Published: 10 Aug 2026

Change is in the wind;

It is an off-chance so why should Grady bother offering to help his brother as over the previous weeks he had given nothing but grief to Grady and his mother. Since the spat with his father Lewis had been home although at his mother’s insistence and to give the lad a miniscule of credit he did attempt to find work but it is early in the year and those, who like Lewis had completed their education the previous year, had already taking up most of what was available. Believing he could get an easy ride Lewis had accepted whatever was offered by David, unfortunately there wasn’t a position available and David only hired Lewis as an odd-body to get back at Karen, considering his show of favouritism towards Lewis may bring Grady around to his desire. Even if David didn’t believe Grady to be his son, he did realise Grady’s skills were not only in mechanics but academically and it would be handy to have someone he could trust overseeing that part of the business.

Lewis waits until Grady is alone as he doesn’t wish for his request to be known to Biff, his reasoning no more than belief Biff would discourage Grady in speaking to David, so Sunday afternoon while Grady is busy mowing the back lawn Lewis approached his brother.

“Hey,” Lewis calls bringing Grady to turn down the power.

“Hey what?”

The mowing is all but finished except for the longer grass following the brick border and that would need to be cut by hand but not this day.

Grady turns off the mower and leans on the handle as he waits for his brother’s request.

Lewis uses the sweetest tone he can muster;

“Do you want to do me a favour?”

“Not really.”

“Come on, I would do you a favour if you asked.”

“I much doubt that, regardless out with it.”

“I want you to talk to dad.”

“I don’t think dad wants to talk to me – what’s it about?”

“Ask him to give me my job back.”

“Lewis, give me one valid reason why I should speak to dad?”

“Because you are my brother and you love me.”

“That’s not a good enough reason; you do realise there never was any job.”

“What about that project he said he wanted me in at grass-roots.”

“More like grass-rooted kid, there wasn’t any project, besides haven’t you heard he’s selling the machinery business to prop up the Emporium and even the Emporium is in financial trouble.”

Grady pushes the mower back into the shed.

Lewis follows while Grady cleans the blades;

The blades need sharpening; that like the edging can wait for another time.

Lewis is grinning;

“What’s got your funny Lewis?”

“Remember dad’s porn’?”

“I do, what happened to his pile of magazines,” Grady asks.

“One day during summer while mum was out shopping dad came and got them.”

“How do you know?”

“I was home and spied him through the back window.”

“Probably as well as Robyn may have found them.”

“Will you speak to dad for me?”

Grady leaves the shed but doesn’t snib the lock, he smiles in memory of David’s little secrete and how he forbade anybody from entering the shed without permission.

The brothers are back in the house before Grady gives his answer.

“I suppose I could speak to dad.”

“Thank you, I’ll owe you one.”

“As I said it won’t help.”

“Try anyway.”

It is rodeo season, the town is alive without a single room vacant in the hotels and guest houses, also the annual carnival has set up on the railway estate bringing even more visitors than the town’s facilities can handle. It is a time of year when Grady is busiest as with carnival comes tourists and even the toughest well serviced vehicle may come to grief on the badly maintained roads and highways of the northern tropics.

Grady hadn’t forgotten his promise to his brother, deciding to approach David when the opportunity best suited. Lewis’ wish is for Grady to arrive at David’s office and plead his case. David would never succumb to begging as it showed weakness and he despised fragility, possibly it mirrored his own shortcomings. Grady eventually concluded he would wait until drink’s night then if David happened to be in the bar and half tanked on scotch, possibly his guard may be down and his compassion moderately towards positive.

Two weeks pass without honouring Lewis’ request then on the Saturday night after carnival had departed a chance arose. Lewis had attempted to find employment but as before there was little to be had, he did take some seasonal work stringing tobacco leaf paying little more than pocket money, also to his detriment his behaviour at home had slipped and Karen was all but ready to once again give him his marching orders, especially after finding empty beer cans hidden in a box under his bed. Lewis was going to remove the cans as soon as the opportunity arose but like most things with Lewis he forgot.

The Royal bar was quiet when Grady arrived, a quick glance proved to find only Michael Brown and Luke Bevin at their usual table, Biff had not yet arrived while David is in his favourite spot at the bar drinking by himself, his shoulders slumped while he appeared to gaze vacantly towards the beer soaked runner on the bar.

A quick perusal of the ladies lounge fails to discover David’s lady friend, considering even she had tired of his ways.

Grady pauses before joining his mates;

‘I’ve never noticed how grey dad has become.’

‘Also he has aged so much in such a short time.’

‘Is it a vision of me in the future?’

Grady has a gentle smile of realisation.

‘Ron was youthful right up until he died.’

‘Ha,’ He thinks.

‘Even so David has been my dad for twenty years, Biff is correct at least I own him that.’

Grady’s thinking is broken as George Ross a fellow shire man approaches David, their hands meet and start a serious conversation commences, then appearing to agree on some point Ross moves on.

Grady hesitates;

A deep controlling breath as the last thing Grady wished to do is talk with David only to be told how disappointed he is with Grady’s lifestyle;

‘Right.’

‘It’s now or never.’

‘Here goes.’

One foot after the other and Grady arrives at the bar beside his father.

David only acknowledgement of Grady’s presence is a twitching of his upper lip, something he often did rather that give greeting.

“Grady,” David eventually speaks.

“Dad.”

“What do you want Grady?”

“Who says I want anything?”

“Usually it is the only time any of this family approaches me.”

“It’s Lewis,” Grady says.

“What has the kid done now?”

“Nothing – he would like his job back.”

“Typical,” David says, “obviously Lewis hasn’t the bottle to ask for himself.”

David catches the barman’s attention;

“A double.”

The drink arrives;

“Clem, I said no ice!” David loudly complains.

“Sorry Mr. Dowie, I’ll mix you another.”

“Don’t bother, simply remember next time.”

David unceremoniously removes the ice cubes with his fingers and dumps them in the ash tray; he cleans his fingers on the bar-runner before returning his attention to Grady,

“It’s like this Grady.”

David pauses to take a gulp from his drink.

“There never was a job, besides Lewis is almost useless and with the present downturn I can’t afford to carry baggage,” another pause, “not even family baggage.”

Was David suggesting Lewis is family and Grady is not?

“Well,” Grady says ignoring David’s possible slur; “I’ve done my part, I’ll tell Lewis no.”

David grows serious;

“As for you Grady.”

“I’m listening.”

“When are you going to quit hanging about with Brian Bastian and get a proper job, one more fitting to the education I paid for?”

“There are a couple of problems in what you said dad.”

“Go on.”

“Firstly I love my work, as for my education the state paid for most of that and I never took up your offer for university, lastly I like Biff, we’ve been mates almost since birth so there isn’t any chance in agreeing with your there.”

David huffs his dismissal of Grady as Biff arrives.

With exaggerated purpose Grady gives Biff a high wave;

‘That will take the smile of dad’s face,’ Grady thinks as he joins with Biff and the others at their table.

Brownie is the first to speak, “hey Biff seeing you’ve come late you can get the next round.”

“Fair enough,” Biff agrees, “what is everyone having?”

“The usual mate,” Brownie says, “this time get a jug.”

Biff pauses;

“Grady,” he whispers softly close by Grady’s ear.

Biff’s expression tells Grady all and with sleight of hand he slips his wallet as it is off pay week at the mill.

Luke Bevin stands and pushes down on his crotch, “I need to take a leak.”

Biff returns with the jug.

“Where’s Luke gone?”

“He’s taking a leak.”

“Your old boyfriend is at the bar,” Biff quietly speaks to Brownie.

“Who?” Brownie’s eyes scan across the small crowd and fall on Bruce Menzies, “funny boy.”

Biff smiles, “I thought so.”

‘That’s one back on you Brownie.’

Brownie is frowning while giving a discrediting head shake.

“Don’t worry yourself, Grady knows all about your little adventure.”

Brownie’s concern drops away;

“I always thought you two were at it.”

“I only said Grady knows about you and not what you are suggesting.”

“Oh.”

Luke returns;

“What’s the topic?” Luke asks.

Grady drifts from the conversation, his eyes are on David who appears to be beckoning for Bruce Menzies to approach. Moments later Menzies is with David. The conversation appears serious;

David’s gaze is across Menzies head towards Grady, he speaks and Menzies turns to catch Grady’s eyes. Menzies turns back to David, they speak for a moment longer then Menzies departs David’s company.”

“I wonder what that was about,” Grady unconsciously says.

“What’s that?” Biff asks.

“No matter I’ll tell you later.”

Now alone David collects his drink making his way to the ladies lounge where his fancy lady has arrived bringing Grady’s opinion on their relation undone.

The fancy lady smiles;

David is massaging her shoulders;

She places a hand over his hand as he bends down to whisper something close by her ear;

There appears to be agreement.

Grady releases a quiet tut and turns away.

Lewis waits up for Grady’s return from his night out. Karen is in bed while Lewis is in the kitchen sipping on a beer from Grady’s fridge supply. Biff says goodnight and goes to his room leaving Grady to give his brother the disappointing news.

“Did you ask if you could have a beer?”

“Would you like one?” Lewis offers.

Grady helps himself to a beer more as statement than from necessity;

“As they are mine I guess I don’t need permission.”

“I guess you don’t.”

“Where is mum?”

“She’s gone to bed with a headache.”

“Does mum know you’ve taken up drinking again?”

“Don’t you tell or she’ll kick me out.”

Grady gives a soft disregarding chuckle;

“I would say there isn’t any need, she will eventually catch you out without me saying anything.”

“Well, did you speak with dad?”

“I did.”

“When do I start back?”

“You don’t.”

Lewis appears shocked as he was under the impression he had something good going with his father, two peas in a pod, likeminded and bonded by blood. Needless to say when finance is a factor, often blood and bonding become secondary and with David coming from a moneyed family, losing most through bad management then restoring somewhat with good judgement from Karen he needed to strengthen his bottom line. David well remembered his teenage years when old man Dowie sent him west to work cattle believing he needed toughening, therefore similar was expected of Lewis and if Lewis couldn’t cut the cloth then he could find his own way in life.

“What did dad say?”

“Believe me Lewis it is best I don’t repeat his words.”

Lewis finishes his beer and attempts a second but as the refrigerator door opens Grady pushes it shut.

“No you don’t, remember mum’s conditions for you to remain at home.”

“Grady I don’t know what I should do.”

“During your last school year you should have been building towards your future instead of fucking about with Tug Skinner, now both you and Tug are jobless and quite possibly soon to be homeless.”

Grady’s words may have appeared heartless but spoken to shock Lewis into realisation, although Lewis wasn’t one to be shocked in such a way and if there could be an easier path he would find it.

Lewis retires for the night with Grady’s words resounding in his head, if he is heading for homeless then why not leave town, if nothing else Lewis had the knack of falling onto his feet, or as often described by Grady, as users intend to do, Lewis falls on everybody else’s feet with a free ride.

Hearing Lewis depart for his room, Biff returns;

“How did Lewis take it?”

“Who knows with Lewis he always has that rabbit in the headlights look, by tomorrow he will be laughing and on his merry way towards his next catastrophe.”

“That is a pity.”

“Lewis reminds me of an adage Grandma Dowie would say, you can befriend a snake but eventually it will bite you.”

“And you believe Lewis to be venomous?”

“Towards us I do. Someone is feeding dad information and it is either Lewis or Bruce Menzies, even possibly Michael Brown.”

“Under the circumstances I doubt it would be Brownie but why would you suspect Menzies?”

“Three times now I’ve seen dad and Menzies nattering and I don’t think it was about the weather.”

“Well, personally I don’t believe Menzies is vindictive or he would have had his revenge by now.”

“That is unless Menzies is the type of fellow who likes to savour his revenge slowly in slices.”

“Possibly but I have my doubts you only have to watch him when he is around any of us to realise he doesn’t display attitude.”

Grady collects the empty beer cans and hides them away so Karen wouldn’t blame Lewis.

“Even so -,” Grady says and pulls back from furthering.

“Even what?”

“Everything about me is moving much too fast at present.”

“Like what?”

“Jack Byrne is selling the garage and the intended buyer has his own mechanic.”

Biff laughs; “I must admit you do have fear towards change.”

“It isn’t I fear change Biff, mostly I fear we being caught out.”

“Grady there is a big world out there where no one knows us and a thousand garages in need of a good mechanic. For instance I saw an advert in the paper for a mechanic in Flying Fish Point.

“As you well know dad has a holiday house there.

“That I realise, then possibly not Flying Fish Point; would you be interested in moving on?”

Grady releases a huff;

“A little more today than I was yesterday, why do you ask?”

“More because if push comes to shove and you remain as paranoid of being caught out as you appear, than possibly it is your only choice.”

“Huh.”

“What?” Biff demands.

“You Biff; you as pragmatic as ever.”

Gary’s stories are about life for gay men in Australia’s past and present. Your emails to him are the only payment he receives. Email Gary to let him know you are reading: Conder 333 at Hotmail dot Com

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