The Secret Catamite Bk 1, The Book of Daniel

by Patrick C Notchtree

  Then it was a normal assembly, except for a special prayer for Miss Harvey. At the end, Mr West picked up a piece of paper from the lectern.

  "I want to see the following children immediately after assembly outside Miss .. outside the head teacher's room." He read out a list of about a dozen names, Barry Spence, some of his gang and Simon Scott among them.

  The crowd gathered outside the head's room. Miss Brown was there to keep order while one by one the children went in to speak to Mr West.

  "It's about the fight," one said as she came out

  "That's enough, no talking," said Miss Brown. Simon liked Miss Brown, he went to her for extra help, but she seemed stern today. At last there was only Barry Spence and Simon left, waiting as far apart as they could.

  "Barry Spence!" called Mr West's voice. Barry Spence went in and pushed the door behind him, but this time it didn't quite close. Parts of the conversation could be heard. Mr West sounded very cross. "Got away with far too much for far too long … the end of the line of you, young lad … better change your ways". Spence came out and managed a scowl at Simon, but said nothing.

  "Simon Scott! And you can get back to your room now, Miss Brown, thank you."

  Simon went into the hated office as Miss Brown left, giving Simon a smile. Simon stood in front of that desk, with Mr West sitting behind it now.

  "Not a very good start to the new school year, Simon?"

  "No, sir," said Simon, looking down but glancing round for the cane.

  "Are you planning any more fights?"

  Simon looked up, taken unawares by the unexpected question. "No, sir."

  "I'm glad to hear it. After that fracas last year with Sidney Forth, and your demolition job on Barry Spence this morning, don't you think you've done enough?"

  "Yes, sir," said Simon, puzzled about how this was going. He still could not see the cane.

  "I'll be straight with you, old chap," said Mr West, his tone softening. "I don't think you've always had a fair deal, so I want to draw a line under the past and start from scratch. Starting from now. The rest is up to you. Do you understand?"

  Simon was not sure if he did, but he understood 'start from scratch'. "Yes, sir."

  "Any problem at all with Barry Spence, tell Miss Day – she knows about this – or come and see me."

  "Yes, sir." Simon's mind was in a whirl. He couldn’t grasp the change and what was happening, but he knew it was good.

  "Good lad. Now we've a bargain, so don't let me down."

  "Yes, sir. I mean, no sir. I mean …" Simon stopped, confused. "I won't, sir."

  "That's the ticket! Fresh start, as from now. Off you go."

  "Thank you, sir," said Simon, and he left the room, feeling light and happy. As he walked along the corridor he stopped as a thought came to him. Daniel's words echoed in his mind. 'I bet it's a lot better once you get there than you think now.' How did Daniel know? He is amazing. Simon tapped his chest twice and walking tall, crossed the hall and went into his classroom without a trace of fear.

  Simon soon settled into fourth year. The pace was hard, with the eleven plus coming up after Christmas, but with renewed confidence, Simon worked hard and slowly made progress with arithmetic. His reading and writing had already come on to the point where Miss Brown stopped working on that and concentrated on sums. She gave him papers to do at home, and if he got stuck, Daniel patiently sat with him and they worked through it together.

  Once or twice, Simon was the object of taunts, his detractors pointing out that Daniel Gray was not around any more. Simon would tap his chest twice and think, 'yes he is'. Simon grew closer to Peter Holman at school, but still looked forward to the evenings and weekends when he could be with Daniel, and Simon was happy.

  One event that stood out for Simon was related to the church. Daniel was being confirmed, and he asked Simon to be there. Simon was not sure what that meant, but he knew it was important to Daniel, and it seemed important to him that Simon was there. So there he was, sitting once more with Mr and Mrs Gray who had come to see this special service. The vicar was there that Simon had seen before, but also, dressed in a gold embroidered cloak was the Bishop. Simon had seen his picture in the local newspaper a couple of times. Daniel was wearing his long, grey school trousers, neatly ironed, along with a white shirt. He looked so smart. There were some other people, not all kids, who were being confirmed as well, and they were wearing white, but Simon's eyes were fixed on Daniel as he knelt before the Bishop.

  "Daniel, God has called you by name and made you his own."

  The Bishop then placed his hands on Daniel's head saying, "Confirm, O Lord, your servant Daniel with your Holy Spirit."

  "Amen," said Daniel clearly.

  Simon felt so proud of his friend, addressed by name by the Bishop. Then Daniel, along with the other new communicants, took the bread and wine. Simon was again moved by the service and as the rest of the congregation took communion, he accompanied Mr and Mrs Gray to the rail as before, and received the same blessing, followed by the warm glow he had felt before.

  Afterwards, he was asking Daniel about it.

  "What's it mean now?"

  "I can take communion now, and receive the bread and wine. It means I am a full member of the Church of England."

  Simon wanted to be a full member of the Church of England too, but instead he asked, "What's the wine like?"

  Daniel grinned. "It's good stuff. It's a shame they only let you have a little sip."

  Daniel didn't go to church every Sunday, sometime he was involved in Scouts or swimming events. When he could, Simon went along to the latter to be with Daniel and offer him support, the true friend that he was.

  1956/10 Accident in the Spinney

  That warm summer had gone, the nights had closed in and perforce Simon and Daniel could no longer play outdoors as much. The den was often wet so they would meet up and hang around the shopping parade. Sometimes they could still go to the wood beyond the allotments. The earth paths though the spinney had been compacted by the wheels of many children's bicycles for this was a regular circuit. The two friends would cycle down there and speed round the spinney, flying over roots and taking off from small bumps. Often there would be crowds of local children there, racing round without a care for their own safety, or anyone else's. It was fast, exhilarating and the elements of risk added to rather than detracted from the excitement. The risk was real.

  One day in the half term holiday, Gavin Strong, who was Daniel's age and a Hooray Henry, was going very fast, took off over a makeshift ramp and lost control. His bike, with him on it, hit a tree. Gavin was hurt and bleeding as he lay on ground entangled in his bicycle, howling. Some of the children ran off and Simon was moving in this direction also.

  "Where're you going?" asked Daniel with a note of surprise.

  "Dunno, just away," said Simon, worried that he might somehow get the blame by association for Gavin's injuries. He wasn't sure what Mummy would say about him being in the woods, rough riding.

  "We can't just leave him," said Daniel. "He needs some help."

  The remaining kids hung back, watching, uncertain, content to let Daniel take charge. So there were just the two of them to help, and of course the howling Gavin, whose cries had subsided a little.

  Daniel moved over to where Gavin lay, and Simon followed. Gavin looked up at the pair, pain on his face but also expectation, now that help was at hand.

  "I can't get up, I'm stuck," said Gavin.

  "Here, Simon, give me a hand," commanded Daniel, taking hold of the bicycle. Together they carefully lifted the bike, allowing Gavin to extract his legs that had somehow become locked in it.

  "Hold the bike," said Daniel, so Simon held the bike, and Daniel went to the still prone Gavin.

  "Where's it hurt?" asked Daniel.

  "All over," replied Gavin.

  "Do you think you've broken anything?" continued Daniel.

  Gavin shook his head. He was a chubby lad, and Daniel put his arm
s around Gavin to help him up. Simon felt suddenly and stupidly jealous. Gavin was now standing, leaning on Daniel. His face was cut, his leg was bleeding and he looked very muddy.

  "You wheel your bike and his," said Daniel to Simon, "I'll take mine."

  Simon, quiet now, said nothing but wheeled Gavin's bike over to his own, lying on its side, and with one hand on the centre of each handlebar, stood with a bike either side of him. Daniel picked up his own bike and wheeled that, with his left hand, supporting Gavin on his right. They set off, Simon following behind.

  "You'll be OK," said Daniel. "It's not far, is it?"

  "No," said Gavin, "just round the block."

  "Come on then," said Daniel, encouragingly.

  "Thanks for the help, Daniel," said Gavin. "You're a mate."

  "S'OK," said Daniel.

  "Well, the others all ran off, but you stopped."

  Hearing the two classmates chatting did nothing to calm Simon's feelings of insecurity. Of course he knew Daniel had other friends, lots actually, he was popular in a way that Simon could only dream of, and that made him all the more wonderful in Simon's eyes. It was illogical to doubt Daniel's loyalty to him, knowing all that Daniel did for him, especially with regard to arithmetic. But seeing and hearing Daniel and Gavin together, his sensibilities in this regard were heightened. But then Daniel replied.

  "Simon stopped to help as well." Simon's heart leapt. Hearing Daniel talk about him to his friends was a real pick up.

  "Yeah, thanks Simon," said Gavin, trying to turn his neck to look back, but failing and wincing with sudden pain. "Ow!" He turned back.

  "Lives near you, doesn't he?" Gavin asked Daniel.

  "Yes."

  "You friends?"

  "Yes," said Daniel, "he's my best friend. He'll be at Henrys next year."

  Swiftly from suspicion to soaring the heights, Simon's mood took off, and he followed behind, happy once more, Daniel oblivious to the smile now on Simon's face. The small matter of first having to pass the eleven plus went unnoticed.

  They entered Gavin's short driveway and limped round the side of the house to the back door.

  "Mum!" shouted Gavin as they opened it. They leaned the bikes against the wall of the house and while Gavin stepped gingerly into the kitchen, Daniel and Simon stood outside, not entering uninvited. Mrs Strong appeared.

  "Gavin, what happened to you?" she asked, worriedly.

  "Came off me bike," explained Gavin. "These two helped me home."

  "Hello, Daniel," said Mrs Strong. Simon wondered how well Daniel knew Gavin. His mother obviously knew him. But then he remembered what Daniel had said and felt better.

  "And who's this other little hero?" asked Mrs Strong of Gavin, looking at Simon.

  "That's Simon. He's Daniel's best friend."

  Mrs Strong beamed at Simon, Simon beamed back, happy in the confirmation of his status from Gavin, as a representative of Daniel's peers.

  She now had a wet flannel and was wiping Gavin's wounds with it. They looked a lot less serious with all the blood and muck removed.

  "Come in, boys." he said, and Daniel went into the kitchen, Simon following. Gavin seemed a lot happier now, and smiled at the two.

  "Thanks for helping," he said. Then to his mother, "The rest all ran off, only these helped."

  "Where was this?" asked Mrs Strong.

  "In the spinney," said Simon, feeling more confident.

  "Gavin, what have I told you about riding your bike in there?" Mrs Strong said sharply. Gavin shot Simon a cross look. Daniel moved very slightly so as to be slightly more between Simon and Gavin and his mother. But both boys remained silent, Simon now feeling stupid.

  Mrs Strong went on, "Still, it was very good of you both to help Gavin. I'll see what I can find." She finished applying a sticking plaster to Gavin's knee and then disappeared into the house.

  "Simon didn't know you weren't supposed to be there," whispered Daniel to Gavin.

  Gavin's look softened a bit. "Never mind," he said.

  Mrs Strong returned with three boxes of jelly babies. "Here we are," she said brightly, handing each of them a box. "One for a brave boy and one for two good helpers each."

  "Thank you," said Simon and Daniel in unison.

  "We'd better go now," said Daniel.

  The two set off, riding their bikes again now, weaving slowly along the street.

  "Let's go to mine," said Daniel.

  So they rode to Daniel's house. He let himself in. Daniel had his own key for the house.

  "Where's your Mum and Dad?" asked Simon.

  "Work." They dumped their coats and shoes and Daniel led the way to his bedroom. It was much bigger than Simon's, the house was bigger. It had a toilet downstairs as well as upstairs. Daniel had a double bed in his room, and Simon thought that was very special. The two usually played in Daniel's room rather Simon's because it was heated, a major reason in the winter. Simon sat on the bed and watched him tidy away some things on the floor. Daniel turned to Simon.

  "You OK?" he asked. Simon nodded, his gaze fixed on his friend. Daniel came over and sat next to Simon.

  "Did you mean that, what you said?" asked Simon, clumsily.

  "What?"

  "When you told Gavin I was your best friend."

  "Of course. You are." Daniel put his arm round Simon's slim shoulders. "You know you are," he said, grinning, and he put his other hand on Simon's thigh. Simon responded by doing the same. He felt excited.

  "We've got lots of time," said Daniel. "Let's undress."

  Simon nodded, ready as always to comply, excited at the prospect without really knowing why, anxious to lay to rest the doubts he had felt earlier and to re-affirm his standing with Daniel. Daniel too had felt his friend's uncertainty and while he enjoyed the feeling of ascendancy he got when close to Simon, he began to feel it was more than that. He looked forward to their times alone together, to seeing and in a way possessing Simon's body, running his hands over his smooth flesh, revelling in that Simon allowed the most personal caressing, and even more so in the knowledge that Simon knew his own body so well and that he would respond in kind, bringing him to climax even though he could not yet achieve that himself. Daniel was aware now that this was sexual in a way that his younger friend was not yet. He was not sure how to handle this new dimension in his head, but felt he had to be careful and not upset Simon, whom he knew, looked up to him. He reflected on what he had said to Gavin, and it was true. Simon was his best friend, there was nobody he was closer to and he knew that Simon would never betray their secret.

  In the glowing aftermath of his sexual release, he looked at Simon lying beside him, and he felt new emotion and hugged Simon tightly.

  "What was that for?" said Simon, slightly surprised at this sudden squeeze.

  "For you," said Daniel, happily.

  The afternoon ended happily for Simon too as the two boys relaxed in their sensual intimacy and comfort of each other's touch, they lay on the big bed, eating jelly babies and talking about the huge American aircraft carrier that was the cutaway in the middle of Daniel's Eagle comic until it was time to get dressed.

  Lying in bed that night with the wind rattling around outside, Simon felt safe and warm under the blankets and eiderdown, while the gales, like the troubles of his world, raged on, but for the time being could not get to him. He did not have to be concerned with lost roof slates and damaged fences so he snuggled down and listened to the tempest outside, content with his day. He knew that a few hundred yards away, Daniel would be doing the same, and felt the closeness again.

  1956/11 Long Division

  Miss Brown had worked through it patiently with him, and he understood it then, or so he thought, but now on a cold November Saturday morning, it had all gone. Long division of money. Simon didn't know where to start. That feeling of cold panic and helplessness came over him as he thought of having to spend the next five years at Victoria Road with Barry Spence. It was true that Spence had kept his distance since be
ing felled spectacularly in the school yard by a single punch from Simon, and he was shorn of most of his hangers on by constant pressure from Miss Day and Mr West, but Simon knew it wouldn't last. Spence had said as much. "Wait till you get to Vicks, Scott. I've got friends there who are going to beat you up every day." Simon had no reason to doubt the truth of this and was frightened.

  Daniel was backing him, helping him with these 11 plus papers he was given for practice, and he knew that Daniel had turned down chances to go out with his other friends from Hooray Henrys in order to help him with his maths. But Daniel would not be there at the juniors when the exam had to be taken. Simon shook with fear and a tear came. Daniel had told him that in one place they were going to abolish the 11 plus. That had sounded a good idea to Simon until Daniel said that it meant all the children would go to one school. So that would not help his predicament, and anyway, Daniel was against it. All right for him, he was clever and had got to Hooray Henrys.

  He folded up the test paper and went downstairs. The fire was lit in the sitting room and he went in to get warm. He sat on the settee, not the broken end, and looked again at the test paper. If only he could understand it. The numbers just seemed to dance in front of his eyes. He looked into the fire, seeing patterns in the red hot coals. He closed the test paper and picked up his book. He liked reading and was now one of the best readers in the class. And that had improved his spelling too. So he tried to shut his mind to the future and lose himself in the story about space ships and mining the asteroids.

  Mummy put her head round the door. "Lunch is ready." Mummy always called it lunch, although everybody else he knew called it dinner. He sat at the dining table and started to eat.

  "Frances, how do you do division of money?"

  Frances thought for a moment. "Well, you start by dividing the pounds and transfer the remainder to the shillings, add it on and then divide that, and do the same for pennies," she said helpfully. Mummy and Daddy nodded approval. Simon was left none the wiser. But what did that mean?