Graduations & a Wedding : Part VI
The following day dawned warm and sunny; it made the fact that the three of them had to don shirt, tie and long trousers bad enough, but the prospect of then having to put on a heavy gown and scholar's cap as well was verging on the stuff of nightmares. The three young men had risen early, and knew there was nothing else to be done but grin and bear it. The first of their guests arrived in excellent time; admittedly, Izzy had only had to walk a few blocks, and was also able to get away with wearing a light linen jacket over a summer dress. She immediately begun to fuss over Flint's appearance, and he indulged her, as she was far less critical than his mom would be. He hoped that as long as Izzy was about, his mother would leave him alone for the first time in his life before a big event. Elliott arrived next, dressed in his best suit, as he had not wished to let the man that he loved down on his big day. He just told Beats that he looked gorgeous, which made Ethan laugh, as Izzy was currently brushing at Flint's hair with abandon, much to his chagrin. "I swear that if she gets out a handkerchief, spits on it, then starts scrubbing at his face, I won't be able to stop myself laughing," Ethan whispered to the other two.
Just then there was another knock at the door. No-one else was expected yet, so Ethan went to open it with curiosity, leaving a loved up Beats and a struggling Flint behind. His expectation by the time he arrived at the door was that the parents had left New York early and were here well before time; it was a shock therefore to find Principal Carmichael and his wife on the doorstep. He looked at them quizzically for a moment before he recalled his manners and invited them in. "You are probably wondering why we are here," his former head teacher said as he closed the door behind them. "Well my sister lives not too far from here, and last night we paid her a visit. It was convenient as we wanted to be here after a certain angel informed us that someone's parents would be letting him down again today. I therefore made a quick call to the commencement organiser; I might have told them that I was your father, and that my wife and I would now be able to attend the ceremony, and were there still tickets available? A terrible lie I know, but surely considered a white one? Anyway, my wife and I will be in the crowd to cheer you on Ethan. You have done Dalton proud with your grades from what I hear, and everyone needs someone flesh and blood to support them on the day that they finish their formal education. It is our honour and privilege to be here…"
"I am going to kill Wes…" Ethan muttered, realising at once the problem with his statement. "However, it would be great to have someone in the crowd that is there for me, and I would like to thank you both here and now from the bottom of my heart. It's not that my mom and dad don't care, it's just…" Ethan stopped as his emotions began to overwhelm him. He knew that the family's business interests kept them both fully occupied, but surely he, as their only child, was worth one day at some point; a day when someone might say how proud they were of their son…
"Now Ethan, don't over think this my dear!" said Mrs Carmichael, handing him a tissue discretely. "Now I take it that Flint and Nathaniel are here too? Maybe you should let them know that we are here?" Ethan nodded and proceeded to escort his former Principal and his wife to the lounge. His roommates were every bit as shocked to see him as he had been, but they both recovered quickly. The Carmichaels had met Izzy and Elliott at the last two Warbler weddings, so there was an immediate burst of chatter and the sharing of news. They had moved on to the subject of Jeff's good fortune by the time that the two sets of parents arrived, and the three older couples made each other's acquaintance once more. It was a happy group that headed out to the ceremony. Beats and Flint were both secretly overjoyed that Ethan would have someone in the audience, and the man himself was delighted with that fact too…
The actual ceremony passed in a blur for all three of them. There were all the usual ceremonial rituals; long, slightly dull speeches from senior members of staff, and more interesting ones from a couple of guest alumni, both of whom had left the hallowed halls of Princeton and gone on to great places in the world, to make a name for themselves in the fields that they had chosen to pursue. Then it was time for the solemn procession of graduating students to collect their certificates to say that they had passed their course, and that they could now put letters after their name, if they wished. Alphabetical order was naturally in force, so it was Elliott and the couple that he now called mom and dad at their own request that applauded loudly first as a degree was conferred on Mr Nathaniel Harper; then it was the turn of the Carmichaels to clap loudly as the name Mr Ethan Mackenzie was announced.
Last, but by no means least, there came the turn of Mr Flint Abraham Wilson, who had only asked for his middle name to be called as it would satisfy his mother greatly. By the way that she stood up and clapped madly, it certainly did that. Flint was left feeling a little bit mortified and red in the face as he walked on stage and accepted his certificate from a very sympathetic Dean. He finally had a face to put to the name of the woman that had sent him that letter all those months ago that had nearly ended her son's college career. As for Mr Wilson and Izzy, they just smiled at each other, pretended they had no idea who the mad woman was, and knew that if nothing else, they could do their best to avoid all the people that were staring at them in the reception afterwards.
On such a warm day, everyone was grateful that the formal reception was being held in the college grounds, which were shaded by mature trees, and much cooler than the hall normally used on these occasions. Polite introductions were being made all round by students between parents and faculty. The Dean had resigned himself to the fact that he would have to meet Mrs Wilson, and had decided that it was best to get it over with right away. To his great surprise, and that of her husband and son, she immediately apologised to him the moment that Flint introduced them, for the misjudged letter she had sent to him about her son. He accepted it without reservation. The woman was typical of so many parents that he had come across over the years; her only concern had been the well-being of her child, but she had gone about ensuring that in the wrong way. He still felt exceptionally sorry for Flint and Mr Wilson though…
He was also pleased when Flint introduced him to the Carmichaels. It showed him that there were still decent people out there who could not bear the thought of any student graduating without someone there to cheer them. It turned out that he knew Aaron Carmichael's sister. He was still disappointed to say the least that the Mackenzie parents could not have made the effort to be here for their son, but he understood too how hard those at the top in the business world had to work these days to keep afloat. He realised that this focus on work had left its mark on Ethan, and it explained why he had made few friends outwith the close circle of boys he had been to school with. It was a sign of how good Dalton was that those friendships lasted and if anything had strengthened in recent times. The love the boys had for their friends and their school was obviously down to one thing in his own opinion; a good man at the helm. That was proven by the fact that Aaron Carmichael had made the effort to be here for his former student today…
As for the Harpers, the Dean assessed that they were an ordinary, hard-working couple that were so proud of their son, and rightly so in his opinion. In his four years here, he had been forced to deal with so much; more than many had to deal with in a lifetime. He had witnessed the murder and death of close friends; had endured financial hardships; and then had suffered the problems with his eyesight. He had come through it all, and had triumphed. He had graduated in the top percentile of his year, as all three young men had. Now he was all smiles, standing there proudly with his parents and the young man that he assumed must be the boyfriend he had heard about… As he took his leave, and headed off to great other parents, the Dean was satisfied of one thing. Those three Dalton boys had been an asset to the college, and whatever path they took in life now, he was positive that they would excel, and deservedly so. He would have to keep an eye out for their names in the media; they were sure to crop up someday…
After lunch, the Carmichaels accepted Ethan's invitation to join them all on a trip into New York. As well as escorting the two sets of parents back to their hotel prior to their theatre trip, it was also the time to show off their new homes. Izzy was unable to join them; as a medical student, she still had to work during the vacation. She said her farewells to her future in-laws, and promised that she and Flint would come and visit soon. Everyone pretended they did not see the look of horror on Flint's face that she would say such things without asking him first.
The train back into town was an express, and not busy, so they quickly reached Penn Station; there the group made their way through the station and onto the subway, heading south towards the West Village. Mrs Wilson did not like the busy underground train one bit, and looked most relieved when they alighted from it at the correct stop. On reaching street level, she did wrinkle up her nose a little at the scene that confronted her. The busy avenue was not what she wanted for her son, that much was certain. However, she said nothing as she was lead down the street, and then into the narrower street her son would be calling home. Her face lit up a little as the noise of the city died down, and when she was shown the house, she beamed brightly. She had not been expecting anything that looked so refined.
At the street door, the group split up. The Harpers headed up to the top two floors with Elliott and Beats, whereas the others all followed Flint and Ethan into their apartment. Flint had been watching the not so subtle changes in his mother's expression as they had headed here, going through the whole gamut from revulsion and disgust to happiness and pride. Now he watched as she glowed as she saw all the period features in her son's new home. If her son did have to live here in this much less godly Manhattan than her own back in Kansas, then at least she could tell everyone that he was living in an exceptionally nice home, fit for a gentleman. Her camera did appear every so often, as she proceeded to take a picture or fifty of the place whilst the others just watched, slightly bemused. Mrs Carmichael could not help but think as she observed the other woman that it was a miracle that Flint had not turned out to be totally neurotic. She put that down to the fact that he had made strong friends at Dalton, and they had provided him with a refuge away from the whims of his mother. Then again, it was clear that he was loved by both of his parents, in their own way; she just wished that she could say the same for poor Ethan…
The party in the apartment were still looking around as Mrs Wilson continued to take photos, admire design ideas, and ask questions about the neighbourhood in terms of crime statistics, amenities, and the proximity of the nearest synagogue when there was a rap at the door. Ethan excused himself to answer it, praying to whatever God was listening that it was Beats and he had come to rescue them. He was surprised to find Nick on the threshold instead. "I was looking out of the window when you all arrived, and I saw the Carmichaels, which was a bit of a nice surprise, and I was just wondering if you would all like to come for coffee? Jeff will be heading off to work at the Spotlight soon, and I know that he'd like to have a chance to say hello at the very least. I mean, maybe you have other plans, but I have been testing out new sponge cake recipes for the diner, and as a result I have several freshly baked cakes that could do with a varied testing panel," Nick said, and on spying a spot of flour in his friend's hair, Ethan knew he was telling the truth.
"There is always time for cake; why don't you come in and ask everyone in person," came the response, "although you might want to get rid of that flour first," Ethan added, pointing at the spot. Nick smiled, and glancing into the hallway mirror, he rubbed out offending powder. His appearance was greeted with a smile by both of the Carmichaels, and politeness from the Wilsons, and his invitation to coffee was accepted. Nick had already been upstairs, and Beats and his parents would be joining them. Elliott had declined as he had to get ready for work like Jeff. As the group made their way along the street, everyone heard Mrs Wilson remark to her husband that it was nice that Beats' new roommate had made time to come to graduation. The Harpers had been warned and the Carmichaels knew better than to correct her assumption by pointing out that he was actually Beats' boyfriend. Mrs Wilson had lightened up a lot recently, but that whole area was still a thorny one. Likewise, nobody was going to mention that Nick and Jeff were married…
As it happened, the party would receive a bit of a surprise. Nick had shown them all into the dining room where Jeff was waiting along with Mike. Mrs Wilson recalled Jeff at once on seeing him, remembering him from an event she had attended at Dalton in Flint's sophomore year. "It is nice to see you again, Mrs Wilson. This is our other roommate, Mike Chang. He has just graduated top of his year at Julliard, and is the newest member of the corps with the City Ballet."
"An artist and a dancer two doors down from my son's new home! This is certainly a refined neighbourhood. I think that it is so important to have artistic and creative friends," replied Mrs Wilson. She then attached herself to Mike as Nick served coffee, and the young man in question answered all her questions fully, with no complaint whatsoever.
"Well Flint…" began Ethan quietly.
Before he could finish, Flint whispered back "I know, I know. I owe Mike too now…"
After they had had coffee and cake, Mike was more than happy to demonstrate a few of his moves to the ladies; they along with Principal Carmichael made their way upstairs to the living room. They were all left speechless by the fact that there was a sprung floor in the room to begin with, and then the graceful moves that Mike performed for them all upon it kept conversation to a minimum. When he finally finished, he was applauded loudly by all those gathered to watch…
It was then that it happened. Mrs Wilson noticed the photograph in the frame on the mantelpiece. The one of Nick and Jeff, in their matching suits, on their wedding day. "Are those two young men together?" she asked, leaving everyone in the room in silence for a moment.
"Yes they are," Aaron Carmichael eventually replied. "That was taken on their wedding day, at a ceremony here in the city that my wife and I attended, along with all of their fellow Warblers. It was beautiful to witness the friendship that those two boys had always had blossom into love, and trust me when I say that I have rarely seen a couple as devoted to each other as they are."
"Well," said Mrs Wilson. "I have to say that it is so nice to see two young people that believe in this kind of commitment! I am still waiting for my son to even propose to Isadora, and these two younger men are already married. Good for them I say!"
As they made their way back downstairs, there was surprise amongst all of them that her reaction had been so favourable. There was even more surprise in the dining room when she walked in, went straight over to Flint, and asked him why he hadn't proposed to his girlfriend when his two friends were already married, had a beautiful home and looked so happy… There was a moment of stunned silence, broken by Nick asking if she would like another cup of coffee, and a second slice of cake. She accepted, and then went on to compliment Nick on his baking skills…
In the end, the little party went well, and only broke up when Jeff had to head out to work. Flint and Beats realised the time, and knew they had to get their folks back to the hotel to prepare for their theatre trip. As for the Carmichaels, they both expressed a desire to head up to the art show at Columbia, if it was still open, and see The Judging Angel for themselves. Ethan was only too happy to offer to escort them, and then suggested that they go to the Spotlight for dinner afterwards, something they happily agreed to.
After they had all left, Nick let out a breath in relief. "Well that went better than we could have hoped! I was honestly expecting the reaction from Mrs Wilson to me and Jeff being married to be totally different."
"I think that we all were, particularly Flint," agreed Mike. "Then again, the two of you are so nauseatingly sweet together that it would be like hating kittens not to like you…" Mike's quip earned him a smack on the wrist, but he only laughed, knowing that it was in jest.
The group that had been at Princeton made their way back in the direction of the subway station, Mrs Wilson now looking at the neighbourhood in a new light. As they walked, Ethan quickly did a check on his phone into the opening times of the exhibition at Columbia; a check on his watch revealed that by the time they reached it, it would be about to close for the night. He broke the news to the Carmichaels; they were disappointed, but as they had plans to head into the city the following day with Aaron's sister to visit the Met Gallery, they decided they could just head there en route tomorrow. Thus they went their separate ways at the subway entrance. Ethan mouthed the words 'Good Luck' to his two roommates as they headed down the steps. A moment later he heard his former Principal say "I think that they might well need it…" and he found himself laughing as Mrs Carmichael, desperately trying to keep a straight face, scolded him.
They headed then along 14th Street, in the direction of Union Square and ultimately the Spotlight diner. As he listened to the two older people talk, Ethan suddenly realised that this was for them a trip down memory lane. He realised that his former Principal had been a student at NYU back in the turbulent days of the 1960s, and that it was in a store just off Union Square itself that he had first met the woman that now walked at his side. This became all the more clear as they started to point out the buildings as they strolled on, often complaining that the current tenant was not a patch on the one that had been there in their day, lamenting the stores that had vanished as the world moved on. They both shook their heads in disbelief when they saw that there was a pawn shop solely for sneakers on the south side of the street. "I mean, who on earth would actually want someone else's used training shoes, Aaron?" exclaimed Mrs Carmichael. Ethan had to agree on that one. Then they reached Union Square itself, and once again, they found themselves lamenting some of the things that had gone, but as they both had to admit, that was progress.
"We thought that we would see a world that was always getting better, when we were young," Aaron Carmichael said to Ethan, "but in so many ways, it hasn't happened. We managed to eliminate one form of prejudice, and a new one sprung up. That is the way that things have always been, I guess, since the world began." He turned to the south side of the Square and pointed out the big screen on the building. "I look at that clock, counting up the national debt, and I wonder how on earth it got so big, and what we have to show for it. The truth is, I think that many people forgot how to work hard. Yes, everyone wanted higher pay, more holidays, and better working conditions, and rightly so, but they got out of control and destroyed the competitiveness of so many businesses. There used to be so many trades and services here in Manhattan, but so much of it got cleared away, moved to somewhere cheaper, and in my opinion, the city has never really recovered from losing so many blue collar jobs…."
"Now, Aaron, that is enough politics for one day. This is supposed to be a day of celebration for Ethan, remember!" interjected Mrs Carmichael. "Why don't we remember happier times, and the day we met? Let's head to the store we bumped into each other in all those years ago? I know that it is still there, and better yet, one of our boys works there, or at least, he did…"
Those words told Ethan exactly where the Carmichaels had met all those years ago. "So you met at the Strand! Sebastian does still work there, but only on a Monday; he is at the theatre the rest of the time."
"Now that is a pity, as it would have been so nice to catch up with him too whilst we were in town. Still, he has done well for himself, and he has certainly shown his father that he is no-ones fool!" said Aaron. Edith nodded, and then the two of them linked arms, and with Ethan following behind, they headed in the direction of the last of the book stores in this part of town where the streets had once been so full of them.
It so happened though that Sebastian had been given a night off at the last minute, and as Dave had other plans, he had decided on a whim to head down to catch up with his former colleagues that he now saw a lot less of. He was just about to head out when the door opened to admit Ethan and the Carmichaels; he turned on his heel, and went over with a broad smile on his face to greet them all. The Carmichaels were also overjoyed to see him, and after a round of hugs and warm handshakes, Ethan was left to repeat to Sebastian what he had found out as the older couple made their way through the store to try and find the spot where they had met, when a young man had nearly tripped over a young woman who was knelt down with her head buried amongst the stacks of books.
"We are here by chance, actually. We had planned to go up and see Jeff's drawing, but they were closing the exhibition early tonight, so we came for a walk down memory lane instead. It's been interesting. They are such good people, and I can't tell you how pleased I am that they came all this way for my graduation, given that my parents were, as usual, unable to attend."
"That experience sounds a lot like mine," sighed Sebastian, recalling how his father had been a no show at his graduation from Dalton.
"Of course, they said that this was planned; Principal Carmichael's sister lives near Princeton, and they were coming to stay with her for a few days anyway, but I don't buy it. I sense the hand of Wes in this - or maybe even just Thad - but whatever the truth, I am just so grateful that they were there."
Sebastian nodded, then noticed that Mrs Carmichael was beckoning to him; he left Ethan, and headed in her direction. It turned out that Ethan was not alone for long, as suddenly Aaron Carmichael was at his side. "She was the most beautiful, vibrant girl in the world to me that day, and she still is now. I was lucky, but not all of us are; some of us are destined to go through life on our own, with just a good circle of friends." He paused, and looked pointedly at Ethan, who just nodded sadly. "Then there are those that think they have found that special someone, but those of us around them can see that the person in question is completely wrong for them; toxic in a way. We can't say anything though, because that would destroy our relationship with them. It is very hard to do, particularly when they are our oldest and best friend, but what other choice do we have?"
Ethan smiled wanly, and said "Lucy is okay, really she is… She just doesn't like him to dwell in the past, and we should always be looking to the future, shouldn't we?"
Aaron nodded, then replied "I don't think you believe a word of what you just said to be honest, but there we are. All we can do is wait; all you can do is be ready to be there when it all blows up. I know that you will be there for him, day or night, when he needs you again…" Ethan nodded, trying to blink the dampness out of his eyes as he did so. He marvelled at just how perceptive his old headmaster was - and then saw him looking at his watch. "Well, I think we have lingered in my past long enough. It is time for dinner. How far away from here is the Spotlight? I could just do with some of their good, honest, simple fare…"
It was late by the time that Ethan returned home that night. He had travelled back on the train to Princeton from New York with the Carmichaels, and had then seen them safely on their way back to his sister's house in their car, the words of love and congratulations still ringing in his ears. He walked back home with a light heart; he had woken up dreading the prospect of the day, fearing that he would have to stand and watch alone as around him people introduced family and friends. The idea had been killing him inside. Instead, he had spent most of the day having quality time with two people that he had always admired and respected. He had taken the words of Aaron Carmichael to heart; he could not interfere with Drew's relationship with Lucy, no matter how bad he thought it was for his friend. Drew had made his choice and he had to respect that, no matter how much it hurt him. As long as he was happy, that was all that mattered after all. He just had a sneaking suspicion that his best friend wasn't, and that he was too scared or proud to admit that fact.
It was at that moment that he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out, and his face lit up momentarily when he saw the name on the screen - Drew. He opened the message carefully, now standing on the doorstep, and all thought of heading inside forgotten. 'Hope Commencement went well, old friend. Wish I had been there to see it. Congratulations!'It was short, but it made his heart light; Drew had not forgotten about him after all…
The euphoria lasted only a few seconds. He went to reply, but then he realised it was just after 10.30pm. That meant that Drew had sent the message to him at 3.30am over in England. Why on earth was he sending him a message now, in the middle of the English night? He took a deep breath and ignored the dampness that was accumulating in his eyes as he began to fear the worst. He composed a quick reply; 'It did, yeah. All ready for my new life in NYC now. All the guys send their love. Take care and be safe. Remember, I will always be here…'Then as his phone told him the message had been delivered, he fished out his key, and let himself in. He fixed a smile on his face, and headed to the living room, where Beats and Elliott would be waiting. He couldn't change anything; he would continue to worry though, and pray that at least one angel would keep a close watch on his friend. He did however know that if Lucy ever hurt Drew, he would hunt her down and destroy her…