Published: 17 Aug 2026

Karen has a dilemma

What a difference a day makes. If Lewis had concern towards his father’s rejection it wasn’t obvious. Come the morning after his usual sleep-in and by his mood it appeared as if all his planets are in line and smiling on him. As for work that could be left to chance and another day, besides Tug Skinner telephoned while Lewis was having breakfast with a suggestion but would only share it in person as family were within earshot. They would meet for a burger at the Tip-top café during the early afternoon, giving Lewis a level of buoyancy and reason to start a new day with a measure of exhilaration.

“Who was on the telephone?” Karen asks as Lewis comes away from the call.

“Tug.”

“I do wish you would call him Dennis.”

“No one has called him Dennis since he was a kid – besides,” Lewis cuts short his addition not wishing to relate the reason for his mate’s pseudonym.

“No matter, what did Dennis want?”

Karen is always curious when Dennis Skinner’s name is mentioned as it usually ends in trouble.

“He didn’t say; we are meeting later for a burger at the Tip-top café.”

“Then while you are down town you can go to the butcher for me.”

Lewis gives a look Karen knew well, it being akin to treacle on suit pudding, oozing with charm and sweetness but unlike suit pudding it is usually loaded with a bitter aftertaste.

“You couldn’t lend me some coin?” Lewis quietly presents with the oozing.

“If you found work you wouldn’t need to ask me that question.”

Immediately Lewis’ charm takes a dive;

“I have tried.”

“When did you try?”

“Grady approached dad to give me back my old job and I’ve been asking around.”

“Lewis how many times do you need to be told that was never a job, it was your father attempting to get at me through you and once he got what he wanted he dumped you.”

“Dad’s not like that.”

Karen could argue the point further but it would be pointless as regardless of what some may think Lewis is the incarnation of his father in mind and spirit and as reckless. Karen recalls the fortune old man Dowie left to David being the oldest sibling and how it flowed away like tap water down the proverbial drain. True David had managed to keep the Stock and Feed Emporium in balance and profitable but the savings of his father had all but diminished on wild get-rich schemes even before Grady was born. If it wasn’t for Karen showing a strong resolve towards David’s dealings they would have become destitute but over the last year or so David’s reckless financial behaviour had returned and the business is again failing. There is an old Chinese proverb, wealth seldom passes the third generation; the first builds the wealth through hard work; the next generation recognises the hard work of the parents and tries to maintain the wealth while the third doesn’t recognise the hard work given to keep wealth therefore squanders it away. So it had been with David, his grandfather made the wealth, his father held on to it and David is quickly losing what remains of it.

Karen goes for her purse and extracts some money.

“Get five large rump steaks and two pound of sausages. But go to Fletchers and not Wilson, I saw blowflies in Wilson’s window last time I was down at the shops.”

Lewis’ eagerly eyes the money.

“You can keep the change,” Karen offers realising there would be little left to be had.

Lewis pockets the money;

“Also once you get the meat, don’t hang around, or in this heat it will quickly spoil.”

Before going to the butcher Lewis meets up with Tug who is already seated in one of the Tip-top café’s bays.

“Whatya’ having?” Lewis asks.

“No coin,” Tug admits.

Using his mother’s money Lewis orders two burgers with chips. He scrutinises the change realising he has spent more than would be needed for the meat.

Problem solved he would by lesser quality from Wilson and not admit his fraud.

Lewis recalls Tug’s earlier telephone call.

“What’s on your mind?” Lewis asks.

“Did your old man give you your job back?’

“Nope,” Lewis would love a second burger but didn’t dare dive deeper into the meat money.

“I’ve also been trying for an age and dad said if I can’t find work by the end of the month I can bugger off,” Tug admits.

Lewis laughs, “I feel mum is also heading in that direction.”

Then what do you reckon we bugger off and go up to the Gulf, I hear the prawn boats are taking on crews.”

“I like that idea – when?”

“How much have you got left of the meat money?”

Lewis counts the money.

“You have enough for two bus tickets, there is a Redline bus leaving at three this afternoon so why don’t we catch it?” Tug suggests.

A little past 3.30PM and Karen is preparing the vegetables for the night’s meal but Lewis hasn’t returned from the butchers. She isn’t too concerned knowing well Lewis is never reliable but as the hall clock strikes four she is worried and as Lewis was to meet up with Tug at the café she decided to telephone Dennis’ mother to discover if Lewis is there.

Placing the vegetables aside Karen makes the call.

The telephone sounds but it takes some time to answer.

“Joan, is Lewis with you?”

“No Karen, I was about to call and see if Dennis is there.”

“Lewis said he was to meet with Dennis at the café after he did some shopping for me.”

“More than likely they met up with mates and lost track of time, if Lewis turns up here, I’ll send him home.”

“Likewise with Dennis – thank you.”

Karen ends the call, she is annoyed as Biff and Grady would soon be home hungry from work and there isn’t any meat for their meal.

The front door opens;

“Is that you Lewis?”

“No it’s me,” Robyn calls as she arrives home from school.

“You are home early Robyn?”

“Yes the water pipes in the boy’s toilet broke, flooding some of the class rooms so they sent us home early.”

“Did you pass the Tip-top café on your way?”

“I took the short cut across the rail tracks – what’s up?”

“Lewis was supposed to go to the butcher for tonight’s meat after visiting Dennis at the café.”

“I did see Lewis.” Robyn says.

“Where?”

“I saw Lewis and Tug Skinner getting onto the Normanton bus.”

“Are you sure?”

“I saw them.”

“Possibly they were talking to one of the passengers?”

“They had window seats as the bus pulled out,” Robyn says as she goes to her room to change out of her school clothes.

Karen is a little confused, she quickly recalls Joan Skinner explaining what Robyn had reported. Immediately she receives more distressing news as only that instant Joan had gone to her son’s bedroom finding a note left on Dennis’ bed. It appeared Dennis returned home while Joan was shopping, packed a bag and departed declaring he and Lewis were going to Karumba to find work on the prawn boats.

After the call Karen goes to Lewis’ room and discovers likewise, Lewis must have returned home while Karen was enjoying an afternoon kip, packed a bag and left without even a goodbye note.

Going to the kitchen, Karen opens the sink cupboard and brings out an old tobacco tin, she quickly opens the tin.

‘The little bugger!’

The emergency money had gone.

It wasn’t a great deal only put aside for emergencies but how could she ever trust Lewis again.

‘What next?’

Karen leaves the empty tobacco tin aside as she controls her anger.

‘He can go for all I care,’

But a mother does care;

‘His father should know.’

‘What time is it?’

‘David should be in his office.’

Karen makes the call;

“David.”

“Is that you Karen, you sound flustered?”

“It’s Lewis.”

“What has the little bugger done now?”

“He’s cleared out, he and Dennis Skinner took the Normanton bus.”

David is laughing;

“It isn’t funny David.”

“Lewis is old enough to know his own mind, besides as soon as he has to wash his own clothes and cook his meals he’ll be back.”

David lack of concern annoys Karen as she believes most of Lewis’ wayward character is his father’s doing.

“When Lewis returns he will have to live with you as he won’t be coming back here and that’s a promise,” Karen warns.

“Karen, I’m a busy man, unless you are calling to agree to a mortgage on the house, don’t call me – okay.”

Karen thumps the receiver down without furthering the conversation.

“Lewis is not my problem;”

Karen offers in anguish to the late afternoon air;

“Lewis is not my problem,” she repeats as she often did when facing some dilemma, thinking if the words were spoken often enough, loud enough the problem would vanish.

The problem seldom evaporated and today wasn’t exception.

Karen begins to softly cry;

Realising the futility of tears she removes a handkerchief from his apron pocket and wipes away the tears.

She quietly blows her nose.

“Well,” she says to the peeled potatoes resting in a pot of salted cold water, to the shelled peas in their bowl.

‘Life must go on and I need to think of a replacement meal for the boys.’

‘Leftovers.’

‘Sunday’s casserole.’

Karen takes a deep breath and gets on with her preparation.

A week passes without word from Lewis although Joan Skinner had heard from her son Dennis saying they had found work and not to worry and they would return towards the end of the prawning season. After hearing from Dennis his mother contacted Karen, at least second hand news was better than nothing, lowering Karen’s concern to mild anger over the stolen money. She would forgive Lewis without question but not David’s disregard for his son’s wellbeing and as one last favour to David she calls him with the news but the air between husband and wife had become so caustic David declared he wasn’t remotely interested then killed the call.

Also that week and for the third time Biff took the two days away without given his reason.

In time is all Biff said.

When will it be time? Grady asked.

Soon had been Biff’s answer.

Soon I promise you.

Friday and after work Grady calls past the Baker house to enquire about Trish’s wellbeing as where Trish is living in Chewko her aunt isn’t connected to the telephone. Grady finds Trish’s mother Margaret home but she isn’t forthcoming with information on Trish or Adam.

Arriving home from visiting Trish’s mother, Grady is feeling a little neglected, he has his twenty-first birthday in less than a month it being the same day as Biff, also the promised big-bash offered some years previous by David is obviously no longer possible, nor is the new car David pledged and like most of David’s promises while regarding his financial difficulties that would come to nothing. By now Grady had become so disappointed with his father he wouldn’t have accepted anything except an apology for how he treated his mother and Biff.

Before Biff departed for his weekend down the coast he suggested not plan any celebrations as by then their little world may have turned upside down. Grady understood his mate’s meaning being he didn’t wish to be the centre of fuss, even so Karen had promised to do something for their joint coming of age regardless of what Biff may think of the idea. By now Grady was well past celebrating wanting nothing more than his ship of life on its story seas to reach calmer water while unprepared to accept Biff’s adage that everything will work out.

Saturday night and Grady is still feeling neglected, there isn’t anyone at home, with Lewis working away and Robyn having a sleep over with one of her class mates, also it is Karen’s night out with the girls. The pub seemed like a good idea but the team had an away game, therefore none of his mates would be at the Royal. With nothing better to do Grady decided on a couple of quiet drinks, at least drinking alone at the bar is more preferable than sitting about the house feeling miserable.

As it was an away game for the team the bar was quiet. At the door Grady scans the bar, David is in his usual spot and Luke Bevin is at one of the tables.

Grady approaches Luke;

“How come you’re not playing this week?”

Luke lifts his leg displaying a heavily bandaged ankle.

“How did you do that?”

“I was chasing the fucken’ stupid dog in the back yard and got tangled up in the hose and fell on the concrete path.

“How long before you’re back playing?”

“Possibly I’ll be out for the season; the doc’ said I’ve chipped a bone or something.”

Grady sees Luke’s glass is down to dregs;

“Top up?”

‘Go for it.”

Grady approaches the bar and catches David’s eyes.

David frowns and turns away;

‘I don’t think I’ll get any honey there,’ Grady thinks.

‘Bugger him; I can’t force him to like me.’

‘What would Biff say?’

‘Hate them back – it works.’

‘For Biff maybe.’

Grady returns with the drinks, taking the seat opposite Luke.

“Who won the away game?” he asks.

“Dunno’ it started late because of the weather and possibly it’s been washed out.”

Grady is seated facing the bar and again he catches David’s glance; becoming uncomfortable he changes chairs to put his back towards the bar.

“What’s the prob’?” Luke asks.

“It’s the old man; he is beginning to irk me.”

“Theirs is a rumour doing the rounds,” Luke says.

Grady feels his nerves twinge;

“And what would that be?”

“It’s been said David isn’t your old man and possible your father was Ron Bastian.”

“Who said that?”

“It’s just a rumour; I think Brownie said it came from your brother Lewis.”

“You can’t believe everything you hear and never Lewis.”

Luke is smiling;

It is the kind of smile that suggests, I know something and I’m about to share it and possibly you won’t enjoy it.

“Some rumours are true,” Luke says.

“Some maybe.”

“There’s another rumour.”

“I shouldn’t ask.”

“I’ll tell you anyway. It is said you and Biff are stemming the rose.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“At school we called it bum-jumping but I guess fucking about in the conjugal sense will suffice.”

Grady feels a cold wave rise from the pit of his gut, he is lost for a realistic reply; his only thought is to ask where the rumour originated.

“Who has been saying that?”

Just heard it, mind you I don’t believe it’s true, not of Biff anyway, although if true it doesn’t bother me where others shove their dick.”

“That is so preposterous I’m not even going to give it an answer.”

“As I said it doesn’t bother me, a cousin of mine is a poof and he isn’t half bad as a bloke.”

Luke swallows the remainder of his drink;

“Well mate, I’ve an early start, see you with the gang next Friday.”

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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