JC: Ed Biggers Part 6: Doyen Chapter 17 By Lazlo Zalezac Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2004 Ed walked to the podium and looked out across the audience who filled the auditorium of the administration building. Nearly four hundred people waited to hear what he had to say to the very first graduating class of the Druid College. Oliver had given him the honor of addressing the graduating class since he had been present at the initial conception of the idea for the school. The tension in the room rose as he looked from one graduate to the next. Once he had composed himself, he said, "Most colleges aim to produce individuals who can contribute to society. A few schools aim to produce leaders capable of taking the country to a better future. When John Carter decided to create this school, he wanted to produce the visionaries who would select the future for our leaders. "We started with ninety-eight students. The entrance requirements were the hardest in the country. Prospective students had to pass intelligence and psychological tests. Prospective students had to agree to present themselves to the Gods and Goddesses for service. Only ninety-eight students rose to the challenges presented them. Today, we are graduating ninety-five of the initial ninety-eight. Five of them have been accepted into the service of the Gods and Goddesses. "The initial days of school were a little rough for our students. I'm sure that all of our graduates will agree with that. I'm confident that every one of them considered leaving the school during those first few days. Despite that rough beginning, we managed to have a retention rate of almost ninety-seven percent. That is an unheard of retention rate for a college or university. "Over the past few days, I have asked our graduates about their plans for the future. Sixty of them are planning on going after advanced degrees in their areas of study. Thirty of them have accepted positions in key industries across the country. Such beginnings are impressive and bodes well for the future of this school." Ed paused and took a sip of water to clear his throat. After swallowing, he said, "I talked to a man who retired not too long ago. He told me that when he graduated college, he knew he faced an uncertain future. He wondered where he would work, whom he would marry, and what kind of world he would live in. "As he worked through his life, he only saw the daily grind. One project lead to the next. Everyday was much like the one before. He didn't think that he was accomplishing anything great. "He told me that on the day of his retirement, he looked back over his career as many men are want to do. He realized that he had been part of many historic events in the course of his life. They weren't the big events that often made the newspapers, but minor ones that changed daily life. The projects he had worked upon produced things that people used to make their lives better. He had worked on many revolutionary devices. "I mention this because I want you, our graduates, to leave here knowing that you will be inventing the future. The things you work on will become part of history. You are part of history. Never forget that. From this day forth, you are establishing your legacy by which future generations will know you. "If it harms none, then do it. Protect the weak from the strong. Follow those two rules and mankind will cherish you even while you live. Follow those two rules and history will remember you well." Ed paused and looked around the room at the people gathered there. He couldn't help remembering how John and he had talked about starting the college one starry night atop the house in Arizona. The memory nearly drove him to tears. With emotion in his voice, he said, "John Carter would be proud of you. I know that I'm proud of each and every one of you. May the Gods and Goddesses bless you and protect you on your journey through life." As the applause rose in volume, Ed returned to his chair on the stage of the auditorium. As much as he hated giving speeches, this was a speech he wouldn't have missed giving for the world. He watched as Oliver went to the podium. Oliver said, "It is traditional in universities to have a commencement speaker of some national or international significance. We are breaking with that tradition. Instead, we asked our own Happy Harry to create a film with comments by individuals of national and international insignificance." A screen lowered on the stage and a film started. The image of Happy Harry's face filled the screen. His twisted smile, the scar across his forehead, and unkempt hair gave him a slightly wild, but friendly appearance. The image slowly zoomed out so that it showed him leaning against his staff and wearing his green robes in front of an inner city backdrop that a well traveled person would recognize as part of Chicago. A look of surprise crossed his face and then he said, "Oh, it's on. Okay. Ah… Congratulations to the first graduating class of the Druid College. I'm sure that you've learned all that you need to know, but there may be a few gaps in your education. A few of my friends here have a little advice to fill in on some of the lessons that you may have missed." The image suddenly changed to a young man of about twenty years of age sitting on a cinder block in front of a fire. He said, "You say they're graduating college? What in the hell would they want to hear from us?" The face of an old black man filled the screen as he answered, "Probably want to hear how to avoid becoming one of us." "That's stupid, I didn't even graduate high school," answered the young man. A woman's voice from off-screen said, "Introduce yourself, idiot. They got no idea who's talking." The young man shrugged and said, "I'm the California Kid. Don't know why you'd want to know that. Black George says that you want me to tell you how to avoid becoming one of us. I figure you already know that -- you're graduating college. Probably got pretty good jobs lined up and all. Of course, some of the folk on the street graduated college and had good jobs at one time before life kicked them down. I guess my advice is don't let life kick you down." The camera shifted to Black George who frowned and shook his head. He said, "I'm Black George and I guess it is up to me to introduce ourselves to you. We are the folks who Happy Harry calls the invisible people. We're bums, winos, and crazy folk with no other place to live except out on the street. He says we're invisible 'cause people choose not to see us. Of course, when something happens everyone sees us, so his description ain't exactly correct." Pointing over at the California Kid, Black George continued, "The California Kid has been living on the street for close to six years. It might not look like it to ya'll, but the kid has done all right for his- self. He hasn't had to sell his body to get by, like so many of the others. As far as I know, he hasn't held up a liquor store or committed any other crime." "Damn straight." Black George chuckled at the interruption and said, "He doesn't have much book learnin', but he's smart except when he does something dumb. Of course, the same could be said of most people. They're all pretty smart except when they do something dumb. Everyone does something dumb from time to time." The California Kid interrupted and said, "I guess one way to keep from ending up like us is to keep from doing the kinds of dumb things that got us here." A woman's voice from off camera asked, "So what dumb thing did you do to get here?" "I got beat up by my step-father and ran away from home," answered the young man. He was silent for a while as he considered the answer he had just given. The camera captured the introspective look on his face. He added, "I guess that wasn't so much dumb as bad luck." The image on the screen changed to a street where a woman dressed in scanty clothes was leaning against a light post. She looked about thirty-five years old. Turning to face the camera, she asked, "He wants advice from a whore?" Another woman, clearly a prostitute, entered the scene. She was Hispanic and wore a skirt that was so high that her underwear was showing. In a heavy accent, she said, "What Harry wants, Harry gets. He wants advice, you give him advice." The first woman shrugged and, in a voice dripping with bitterness, said, "The only advice that I have is that if you want something from me, you're going to have to pay for it." "Ain't that the truth. You got money and you can get anything. Of course, ya gotta use a rubber. No one, except my old man, gets me without a rubber." The first woman frowned and said, "Giving it away. That's not for me." The Hispanic woman looked at the other and asked, "It feels good." "Good doesn't pay the rent." "So how do you feel when someone pays you?" The woman was silent for a moment as her eyes misted up. Some of the hardness dropped from her as she answered, "I lose a little bit of me each time. One of these days, I'm gonna sell the last little part of me and there will be nothing left." "Yeah," agreed the Hispanic woman, "each time you sell yourself for money, you lose a bit of yourself." The scene changed to a rural area. Centered in the image was a ramshackle building that was almost falling down. The entire building listed to the left as though caught in mid collapse. A grizzled old man stood on the porch waving an arm towards the camera. The focus wasn't very good and it wasn't possible to make out the details of the man on the porch. He shouted, "Get away from here, damn ya." Happy Harry's voice called out, "It's me." The old man shouted, "Oh, it's you. You're one meddlesome bastard. All I want is to be left alone." "Why would you want to be left alone?" asked Harry. "Screwing around with people hurts. Now get away from here before I sic my dogs on you." "You know they won't hurt me," countered Harry. "I know. Dogs can sense things about folks. You care about too many people. They'll rip your heart out one day and you'll end up just like me. Take my advice and find a good spot to squat where you can keep away from everyone before you get hurt. Now get gone!" The old man sat down on an old wood chair and rubbed the head of a flee-bitten dog that had seen too many days. It was clear that the man had a strong affection for the old animal. The scene returned to Black George and the California Kid sitting around the fire. The California Kid had a stick that he was using to poke the fire. Looking over at the older man, he asked, "So why do you think there are so many of us?" The light of the fire barely lit Black George's face. Fine beads of sweat on his shaved head picked up the light. The black man said, "Lots of reasons folks become invisible, kid. I'm not sure that anyone can know them all. Every one of us got our own demons that drive us. For some, it's the booze. For others, it's the family that beats 'em. I even heard of one guy who was so ugly he just hid from everyone." "Bad luck?" The black man's white teeth flashed in the dark as he snorted at the question. He answered, "Bad luck can be part of it. Mostly, I think it's because people are basically weak. Most folks don't realize that because they ain't never been pushed to their limit. A successful doctor makes one mistake and turns to the bottle. One day he ends up here because he wasn't able to turn away from his mistake or the bottle." "So you're saying we're all weak," asked the California Kid. He tossed the stick into the fire with a negligent flip. Sparks flew from the fire and into the night sky. "Yep. Happy Harry says we have to protect the weak from the strong. It makes you wonder what it means when everyone is weak." The camera backed off so that a third man was visible. His nose was red from blood vessels that had broken as a result of years of drinking. He was shaking his head and said, "You're missing the point." "What point is that, Red Nosed George?" asked Black George. "We've all got our weaknesses and strengths. Doesn't matter who you are, you got weaknesses and you got strengths. We're the ones who let our weaknesses undermine all of our strengths. Others use their strengths to control their weaknesses." The California Kid asked, "So what's with protecting the weak from the strong?" "Some folks use their strengths to prey upon the weaknesses of the others. That's what you got to stop." Black George shook his head and said, "It sounds too simple to me to be right, but I can't argue with you on it." The film ended and Happy Harry approached the podium. In a quiet voice, he said, "I hope you've enjoyed meeting some of my friends. They aren't sophisticated, but they're good people who get by with a little less than most. They think about the same kinds of things as those who live in mansions. While sitting around the fire, selling their bodies on a street corner, or hiding on a porch, they ponder the great questions of life. Who am I? Why am I? What is the meaning of my life? "I hope you remember them. The decisions you make could easily create more of the invisible folk. You shut down a construction project and one of the men let go reaches the point where he can't go on. It's a common story out there on the streets. Yes, please remember them all. The California Kid, Black George, Ginger, Maria, Kirk, and Red Nosed George are just representatives of those thousands who call our streets home. "I wish to congratulate you on your great achievement. It is a remarkable feat and this world needs men and women of vision like you. My friends need your vision far more than they will ever admit. "I would like to thank you in advance for the minutes, hours, days, months, and years that some of you will spend to improve life for my friends. May the Gods and Goddesses bless you and watch over you on your journey through life," Harry said with a half bow upon finishing. As he returned to his seat, the graduating class stood to give him a standing ovation. Ed's speech had charged them with the need to adopt a vision. Harry's film had given them material to use in shaping that vision. The staff clapped and smiled while nodding their heads in approval of the presentation. More than half of the guests in attendance looked around confused by reaction of the graduates to the film. One of the students walked to the stage and then over to the podium. She paused for a moment and then said, "In my first twelve years of education, I was taught to read, write, and do arithmetic. Oh, there was some other politically correct material thrown in, but basically I was taught to read, write, and do arithmetic. I graduated high school, confident that I knew as much as I needed to go forth in life. In my graduation ceremony, the principal of our high school went so far as to tell us that. I am ashamed to say that he was wrong. "On the first day of college, I was asked to strip and put my clothes into a box. Standing in the hallway that connects the first year dorm and the administration building, I was sure that I had entered an insane asylum. I stripped off my clothes and put them into a box. Little did I realize at the time, that I was also removing my pretensions and prejudices. "Over the course of that first year, we reviewed material I had been taught in the twelve previous years of school. It might sound like a waste of time, but I assure you that it wasn't. Reading became comprehension, writing became communication, and arithmetic became a logical framework that I could apply to the world around me. Looking back, I have to question why it had taken twelve years to achieve such a superficial understanding of the material I had been taught. "I came to realize that in high school, popularity and social standing were more important than education. The effort expended to become popular and to achieve a significant social standing was tremendous. You would think that with such significance that it would have prepared me to interact with people. That supposition was proven false during that first year of college. "In high school, every interaction with others was competitive and failure was rewarded by pain without pity. It was brutal and turned us into shallow hard individuals. Such an approach harms all that participate. It took a long time to scrub away the brutality, shallowness, and hardness that had been instilled within me. "In the first year here, I learned about co-operation and collaboration. I was amazed to learn the power of a simple thank you. I learned that adopting a global perspective over a self- oriented view of interaction was far more enriching and rewarding for everyone involved, including myself. What an amazing revelation that had been. "You would think that after having learned so much in the first year of college there would be little left to learn in the remaining five years. Such a thought would be wrong. Over the next four years, I learned to distinguish among fact, fallacy, and wishful thinking. Those were far harder lessons than I can convey in a simple speech. It is not easy to separate what is true from what people believe is true. It is even harder to resist the lure of that which we wish was true. "The last year of study was the most challenging of them all. Until then, I was a gem in the rough. The last year was spent shaping and polishing by practicing my chosen field in a real environment. I was not a little intern doing a made-up project as is commonly the case. That is not how things work in this school. I was put in charge of a real project to develop a real product in an actual business. I took an idea from conception, to design, and on to manufacture." The speaker paused to consult her notes. She continued, "So here I stand, a member of the first graduating class of the Druid College with the honor of speaking on behalf of my classmates. And on their behalf, I have to say what an honor it has been to go through a program led by such talented individuals as our Druid instructors. "There is not enough that I can say about our instructors. Each of them desires that every student achieve greater success than achieved by them. They challenged us to master the material and make it our own. They challenged us to think beyond fact to achieve true knowledge. They pushed us to understand the principles on which facts were based. "You may have noticed that I have not introduced myself. You may have noticed that my name is not listed in the program. The reason is that I talk on behalf of the graduating class and not for myself. I was not selected on the basis of any great accomplishments that distinguishes me from my classmates. I am proud to say that there is nothing that distinguishes me from them. "You may wonder how it was that I came to be the student who addressed you on behalf of the graduating class. I was selected because I got a Bingo," the young woman said with a smile. The other graduates laughed knowingly. "You heard me correctly. My fellow students and I got together and played a game of Bingo. I won, so I was elected to give this address. We chose this method of selecting a speaker because there is nothing special about any one of us. We are each unique, neither better nor worse than any other of our classmates. Any student here is capable of making this speech. In fact, a dozen of us worked on it together and it does represent the feelings and experiences of the graduating class. "So on behalf of the first graduating class of the Druid College, I want to thank the Gods and Goddesses for the gift they have given us by providing John Carter with the vision to establish this place of learning. We have truly been blessed. Thank you," said the young woman as she gave a half bow to the audience. The students clapped wildly in support of their colleague. Oliver walked to the podium as the heads of the three branches of the Druids formed a line to the side. Oliver announced, "Will the graduates please present themselves on the stage for the conferral of their diploma?" In a very orderly manner, despite the fact that there had been no explicit instructions or rehearsal, the students rose and made their way to the stage. Rather than the typical black cap and gown, the graduates not chosen for service to a God or Goddess wore their blue robes with white sleeves. As each student stepped onto the stage, Oliver announced his or her name. Proceeding across the stage, they were handed their diploma by the head of those who served the Goddess. They were then handed a small case containing a pen inscribed with the famous inscription, 'The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword,' by the head of those who served the God. Ed handed out a small case containing a class ring. The ring was a simple band with a broad flat top that held a piece of onyx. The top was inscribed with, 'Visionary,' above the stone and with, 'Druid College,' below the stone. It was a moving ceremony for faculty, graduates, and guests. The stately pace and confidence exuded by the graduates gave it a solemn feel that was impossible to ignore. Ed was saddened when it was over and had to return to his seat. He waited for Oliver to close the ceremony when, to his surprise, the Grand Druid said, "This year we also had an unusual set of circumstances. Three very young individuals managed to graduate high school by attending our first year courses. We would like to acknowledge their accomplishment as well." Ed looked out into the audience and saw the children sitting together. None of them looked as surprised as he felt. They stood when Oliver said, "Would you please present yourselves on stage to receive the honors you have earned?" The three children made their way to the stage in order of their age. Ed watched with eyes misting as they each accepted a high school diploma. Looking out at his family, he could see his three wives were crying. At first he thought it might be pride, but then he realized that they were being forced to acknowledge that the children would be leaving soon. It was a bittersweet moment. When the children had left the stage, Oliver declared that the ceremony was over. It had lasted less than forty-five minutes, but the graduates were clearly satisfied. Ed was sure that a few parents had been expecting a word or two about their contributions, but as far as Ed was concerned it was the graduates who needed to deliver that message. Ed joined his family and, as a group, they headed to the sixth year dining room where food and drink were being served to all attendees. As they walked, Ed put a hand on Little John's shoulder and slowed to a halt before reaching the dining room. Once the rest of the family was out of earshot, Ed asked, "Whose idea was the high school graduation ceremony?" "It was Oliver's idea." "Why?" asked Ed believing that he knew that answer. "Celebrating your successes is important. It was important for us, but it was also important for my mothers. They need to see and understand that we have passed a major milestone in our development as people," answered Little John looking over at his father. Little John's words reinforced what Ed had thought. He nodded his head and replied, "I thought so. I guess we had better get in there and enjoy the celebration." "It's an important day for you as well. You need to celebrate your success," commented Little John. "What success?" Ed asked surprised at the assertion that he had a success. "You saw Daddy John's idea through to completion." "Go on in and enjoy yourself. I'll be in there in a minute," said Ed with a sudden tightness in his throat. He turned and headed towards the administration building. Upon reaching the building, he went down the hallway that would lead him to the entrance. Ed stopped in front of the picture of John Carter that hung at the entrance of the administration building and looked over the image of his husband. Tears in his eyes, he reached out and touched the glass that protected the picture from the elements. In a soft voice, he said, "Well John, the first class has graduated. You'd be proud of them. They're all smarter than … I don't know. I've never seen a group of such smart kids gathered in one place. I wish you were here to see this day." He could swear that he heard John say, "I saw." Aloud, Ed said, "I'm sure you did." Standing alone in the lobby, Ed thought back to the night on the roof of the house where John and he had talked about starting the college almost nine years earlier. They had been watching the stars and John was searching for some way to use his money to further improve life for people. He'd been stuck until Ed had suggested opening a college for Druids. Once John had embraced the idea of the college, he'd worked hard to see it become a reality. Ed recalled the trips out here to look at the building site with John and the architect. The buildings had risen slowly from the ground. The last one had been completed only three years ago. In the mean time, he had welcome six groups of freshman and watched as they had matured. Six years seemed like such a long time spent away from his beloved desert. The school was important in the history of the family. Two children had been born in the infirmary of the school. Linda had struggled through a hard pregnancy with William. Ling had given birth to Betsy. John had died here creating a holy glade that would last for a millennium or longer. Two births and a death at this site made it a place of history for the Carter Clan. Shaking his head, he found it hard to believe that so much had happened here. A chuckle slowly boiled up from his gut as he realized something important. He was actually going to miss being here. Grinning, he looked at the picture and said, "You old fox, you managed to make this humid green place a home for me too. I guess I'm now a wood rat as well as a desert rat." He reached out and brushed the glass with his fingertips. Sighing, he said, "I guess I should get back to the party before I'm missed." "Too late," Kelly said as she walked over to where he was standing. She looked at Ed and then at the picture. She put an arm around his and hugged it tightly. Of the original four in the marriage, they were the only ones remaining. Ed said, "We need to add another picture to our wall of family members." "What do you mean?" Kelly asked looking over at Ed. "I'm starting to feel a little old. It's time we start looking for another husband. If this family is to live forever, we need to replenish it," Ed answered turning to look at Kelly. She smiled and shook her head, once again amazed at the strength of her husband. Curious, she asked, "Any one in specific that you would like to add?" "No one," answered Ed, "I know that we can't really replace someone like John, but I'm sure there is a good gentle person out there who we can all love." "What about Dan?" "He's getting married to Claire," answered Ed as if that prevented the young engineer from being considered. "So, we add three more people to the family. Dan, Claire, and someone who we haven't met yet," countered Kelly. There were still rooms that stood empty in the house and accommodating three more wouldn't be a problem. "We'll talk about it later. For now, I think it best to return to the party and send our first group of graduates out into the world in style," Ed replied. Returning to the sixth year dining room, Ed was immediately surrounded by graduates. Among them was one woman who stood back, keeping her distance while watching everyone with amusement in her eyes. Of all the first years, she felt that she had grown and changed the most. She had entered the school aggressive and discontent with life, wanting and demanding more than what her life had held for her. Now she understood the message John Carter had tried to give her on that first day of school The crowd slowly dissipated around Ed and she walked up to him. Smiling, she said, "I don't know if you remember me." "Of course, I remember you, Carla. I'm pleased to see that you made it through the program." "Well, I cashed the check John gave me on the first day of school," she announced. On the first day, John had given her a check for ten million dollars while asking if she would be satisfied with that much money. With that single act, he had taken away the single focus of her life and she had been cast adrift to find a new meaning for her life. "Let me guess. You've given all of your classmates a portion of it and have set up some sort of fund for future graduates," said Ed. "How did you know?" Carla asked him in shock. "That's what John would have done," answered Ed with a grin. This was proof to him that John's vision had been realized. Curious, he asked, "How much did you put in the fund?" "I gave everyone fifteen thousand dollars and put the rest in the fund for future classes," she answered. It was her intention to have him put in charge of managing the trust fund on behalf of future graduates. Ed pulled out his checkbook and after taking a moment to calculate the amount in the fund, wrote a check for the same amount. Handing it over to her, he said, "Add this to the fund. It's a fine thing that you've done and it would be a shame if your thoughtful action did not survive because it wasn't funded enough." Carla accepted the check with hands that trembled and looked up at Ed in shock. All thoughts of asking him to administrate the fund disappeared as she stared at the amount written on the chock. Biting her lower lip, she said, "Thank you. I'm sure that all future graduates will appreciate having startup capital upon graduating." "It was your idea. I'm just pleased to contribute a little to it. I'm sure that other graduates will contribute to it when they make their fortunes," replied Ed. He bent down and kissed her on the forehead. In a soft voice, he said, "Thank you." "For what?" she asked confused by his actions. "For letting John and me know that the experience here has produced such fine people as you," answered Ed. Overcome by the emotion that accompanied that thought, he walked away feeling satisfied his sacrifices over the past six years had been worth it.