Published: 24 Aug 2026

What will out – will out;

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Late Sunday night, Grady is in bed reading a western novel. He isn’t a heavy reader but lately he finds reading takes his mind of other things, like what Biff is up to and is their relationship prone to fizzle away before they even spend a weekend together. Adding to Grady’s concern is what Luke Bevin declared on Friday night at the Royal and who is spreading the rumours. Grady is of the opinion it must have been Bruce Menzies as he is often in conversation with David.

Grady had read the same paragraph three times, realising nothing had registered.

He paused his reading;

‘What would Biff say?’

‘He would say as they haven’t proof, let them believe what they want eventually they will tire of it all.’

Grady returns to his book;

As for reading western novels with all those men and few women what did they get up to when the heat rises?

Chapter six;

The hero and by his description strong, silent and handsome has rescued his mate from a lynch party.

The hero shoots away the hangman’s noose at a hundred paces while he gallops his mount towards the hanging tree, the mate even with his hands tied behind his back, somehow manages to mount the saddle behind completing their escape.

‘Clever,’ Grady thinks as he turns the page.

‘I’ve used a rifle at close range with good sites and I still missed a row of bottles.’

Following page;

Hero and mate are at a bar and a gunfight commences.

Grady yawns as he hears Biff’s vehicle arrive.

He checks his alarm clock – 12.32AM.

Grady dog-ears the page although doubtful he will ever finish the book.

A short time later he hears Biff’s bedroom door quietly open and close;

Biff’s room is next to Grady’s and has thin walls.

One by one boots hit the floor;

Grady smiles at the first thud.

Grady’s smile is even broader with the fall of the second boot.

He imagines Biff undressing and his heat is rising.

The bed springs squeak;

Then all is quiet;

A few minute later the bed springs start up again and there is a slow and gentle rhythm.

Grady gives a soft chortle as he pulls on his pants and advances towards Biff’s bedroom door.

Without knocking he enters;

“Caught you,” Grady loudly whispers into the darkness of the room.

“Shit Grady you scared the fuck outa’ me.”

“Would you like a hand in what you are doing?”

“How do you know what I’m doing?”

“Bed springs.”

“I would but is it safe in here?

“As long as we keep the noise down, mum has taken a sleeping pill.”

Monday morning, Grady stealthily departs Biff’s company as the first rays of light sneak past the heavy window covers; already the tropical heat is rising with the weather report declaring afternoon tropical storms.

No sooner had Grady closed his bedroom door then he hears Karen up and about.

‘That was close.’

The thought is soon interrupted by a gentle knock on Grady’s door;

“Grady, don’t forget you have an early start this morning.”

“Oh – coming.”

Grady’s shower is interrupted with Biff poking his head around the bathroom door; “that was close this morning,” Biff says.

“Close but fun,” Grady answers, “I need to talk to you about something.”

“You should have earlier this morning.”

“If you remember we were a little busy and I was taught it is rude to speak with your mouth full.”

“Funny boy, we’ll go for a drink tonight, we can talk then. Karen said breakfast is on the table and getting cold.”

Breakfast is a quiet affair without Lewis also it is obvious Robyn is missing her brother. Karen attempts to return a measure of animation to the table as she questions Robyn about her new French language teacher.

“Miss, Simms is alright,” Robyn says.

‘Like extracting teeth,’ Karen thinks and diverts her attention towards Grady.

“Would you do me a favour after work,” Karen asks.

Grady waits for direction;

“There are a couple of accounts David was supposed to collect earlier in the week, could you take them over to him.”

‘I would rather not,’ Grady thinks.

“Yes I can do that.” Grady agrees.

Robyn is listening to the conversation and remains confused regarding what seems to be her father’s desertion of the family also the absence of Lewis.

“When is Lewis coming home?” Robyn asks.

“Lewis will be coming home at Christmas dear.”

Christmas is almost a year away so Robyn approaches her depleted family from a different direction.

“When is daddy coming home?”

Karen is stumped for an answer, looking across the table towards Grady she offers the best she can;

“Grady can take you over to see your father on the weekend.”

Karen believes David is more qualified to explain the situation.

Robyn appears partly satisfied;

Grady is not, having to give David two visits in the one week doesn’t settle well with his needs but for his sister’s peace of mind he would oblige.

During the day Grady remains uncomfortable towards visiting his father while what Luke had said on the previous Saturday night played heavily on his mind. To increase the lad’s concern the new owner of Byrnes Motors arrived in the early afternoon to get a feeling for his purchase. Immediately Grady takes a disliking towards the man but as his services would be redundant and to honour Jack he smiles at the right times and gives as much assistance as required. What is even more troubling for Grady, Jack Byrne will be handing over the keys earlier than anticipated and Grady’s employment is to terminate at the end of the following week, even so Jack had done his best to place Grady elsewhere without success.

The garages new proprietor, George Bolton remained for most of the afternoon leaving towards closing as Grady collected the tools for cleaning.

Once Bolton had departed Jack approaches Grady.

“Well lad,” Jack quietly says while feeling a little responsible for Grady’s sombre mood but it is inevitable he would sooner or later sell the business as Jack isn’t a young man and with a grown family already gone from home, Jack didn’t wish to die with grease under his fingernails.

“What are your intentions? Jack asks.

“Don’t rightly know Mr. Byrne, I believe some of the mines out Chillagoe way are looking for mechanics.”

“I did ask Bolton to keep you on but he has arranged his own mechanics, I have asked about but at present most garages are well staffed.”

“What will Mr. Deed do?”

“Alfred is a little like me and is going to hang up his spanners.”

Grady shrugs away his building predicament;

“I’ll find something, I always do.”

“Anyway off you go for the day, I’ll finish up here.”

Grady departs with a heavy heart, he may have sounded positive towards finding further employment, doing so would mean leaving town, leaving his family, leaving Biff and his friends, now on his way to deliver the mail to David he felt even more superfluous and not in any mood to quarrel with his father. On approaching the Emporium yard he is in half a mind to sneak into the office and leave the mail on David’s desk before departing without having to face his father.

Unfortunately that thought became debunked as he almost bumped into David at the office door.

“What are you doing here Grady?”

“Mum asked me to deliver your mail.”

“Put it on the desk.”

Grady places the mail and is about to depart.

“Another thing,” David curtly says.

David’s expression is as sour as curdled milk.

Grady pauses without speaking, his eyes narrow to slits as he folds his arms against what he is expecting.

“What I’ve been hearing about you and Bastian isn’t pleasing.”

Fear grips at Grady’s chest while expecting the worse.

“I have heard your mate Bastian is a fucken’ faggot.”

Grady doesn’t respond;

“I also hear you and Bastian are rooting each other. The fucken’ arse is for shitting not what you get up to.”

Grady’s is at fight or flee as adrenaline kicks in then for the first time fight takes preference.

“You’ve never been a father to me and I’ve had just about enough of your foul tongue. I can’t prevent you from listening to the crap that spreads about so you think what you like. I’m beyond caring.”

David’s eyes widen with rage, his lips quiver then turn into two mean lines across his sagging mouth.

“Anyway you’re not my kid,” David growls, offered as a final blow against Karen.

“No I’m not and never will be. If the rumours are true I would be proud to have Ron Bastian as my father, Brian Bastian as my brother.”

“Fuck off!” David shouts.

“Don’t worry I’m going.”

The way home is ponderous; firstly Grady had an adrenaline rush from standing his ground against David then his mood turns downward, what if David expresses his beliefs to Karen, to others as how would he face a society built on masculinity and to crown his anxiety he no longer had employment, also there is Biff, would he blame Grady for some indiscretion bringing their relationship into common knowledge. True Trish knew of their involvement and for certainty Michael Brown, possibly maybe even Bruce Menzies, how long before the fingers pointed, the tongues wagged and the stones of disdain are thrown.

Grady reaches the top end of his street;

‘I’ll have to leave town,’ he thinks.

‘I’ll find work as a mechanic at one of the mines.’

‘But trouble follows.’

‘ Who would hire a poof?’

‘I’ll leave the state.’

Close by the gate he feels a firm hand on his shoulder.

Grady turns sharply;

It is Biff arriving home from work.

“Oh, you scared me.”

“By the look on your face, it wasn’t me who scared you.”

“We have to talk.”

They reach the gate;

“Aren’t we going to the pub later?”

“We have to talk now,” Grady demands.

Biff’s utility is on the street, he reaches into his pocket for the keys;

“Alright get in the car we’ll go for a drive.”

Silence prevails through town, over the Granite creek bridge, past the cemetery until a little beyond the town limits Grady speaks.

“Your car seems to be running rough,”

“Yes, it’s about time you gave it a tune-up but Grady, that isn’t what’s bothering you.”

A moment to gather thoughts;

A deep concerning breath;

“Dad knows.”

Biff brings the utility to the side of the road and parks;

He turns off the motor;

“David knows what Grady?”

“He knows about us, I think Bruce Menzies must have told him, dad called you a faggot, he also said I’m not his son.”

“I don’t think it was Menzies as from what Trish has said it was more than likely Lewis, anyway so what if David knows, or thinks he knows. Until someone sees us in bed together they know Jack-shit?”

“Also at the bar on Saturday I was talking to Luke Bevin and he has also heard the rumours.”

“Calm down Grady. It doesn’t matter, rumours are just that and there isn’t anything that can back them.”

“I’ll have to leave town.”

Biff begins to laugh;

“What so fucken’ funny about that?”

“I was going to run something by you at drinks tonight, thinking with a couple under your skin you may be more approving but I suppose now is as good a time as any.”

Biff’s words only increase Grady’s confusion.

“Do you remember I received a solicitor’s letter?”

“Yea, I thought it may have been to do with Ron’s passing.”

“In a way it was. Ron had a half sister who never married, she owned a property down the coast near Flying Fish Point, well she died and left the property to Ron and seeing Ron is now gone and without anyone else to inherit the property comes to me. That’s what the envelope containing keys was about and where I had been over those weekends.”

“You never said.”

“No, I wanted to check it out before approaching you.”

“Approach in what way?”

“The property has thirty acres, a big rambling house, sheds and horse yards; it is also good land for growing stuff, I also know the local garage and as I recently mentioned the owner is looking for a mechanic. Why don’t you and I live there?”

Grady is struck dumb, he feels as if he is standing on the edge of a high precipice with the wind of change blowing up his arse, should he jump, should he hold fast and accept what is obviously coming. His heart says jump, his head is void.

“You’re having me – aren’t you?” Grady says.

“I’d like to have you right here and now but it guess I can wait.”

“You mean leave town?”

“I suppose to live down the coast would need leaving.”

Grady’s heart takes the jump;

“It would be fun – yes, why not.”

“Then you agree?”

“I do.”

“Mind you the property needs a lot of work – and.”

“And what Biff?”

“For once since second grade, except during for those dumb scouting trips I could wake up in the morning with you by my side.”

“Umm.”

“What does umm mean Grady?”

“It means yes Biff a most definite yes but when will I get to see this property?”

“This weekend if you like.”

“No, I would rather wait until after we leave here, that way any disappointment couldn’t change my mind.”

“I would think it is a strange way to approach it all but that’s alright with me.”

Some things come in three, if so the first had been the row between David and Grady, the second Biff’s offer to live with him down the coast, the third happened to Trish’s aunt needing to go into care earlier than anticipated and Trish’s father refusing to accept her home unless she gave Adam up for adoption. As for the boys moving to Flying Fish Point, Biff’s idea is to pack their belongings then leave without a word to anyone but that would never sit well with Grady.

The hardest for Grady was telling his mother as his departure will leave Karen without ally against David but Karen is quick to assure David wasn’t a threat as David’s caustic tongue is his only weapon. When Grady announced his departure his sister Robyn was close by, hearing her brother’s plan she burst into tears. When asked what was concerning her, she said she was becoming an orphan.

Grady quickly corrected his sister;

“You’re not an orphan silly as you still have all your family.”

“But no one is here, Lewis is gone, dad is gone to live with that woman, now you are leaving me.”

Karen gives a gentle smile and a reaffirming cuddle, “I’m still here love,” she says, “besides one day you will find some nice young man and start your own family then it will be me who is the orphan.”

“I would never leave you,” Robyn assures.

“That’s nice dear.”

“But if Biff and Grady go down the coast, I won’t see Grady anymore.”

“You can come and visit us during the holidays and I’ll come home and see you often,” Grady promises.

“Dad said I can’t.”

Karen interjects;

“Robyn, why would your father say you couldn’t visit Grady?”

“Just cos’.”

“Because what?” Karen asks.

“Because dad said Biff does things.”

The full extent of David’s venom was becoming evident and even the innocence of his daughter wouldn’t avoid his need for revenge. At that moment Grady begins to understand the extent of the rumour as if Robyn is aware even if she doesn’t understand, it is obvious Karen would also be aware.

“You shouldn’t listen to your father on those matters,” Karen says. Her words appear of little comfort and Robyn runs crying to her room.

Grady is emotionally shocked and left without voice as his next word may bring out the extent of David’s quidnunc as he concerns towards what his mother may have heard.

Karen takes a deep breath;

“Now that Jack has sold the garage, what are you going to do for work?”

“I’ll find something as there is always a need for a good mechanic.” Grady hopes.

“When are you leaving?”

“Biff is handing in his notice today, so I should think sometime next week.”

“Why do you have to live with Brian?”

‘That’s a loaded question,’ Grady thinks.

‘Be vague.’

“In most I’ll simply be giving him a hand for a while to tidy the property.”

“And then you will be coming home?”

‘Sorry mum I’ll need to lie.’

“I suppose so, unless I find work elsewhere.”

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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