomplice in the death of their father. Whatever his motive, he is his father's son, a complete bastard who SHOULD NOT be trusted. Jared and Justin's infidelity bothers me to some extent, less so because of its incestuous nature, more so because of what I believe was the motivation of each party. Perhaps I am less disappointed in Justin because I believe he is a genuinely kind and caring person. I think he is just so happy to have a big brother to look up to after having had a lonely and unhappy childhood, he will do anything to please his big brother Jared. The fact the consensual sex was enjoyable made it the more appealing. Jared's motivation is I believe far more complex, or perhaps more rudimentary. I am not entirely sure what it is, but I get the impression his motivation is for the benefit of "Team Jared" to the exclusion of all other considerations. I believe the infidelity will hurt their respective partners, however, I think Craig will be the more hurt of the two, or at least the partner more comfortable and forthcoming in expression of his hurt. In doing so, I believe Justin will be genuinely upset and perhaps ashamed he has hurt Craig. I believe Thomas will also be hurt, but I have no doubt Jared will attempt to manipulate or bully him into submission or lay a guilt trip on him for his own prior indiscretion. Even if Thomas fully expresses his hurt, I doubt Jared will take it seriously, his gigantic ego will not countenance anything other than that Thomas is lucky to have him as his lover. A pivotal chapter @Wombat Bill, written with a sense of authority matching Jared's belief that he is "the man".

Well @Wombat Bill what can one say about this chapter. The emoticon ‘Wow’ is the perfect descriptor on this occasion. To some extent I found this chapter even more disturbing than its predecessor. As Jared reveals more about himself, I find him decreasingly appealing. Of one thing I am certain, the only thing bigger than his muscles is his ego. It certainly appears you may be correct @ReaderPaul in the observations you noted in review of the previous chapter. Unless our beloved author is deliberately misleading us with “red herrings” (which I would not dare to suggest is the case), it appears Jared had involvement in Brendan's death. If so, he has planned it with military precision, employing the same cold and calculating mind evidently used to great effect in the SAS. His motivation for occasioning Brendan’s death, a sense of righteous vigilantism perhaps. The old adage “the apple does not fall far from the tree” very apt if you are correct; and if so, Jared is far more like his biological father than Justin could ever be. Jared’s violent reaction to Nathan’s comment in the bar also rang alarm bells for me that he is a "chip off the old block". It also makes me wonder if his motivation to join the SAS was as noble as he portrayed it to be. Whether Jared was involved in Brendan’s death or not, I don’t trust him, and I think Thomas and Justin would do well to be very wary of him. When Justin dissolved into tears in the bar I was very suspicious when Jared immediately jumped in and played the protective big brother card. I am perhaps being paranoid, but he has had experience playing psychological games whilst in the SAS, and I wonder if he is not playing such games now in his private life. To quote @chris191070 from a previous chapter, I don't like him.

Speaking for myself only @Wombat Bill, you should NOT have mixed feelings for having brought discomfort to your readers; and, I do not for one moment believe you have written this storyline for shock value only. Brendan's death by whose ever hands occasioned it is both believable and dare I say, perhaps inevitable. The discomfort I felt was of my own making as I grappled with the horror of Brendan's crimes weighed against the violence, torment and loneliness of his life and death. @ReaderPaul I certainly did not mean to imply the torment and abuse Brendan suffered as a child/teenager excused his violent and abusive treatment of others; I was acknowledging, primarily for the sake of my own conscience I think, there may be instances where the perpetrators of such crimes were not necessarily born evil, there may have been circumstances in their lives which to varying degrees influenced their behaviour. Again, the paradigm of nature vs. nurture.

You present a reasoned and very compelling argument to support your theory @ReaderPaul, one which I cannot fault, however, I sincerely hope on this occasion your speculation is incorrect. Brendan's treatment of Justin was appalling, his rape of his sister reprehensible and his murder of Sam unforgivable. Under normal circumstances I too would have been happy for Brendan to rot in prison, for him to be locked-up and the key thrown away. I cannot however, forget he too was a victim. I have no doubt he would have been subjected to homophobic hysteria and lies at the hands of those who implemented his Catholic education; and, it was some of those same hands who raped him as a child/teenager. I also have no doubt had he reported the rapist(s) to either his parents or school authorities he would not have been believed, or worse still, he would have subject to further torment for having dared to complain. I cannot help but think this did irreparable damage to his psyche, and could certainly offer some explanation for his homophobia and his belief Justin had to be protected from someone he perceived as a pedophile. I am not offering any excuses for his behaviour; I am merely suggesting that he like Jonathan, was a product of his upbringing and environment, which in Brendan's case was unhealthy and unhappy.

The emoticon 'Wow' is perfect for your observation @ReaderPaul. What a startling possibility, but one which when examined is plausible, and resolves more than one mystery and coincidence. The "arrangement" of Brendan's death by "The Fixer" certainly fits well with his moniker. It also offers a credible explanation that it was he to whom Jared was speaking when overheard by Thomas; and, the reason for his missed call was to confirm the "arrangement" had been put in place. I hope for Jared's sake though, there is another explanation for the sudden appearance of "The Fixer" in his life, for as much as I hate platitudes, two wrongs don't make a right is very apt in such a scenario.

Whilst I can understand Justin’s relief and perhaps appreciate his "celebration" that Brendan is dead, his behaviour is disturbingly similar to Brendan’s in many ways. Justin's sense of glee at learning of Brendan's death is I think strikingly similar to Brendan's elation when he shouted in the courtroom that he "would do it again" when speaking of his murder of Sam. Brendan sought no professional help (or is my memory "on the blink again") to deal with his anger and bitterness, which ultimately manifested itself in violence and hatred, particularly towards those whom could have provided him the greatest comfort, Jessica, Justin and Julia. Similarly, Justin has to date sought no professional help to deal with his anger and bitterness towards Brendan for his treatment of himself, Jessica, Julia and Sam. In Justin’s favour is the support he has received from Jessica, Julia, Craig and his extended “family”, a “luxury” not afforded to Brendan by his vile parents, but methinks this may not be enough. I won’t be at all surprised if Justin has a complete meltdown at Brendan's funeral or shortly thereafter, particularly when he realises, he has lost the opportunity to try to at the very least understand, or at the very best reconcile with, Brendan. I don’t think Brendan’s death will afford Justin the closure he needs; I think it may well have a profound effect on him. @Wombat BillI found this chapter very confronting to read. It mirrored the great sadness and sense of waste I felt after reading the prologue; it offered nothing positive for the life lived by, or perhaps existence of would be a more appropriate description, the man known as Brendan Haynes. It was a challenge to understand and reconcile Justin’s behaviour and flippant remarks with the usual loving and caring Justin. He is a character whom I very much admire; but his cavalier attitude towards Brendan’s death had me questioning my moral compass. Can his behaviour be excused by his tormented relationship with Brendan? Is it better to be hypocritical and observe social niceties or be honest and to hell with social niceties? I am leaning towards the latter, but I do think Justin is going to be troubled if he does not “let go” of his hatred of Brendan. I think there is an element of false bravado in Justin's response to Brendan’s death, something to conceal the loss he feels for what perhaps could have been. The "callousness" of your writing in this chapter perfectly reflects not only Justin's attitude towards Brendan's death, but also the neglect and torment I believe Brendan suffered at the hands of his parents and the church into which his care was so slavishly and foolishly placed. One of your most poignant chapters yet, surprisingly not unlike the chapter in which Julia revealed the horror of Jared's conception. It struck me how very differently Brendan and Julia had coped with horrific events in their lives, situations in which both should have been able to rely upon support and comfort from their parents. The paradigm of nature vs. nurture never so glaringly illustrated.

I have now read this part of the chapter several times after viewing the comments of @chris191070 and your response @Wombat Bill, and am willing to admit I may have completely missed something. I did not link the telephone discussion between Jared and the unknown party to his missed call from "Fixer". I assumed Jared's telephone call, which Thomas overheard the completion of, was with someone other than "Fixer". In retrospect, I have to ask myself however, what would be the purpose of even mentioning a missed call from "Fixer", if he was not the unknown party on the other end of the telephone line with Jared. The mystery call remains just that to me. I have seen a couple of cinematic explorations of the practice of sounding (OK porn), and have been amazed that such a practice, as with fisting and double (or even triple) penetration, is physically possible. Whilst I have been fortunate enough (so far) not to have suffered with kidney stones or prostate cancer, I have had a number of urinary tract infections in the last 10 years (including several which laid me low for a couple of weeks at a time ), and I just cannot imagine putting anything into my urethra after having peed razor blades. @ReaderPaul I foolishly assumed our beloved author had completely fictionalised the marriage celebrant requirements. I should have known better than to make such a wild assumption. I have briefly researched on the internet and am flabbergasted that such qualifications can be obtained from TAFE, and can be recognised at both the state and federal level. I must now apologise to you as I cannot help but take a swipe at the current state government in NSW. I am astonished that it is even possible to undertake such a course at TAFE in NSW as the Liberal/National Party coalition has "ripped the guts" out of the TAFE system in recent years. This was I confess, the major reason I gave little credence to our beloved author's detail of the said requirements. Edward's pending retirement is looking like anything but retirement. Marriage celebrant, writer, drag queen auteur/stage mother and producer; he will be as busy as Barbra is songwriting, acting, directing and producing. @Wombat Bill another thoroughly enjoyable chapter with a little mystery, a little raunch/kink, a splash of humour, some more TLC and filmic reference to a Busby Berkeley extravaganza, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes or Can't Stop The Music (yes @ReaderPaul it is complete trash, but we Aussies, myself included, loved it; both the film and the soundtrack were amongst the most popular of the year in Australia in 1980). The only thing missing was the proverbial kitchen sink (although I suppose one can assume that such a thing is in place in Dean's). Now repeat after me @Wombat Bill, @ReaderPaul and @chris191070, your mantra is,@Summerabbacat no more, enough is enough!.

You are too effusive in your praise @ReaderPaul, but I am just eating it up. Thank you. I have now learned something from you. I have never come across the word emoticons before. As you may have noted (and if so were far too polite to point out), I have erroneously referred to them as emojis in comments on prior chapters. That's two new words this week I have been exposed to as a result of being a CWB groupie - vignerons and emoticons. Now @Wombat Bill surely you cannot seriously suggest I deny myself the combined pleasure of food and laughter. You know my level of patience cannot even entertain such a deprivation. I write like I speak, although my written word is usually heavily edited to remove much of the profanity that often peppers my spoken word (particularly if I am discussing animal cruelty, environmental vandalism or a certain coalition of political parties in Australia). Suggesting I write voluminously could just as easily be a criticism, although I don't think it is the intent here, however, it should have been. I remember well writing essays for English in high school in Year 8, especially critiques of novels I liked such as the masterpiece Wuthering Heights, and my teacher commenting on my verbosity. Perhaps subliminally I am showing off, but I really do write like I speak, which is why I so admire my fellow CWB groupies, @chris191070 and @ReaderPaul, who can express so much with such an economy of words. Brevity is something I struggle with obviously.

@Wombat Bill on this occasion I think she came very close to admitting this. On prior occasions I felt it was an almost off-the-cuff remark made without any real conviction. On this occasion I heard the remark said in a wistful tone of voice, and it was witnessed not just by Thomas, but by Jared and Jonathan too. I did not truly believe her on prior occasions, but this time I did, particularly when you added "she replied and laughed nervously".

@Wombat Bill you need to put a health warning at the beginning of any chapter that is particularly funny. EATING WHILST READING THIS CHAPTER COULD CAUSE A BOUT OF HICCOUGHS OR CHOKING. I almost choked on a slice of roasted zucchini and frightened the bejesus out of Bassey when I read "I mean, what’s a gay wedding without a drag queen MC? No wait...how about a drag queen celebrant. How wild would that be?” “Wild maybe, but would it be respectful to the sanctity of the marriage ceremony?” “In Las Vegas you can be married by Elvis.” I did not think you could top the hilarity of the previous chapter, but once again I underestimated you. I think what made this particularly funny is that it is true, no embellishment required to make it any funnier. I am very pleased Edward is toying with the idea of a career change. I have always thought he may have some interesting tales to tell; and, in doing so, may reveal more of what has shaped as the person he is. Even if he does not ultimately become a published author or a writer of some note, any written revelations will no doubt be interesting and entertaining at least. And you spoilt your readers with one of the simplest, most intimate and tender remarks I can recall from any of the cast, “Edward, it’s no wonder I love you so much. You not only genuinely care, but you’re on the verge of genius status.” What a beautiful thing for Romel to say, heartfelt and unreserved. A joyous moment amongst all the hilarity. I look forward to Juanita's debut. Juanito is finally becoming far more than the one-dimensional character he initially portrayed himself as. He appears at times to be surprisingly naive given his prior sex-work experience. I think Edward has had a very positive effect on Juanito, and pleasingly, Juanito has finally realised and acknowledged this. A revealing chapter which I feel may pave the way for some momentous events to come.

@ReaderPaul it has just "hit me like a bolt out of the blue". I think Edward is the most likely candidate to be the "another writer". He has already demonstrated his capability as an interviewer for the radio programme he hosted. If I recall correctly he penned the questions himself, although he may have had some input from Romel. Edward also has more life experience than the rest of our main cast (if you discount Craig's beloved Gran), and no doubt would have some fascinating, and dare I say ribald, tales to tell from his time as a professional drag queen. We don't really know a great deal about his life as a younger man, so perhaps @Wombat Bill has an "ace up his sleeve", to reveal more about the young Edward in a published or publicly available work penned by Edward. I for one would be interested to know more of his past as I feel there is likely to have been much sadness or loneliness in the life of the younger Edward, which has moulded him into the caring person he is. It also likely led to his veneer of bitchiness which I have always regarded as self-protection from more hurt or unhappiness. Edward is also at an age I think where he could experience a "mid life crisis", questioning much of what he does to seek fulfilment, although I don't envisage this will involve scrutiny of his relationship with Romel, which to me, appears to be one of great joy and comfort to both. Perhaps his working life is not fulfilling, and he may have the luxury of being able to afford a career change. All will no doubt be revealed by our author on the next occasion or shortly thereafter.