April 2033: Beginning of an End Part I
Thad Harwood quite deliberately made himself absent from his apartment that night, at least as far as everyone was concerned. He left the lights off, switched off his phone and sat in his little study with his headphones on, listening to music. He occasionally picked up his phone and checked in with what was happening on the Warbler socials. Another check saw him with several missed calls from David, followed by a text message to say that he had arrived in Ohio, and had been hoping they could have a catch up before the meeting, but that obviously he was busy with something else that night…
Thad sighed, glad he had taken the precaution of hiding away. He knew that his best friend would have come over not just to catch up but hoping for a preview of what was going to be said the next day at the meeting. That was something that Thad was not prepared to give to anyone, especially not David. He only wanted to say what he had to say once. He was pleased to see that he would have almost full attendance the following day; Edward would not be in attendance, as he had not been as fortunate as Colin, and had not been able to obtain someone to cover his dental practice the next day; half of Edwin was better than none, Thad realised. Jasper and Brad would also be in absentia due to work commitments. He had asked that they tune into a Zoom call of the meeting instead, and they had all agreed…
He had a busy schedule before the noon meeting as well; he had a meeting with Principal Lefevre scheduled for 11am, and a Zoom call with Ollie at 11.30. They both needed to know what he was going to say at the meeting first; Thad felt a little guilty that he was speaking to the Principal first, as his brother, his only blood family, really deserved to have been spoken to prior to his boss….
He emerged from his apartment eventually at curfew and did the usual checks, prior to securing the outside door. The next day was going to be one of the hardest of his life so far, but he was going to take a firm line with everyone he spoke to; things had to happen his way, or he would end up leaving his comfort zone far more swiftly that he wanted to.
Nick and Jeff would be the first of those invited to attend the midday meeting to arrive on the grounds of Dalton Academy. They were not alone, however, as they were in the company of the Sterlings, Nick's mother and her parents, all of whom had come to cheer Wes on during his big match. Jeff's parents were no strangers to the matches, cheering Wes on in every game he played, often joined by Nick's grandparents. The older members of the group headed straight for the stand that stood by the side of the pitch to provide seats for those that were older or just found it hard to stand for a whole game, whilst Niff headed to stake out the door of the changing rooms. They were spotted there almost immediately by Sebastian; he sent Wes out to speak to his parents for a couple of minutes, then reverted to the role of assistant coach and sent his two old friends away to allow their son to get into the right frame of mind for the match…
As they walked back over to the pitch, Jeff turned to Nick and said, "I can remember a certain retired actor once saying to Thad that he didn't see why anyone would want to be a teacher and have to deal with children day in, day out; now he has become exactly that person, albeit on a largely unofficial basis. He coaches the Warblers, assists with the lacrosse team, teaches drama…"
Nick smiled, and replied, "I think that it is what he is teaching and coaching that makes it okay for him. He was always at his happiest when he was a student here when he was singing, acting or running around on the lacrosse pitch; he is therefore merely sharing his greatest passions with a new generation. He could never teach math or science as he would get depressed and bored of doing so in a minute…"
Jeff chuckled as he imagined Sebastian standing at the front of a class, trying to remain interested as he had to explain quadratic equations or the principles of thermodynamics. "I think that you have a point there; I have loved doing the lectures and seminars at the art school precisely because I can see that I am inspiring a new generation of students to be the best that they can be. They have already asked me if I will do the same next year and I would like to, if that is okay with you."
"Of course it is okay with me Jeffie. You enjoy it and it keeps you busy whilst I am off at work. Now, we need to go and secure a good spot in the stands where we can see our boy at his best…"
They would eventually be joined on the sidelines by Trent; with Sebastian standing just feet away they all cheered for Dalton as they had done years ago when it had been the latter on the pitch with his stick, running around and winning the match in front of an ecstatic school crowd…
The match ended with a resounding victory for Dalton, with one of the crucial winning goals being shot by Wes, much to the delight of his parents. By the time that the match came to its end, there was very little time left before Nick and Jeff were due at the meeting, but they both felt it was important that they went to congratulate Wes on his goal, and to do the same with Tim, as his assistance had made all the difference in all of the plays that their son had been involved in. They said their goodbyes to the rest of the group they had arrived with to head to the changing room and catch their boy as he emerged. They did not have to wait long, as Wes would be having lunch with his grandparents and great-grandparents, Tim joining them almost as a matter of course now.
On seeing his dads, Wes smiled and hugged them both, not worried as some boys might have been about such a display of affection towards them in front of his friends. Tim was right behind him, and he shook hands with them both, not at the stage where he felt that the intimacy of a hug was appropriate. "You were both magnificent out there; Sebastian used to be a great player in his Dalton days, but the two of you are probably superior to him as you work as a team, and well, he was a bit of a loner on the field, which isn't always great…" said Jeff, stopping as Nick looked anxiously around to see that the man in question wasn't in earshot.
"It's alright dad, he admits that he was not a great team player, which is why he emphasises such things now," replied Wes. "Will we see you after lunch?"
"You will, as soon as the meeting is over," replied Nick. "How is everything else? We hear that you are doing well in your academic works too, and we are very proud of you."
Wes blushed a little, then said, "I'm doing okay, but the big focus right now is the rehearsals for Nationals. We have been having extra practices, but we still have time to get our classwork done too; Mr Harwood is very big on that, not that he has been around as much as he was before Christmas; he always seems to be doing paperwork. He is still there in the dorms if we need him, but no-one really has any problems now. I have a good roomie, and well, the other boys are cool too."
"Having a good roomie is definitely a bonus for me too," said Tim with a smile, which made Wes smile too. Nick nodded, as he once again thought how sharing with Jeff back in his time in Room 36 had always made him happy… Then he checked his watch and saw that they needed to head in the direction of the main school building and their old haunt, the Senior Commons right away, as time was getting on. He and Jeff said their goodbyes and left the two boys to walk to where they had arranged to meet the others for lunch.
Meanwhile Nick and Jeff hurried in the direction of the Senior Commons, the obvious place for Thad to choose for a gathering of the Warbler brotherhood. Trent had gone on ahead, but as they entered the building they were joined by Sebastian. He knew what was going to happen next and sure enough, his two friends looked at him in expectation…
"I might see the most of Thad being a colleague of his, but when it comes to the reasons for this meeting, I am as much in the dark as everyone else. He has been keeping a very low profile as of late, that much I can tell you, saying that he has a lot of work that he needs to get finished."
He said no more as they walked into the Senior Commons, where Trent was sitting in his old spot, and they headed over to him. As they walked, Jeff turned to Sebastian and said, "I guess that someone that is intending to take on a new position as a Deputy Principal might have a lot of tasks to finish to in their current position and have to start on those that come with his new one…"
They were in Trent's earshot by now, and he laughed at Jeff's words. "Oh Jeff, you have got it so wrong. In fact, I have it on good authority that said rumour is untrue; that in fact, Mr Franklin is not retiring this year after all."
"Who told you that?" asked Sebastian.
"The man himself; I bumped into him last night when I came to visit the Carmichaels as soon as I got here. I mentioned what we had all been hearing and he laughed; he told me that although the rumour had initially been true, he had had a change of heart during the cooling off period that is given to staff of the Academy after they submit a resignation. He informed the Principal of that and she returned his resignation letter to him. If she knew that he was no longer leaving, then I am sure Thad would have found out too as part of the faculty."
"Whereas I would not have found out as I am not part of the main staff," replied Sebastian. "I wonder what he has been working on then?"
"Maybe he has decided that he needs a change and has been applying for a senior position at another school. He did say to me at Christmas, when I was asking him how Wes was coping with dorm life, that he might not be a fixture at Dalton forever. Perhaps he felt the time was right for a change…" suggested Nick.
"I guess that is possible," admitted Trent, "but it doesn't seem all that likely. If he left Dalton, he would be leaving more than just a job; he'd be leaving all his memories too. However, maybe people have been trying to intervene in his private life again, as they did before over his health care; that could inspire him to walk away so he can have his privacy back."
The other musketeers nodded at what Trent had just said, but it had only served to add to the mystery of the day. They were the first in the room, so they sat down in their old spot, but the room soon filled up with their compatriots, all doing the same thing. The council table had remained vacant until Skylar had walked in. As the room was filled with so many of the older generation, the spot he had occupied on the couches was already occupied. He headed by instinct to the council table, where he had sat in his Senior year, wondering if he dared to occupy that seat, but at the last moment he decided he could not. However, he did spot that there was a handwritten note sitting on the table, and much to his shock, it had his name and Sebastian's on it. He picked it up and read it; the text left him feeling slightly confused and a little worried by what it directed him to do. He took the note over to where Sebastian was sitting and held it out to him; after taking it and reading it, he looked just as bemused…
"Do you know…" Skylar began…
"I know nothing!" Sebastian interjected.
"Please let me finish! Do you know why you and I are to take the seats alongside Thad at the council table?"
Sebastian shook his head, and repeated, "I know nothing; this directive is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you."
"Well, it is an order I guess; I am to sit in the chair occupied normally by the Deputy Head Warbler and you are to take the Secretary's chair on Thad's left. He also states that you are not to panic at that, as he does not want you sitting there to take notes as he used to do back in the days when he occupied that seat."
Sebastian chuckled, acutely aware now of just how well his friend and colleague knew him. "I guess that we had best do as we are told, although I can imagine the looks of shock and surprise we will get by taking those positions, more so with me than you."
Sebastian was right and the moment they assumed those seats there was a ripple of hushed conversation around the room as they all speculated as to what it could mean. Of all of them, only Trent had a sudden revelation; the men sitting at the table were the two that lived in the closest proximity to Dalton, and thus would be able to assist Thad more easily as part of a new council…
Soon everyone was assembled that was expected, with only the Head Warbler himself absent. Sebastian knew that he was opening the meeting up on Zoom for those that couldn't attend in person, and he decided to assist by setting up the laptop on which the call would be broadcast. As soon as he did, he saw that all of those that were due to take part from a distance were already online, so he invited them to join the call he had set up, and soon he saw their faces, looking at him with as much anticipation as Nick and Jeff had earlier. He shook his head and as his test for volume, he said, "Sorry, I have no idea what is happening either. You will just need to wait in suspense like the rest of us." His words made Skylar laugh, and those on camera did too. Then Sebastian heard slow footsteps coming towards the room, and so he took his seat and waited for Thad to arrive…
Most of the assembled Warblers had not seen Thad in person for a while, so when he walked into the room there were more than a few audible gasps of surprise. Sebastian did wonder why, but because he saw him every day, he had become used to the changes that the others now saw clearly. Thad was thinner, his skin almost a mustard yellow in tone and his eyes were tinged with the same hue. He looked tired as well, with bags under his eyes and he was walking slowly, as if he was in pain. Gabriel looked across at Mitch, his eyes wide and with a look of concern on his face. Now all of the rumours that Thad might be leaving took on a new resonance as the eldest man in the room now clearly saw that the Head Warbler was ill. Thad smiled at them all as he headed to the council table and placed a pile of papers on it; then once he was seated, he pulled out Mr Bangy and tapped him on the table, bringing silence to the room.
"My apologies gentlemen for the secrecy that has surrounded this meeting. The fact is that the topic that we will be discussing today is not the most exciting by any stretch of the imagination and I did not want to hear a chorus of excuses and find that we had a poor attendance. The primary reason for this meeting is to discuss a series of changes that I have instigated in the scholarship scheme, of which the majority of you will be a beneficiary. I have studied it and made the alterations that will safeguard it for as long as there will potentially be students to take part. I have taken the decision to cut it off twenty years after the last of those involved turns fifty, as it is highly unlikely that any of you will produce a child after that age…"
He paused as he saw that a hand had been raised, and he motioned for David to speak.
"Sorry to interrupt, but surely we should have those members of the New Directions that this scheme covers present too?"
Thad nodded, the responded, "I had considered that, but I decided that initially it should just be ourselves present. I will of course inform them of the changes that I have made, but there are other topics for today that are strictly for the ears of the bird brotherhood, excluding the honorary members. Now try not to fall asleep as I elaborate on the changes that have been made…"
There was a ripple of laughter around the room at that, then Thad spoke in the closest to layman's terms that he could, even though he was certain that all those present would have had no issue with the correct legal terms. As they listened, some more intently than others, minds calmed a little as it was now obvious what had kept Thad so busy for the last three months and why he had always been hunched over his laptop, scrutinising a pile of paper. All that concerned them now was his skin tone, because there was no way that his larger intake of turmeric in recent times could solely account for it…
Trent tried not to let his thoughts on that issue influence his facial expression, but his mind was filled with only two things; renal problems or liver disease, neither of which was good. He wished that he had a better medical knowledge about such issues, as that might perhaps have reassured him, but he did know that there could be transplants if either was the case. Thad suffering from such an illness could also explain why he had the other two sitting beside him and why only his 'brothers' were present. Skylar and Sebastian would obviously be placed in temporary charge of the Warblers whilst he was receiving the necessary treatment to return him to robust health. All of the rumours that he was leaving now also made a lot of sense…
He turned his attention back to the room realising that Nick, as the father of the one child that was benefiting from the scholarship scheme right now was asking a question. He did not have to wait long to hear Thad's reply…
"Wes will not notice any change in his education, or indeed in any other major aspect of his schooling. When all is said and done, he will still be at the Dalton that we all know and love. The school is timeless, carrying on through the changes that the world throws at it. The personnel might alter but the ethos stays the same; giving young men a good educational grounding, whilst teaching the benefits of brotherhood and tolerance of others and their differences, all of which make the world a better place."
There was agreement with that statement from every corner of the room, as that was exactly what the school meant to them all. To Trent though there was a hidden message in those words, which tied into his suspicions about the health of the Head Warbler; a statement that those that worked there might change, but things stayed the same did seem to suggest that Thad was leaving, albeit on a temporary basis. He might not be around for a while, but others would carry the torch and keep the flame burning until he was able to return.
He also knew that his friend would not be far away in any case; Dalton was his home after all, not just his place of work. He did wonder quite how that would work, as the housemaster's apartment would be needed by whoever replaced him on a temporary basis. He supposed that Mrs Carmichael would be the first to offer to have him stay with her, but Thad might prefer to use one of the school's guest suites instead, so that he was not a burden to that lady, who was already having to take care of her aging husband and was not as fit as she once was herself.
If he had lived closer, then Trent would have offered to have him stay with himself and Rory and taken time out of work to take care of the man that had meant so much to Wes; indeed, a man that meant so much to all of them. He was also aware that Skylar would be the next to offer to sort something out if need be. He wondered then if there was a way that they could recruit Julia as a full-time nurse for Thad as he went through the worst. Of course, all of that was hypothetical at the moment, as he did not know if any of his assumptions were true…
There were a few more questions and Thad answered them all with patience, his voice calm and steady. Then, confident that there would be no more, he went on to what he knew would be the hardest part of the meeting for all of them, including himself…
"I have printed out paper copies of the new terms of the scholarship scheme, enough for one for each family involved. I would urge you all to take one and study it at length once you return home and if there are any further questions from that, then I will make sure that the answers are available. Moving on now to the second announcement that I have to make today, and I will admit that this is going to be the difficult part of today's meeting. I heard the gasps as I came in; I guess that for those of you that have not seen me in person for some time, the change is a substantial one. At first when my skin started to take on the yellow tone there was much joking about the fact that my new diet involved the consumption of a large amount of turmeric, and I have to be honest and say that at first, I believed that was what was responsible as well. However, after a visit to the school doctor the week before Christmas, and a series of hospital tests that were conducted in the first days of this year, the truth was discovered. With the benefit of hindsight, there were other indicators that all was not as it should have been, but like so many of us men, I simply brushed them aside. Therefore, I would urge all of you here and now not to do the same, as the last thing I would want is to see any of you suffer…"
He paused, the hush in the room deathly, the faces of his friends etched with a mixture of shock, horror and most of all, fear of what he was going to say next. Then he noticed that Trent seemed to be calmer, and he surmised that he had done his usual and added everything up in his head and reached a conclusion as to what was coming. Unfortunately, he was also certain that the conclusion that he had come up with was probably not the right one, as he did not have all the facts available to make his judgement…
"Before I go on, what I am about to say is the reason why I have asked Skylar and Sebastian to sit up here with me today, as they form part of my plan for the future, even if they are as much in the dark about what is going on as the rest of you. Okay, so the bald truth is that I am seriously ill and as a consequence, I have been left with no other alternative than to inform Principal Lefevre this morning of my resignation from my position here at Dalton, possibly with immediate effect if she deemed it necessary. I spoke to her an hour ago, and whilst she was shocked at my decision to resign, she had noticed that my health seemed to be deteriorating. However, I don't think she was expecting things to be quite so bad. She has accepted my resignation, but refused to implement it at once, stating that it is too late in the school year for such things. I have also spoken to my brother and advised him of what is happening, and his reaction was one of the reasons for my late arrival at the meeting today. Of course, there is another consequence of my condition and that brings me to my next decision. I have to inform you all that with great sadness that I am also resigning from the role of Head Warbler…"
There was a moment of stunned silence at that, and then the room exploded with noise, voices raised as heads were shaken in disbelief. They could not understand why he felt compelled to resign as their head or how he even could do so, having been assigned the role by Wes himself in his Last Will, which made it a sacred trust…
Trent alone did not speak out; he just sat and observed Thad, who looked down at the desk as the chaos and hubbub went on. Then the light bulb moment came for him, as he suddenly recalled where he had seen someone with such a yellow skin tone before, a female colleague in his early days working at the Oval Office, a woman that had…
His eyes widened and his heart broke as suddenly all of the little jigsaw pieces fell into place for him and the whole picture was revealed. Then he realised that Thad was now looking straight at him and had seen the moment his expression changed; he looked back and saw him give him a single nod…
Then his gaze shifted again, and suddenly Mr Bangy was in Thad's hand, and he was banging the gavel repeatedly on the desk. "Gentlemen, can I have some order and decorum please! Need I remind you all that this is not a cattle market, nor indeed is it a parliamentary chamber! If anyone has any questions, then I will answer them, but one at a time. Furthermore, I must ask that you allow me to finish speaking first!" There were a few grumbles, but the room fell silent, allowing Thad to go on. "Neither of the decisions that I have come to was an easy one to make, but they are both entirely necessary and practical. I will soon not be able to teach my classes, nor act as a housemaster should, due to the nature of my condition. I also cannot expect Dalton to keep my position open; the boys deserve stability and bringing in new people in my place will give them that…"
He paused, took a breath and continued. "My decision to relinquish the role of Head Warbler that was assigned to me by my husband when he passed away was a much tougher one, but it is also a necessary one. I hope that in my time in the role I have performed as Wes expected me to, and that I have justified his faith, and indeed yours, in me. When Wes knew that he was going to die, he set up a succession plan, and part of being a good leader is to realise that you need to have one too and know when it needs to be implemented. I will not be able to perform the role soon, and my succession plan is something that I need to ask you all to approve today. In terms of being a mentor and guide to the current generation, Sebastian has already been performing that ably for some time, and it is my intention to formalise that now. However, I did not wish to also burden him with the other side of the role; the overseeing of the trust fund and the running of all of the alumni activities we all hold so dear. That is where I hope Skylar will be willing to step in. He held the position of Head Warbler in his Senior year and lives nearby, so he is the natural choice. Of course, I cannot expect either of them just to agree to my plan, so I ask them now if they are willing to take on the roles I wish to assign to them."
Sebastian nodded at once, because it wasn't as if he wasn't already doing the job, and all that would change is that he would be gaining a title. It was different for Skylar though; he would not have wanted the role back when Wes had passed away, nor would he have felt capable even now of performing both parts of the role. What he was now being asked to do was very different though; he was really just being asked to be a figurehead, someone that would do his level best to keep the brotherhood alive and bonded together. The scholarship element was also simple, as the rules had all been formulated and all he would be doing really was basic admin. However, it was how he was taking on the role that bothered him, but in the circumstances, he really did not feel he had much of an option…
Like Sebastian, Skylar nodded. "I will take on the task that you have entrusted to me, but only on the proviso that I do so only until such time as you are well enough to return to the role assigned to you by Wes; a temporary expedient whilst you have all the treatment that you need."
Thad sighed and knew that the moment had come. "I appreciate the sentiment in your words, but I am afraid that such a course of action will not be possible. There is also no way to sugar coat what I am about to say but say it I must; I cannot give anyone false hope, because there is only one outcome from my condition. The truth of the matter is that I will not be having any treatment as it is pointless. It would only increase my suffering, not relieve it. I am very much afraid that with pancreatic cancer there is nothing that can be done to cure it and my death is a certainty…"