The Secret Catamite Bk 1, The Book of Daniel (3 page)

"What have you done?" demanded
Daddy sternly.

"Leave him, he'll be alright,"
said Mummy.

"He must have done something,"
said Daddy, then, glaring at Simon, "Well, what was it?"

Simon didn't answer, unsure of
what response any answer would bring. Daddy insisted on examining
the marks on Simon's bottom. Simon did not like this, but was no
position to refuse. In the end he got away with being sent to bed
early.

1. 1952/3 Daniel in the
   Den
   

A few days later, at the
weekend, when Simon and Daniel were discussing what had happened,
Daniel thought it was unfair.

"It's not your fault," he said.
"Did old Harvey really hit you because you were different?"

"I think so," said Simon, "But I
don't know how I am. I don't look much different to anyone else do
I?"

"Not really," said Daniel, "but
you are a bit odd sometimes."

"I'm the only one the biguns
call 'bastard'," said Simon, "but I think I'm the same as everyone
else, like you."

"Don't know," said Daniel,
"let's have a look at you, and I'll see if we are different."

It was decided that they should
both compare themselves. They set off into the small wood, known as
the Spinney, that lay beyond the allotments at the end of the
street. Simon felt an unexplained thrill of anticipation as they
searched together for a suitably hidden place.

"I know a place," said Daniel,
"Come on." Simon followed as Daniel led the way across a bombsite
and through the trees, and down into an overgrown depression that
was hard to see unless one knew it was there. The warm sunlight
cast speckled green shadows over the two boys' faces as they sat in
a small clear area, almost totally concealed by the bushes from any
casual passer-by.

"It's my den," announced Daniel,
looking at Simon with the pride of one who has shared a great
secret, and yet seeking Simon's approval. Simon beamed back at him,
and looked around the den.

"It's a super den," said
Simon.

"Our secret den," said
Daniel.

"Yes," said Simon simply.

For a few moments, the two boys
sat in the warmth of the den and each other's company, the
communion of their eyes saying more to each other than their
limited vocabulary could ever have done.

"We could be soldiers in the
war," suggested Daniel.

"A secret base against the
Germans," added Simon. Neither boy was exactly sure who the Germans
were, but both knew that they were to be feared, even though they
had been beaten in the war. Simon knew about the war, because Daddy
had been in it, and had shown Simon some photographs of him in
uniform. Daddy's RAF uniform still hung in the wardrobe and the
medal was in the top drawer. Sometimes, some men would come to the
house, and they and Daddy would drink a lot of beer and then start
talking and laughing about what they had done in the war together.
Simon thought the war must have been great fun, even though the
Germans had obviously tried to spoil it. Maybe that's why we fought
them, to stop them spoiling the war.

Daniel suddenly threw himself
onto his stomach, holding an imaginary rifle.

"Quiet, men!" he commanded. "The
Germans are close."

Simon lay next to Daniel, and
both boys stared out through the leaves and trees to where the
houses could be seen beyond the allotments. One or two men could be
seen digging in their allotment patches, but in the minds of the
two boys, these were the real Germans, out to kill them.

The Germans made no attempt to
advance and do battle, in fact they seemed unaware of the British
soldiers lying concealed in the wood. The boys lay increasingly
uneasily, each waiting for the other to admit first that the game
had lost its sparkle. Daniel eventually gave way.

"What shall we do now?" he
asked, tacitly admitting the lack of co-operation afforded by the
allotment diggers.

"We could light a fire,"
suggested Simon in a moment of inspiration. He had watched Mummy
light the fire at home, using paper and sticks to get the coal
burning, but it occurred to him that he had no paper, sticks, coal
or matches.

"You burn wood," said Daniel,
looking around the den.

"We haven't got any matches."
said Simon finally.

He remembered then why they had
come here, and asked Daniel The Question.

"What's a bastard?" asked Simon.
Daniel thought for a moment.

"Don't know," he said.
"Why?"

"I asked Mummy, but she didn't
tell me."

"I'll ask mine," offered Daniel,
"and then I'll tell you. Why do the biguns call you that?"

"Don't know," said Simon. "I
don't know what it is."

"Why are you different?"
persisted Daniel. Simon thought about this. He was always aware
that he was somehow different from the others, that they knew this.
They laughed at some of the ideas he came up with, at the way he
talked, at Mummy and Daddy, and at him because of the 'Bastard'.
Now Daniel too knew that he was different, and Daniel was his
friend. He was older, and knew lots of things. Sometimes he even
played with the biguns.

"Don't know. I don't want to be.
I've looked in the mirror, and I can't see what's wrong," said
Simon.

"Let's have a look," said
Daniel, assuming an air of authority that Simon found somehow
exciting, yet feeling compelled to oblige. He looked around the
wood from the concealed den to check that no-one was about. Daniel
stood up.

"It's all right," he said. Simon
started to undo the buttons of his shorts. Watching him, Daniel
felt his dominance over his younger friend growing, and felt he had
to assert it.

"Take everything off," he
commanded. Simon stripped off, conscious of Daniel watching him,
and felt a stirring of excitement at what they were doing.

"Socks as well," said Daniel,
and Simon obeyed. He sat naked on the soft grass in the hollow,
arms round his drawn up knees, buttocks feeling the warm grass. It
felt good. Daniel knelt beside him and gently pushed Simon so that
he was lying down, face up, looking at the overhead canopy of
green, with the blue sky peeping through here and there. Daniel
looked over Simon's body. He gently ran his hand over Simon's skin,
and as his friend made no move, established mastery of the
relationship by caressing Simon's most intimate parts.

"I think I know what it is," he
said. "It's your cock."

Simon lifted up onto his elbows
and looked at his penis.

"What about it?" he asked.

"It's different," said Daniel.
"Look." Daniel quickly undid his shorts and pulled them and his
pants down. Slipping them off and his T-shirt, he lay next to Simon
on the grass. Simon could see the difference. The end was different
from Daniel's. Simon looked at his circumcision and wondered. He
looked at Daniel frightened and puzzled.

"How do they know?" he
asked.

"Who?" asked Daniel.

"The biguns and Miss Harvey and
all them."

"Don't know, but I won't tell",
said Daniel. "Are your marks still there?"

Simon rolled over and Daniel
examined the fading bruises. He again ran his hand round Simon's
body, over his buttocks and through his legs. Simon felt the
softness of his touch and was glad for it. He felt the warmth of
Daniel's body close to him and felt something of the comfort he got
from Mummy. Simon was glad he had a friend who knew how he was
different, and still wanted him. Simon was happy.

They lay there for a while, as
the day cooled, then dressed and went home, Daniel for a piano
lesson, Simon for tea, each happy with their time in the den, each
for their own reasons.

1. 1953/6
   Coronation
   

The Coronation was a memorable
event for Simon. It was going to be on television! Daddy had always
said television was a waste of money and radio was much better. But
then it said that the Coronation would be on television. Daniel's
family were going to get one, a point raised one day when all four
were at home having tea.

"Daniel's Daddy's getting a
television," announced Simon. He had no real hope that this would
produce a 'yes, let's get one too' moment, but felt compelled to
say it.

"Maybe Daniel's father can
afford one," said Daddy, sharply.

"I think Jennifer's going to get
one too," said Frances. "She says I can go and watch the Coronation
at hers if I want."

"Can I come?" asked Simon
quickly.

"Definitely not," said Frances
curtly.

"I'll go to Daniel's then," said
Simon.

"Good, at least you won't be
bothering me," retorted his sister.

"Children, stop it," said Mummy.
"Frances, you must wait to be asked by Jennifer's mother, not just
by Jennifer. Same goes for you Simon. Wait to be asked
properly."

"I'll get Jennifer to ask her,"
said Frances.

"And I'll get Daniel to ask,"
said Simon not wishing to be outdone.

"For heaven's sake, stop it,"
said Daddy crossly, glaring at Simon. Was it just because he had
been the last to speak, or was because Frances was older. Whatever,
Simon fell quiet.

"I expect it'll be on the
radio," said Mummy brightly.

"Help Mummy clear the table,"
said Daddy, getting up and leaving the dining room.

"That meant you," said Frances
to Simon, also getting up.

"Ask to leave the table
properly," said Mummy. Frances sat down again, but tensed ready to
get up again.

"Please may I leave the
table?"

"Yes dear," said Mummy.

"Why isn't she going to help
clear up?" demanded Simon indignantly.

"Yes," said Mummy to Frances,
"you can help."

"Mum!" whined Frances, "I'm
going to Jennifer's and I've got to get ready and I'll be late if I
don't get ready now."

Simon often wondered why Frances
took so long to 'get ready'. This was some feminine ritual that was
completely incomprehensible. She would disappear for ages and then
come out again, looking to Simon's eyes pretty much as she had when
she went in. Simon would just get up and go out, it saved a lot of
time. But Mummy fell for it. She spent a lot of time 'getting
ready' too.

"Well, you do it next time,"
said Mummy.

"Thanks Mummy," said Frances,
already half way out of the dining room door.

Simon looked at Mummy crossly.
"It's not fair," he said. "I bet she doesn't do it next time."

"Come on, love," she coaxed,
"we'll do it together, you and me."

It was the Wednesday tea time
before the Tuesday of Coronation Day when the van came to the
house.

There was a knock at the
door.

"Ah," said Daddy, who had come
home early for some unexplained reason. He got up, smiling broadly.
Mummy was smiling too.

Simon and Frances exchanged
glances, they were suspicious of these parental conspiracies.

Daddy opened the door to a man
in overalls.

"Mr Scott?" said the man.

"Yes," said Daddy, turning to
smile at the two puzzled and curious children behind him.

The man in overalls went away to
return with another overall man, and they were carrying a
television!

"Is that ours?" said
Frances.

"Yes, princess," said Daddy.

The men carried the television
through to the sitting room. Mummy and Daddy moved the table out of
the corner to make room.

"Will there do?" said Daddy.

The man looked round and then
out of the window for some reason.

"Fine, sir," he said. "OK if we
go round the back?"

"Of course," said Mummy.

Simon followed to see what they
were doing.

"Don't get in the way, love,"
called Mummy.

"He's OK," said the man.

They took ladders off the van
and took them round to the back garden. Then a big roll of round
wire and of course! The aerial.

Simon watched as they climbed up
onto the roof of the house. The large 'H' shaped aerial was
strapped to the chimney and the wire fixed to the wall, in through
the window frame to the television set.

"You're a lucky young fellow,"
said the man to Simon.

"Why?" said Simon.

"Why!" repeated the man. "Do you
know what the waiting list is for these things? There's going to be
a lot of disappointed people on Tuesday."

"Will we see the Coronation on
it?" asked Simon.

"I expect so," said the man,
laughing. "I expect it helps when your Dad works for the BBC."

Simon knew Daddy worked for the
BBC and that this was important. Daniel thought so anyway. He said
it was because Daddy had done well in the war. But Daniel's Daddy
was a policeman and a high up one too, and Simon thought that was
pretty important.

The two men, one up by the
aerial and the other looking at an instrument on the ground, spent
some time talking about something called alignment, then they
seemed happy.

"What's that for?" asked
Simon.

"The aerial's got to be lined up
with the transmitter," explained the man. Simon liked the sound of
'transmitter'. It sounded mysterious and powerful.

Simon looked out across the
garden and the allotments to see if he could see the
transmitter.

"No, son," said the man,
chuckling, "you won't see it from here. It's at Sutton Coldfield."
Simon had never heard of Sutton Coldfield, so he let that pass.

The men went into the sitting
room. They connected up the wires and the plug. Time to turn it
on.

Nothing happened at first and
then there was a noise from the set, a steady hum. The men seemed
pleased, then the picture appeared. Simon was disappointed. He
thought it would perhaps be cowboys or something interesting.
Instead it was a load of black, white and grey patterns.

"That's the test card," said the
man to Daddy and Mummy. "It's looking good."