Celebration
Friday, June 13, 1986
Sleepyside Jr.-Sr. High School
Football Stadium
3:30 p.m.
Good Lord, graduations were boring. Peter stretched his legs out and cracked his neck. Two years ago, he’d at least had Brian’s valedictory speech to look forward to hearing. That had been a moment. This year both the valedictorian and the salutatorian were excruciatingly dull, their words pedantic and cliché.
Peter cast a glance at Matthew Wheeler, sitting to his left. The millionaire had to be six times as bored as Peter. Peter had two family members in the graduation line. Matthew had their niece, and he wasn’t even related to her by blood. That’s unkind, he chided himself. Matthew loves Tessa, and he cares for Mart and Dan as well.
Andrew, sitting on the other side of Helen, with Bobby between them, looked a little teary. To be expected, Peter thought. Tessa’s the closest thing to a child he has. Down a row, Regan sat with his fiancée, Allegra, Thomas Maypenny at their side. They were all beaming with pride. Given the long road Dan had traveled to get to this point, he knew their pride was warranted.
The class president began her speech, and Peter stifled a yawn and checked his program. Great. They were only three more ceremonial items away from granting of the diplomas: a vocal presentation. The school board address, and then the recognition of the Jump Start students. At least Mart, Tessa and Dan would be a part of that. He sighed—louder than he thought, considering the dagger-sharp look his wife shot at him. He straightened up and tried to focus.
Fortunately, the class president knew the meaning of the word ‘brief’. Then, the vocal presentation turned out to be a rousing rendition of the Beach Boys’ classic Graduation Day done in four-part harmony. That certainly livened things up—just in time for the school board chairman to dull it back down.
Principal Stratton took his place on the raised platform and looked out at the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “family members, students and friends, before we hand out diplomas, I would like to recognize some very special students. Two years ago we began a test program called Jump Start. The Jump Start program is intended to give our students a leg up on their education. The selected students have been taking classes both at Sleepyside High School and at SUNY Westchester Community College. We began with thirty students in the program the first year. This year, we enrolled sixty. Next year, we hope to have one hundred students attending high school and college at the same time.” He paused for the applause that followed. “Of those original thirty students, twenty-two will graduate today with various credits and college plans. I would like to take the next several minutes to acknowledge these students and their achievements. Jump Start students, will you please rise?” They did. Peter picked out his niece, his son and his son’s best friend scattered through the alphabetically ordered graduates. Principal Stratton continued, “These twelve students will be heading into college as Sophomores; Michael Arnett to NYU. Carol Banning to Barnard College…” Peter watched as each of the students was called, raised a hand to the resulting cheers, and was seated. Principal Stratton continued, “These seven will be entering as Juniors to their respective colleges: Martin Belden to Cornell University…” Peter rose with the rest of his family and friends as they whooped and cheered for Mart.
They all sat back down, and Peter refocused as Principal Stratton acknowledged six more students, none of which were Tessa or Dan. They were still standing, along with another boy he recognized as Mart’s friend, Ty Scott. What? he thought as Principal Stratton spoke again.
“These last three students,” he said, “have the honor of graduating today already holding their first college degrees. Tyson Scott has achieved his Associate of Arts degree in Communications and Media. He will be entering the workforce with a paid internship at WRRK in Des Moines, Iowa. Next, Daniel Maypenny has completed his Associate of Arts degree in Psychology. He will be continuing his studies in Pre-Law at Columbia University in the fall.” The Bob-Whites all stood up and cheered. Madeleine and Helen and Catherine Hart joined them. Regan whooped in surprise. Peter glanced at the other men around him. Matthew, Wes and Andrew all looked stunned.
“Finally,” Principal Stratton continued, “Tessa Hart not only leaves Sleepyside High School with an Associate of Science degree in International Business, but she also scored well enough on the GMAT exam she took as practice that she has applied and been accepted into the graduate studies program at the University of Columbia Business School.”
The whole gang rose again to cheer. The reality of what he had just heard hit Peter in the gut. Dan played us. He played us all. He looked at Matthew. The redhead’s brows were drawn together in a scowl. Uh oh, Peter thought, but then Matthew shook his head, threw it back and laughed, long and loud. The rest of their group turned to stare at him confusion, and the big man managed to contain himself and be seated again, but Peter could still hear him chuckling.
The rest of the graduation went by fairly quickly. The students rose, row by row, and were presented with their diplomas. When the last name had been called, and the students were once again seated, Principal Stratton once again took the microphone. “Students, please rise.” They complied, the excitement palpable. “Ladies and gentlemen, families and friends, I present to you, the graduating class of 1986.” Both the students and the stands erupted in cheers and hugs as the mortar boards soared into the sky.
Dan was of two minds as Mr. Stratton read off the Jump Start student accomplishments. Pride, obviously, but also trepidation. Once the uncles knew, the jig was up. When he heard his name called, followed by the cheers and shouts from the stands, as he took his seat, he hazarded a glance up to where he knew his friends and family were sitting. He was too far away to make out any features, but he could tell from the trio of redheads that he was looking in the right place. As the cheers wound down after the principal read off Tessa’s list of accomplishments, Dan heard the booming laughter of Matthew Wheeler. He straightened in his seat and pushed aside his concerns.
Principal Stratton announced the presentation of the diplomas, and the band struck up Pomp and Circumstance. When the time came, Dan rose with his row and joined the procession, his feet moving by rote, muscle memory from the three times the class had practiced the moves over the last two days. Mart was the ninth person through. Tessa was the thirty-third. After her, Dan lost count, simply shuffling forward, step by step across the football field. As he snail paced toward the end of his high school career, he had to take stock. He’d spent three and one half years here. Seven semesters. In that time, he had gained so much. Six amazing friends. A father. A job. Accolades for both his academic and athletic achievements. Adults who put faith in him and showed him how to trust again. His freedom and redemption. His brother, lost, renamed, found and finally reclaimed, and the girl who held his heart. So much in such a small amount of time.
The future lay wide open and full speed ahead. Part of him wanted to slow down, hold on to the happiness he’d found in this place, but he was also excited for the future. Columbia was close enough to his family, and he would be with Tessa. Building the future without destroying the past. The idea appealed to him on multiple levels.
“Janet Louise Maasten,” he heard Mr. Stratton call, and realized he had reached the small stage. He was next. “Daniel Mangan-Maypenny.” This was it. He stepped the two stairs up and crossed the platform. Mr. Stratton smiled and held out the fake leather folio in his left hand, while extending his right. “Congratulations, Dan,” Principal Stratton said.
“Thank you, sir.” Dan reciprocated, shaking the principal’s hand as he took his diploma. He moved on, stepping back down onto the grass and following Janet back to their row of chairs. When the last person in their row reached his seat, they all sat. Then it was just waiting to get through the rest of the names.
Finally, the last row was seated. Mr. Stratton instructed them all to rise, and they did. This was it. The final moment. Excitement ran through him like an electrical current, connecting him to his fellow graduates.
He heard the words, ““Ladies and gentlemen, families and friends, I present to you, the graduating class of 1986.”
Dan reached up and flipped his tassel from the right to the left. Then, as the whole class let out a cheer that echoed throughout the stadium, he joined them in tossing his cap high into the air.
Hugs and high fives followed as the neat rows merged into a mass of celebrating graduates. Dan moved forward, searching for Mart and Tessa.
Tessa found him first, flinging her arms around his neck, “We did it!” she yelled.
“Yes. Yes, we did!” he agreed, swinging her around and nearly clipping Mart.
“Can you believe it?” his best friend shouted over the melee. “We’re actually done. Completely done.”
Dan slung his free arm around Mart, and the three of them huddled for just a moment. “We should try to edge toward the stands,” he suggested. “They’re releasing the stands now.” Arm in arm, they set off through the crowd, searching for their families.