The Story of Danny Dunn by Bryce Courtenay Page B

to spill in one minute flat. Sweating like a pig and smugly assured that his manhood was intact and that he’d serviced the little woman for another week, he’d roll off her unrequited thighs onto his back, where, in a moment, his heavy panting would change into thundering snores, the occasional beery belch and the sudden ripping sound of a happily escaping fart. His wife, shutting her mind to this combined bronchial, gastric and anal chorus, would put pliant fingers to work as she fantasised over young Danny Dunn, a usually successful way to conclude the disappointing events of the evening and take her mind off the noxious fug that passed for air in the tiny bedroom.

CHAPTER TWO
    DANNY SAT FOR HIS final Leaving Certificate examinations in November 1937, and in January the following year his name appeared in the Herald with excellent marks. Matriculating, he was then eligible to enter Sydney University. Shortly afterwards he received a letter advising him of his admission to the Arts faculty.
    Brenda was over the moon and quite unable to contain herself. It was the fulfilment of her dream, and after all those years of struggle, she wanted to celebrate. She decided to give Danny a surprise party. Half Dunn cautioned against it but, as usual, Brenda took this as confirmation that it was a grand idea. To put Danny off the scent she suggested a small party for his closest friends from Fort Street to celebrate the end of school, and Danny agreed. Instead she threw the biggest private bash Balmain had ever seen, secretly inviting all his childhood mates and seemingly half the peninsula, including all the pub regulars and their wives, the mayor and town councillors and a host of others including his friends from Fort Street, who felt decidedly uncomfortable and left as soon as it was polite to do so.
    Danny was mortified. He accepted the handshakes and slaps on the back from most of the two hundred people with characteristic good humour, but in reality he felt humiliated and ashamed: he was by no means the first person from Balmain to go to university. After it was all over and the last of the drunks had left the beer garden, Danny confronted his mother in the upstairs kitchen.
    â€˜Mum, how could you do such a thing?’ he cried, his emotions barely under control. ‘How could you humiliate me like that? We agreed, just a few of my closest friends from school, not the whole of Balmain! What are people going to think?’
    â€˜But you’re going to university, my darling boy!’ Brenda protested. Still on a high from the party, she was unable to see what the fuss was about, and underestimated his distress.
    â€˜We agreed, no fuss! Just a few mates!’
    â€˜Oh, that! That was only to put you off the scent. So you wouldn’t become suspicious,’ Brenda countered.
    It was too much. ‘Mum, you lied to me!’ he screamed. ‘You fucking lied to me!’
    Danny had never used the ‘f’ word in front of his mother. Brenda’s euphoria popped like a party balloon. She’d taken enough. Her son had accused her of lying to him when all she’d done was to honour him and show her love for him. The memory of Half Dunn warning her not to do it rose like bile.
    â€˜You ungrateful bugger!’ she snapped, jabbing Danny in the chest with every word. ‘Do you have any idea what it’s taken to get us to this day . . . to this moment?’ She glared up at him. ‘Do you think it’s been easy? This is the first party we’ve ever had for us, for you and me and your father! The first time we’ve patted ourselves on the back just a little bit! And you say you’re humiliated!’
    â€˜I tried to warn you,’ Half Dunn said quietly from where he sat at the kitchen table, knowing not to interfere between mother and son but unable to avoid being involved in the fracas.
    Brenda turned on him. ‘Oh shut up, you fat fart! What would you