Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2018 00:55:16 +0000
From: Douglas DD <thehakaanen@hotmail.com>
Subject: Aiden II  Chapter 39

Welcome back. Elementary school is ending for Aiden. He now will have
summer vacation to look forward to with the dreaded start of middle school
looming ahead.

Please donate to the Nifty Archive to keep the stories flowing.

Douglas. thehakaanen@hotmailcom

CHAPTER 39
GRADUATION

TUESDAY, JUNE 19

Tuesday was a crazy day in a wild week for Aiden. As much as he wanted to
sit alone on the bus ride home from school, he sat next to Kalie knowing
she would want to know why he sat alone. It was easier to sit next to her
for ten minutes or so than to sit by himself and have to explain why.

"When are you and Gordy coming over?" Kalie asked after he took his seat
next to her.

"I dunno. You have to ask Gordy."

"He said I have to ask you."

"Whatever. When are your cousins coming over?" Aiden was inquiring about
Ian and Gretchen.

"Sometime in July is all I know. Mom and dad know, but I forgot."

"You forgot? If I knew when my cousins were coming I sure wouldn't
forget. It's just with them nobody can make up their mind."

"Well don't their parents have vacations and stuff? I mean that's how my
aunt and uncle make up their mind."

"Yeah. I think my Aunt Sue is the one who keeps changing things. My Uncle
Troy is a lawyer, he should know what he's supposed to do and when he's
supposed to do it."

"I hope we can do stuff when you and Gordy come over."

"You mean like riding horses kind of stuff?"

"No, I mean taking our clothes off kind of stuff."

Aiden was happy that his house was approaching. In his mind, Kalie was
starting to get weird about messing around; she was acting too much like a
boy. Aiden was forgetting that the big reason he liked Kalie was because
she acted a lot like a boy.

"See ya tomorrow," Aiden said as he left his seat.

"Have fun with your dads' friends."

Aiden said good-bye to Mrs. Emerson and disembarked into a cool
drizzle. The friends Kalie referred to were Eric and Noah along with some
Indian guy who was a friend of theirs. All he knew about him was that his
name was Robert.

Aiden's dads had invited them to dinner. As far as Aiden was concerned,
Eric was more than just his dad's friend—he was his second big
brother. While he didn't chat with Eric like he did with Marty, he did
exchange emails with him once a week or so.

Aiden entered the house through the garage. When he reached the top of the
stairs he was welcomed by the tantalizing aromas of Phil's cooking. "Hi,
dad," Aiden called out. He walked into the kitchen and saw Phil busy at the
stove. Phil had taken the afternoon off to cook.

"Hello, son. How was school?"

"Almost over," Aiden replied as if that said everything that needed to be
said. "Anything I can help with?"

"Did you check the mail?"

"I thought you checked it." Aiden turned around and dashed out to the
mailbox. After he returned he went upstairs to put his jacket and backpack
away. When he returned to the kitchen, Phil put him to work making the
salad, a task Aiden enjoyed.

Phil was cooking a pork roast along with mashed potatoes, gravy, steamed
broccoli, hot dinner rolls, and, of course, Aiden's mixed salad. "What's
for dessert?" Aiden asked as he sliced up cucumbers.

"A purchased apple pie, which will be heated and served ala mode."

"I am so hungry. Can I have a snack?"

"Lots of fruit to eat."

"No cookies?"

"Not today," Phil laughed.

"So, who is this Robert dude?"

Phil explained who Robert was. He told Aiden how Bobby, Noah's middle
school boyfriend, died in a tragic accident. He told how Noah blamed
himself for the accident and how he had problems coping.

"My understanding is that Noah and Bobby met Robert on a trip to Montana
when they were still in middle school. Noah gained a great deal of respect
for the old Indian and decided to return to Montana to gain spiritual
guidance. Eric went with him on that trip. The rest, as they say, is
history."

"What's that other name you guys call him again?"

"Espowyes. It means `Light on the Mountain.' Noah and Eric both swear by
him and his wisdom."

"I hope he doesn't think I'm some dumb kid."

Phil gave his son a warm smile. "Trust me, kiddo, that's the last thing
he'd think about you."

"It's cool that Rich is coming, too."

The dinner was a huge success. At first, Aiden was intimidated by the
Native American whose white hair hung down well below his shoulders. But he
quickly discovered that he was a warm, kind, and caring individual. He had
imagined a man with a serious look continually plastered to his
face. Instead he found Espowyes to be a man with a ready smile and a
contagious laugh.

He also talked seriously about children and the difficulties of growing
up. He talked about how fortunate Eric and Noah had been as youths to have
fathers they could look up to and the smarts to look for help when they
needed it.

Aiden said little. He wasn't sure how to talk to Espowyes without looking
like a dumb kid. The problem for Aiden was he thought he looked even dumber
by not saying anything.

Espowyes seemed to read the doubt on Aiden's face and spoke directly to
him. "You are an intelligent and caring boy," Espowyes told Aiden as he
drank his after dinner coffee. "Your fathers must be pleased with you and
how you present yourself."

Aiden blushed a deep red. "I am? How can you tell?"

"What is in your heart is written on your face," the old man explained.

"Espowyes has a gift for reading people, bro," Eric said. "Listen to what
he says. He has helped Noah and me in more ways than I can
explain. Espowyes is the reason Noah and I will be standing at the altar
together on Saturday."

"I see much love for your fathers in you," Espowyes added. "They have given
you warmth and love and security." But just when Aiden's ego started to
grow, the old Native American gave him words of caution. "But I also see
anger inside of you. It is an anger you must learn to control."

"Yeah, I guess I get mad sometimes."

"We all do."

"Except for you, Espowyes," Noah grinned.

"Especially me. It took me many years to learn to control the anger inside
of me."

"Did you get rid of it?" Aiden asked.

He looked squarely into Aiden's eyes. "Anger can be good if it is
controlled. You are an athlete. A great athlete must have controlled anger
inside of him in order to compete at the highest level. It is what makes
him aggressive. But if not controlled it becomes an anger that lashes out,
not one that guides. I lashed out and until I controlled what was inside of
me I didn't succeed at the level I should have."

"You sound like Marty," Aiden said in an awestruck voice. Espowyes didn't
ask who Marty was. Instead he continued to look into Aiden's eyes, his
silence telling the young boy to keep talking. "Marty talks about being in
a zone. He says it means being in control. He tells me if I focus what's
inside of me I will be at my best."

"He sounds like a wise man."

"Marty is really cool about stuff like that, but it's hard to do it." Rich,
who was fascinated by the conversation going on in front of him, thought
about saying that wisdom wasn't a word he equated with his husband. But
when he thought about it, that wasn't really true. Marty had gained a great
deal of wisdom from his decade long membership in Alcoholics Anonymous. He
knew that would have been a smart-ass comment and discreetly kept his mouth
shut.

"That which is worth having is always hard. But, when you achieve it you
succeed in ways you never believe you could," Espowyes told Aiden.

Aiden, along with Eric, Noah, Rich, and his dads, sat in quiet
contemplation. It was as if another door was being opened for him; as if he
was being shown another way to find his zone. He had to do more than
control his thoughts—he had to control the anger he often felt and use
it. But, he had to learn how. He wondered when he would be old enough to
learn that.

Espowyes broke the silence with a question for Aiden. "Do you have a
talisman?"

"What's a talisman?"

"It's a charm, or a good luck piece. A thing that gives you comfort when
you see it, or touch it, or talk to it. Many children have stuffed animals
or toys that act as talismans, but when they get close to your age too many
of them turn away from those comforts."

The glow on Aiden's face said more to the gray-haired man than any words
could have. When Aiden silently left the table he told Espowyes even
more—that he was a boy who could communicate volumes by saying nothing.

Aiden walked slowly up the stairs. Larry and Phil listened for his usual
bounding leaps, but heard only the quiet shuffling of feet on the carpeted
steps. Aiden walked into his room and looked at the stuffed donkey sitting
on his shelf, his face showing the perpetual smile that said so much. Aiden
wasn't sure if Marty was a wise man, or if Espowyes was a fount of
wisdom. He wasn't sure what wisdom was, but if wisdom was what made him
feel calm and focused when he wanted to cry and scream, then Horace had to
be a wise donkey. He gently took the animal off of its shelf and brought it
down to the dining room.

Espowyes could see the beginnings of tears in the young boy's eyes as he
sat at the table, placing the gray donkey in front of him. "This is
Horace. He is very wise," Aiden said with a seriousness in his young voice
that tugged at the hearts of the five men in the room. "Marty has a
talisman, too."

"Mortimer," Rich said as he spoke up for the first time since they'd
finished dinner. "A very wise old bear."

"I was correct about what I saw in you," Espowyes said. "You have a heart
full of love and one that is learning the value of wisdom."

"What is wisdom?"

"An excellent question, my son. You go to school to be educated, correct?"

"It's almost over," Aiden grinned, bringing a light touch to the atmosphere
at the table.

"I have heard it said by men wiser than I that education allows us to
successfully make a living, but it is wisdom that allows us to successfully
live life."

"So I guess that means a person needs to grow up to be educated and wise if
he wants to be great."

Espowyes nodded. "Think about what we have said tonight. Think about what
your Marty has shown you." He focused on Phil and Larry. "Bring the boy to
the mountains and forests of Montana next year. He will be old enough to
start to understand." He nodded at Eric and Noah. "They were not much older
when they began their journey with me."

"We will be there," Larry said. He and Phil understood right then that they
had no choice. A connection had been started between their son and the
white-haired seer.

Espowyes focused on Eric and Noah, next. "I know your lives are in
transition, but you have much to teach as well. Going to the Big Sky
country has taught you much. To keep what you have, you must give it away."

Aiden felt the kind of calmness that filled his insides during those rare
times when he locked himself into his zone. He knew he wanted more of what
the old man had to teach him. Montana and its mountains and big trees and
big blue sky from horizon to horizon were a year away, but he felt he could
touch it right at that moment.

When the guests got up to leave, Aiden asked Eric if he could talk to him
for a moment. Eric nodded and followed Aiden into the conference
room. "Tomorrow I'm going to be graduating from Lakeside School," Aiden
told Eric with surprising shyness.

"Congratulations. Mayfield Middle School will now be a big part of your
life." Eric had been in the sixth grade when he moved to Mayfield. He spent
all of his elementary school years in Tacoma.

Aiden handed Eric a card. "It's an invitation and a pass to come to my
graduation. I only have two of these for people not in my family, so I
can't give them to just anybody. I don't even have one for the buffet."
Aiden looked a bit saddened by these shortcomings. "Rich is getting one,
too, in place of Marty. But, I really want you to come to my graduation."

"I am honored to be asked, bro. Very honored. I will be there to see you
get your sheepskin." He ruffled Aiden's already unruly hair. Aiden was so
pleased that Eric accepted his invitation that he ignored the ruffling of
his hair.

 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20.

Aiden looked into the full-length mirror in the foyer and started on a
tirade. "My hair looks terrible, awful, stupid, yucky, bad...I should have
got a haircut."

"Since when did you worry about your hair?" Larry asked.

"Since you guys keep messing it up..."

"Nobody touched your hair, tonight."

"...and since I have to wear this stupid suit that makes my hair look even
worse. I should just get a buzz cut. I wish Peter was here—he could make
my hair look really cool."

"Aiden, your hair looks just fine." Fuck, Larry thought, hair wasn't
supposed to be a problem for three or four more years. "I can run a comb
through it one more time if you want."

"Don't touch my hair."

"Fine, I will stay at least five miles away from any cowlick."

Larry went to his bedroom to put on his cardigan and take a pee. Phil was
going to meet them at the school on his way home from work. As soon as his
daddy left, Aiden took another look into the mirror. He was wearing a blue
blazer, tan slacks, a red necktie with blue stripes, and polished brown
shoes. Even with the stray cowlicks, he thought he looked damn good in his
brand new duds. But, he wasn't about to admit that to his dads.

When Larry came back to the foyer, Aiden stomped his right foot. "Let's
go. I don't want to be the last one there."

Aiden's Grandpa Art and Grandma Sandy were waiting in the living room. They
were amused by their grandson's impatience with his hair coupled with him
obviously admiring himself in the mirror. Aiden had forgotten that his
grandparents could observe him in the foyer from where they sat. Art and
Sandy knew that Aiden's behavior was his way of handling his combination of
nervousness and excitement. As always they felt an inner sense of joy at
having the beautiful young boy as their grandchild. With their only child
being a gay son, they never thought they would have the opportunity to pour
their love on a grandchild.

Larry and Aiden, along with Grandpa Art and Grandma Sandy, piled into the
Honda Accord and headed for Lakeview Elementary, where the fifth-grade
graduation ceremony would be held.

The ceremony was going to be held in the school's multipurpose room. Most
of the lunch tables were set up in the center of the room. There were also
four rows of chairs on the west side of the room facing the stage as well
as two rows of chairs on the east side. The stage was on the west side of
the school. A buffet, catered by Harmon Catering, was laid out where lunch
was normally served. Tickets for the buffet were presold. The buffet
started at 5:30 and would be served until 7:00. Aiden's family arrived at
5:15. Phil was waiting for them at a table.

Aiden's family, including himself, took up five of the eight seats at the
table. Gordy and his family sat in the other three seats. Most of the
families took part in the buffet. The PTSA had provided free buffet tickets
for families who couldn't afford them.

As Aiden ate he thought about his last full day of elementary
school. Mrs. Riley, his classroom teacher, had the day well-planned
out. Almost an hour of the day was used for rehearsing the evening's
graduation ceremony. The students were kept busy during the rest of their
time in the classroom. Books were turned in, desks and lockers were
cleaned, fun, yet educational games were played, and time was set aside for
the school's memory books to be signed. The veteran teacher had her class
under control all day, just as it had been the entire year.

Lunch at Aiden's table was chatty as usual. Aiden, Muddy, Lenny, Kalie,
Mason, Miles, Gordy, and Brody took up the eight seats. Lance sat with his
fourth grade friends so Kalie could be with her fifth grade "guys" during
her last lunch at Lakeside. Lenny sat with the outgoing fifth graders
because he felt closer to them than he did to his fourth grade
friends. Both he and Lance would miss their older friends, but they also
knew that at noon tomorrow they would be two of the big boys at Lakeside
Elementary.

After school, Mrs. Riley asked Aiden if he would stay for a moment. "I'll
make sure you make your bus," she told him.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked. Aiden wondered what he could possibly
have done wrong on what was essentially the last day of school.

"Aiden, you know better than to ask that question. I hope we've developed a
better teacher-student relationship than that during the course of the
school year. You have been one of the best students, not only in my class
but in the entire school. You are well respected by teachers and students
alike."

Mrs. Riley had told Aiden the truth. He had almost been chosen to give one
of the three student speeches at the graduation ceremony. One student from
each class was chosen to give a speech. Sherry Turner had been chosen from
Mr. Jones's class and Gordy was the pick from Mrs. Lollar's class. Brody
was the pick from Mrs. Riley's class, a choice Aiden totally agreed with.

"Sorry," Aiden said. "Sometimes I do things wrong and don't even know it."

"Well, this isn't one of those times." The teacher reached into her bottom
desk drawer and took out a book. "Your father told me that you were working
on improving your oral English." She handed Aiden a book titled "Speak Like
You Had an Education."

"This book has daily lessons that build on each other among other aids. I
thought this might help you. Not that you speak bad English—yours is
certainly better than most. But, I believe you have a great future as a
student and as a person. Being better than most shouldn't be your
goal—being the best should be your goal.

Aiden had grown to like Mrs. Riley as a teacher. He was leery of her at the
start of the year, but he ended up loving her class. As with all adults,
sometimes the things she said were translated by his brain into "blah blah
blah". This wasn't one of those times.

As Mrs. Riley paused for breath Aiden said, "So, my goal is for me not to
be better than some people, but to be the best, right?"

"Yes, because I think you can be that good." His teacher also recommended a
book about creative writing which she thought me might be interested
in. "You have an extraordinary talent for writing," she told him, "as good
as any student I've taught."

"That's just like in baseball. Always work to be the best." He looked down
at his book, knowing he would make use of it. "Thank you, Mrs. Riley. I
liked being in your class and I'm not trying to get brownie points, because
it's too late for that anyway."

Mrs. Riley laughed and told Aiden she'd see him at the ceremony in the
evening.

"And I'll be in my new clothes. I might even have my hair all combed," he
giggled.  He left the room and headed for his bus walking on air.

Phil's voice broke Aiden's reverie. "Do you plan on eating?" his dad asked
him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, like right now."

Phil left the table with his son to join the buffet line. He put his arm
around the boy's shoulder, being careful not to touch his hair. While not
perfect, Aiden's hair was neater than usual. Phil wondered what Aiden had
been focused on to the point he had to be reminded to get up to
eat. Reminding Aiden to eat was like reminding the average person to
breathe.

They got in line behind Art and Sandy. "I'm glad you came," Aiden said to
his grandpa and grandma.

"We wouldn't have missed this for the world," Sandy grinned. She traded her
arm for Phil's and Aiden leaned against her. He felt smothered in love by
the soft feminine hug of his grandmother. While he received occasional hugs
from Gordy's mother, he still missed the special hug of his mother. Even
though his dads hugged him frequently and with equal love, the feel of
their hugs wasn't the same as a mother's hug.

Dinner consisted of chicken, mashed potatoes, carrots, and peach cobbler
for dessert. While they were eating, Mason's mother came over to their
table.

"I won't take up much of your time," she said. Phil and Larry both hoped
she was telling the truth. Phil introduced her to Art and Sandy. "I just
wanted to thank you for all you've done for Mason. He has never been
happier. Aiden and Gordy have been such wonderful friends, and that is
thanks to their wonderful parents. I am worried about Mason going to middle
school, but I feel better knowing he has friends and adults such as you to
look out for him. He used to be bullied and picked on and he hated coming
to school, and now he looks forward to being there with his friends. He's
even playing baseball, who would have ever imagined that?"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Johnson," Aiden said. "We all have Mason's back. He's
our friend and nobody messes with our friends."

Mason's mother smiled at Aiden, not quite sure what he meant. She decided
it meant if Mason needed their protection, they would give it to him. She
smiled and returned to her table with Miles and his family. When meal time
was over, the students played some musical chairs when it was announced
that it was time for them to take their seats. As they had practiced
earlier in school, Aiden took his seat, which was between Brody and
Miles. Aiden grinned to himself when he saw Eric sitting in one of the back
rows.

The ceremony was a simple one. Mrs. Finstuen, the principal, gave a short
speech about how much everyone had grown as students as well as
physically. She wished them well as they ventured to the new world of
middle school. The three student speakers each gave their five-minute
talk. As much as he loved Gordy, Aiden thought that Brody gave the best
speech. He felt a sense of pride in his friend who had been so quiet and
shy when they first met.

After the talks, Mr. Duncan, who was the superintendent of the Mayfield
School District told the parents that the students had finished their
fifth-grade course work and would come up to receive their graduation
certificate. His statement was almost true, since three students, Ed Shafer
being one of them, would have to complete some course work and pass some
tests during the summer in order to move on to middle school on time.

The parents, relatives, and friends of the students looked on with pride as
the freshly scrubbed boys and girls came up on the stage in their best
clothes. The ten and eleven-year-olds tried to put on their most serious
face, but the big grins many of them displayed gave away the pride and
joyfulness they felt at having completed elementary school. Each one
received applause from the audience and cheers from his own contingent.

After the ceremony, Aiden, Miles, Mason, and their parents, along with
Eric, Aiden's grandparents and Miles' grandmother, went to Gordy's house
for cookies and coffee, tea, or milk, depending on who was getting the
drinks. The four boys planned out a Thursday overnight before the big pool
party at Aiden's house on Friday. They were pleased when they received the
parental okay for the overnight.

Aiden had a busy few days coming up. The Thursday overnight, the Friday
pool party, a Saturday morning game, and a Saturday afternoon wedding. He
was glad he didn't have schoolwork to do. He knew for sure he wouldn't have
time to be bored.

Next: Poolside