The Secret Catamite Bk 1, The Book of Daniel (6 page)

"OK, but not quite two
years."

"Right, one year and fifty-one
weeks, if it makes you feel better." Daniel rolled off Simon and
lay next to him panting. Then, propping himself up, he looked
around. "There's a little wood over there. No houses round." He
looked meaningfully at Simon, who just after the physical closeness
of their fun fight, understood perfectly. He nodded and they rode
their bikes a short distance along the lane to the wood. It was
unlike the spinney at home because there were no worn paths created
by many cycling children or more sedate walkers. It was wild, cool
and quiet. They wheeled their bikes into the wood.

"This'll do," said Daniel. He
had chosen well, they were shielded by undergrowth but would hear
any approach, and were some distance into the wood from the lane.
As he removed his T shirt and shorts, Simon copied and the two
stood naked, facing each other.

"We've got nothing to lie on,"
said Simon. "There might be prickles in the grass."

"We've laid on the grass
before," said Daniel. He knelt down and felt all around. "It's
fine, no prickles." He lay down himself and beckoned Simon
downward. Simon looked quickly round and obeyed. The two explored
each other with tender hands, each caressing the now familiar
contours of the other.

"Yours is almost as big as
mine," said Daniel.

Simon looked at that part which
fascinates boys about their bodies more than any other. "Is that
good?" he asked.

"Suppose so. Dunno really," said
Daniel. "Maybe it's because it's different. Probably be OK."

The two lay together in the
woods, listening for any danger, but relaxed in each other's
company. Daniel propped himself up on his elbows and reached across
pulling Simon toward him, holding him. Simon looked up at his
friend's face. He knew he could always trust Daniel. He had saved
his life in the Lido just a couple of weeks before, although each
time he mentioned it, Daniel just said it was OK and to stop going
on about it. But Simon kept thinking about it.

"Do you like doing this?" asked
Daniel. There was a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"Bike rides?"

"No, idiot. Like this. Stripping
off together and sort of, stroking and all that."

Simon thought how he could
express his feelings of safety and security when he was with
Daniel, and especially when he was being held in their shared
nakedness. "I love it," he said simply.

"Me too," said Daniel relieved,
and ran his hand slowly down Simon's back from the nape of his
neck, down his spine and on, staying a bit longer on his buttocks
and then to the backs of his thighs, a move he knew Simon loved.
Simon gently sighed, and then responded equally. Their eyes met but
neither had the words or dared, so the bond remained unspoken.

"We'd better get back," said
Daniel after a while. "Must be getting on for tea time. Piano
practice." The boys got dressed and wheeled their bikes back to the
lane.

They raced down the hill on
their bikes, passing the thirty mile an hour sign with a laugh as
they cycled through the village at top speed, imagining themselves
to be space rockets breaking the sound barrier. More carefully when
they reached the main road and saw their first cars again since
they had left it earlier. Cycling on the paths, they were soon back
on their own quiet streets.

"See you tomorrow," said Daniel
at the corner.

"Yes. Happy birthday," said
Simon. "Oh, I was going to get the card. Will you be in later?"

"Not sure," said Daniel. "We
might be going out. So I'll have to see you tomorrow." They parted
with a wave.

The next morning, after rushing
his breakfast of bread and pork dripping, Simon looked out of his
bedroom window to see if he could see Daniel, but his bedroom
window showed nothing. Simon thought of Daniel's family, his Daddy,
wishing him a happy birthday. Simon often wished his Daddy was more
like Daniel's. He sat looking out across the allotments towards the
spinney, and where their den was, although that could not be seen
of course. Something attracted his eye and he looked back at
Daniel's house. He was there at his window, waving at Simon. Then
Daniel opened his bedroom window and was shouting something. Simon
opened his window, however it opened towards Daniel's house and so
was still between them, but he could hear Daniel's voice, although
not what he was saying. But the beckoning motion he was making was
clear enough. Simon waved and closed the window, running
downstairs, just remembering to pick up the homemade card. It was
beside the bought one Daniel had given him last week.

"Going round Daniel's, Mummy,"
he shouted.

"Oh, OK love," came Mummy's
voice form the sitting room. "Oh, say Happy Birthday from me. It is
today isn't it?" But she got no reply as by that time Simon was
running along the path to the corner and then round to Daniel's
house. As usual he went straight to the back door and there was
Daniel, waiting.

"Come in Simon," said Mrs.
Gray.

Simon stepped in, looking at
Daniel, glad he was there. He held out the homemade card.

"Happy Birthday, Daniel," he
said.

Daniel looked at the card, with
his name on it and pictures Simon had drawn of the two of them on
their bikes and Daniel playing his piano, and then turned to the
message of friendship inside. Simon looked anxiously for Daniel's
reaction.

"Thanks," said Daniel. "It's
super."

"Did you make that yourself,
Simon," asked Mrs Gray, coming over to have a look. Simon nodded.
She took the card from Daniel and opened it. Simon instantly
regretted his message inside, thinking maybe it was too much. And
then she read it out.

"'Happy Birthday to Daniel, my
very best friend forever and always.' That's really nice, Simon.
Taking the time and trouble to make a card yourself."

Relieved, Simon beamed with
pleasure at Daniel and his mother.

"Come upstairs, I've something
to show you," said Daniel. The two went upstairs to Daniel's
bedroom. Daniel stood expectantly while Simon looked round for
anything different.

"What?" said Simon. "Oh! Gosh!"
This was what Daniel wanted him to see. It was his very own
wireless, an Ever Ready.

"Let's turn it on," said Simon.
Daniel turned it on. Soon the speaker was blaring music.

"Once I had a secret love

That lived within the heart of
me

All too soon my secret love

Became
impatient to be free
"

The two joined in, adding their
raucous voices to Doris Day's.

"Try something else," said
Simon. Daniel turned the tuning knob and the two boys listened as
strange voices came from the wireless.

"That's German," said Daniel
with the authority of a new ten year old. Simon thought it could
be, because he knew what French sounded like a bit. "It's got four
valves and of course it's battery powered so we can take it out if
we want."

"Will your Mummy let you?" asked
Simon.

"Probably," said Daniel.
And then a new thought came to him. "Did you know
'Journey into Space
' is coming
back?"

"What's that?" said Simon.

"It's excellent, " said Daniel,
"it was all about spaceships and that, and going to the moon. But
in the new one they are going to Mars. We can listen to it
together."

Simon nodded
enthusiastically. He liked space. Daniel liked Dan Dare and so did
Simon, so
'Journey into Space'
sounded very good.

1. 1954/9 A Death and a
   Car
   

Simon came home from school to
find Mummy already home from her part time journalism. But Mummy
was, or just had been, crying.

"Mummy, what's the matter?" he
asked nervously. "Is Daddy in?" When Mummy was crying, it was
usually something to do with Daddy. But Mummy shook her head.

"No, darling." She paused, and
drew her lips tight, trying to find the words to say. "Grandpa's
died."

Simon's grandparents were on the
periphery of his life. Both pairs lived an hour's bus ride away but
in opposite directions, and sometimes the family – well, Mummy,
Frances and Simon – would go and see Grandpa and Nana Drummond,
Daddy only went sometimes, but all went to see Grandpa and Grandma
Scott. Of course.

"Grandpa Drummond?" said Simon,
although he was sure by Mummy's tears it was her Daddy. Mummy
nodded. Simon moved to where Mummy was sitting and put his arms
around her and he started to cry too. Because he knew he would
never see Grandpa again, but mainly because Mummy was crying. A
thought occurred to him.

"Is Nana all right?"

Mummy nodded. At that moment the
back door opened and shut and the whirlwind that was Frances came
through the kitchen.

"I'm home," she called
cheerfully to whoever might be listening, dropped her bag in the
hall and was gone upstairs to the bathroom. Mummy disentangled
herself from Simon's grasp and dried her face with a handkerchief
just as Frances reappeared. Mummy and Simon turned to face her.

"What?" said Frances, seeing
that all was not as it should be. "Mummy, what's the matter?" she
added now tuning in to Mummy's distress. Again that tightening of
the lips. Simon intervened to save her the pain of having to say
yet again.

"Grandpa Drummond's died," he
said.

"Oh Mummy!" shrieked Frances,
grief on her face and she flung her arms around Mummy. "When? What
happened?" For Grandpa Drummond, although seeming old to Simon, was
not that old.

"Earlier today," said Mummy.
"Lilian phoned. She's with Nana now. Heart attack." And Mummy cried
again.

"Does Daddy know?" asked the
sensible Frances, recovering and moving into command mode with all
the force of her thirteen years.

Mummy nodded. "He's coming home
as soon as he can."

About an hour later, they were
in the dining room trying to eat the small tea Frances had prepared
when the front door opened. Daddy was home. Mummy got up and went
into the hall, followed by Frances. Simon hung back, fearful of
Daddy's reaction to this unique circumstance.

"Oh Kate," was Daddy's voice.
Simon ventured into the hall to see Daddy hugging Mummy tightly,
his face upset and drawn. Then Frances started to cry again and
joined in the hug. Soon all four were hugging, united by the shock
of the news. It was a moment of rare family togetherness that Simon
would long remember, and not just for the event that engendered
it.

Mummy went over to see Nana the
next day in the village out in the country where they lived. Daddy
had to go back to work and of course, Simon and Frances were at
school. The funeral was held in the village a few days later, but
this was held to be too upsetting for Simon to attend, although
Frances went. So Simon went to school as usual, and by the time he
came home, Mummy, Frances and Daddy were back home. Simon had
wanted to go. He knew Grandpa Drummond as a kindly man who would
take Simon down his large garden and pick blackcurrants for Nana to
make a pie. He also kept hens and they would gather the eggs and
check the fence was secure against foxes.

Grandpa Drummond's death led to
a major change in the family's lifestyle. Grandpa Drummond's pride
and joy was his Wolseley Series III, but Nana couldn't drive.
Neither could Mummy's sister, Auntie Rose who lived down near
London anyway. But Mummy could drive. Grandpa Drummond had taught
his older daughter even before she had met Daddy, or in that phrase
with which Simon was so familiar, 'before the war'. So it was, that
one day when Simon was walking home from school, he and Daniel came
up the hill from the main road to the corner.

"You've got visitors," said
Daniel. Simon looked along from the junction to his house. Outside
was a big black car. In Simon's road, only Mr. Searle had a car, an
old Rover and it was always in bits. Sometimes Simon had gone to
watch and was fascinated by the engine parts, laid out on the
floor. How was it that this jumble of metal of all sorts of shapes,
could when properly assembled, come alive with power, energy and
motion? At the far end of the road, Mr Millward had a Morris 8. So
a car parked outside a house was noteworthy. It took a moment for
Simon to register.

"It's my Grandpa's car."

"The one that's died?" queried
Daniel. Simon nodded. He was puzzled, and hesitated. He wasn't sure
what to do. Daniel sensed his friend's uncertainty and he was also
very curious.

"I'll come with you if you
want," he offered. Simon nodded and the two boys went round to the
back door and in through the kitchen. Mummy was in the dining room,
getting tea ready.

"Oh, hello Daniel," said
Mummy.

"Hello Mrs Scott," said Daniel
respectfully, but nudging Simon at the same time. Taking the hint,
Simon asked the burning question.

"What's Grandpa's car here
for?"

"Well, Nana can't drive, so
until things are sorted out, I'm using it."

"You mean it's ours?" exclaimed
Simon gleefully.

"Just for the time being," said
Mummy, and her further explanation about settling the estate was
lost in whoops of joy from Simon, with Daniel joining in.

"Can we go out in it?" said
Simon.

"Don't be silly, Simon," said
Mummy. "Frances will be home soon and I'm getting tea ready."

Faced with two boys' faces
looking disappointed, she continued, "Maybe after tea just for a
short run."

"Can Daniel come?" asked
Simon.

"I expect so," said Mummy.
"Daniel, would you like some tea?"

Daniel hesitated. He was
cautious about getting trapped at Simon's house for he too shared
Simon's apprehension of his father, but the prospect of a ride in
the luxurious Wolseley proved too much.