Hadrian's Lover

by Patricia-Marie Budd

  Heated debate surrounds the issue of corporal punishment. Some parents are demanding that the paddle be banned as a means of punishment while others concur with Gideon Weller that in order to restrain the passions and aggressions of heterosexual men, one needs to do battle with a hard hand. We have all witnessed firsthand the brutal ways of heterosexual men every time our walls are attacked. These men are truly lunatics and very dangerous. All our exposure to heterosexual men shows that they are not capable of reason and act far too quickly on their emotions. The first instinct of the heterosexual male is to fight. According to Gideon Weller, “When one is responsible for restraining angry young men, one has to use physical force or all of Hadrian will suffer the consequences!” And, as our polls show, many in Hadrian concur.

  As for the accusation that Gideon Weller has raped some of the wards at his camp, no evidence has been found, and not a single ward in the past twenty-five years that Gideon Weller has been stationed at the Northeast Camp has come forward with an accusation. It is merely the word of one man who claims to have heard a rape in action. Of that specific incident, Gideon Weller has a witness assuring us that no rape occurred. The young man, the alleged victim in question, remains silent on the issue.

  I remain firm in my belief that Gideon Weller is innocent of all charges. His work at the Northeast Reeducation Camp excels all others in the field of reeducation. Salve! and HNN stand behind Gideon Weller.

  Vale!

  A Controversial Lesson

  In grade ten, Frank and Todd were in all required courses together. Both boys’ favorite class was literature. Much of the material studied was gay literature and the standard interpretation, though often left unexpressed, was that every character read and discussed in class was gay. Todd decided to challenge this rule on the day Mr. Reiner introduced a classic Canadian literature unit with an emphasis on gay literature written when homosexuality was deemed unacceptable.

  On that day, unconvinced that either the poet or his characters were gay, Todd raises his hand. After the receptive nod, he asks, “Mr. Reiner, how do you know Earle Birney was gay?”

  “Good question, Todd.” Mr. Reiner enjoys students with the courage and intelligence to challenge his suppositions. “I don’t. I didn’t even bother to read the man’s bio. All I’m really interested in is the content of his poetry—actually, with the one poem I’ve chosen for our study, David.”

  “I don’t see it. How can you base a man’s sexuality on one poem about two friends mountain hiking—especially when there is nothing in the poem to suggest either boy is gay—or the poet for that matter.”

  Frank instantly raises his hand. Mr. Reiner smiles. Nodding knowingly Frank’s way, he waves his hand down. “We’ll get to that soon enough, Todd,” Mr. Reiner replies, almost condescendingly. “First, I would like to explain the necessity of studying the works of homosexuals from the past—”

  Todd refuses to allow the subject to change. “I read a bio of the poet over the wave last night. It said he married a woman, an Edith or Ester Bull, and that they had a son. I think that means the man was a heterosexual.”

  A slight grimace exposes Mr. Reiner’s annoyance. “There were a number of men, and women,” he adds for the girls, “who married and lived false heterosexual lives. But,” cutting off any further attempt by Todd to recommence his argument, “that is not the topic for today’s discussion.” Todd had intended to mention how Earle Birney also had a relationship with a female graduate student, but Mr. Reiner is successful in assuaging his attempt. Lifting a finger in front of the boy’s face, “Ah, ah, ah,” he pronounces sternly, insisting they revert back to his chosen topic. “Those men and women,” he continues, “who lived in an oppressed era, had to be subtle about offering the world their expression. It behooves us,” Mr. Reiner drones on now, looking directly at his immediate opposition (Todd), “to study the work of those men and women who did not live in a secure and free environment like ourselves. This,” he emphasizes, “is an important part of our heritage as homosexuals. And,” he reminds his class, “part of the rationale behind why our founding families chose to create a country of our own. Todd—” Although Mr. Reiner is not picking on Todd, he tends to direct most of his questions the young man’s way since he is almost always sure to get an intelligent answer from Todd. “Remind the class of the cornerstone I am referring to.”

  Hadrian’s society is founded on four cornerstones of existence, and these cornerstones are drilled into all Hadrian’s children from the first days of schooling, so anyone in the room could have answered without thinking. Todd is definitely not thinking at the moment as he answers in far too concise and crisp a manner. He believes he is being picked on for harboring a disparaging interpretation. “Safety for homosexuals.”

  “Yes,” Mr. Reiner’s sigh expresses his disappointment. Usually Todd’s answers are more in-depth. “Devon,” another boy Mr. Reiner can always depend on for bright responses, “elaborate, please.”

  Devon doesn’t even have to turn on the cognitive components of his brain to reply. He simply recites verbatim the words straight out of Hadrian’s founding constitution: “First and foremost, it has been decided that Hadrian will provide a safe haven for homosexuals, who have, throughout the history of mankind, suffered discrimination and abuse. Never again shall a homosexual walk in fear or feel the need to hide his identity for the appearance of normalcy in society.”

  “Very good.” Turning on the student who is his favorite most other days, Mr. Reiner scolds, “Now, that, Todd, was a thorough, in-depth response.” Todd’s nod is acknowledgment enough for Mr. Reiner to move on.

  “Now, obviously, Todd read the poem as assigned. Who else in the class read the poem David by Earle Birney last night?” Only a few hands rise: Devon, Frank, Millicent, and T’Neal. All other students lower their heads in shame. Mr. Reiner is quite disappointed. Hadrian boasts the brightest minds and the best education system on the planet, yet here, sitting before him, is the deluge of society. His glare is scathing and the class is sufficiently intimidated. Mr. Reiner, notorious for using the voc to contact parents instantly—in class, and loud enough for everyone in the room to hear—begins a rapid succession of blinking. Having already set up contact groups with all of his students’ parents, it is just a matter of blinking in the right contacts and uttering the appropriate words. “English ten—class two—delete Middleton, Hunter, Rankin, Brown, and Cantos—” The rapid succession of blinks required of Mr. Reiner to organize this message was only comical to those five students not affected. “Parents,” the teacher begins his tirade against the wayward members of his class, “I regret to inform you that your child has refrained from completing yesterday’s homework. Please note the attached file.” Reiner is also notorious for backup plans designed as extra work for students who fail to complete assigned tasks. “I expect all irresponsible students to complete this task tonight in lieu of yesterday’s assignment. Please ensure your child completes it and either vocs or waves the assignment to me before tomorrow’s lesson.” Numerous groans fill the room. Hadrian takes the education of its children seriously, and everyone who failed to read the poem last night knows his or her parents are answering that voc message right now! And Hadrian only knows what horrendous assignment Mr. Reiner has designed for them.

  “Now,” Mr. Reiner continues, “take out your slates and open the Birney poem we downloaded yesterday. T’Neal,” (Mr. Reiner always asks T’Neal to read because the young man has a natural actor’s voice—and T’Neal always agrees—and knowing he will be asked to read, he always practices the night before) “please read the poem aloud for us.”

  T’Neal obliges, and when he is done, he offers up the first interpretation. “It’s about mountain climbers, isn’t it, sir?”

  Mr. Reiner quickly aborts the instinctual headshake and scorn he feels whenever a student claims an interpretation already presented by another member of the class. “Yes, T’Neal, it is. That is exactly what Todd pointed out earlier
.” Hoping for further insight, Mr. Reiner’s eyes scan over the other four students who claimed to have read the poem in advance.

  Todd immediately pipes up. He likes the poem and read it over four times last night. “Only the one guy was a real climber. The other kid didn’t really know what he was doing.”

  “Good!” Todd is now back in Mr. Reiner’s good graces. “How do you know that, Todd?”

  “Well, it says here,” Todd is pointing to the lines on his slate even though the act is not necessary, “that David taught him how to: ‘David showed me/How to use the give of shale for giant incredible/Strides.’” Scrunching his eyes tight, looking deep inside his brain for the answer, Todd adds, “I think that means David taught him how to jump from one rock to another.”

  “Not bad, Todd.” Mr. Reiner is smiling so hard his cheeks are causing his eyes to squint.

  “And here it says,” Todd adds, encouraged by his instructor’s enthusiasm, “‘David taught me/How time on a knife-edge can pass with the guessing of fragments.’ I think that means David was the expert here and not his friend.”

  “Excellent, my boy, but we haven’t heard from any of the girls. Millicent, what other evidence can you find in the poem to support the idea that David was an expert climber?”

  “Nothing. The poem doesn’t make any sense at all.” Clearly exasperated, she glares up at Mr. Reiner. “Why does all the stuff we read have to be about boys? Why can’t we ever read anything about lesbians?”

  Mr. Reiner groans, as do most of the boys. Mr. Reiner so desperately wants to point out that they just finished reading Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. But he doesn’t. Millicent Brown would just cry about it to her mothers and make his life a living hell. Instead, he searches for the safest means of escape. “I challenge you to find some for us,” Mr. Reiner suggests.

  “Sylvia Plath,” Millicent responds instantly.

  “Fine,” Mr. Reiner grumbles. He hates Sylvia Plath’s suicidal everybody hates me poetic rants—but all the lesbians love her. “We can download some of her work tomorrow. In the meantime,” his eyebrows rise as he speaks briskly, “attempt to understand Birney’s poem.”

  “Yes, sir.” Millicent is slightly mollified since she has been assured some study of her favorite poet. “Can we start with Admonition?”

  Pushing his glasses up to his forehead, and then rubbing the bridge of his nose, Mr. Reiner sighs. “How about you pick the poems?”

  “I will,” Millicent declares victoriously.

  “All right then.” Having successfully escaped a scathing remark from the girl’s mothers about favoritism to boys, Mr. Reiner directs the class back to today’s lesson. “Let’s go deeper into the poem, shall we?”

  “Oh, oh, oh!” Millicent is practically giggling in delight as she waves her arm about.

  “Yes, Millicent.” Mr. Reiner is dearly hoping she will talk about David.

  No such luck. “Can we also study Anne Sexton? She was Sylvia Plath’s best friend.” She turns and smiles to her best friend, Crystal Albright.

  “Were they lovers, too?” Crystal asks Millicent. Before answering, Millicent kisses her girlfriend.

  Mr. Reiner puts a stop to this display of affection and any potential response from Millicent. “My classroom is not a bedroom. Please refrain from kissing in here.”

  Millicent raises her eyes, “You let the boys kiss.”

  “No, I do not.” Mr. Reiner is unimpressed with the accusation. “This is an academic institution, not a social outlet for dating.” To mollify the girl some, knowing full well she is going to go home and complain to her mothers, Mr. Reiner offers her a prize. “Here’s what you do, Millicent. You choose all the poems and poets for tomorrow’s lesson. Voc them to me and I’ll approve them. Sound good?”

  Victorious, Millicent shakes her fists in front of her and turns for one more kiss from Crystal. Mr. Reiner chooses to let this little act pass since Millicent’s mothers are very active in the girl’s education. As far as these women are concerned, Millicent is never wrong. Teachers always have to tread lightly with parents of strong influence, regardless of who’s right or wrong.

  Frank pulls Mr. Reiner out of potential hot water by raising his hand. “I think what Bobbie did for David at the end was incredibly romantic and beautiful.”

  Romance, Mr. Reiner smiles. Thank you, Frank. Girls love romance! “And what was that, Frank?” Better yet, this is the very direction he wants the class discussion to take.

  “To help his lover die when his life was clearly over.”

  “What?” Todd can’t believe his ears.

  Oh, good! Mr. Reiner grins. When these two disagree, the class discussion doesn’t get any better.

  Frank’s shoulders shrug involuntarily as his head shakes and his eyes blink in confusion. “Didn’t you hear me?”

  “Of course I heard you,” Todd retaliates. “I just think you’re wrong.”

  Thank Hadrian for Todd, Mr. Reiner muses. No one else in class has the gumption to disagree with Frank Hunter. That Mr. Reiner silently agrees with Frank is irrelevant. He simply appreciates Todd’s ability to spark a debate and get Frank Hunter riled up at the same time.

  “So you think assisted suicide is wrong?” Frank is fervent in his position.

  “In this case,” Todd replies quite matter-of-factly (a tone he knows drives Frank insane), “yes.”

  “Why?” Frank is almost angry now.

  “Because his life isn’t over.” Then, in deference to Frank’s near outburst, Todd raises his hand to calm down his friend. “Okay, I admit he is probably paralyzed for life, but—”

  “Probably?” Frank interjects. “Ah, Mr. Reiner, am I right or am I right? I mean, it says David can’t even move and he only shifts his eyes…”

  “He can move his head,” Todd points out.

  Frank ignores Todd’s input. “On top of all that, Todd, he can’t feel any pain.”

  “Where exactly does it say that, Frank?” Mr. Reiner always insists his students provide empirical evidence.

  Ignoring his teacher, carrying right on with his harangue, Frank continues, “I mean, he fell a good fifty feet, landed on his back atop a very sharp rock—‘a cruel fang’ he can’t even feel!”

  “Good, Frank,” Mr. Reiner stops him. “You provided us one quote from the poem, ‘a cruel fang,’ but that doesn’t prove your supposition that David is paralyzed. Find us the evidence, direct evidence from the poem.”

  “Right here,” Frank, too, points to his personal slate, though it does nothing to help the others in the class.

  “Which lines?” Mr. Reiner asks since Frank has not provided any direct quotes.

  “Um…” Frank really hadn’t pointed to the right lines so he begins his search. Tapping his slate triumphantly when he finds it, he exclaims, “Here! Where David says, ‘I can’t move…If only I felt/Some pain.’ See,” he says, smiling Todd’s way, nodding his head and raising his eyebrows. “He even uses the word ‘pain.’”

  “Okay,” Todd acquiesces. “He’s paralyzed for life, but come on; that doesn’t mean his life has to end.”

  “It does for David.”

  Tilting his head, closing his eyes only to open and roll them Frank’s way, Todd asks, “Why?” Mr. Reiner has to stifle a laugh; Todd is so comical with his expressions.

  “Listen,” Franks says. (Mr. Reiner loves it when the students take over and teach each other.) “It’s at the beginning of the poem, ‘mountains for David were made to see over,’ and then at the end, he rejects the idea of having to live helpless and confined to a wheelchair.” Seeing Mr. Reiner’s eyebrow cock, Frank looks at the poem and finds the lines he needs for evidence. “Here, when he says, ‘For what? A wheelchair,/Bob?’”

  “Just because someone wants to die doesn’t mean it’s right to help him,” Todd insists. “He could learn to accept his new life. Learn ways to cope.”

  Using one of the symbols Birney placed inside his poem, Frank ejacula
tes, “He was a mountain goat, Todd! He could never live in a wheelchair. He needs to climb mountains. And then,” Frank adds, latching onto the other symbol Earle Birney used to foreshadow David’s death, “there’s the bird with the broken wing. David took it from Bob and killed it, saying, ‘Could you teach it to fly?’”

  “That was a bird, Frank.” Exasperated, Todd practically shouts, “Not a guy.” Then turning grim, he says, “I just don’t understand how Bobbie could do it.” To take a friend’s life is incomprehensible to the youth.

  “Devon,” Mr. Reiner asks, trying to include other class members in the discussion, “do you know the answer to Todd’s question?”

  Devon is quick to respond. He may not jump into class discussions, but he will always answer a question when asked. “He blames himself for David’s fall.”

  “Good,” Mr. Reiner praises the lad, “and where is that found in the poem?” Turning now to the girls, choosing Millicent since she is the only one to have read the poem in advance, he says, “Come, Millicent; show the boys up by finding the evidence.”

  Millicent scowls but gives in to the challenge. “Here, when David says, ‘No, Bobbie! Don’t ever blame yourself./I didn’t test my foothold.’”

  “Not bad,” Mr. Reiner acknowledges, “but,” he emphasizes, “those lines only show that David doesn’t want Bobbie to feel guilty. What lines show that Bobbie does feel guilty?” Because Frank’s hand is waving like a flag in the wind, Mr. Reiner tosses the reins back to him, “Frank.”