9. The Graduates
He did. Eli checked each evening that we were at home, that we were studying, or completing final assignments, and brought us supper. At the weekends, he took us home to Mark, and gave us a chance to relax and enjoy ourselves. And, for me, the best news of all was that my father was selling up and planned to move closer to us — as soon as we’d settled with jobs and knew where we would be living!
“I’ve never been this well prepared for anything,” Butch joked. “Who knew Eli was such a bloody slave driver?”
“We did!” I quipped. “I know I never got this much supervision over study and homework at home!” Pausing I asked. “Talking of … has your old man got his head round …?”
“Sort of … Mum says he’s still not talking about it — changes the subject if you’re mentioned. But she thinks he’s getting there. He’s invited your Dad on a fishing trip, and my sisters think he’s just being obstinate. Like he was with their boyfriends.” He looked a bit down as he added, “I still don’t know if he’ll come to my graduation …”
We already knew that our assignments had received passing assessments, but I still had one written examination, and Butch two. These would determine what level of ‘pass’ we achieved.
“Never mind, love,” leaning over the back of his chair, I kissed the top of his head, and hugged him. “I’ve put my name down as an usher for your ceremony. Mine’s two days before yours, so I figured … Anyway, I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to see you get your degree. Especially as you’re coming to mine — I hope.”
For several months now we’d been applying for interviews with an eye on future employment. Though we’d had a few ‘expressions of interest’ we still had absolutely no firm offers of anything. Butch was particularly worried as it was starting to look as if he’d have to move to another city or even consider looking abroad to find even an internship. It did put something of a damper on our enjoyment of life.
Ours being an ‘old’ university, though not as old as Oxford or Cambridge, it was a collection of ‘colleges’, and each ‘college’ had it’s own graduation day in the nave of the ancient cathedral. Each ‘graduand’ is allowed two guests, usually family, and I knew that Butch’s mother would definitely want to be one, and, I hoped, his father the other. In my case it was easier — only my father would be there, and though I’d suggested the other should be Eli, he’d thanked me warmly, and declined. So I had a ‘spare’ ticket …
“If you want me …” Butch put his hands on my arms, holding them against his chest. “But hasn’t your Dad someone he’d like to bring?”
“No. He suggested it should be you, or Eli, if you couldn’t — and Eli doesn’t think it appropriate for him …” Kissing him again, I asked, “Will you do me the honour, my love? Please?”
“Try and stop me.” Pulling me round the chair, he drew me into his lap, his arms around me as he kissed me firmly. “And if my father plays stupid, and doesn’t … Will you take his place? Husband?”
In the end we both achieved the treasured One-One, though by the time we got the results, we were both getting pretty desperate in our job searches. I was getting by with a few articles published, my column for the Vulcaniser and our cleaning work. Butch had taken a part-time job in a large DIY Centre, and worked shifts. The Graduation ceremonies took place in late autumn, and we were lucky to have fine weather.
With around two hundred other graduates from my ‘college’ I duly shook the Dean’s hand, received the fancy tube with the paper certificate, and then met up with my Dad and Butch — both looking smart in suits — for the photo call in my cap, gown and hood. The official photographer did her thing and then we were stopped in the cathedral cloister garden by … Eli, in smart well cut slacks, black silk shirt and a scarf knotted at his neck, his professional camera bag over his shoulder.
“Nah then, gents. A family photo for you.” He had his camera out and marshalled us into the position he wanted before we’d fully grasped what he was doing. He grinned as we smiled to order.
“Didn’t think I’d miss this, did you?” His camera did a rapid fire series of shots, me in my cap, gown and academic ‘hood’ between my father in his suit and my lover in suit and academic gown against the background of the ancient cathedral cloister. “Got some beauties of the ceremony as well from the clerestory.”
“How …?” I’d tried to get a few more tickets so Eli or some of the others could be there, and failed. I grinned. “I guess I should have known you’d be here, Eli.” Throwing my arms round him, I gave him a hug. “You’ve been absolutely fantastic to us …”
He tapped the side of his nose. “Contacts!” He laughed. “The Head Verger gave me a ‘Pass’ and let me into the clerestory. And Mick, Kat an’ Erik look pretty good in Verger’s cassocks an’ gowns.”
“Will you all be …?” I began taking Butch’s hand. The image of our heavily tattooed friends, Mick and Kat, all tarted up as Verger’s swam before my eyes, and I got the giggles. “Mick and Kat … Vergers?”
“Of course.” Eli’s laugh turned a few heads as my father clapped him on the shoulder. “Contacts, lads. Contacts — it’s how this world works.”
“Eli …” My father began. “I can never … You haven’t changed at all, you rogue. Still networking and manipulating the world.” Dropping his hand he smiled. “Thanks, my friend, for looking after my boy — and his partner.”
“One good turn …” Eli said, his smile warm as he added, “Sergeant. Better get the lads over to the champers and nibbles before the posh locusts take ‘em all.”
Butch’s graduation ceremony followed the same pattern as mine, but as his father had accompanied his mother for this, I couldn’t be in the visitors.
“Can’t have that,” Eli declared. “Get your posh pants and a dressy shirt. Chop, chop … you’re coming as my assistant!”
At the cathedral he made for a door that led into the crypt. The security guard greeted him like an old friend. “Got a sidekick today, Eli?”
“Yeah, this is Penn Forester. He graduated two days ago, but his bestie is getting his today and he wanted to see it.” Propelling me forward, he said, “Harry in his office?”
“I’ll let him know you’re coming.” Handing me a ‘Staff’ badge, he grinned and lifted a radio. “He’s expecting you.”
I followed Eli into the crypt, a part of the cathedral I’d not seen before as it's not open to visitors. It was an impressive place, the huge stone pillars that supported the vaulted roof above us, and then the massive bulk of the building above it were stunning. Then the organ began to play, and the very stones seemed to resonate to the music, even down here in the crypt.
“We’ll have to get Butch down here,” I commented, in awe. “He’d be fascinated.”
“Here’s Harry. And, you’re right. I’ll organise it for him.” Eli said, as a man in an impressive crimson and fur trimmed gown emerged from another door. “Listen to that organ. Beautiful sound …”
“Morning Eli, this young Forester?” The Head Verger was a tall man, and looked the part. Shaking my hand he said, “Let’s get you up into the clerestory, we’re going to be bloody busy soon.” Eyeing me, he asked, “Your friend’s one of the engineer grads? His people here?”
“Yes. Mr and Mrs Hill.”
“Okay,” he winked. “I’ll make sure they get a good view of the proceedings.”
“Thanks!” I glanced at Eli. That explained why my father had been seated among all the big wigs and dignitaries attending. Butch had been really surprised when they’d been intercepted by Mick, in his Verger guise, and taken aside from the other guests to be seated on the central aisle and right below the temporary podium on which the Dean of College and Vice Chancellor would make the awards. “Butch’ll really appreciate that.”
The spiral stair that took us to the clerestory was tight, and the climb a long one, with the sound of the organ chasing us. The view from the space it discharged us onto absolutely stunning. It put us some sixty feet above the floor, and possibly twenty below the incredible vaulted ceiling. Eli signalled I should be ultra quiet as I opened my mouth to comment.
“Got to be very quiet up here.” He whispered, “You don’t need a sound system in these buildings — especially up here. Every sound carries like you wouldn’t believe.” Grinning, he added, “Even with the organ, and this is the best place to hear it. Often come up here when they have a recital …”
I nodded and opened his camera bag. I’d never in a million years have thought Eli was a lover of the soaring sound of the mighty instrument we could now look down on beneath us. As he set up his cameras I looked over the delicately carved stone screen between us and the floor of the cathedral. It was an astonishing view, but I was just in time to see Butch’s parents being shown to their seats by Kat in his Verger’s outfit. As promised, they were in the same seats that my father and Butch had been given — right below the podium. It was all I could do to not laugh as they looked around when they realised this wasn’t where the bulk of other guests were …
“How’d you do it?” I whispered, the sound carrying even with the hubbub below us.
Tapping his nose, Eli grinned. “Told ya … Contacts …”
In the Cloister garden, we caught up with them after the dismissal.
“Family portrait, Mr Hill?” Eli accosted the family, addressing Butch.
“Eli! Oh, and you’ve got Penn with you.” Butch laughed as his mother smiled nervously and his father frowned. “Mum, Dad, the three of us together? Please?”
“Of course,” his father responded, looking at me trying to be Eli’s assistant. “How are you, Penn? Your father here today?”
“Dad? No, but he’s in town, Mr Hill, and I’m having dinner with him tonight.” I replied, feeling my cheeks burn as Eli marshalled them into a pose with Butch between his parents.
Eli took several photos, then laughed, “I’ll make sure Butch or Penn gets the proofs to you.”
“Hold on.” Mr Hill looked awkward. “Can we get one with Penn in it?” He glanced at his wife. “Since he and Butch …”
“Yes, please,” Mrs Hill held out a hand inviting me. “Stand here, Penn.” She indicated I should stand between her and Butch. “A pity you aren’t in your hood and gown, but it’ll be nice to have you with us.”
“Yes, come on, Penn.” He glanced at his father, who nodded, and gave a smile as I moved forward.
Eli took several shots, having us change positions slightly and different poses.
“That’s it, then. Nice to meet you, Mrs Hill, Mr Hill. Butch better show you where the champagne reception is now, before it’s gone.”
“Thanks, Mr …” Mr Hill began.
“Satchell — Eli Satchell.” Eli shook hands with him. “My pleasure, Mr Hill.” Glancing at Mrs Hill with Butch at her side, he added, “They’re great lads — a real credit to their parents. I’ll get Butch to pass on the photos once I’ve downloaded them.”
I packed the camera bag for Eli as this was happening, embarrassed as I realised this was the first time I’d heard his surname. I looked up as Butch’s father asked where my Dad was staying.
“At the Plaza, Mr Hill.”
“Good, we’re at the Grand. If you can contact him, perhaps you’d both care to join us for dinner?” His smile was still a little stiff as he added, “Say for seven? You can let Butch know …”
I called my father on his mobile once Eli and I had packed everything and taken a seat in a shady corner of the cloister. Having told him of the invitation, I waited for his response. There was a longish pause.
“How do you feel about it?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I can sense he’s not comfortable with us … I mean with me being, um, Butch’s lover and that …” Thinking quickly, I continued, “Let’s say yes, I think Butch would like us too.”
“Well done.” Eli commented as I rang off. “That’s the way, Penn. As it says in The Book — repay hurt with kindness. Butch’s Dad just needs to get used to the situation. Enjoy yourselves.” Holding out the camera bag, he grinned. “Come on assistant photographer, let’s head home as soon as you’ve sent that text.”
