The Happiest Days by Jonah
This is a story about love - real love - at work in the lives of good people. It follows on from "Halls of Academia," but the story really began many, many moons ago with "A Letter from America". There are no real people herein so, if you think one of the characters is based on you, or on somebody you know, have another think and come up with a different answer. Having said that, I didn't invent every character. A couple of them were originally crafted by another author. I have to (well, actually, it is my pleasure to) thank Jacob Lion, in the USA for his permission to use his characters in my stories.
I hope you will enjoy this story, and I'm grateful to Nifty for enabling me to bring it to you. Nifty does not charge either me or you for doing so, but it does cost money to do it. Please consider donating to Nifty at https://donate.nifty.org/ to help keep this site going.
Chapter 12 Pomp and Circumstance
Saturday morning saw the entire household up, showered and breakfasted for nine o'clock. While the boys and I had more shopping to do, Garret and Riku had a rehearsal at the Castle at ten.
Lloyd and Philip, being best friends, got on extremely well together so it was always a pleasure to be around them. I thought about Andy and Alan and realised that these boys could also end up going from being best friends to being brothers. - if we could make it happen.
I hadn't discussed with Garret, so I didn't know whether he realised, that there was a problem with adopting Philip. Lloyd was an orphan, but Philip wasn't. His father would always be in a position to make trouble, unless the courts could be persuaded to put a stop to it.
His father's trial was the following week, though it wasn't expected to last long. It would be good if it could be over before his wife's funeral on Friday.
As the adult who had been with Philip when the body was discovered, Garret had been summoned as a witness. I had not, but had determined to be present at the conclusion of the trial if possible since its outcome would affect Philip's future.
We shopped. The remnant of the Ito family were dining at the castle (apparently as guests of the Royal Marines) so I got food in for the boys and I.
I arrived home to find Linda Knight camped on my doorstep.
"Hi Simon," she greeted me. "I gather you've been having fun."
"You could say that," I told her. "We only got back in yesterday."
"So I hear. I'm just checking to make sure that you're OK and there's nothing you need. We have a few resources back at the office if you're in difficulty."
"Thanks Linda, that's very kind but the drama's over and we've more or less got it covered. Fancy some lunch?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
Fish finger sandwiches was lunch for us all, while Linda told me what had really been worrying her.
"You know Philip's dad will try to use the fact that he's Philip's only living relative as a means to obtain a lenient sentence?"
"He already tried claiming that he wasn't Philip's only living relative."
"I know. We'd oppose releasing Philip to his custody in any case, but then he'd play the homophobe card and claim that Social Services were trying to place his son with people he doesn't approve of."
"Do we care about his approval?"
"No, but the judge might. We can only wait and see. I just thought you ought to be prepared."
"Well Garret has to go into court on Monday; we might get to know more then."
"They might even get a verdict on Monday, according to what I've heard. They're not expecting it to last long."
""Let's hope not."
As soon as Linda departed, I got the boys to shower and get changed for the concert. None of us had seen Garret all day, but the boys were excited (so what else is new).
We got ourselves to Norwich Castle in good time since that was the best way to secure good seats.
At seven thirty, on the dot, the bands of the joint services struck up a medley consisting of "Anchors aweigh", "The British Grenadiers" and "Hearts of Oak". The massed choirs, consisting of nearly four- hundred voices from all over Norfolk, accompanied by the RAF band, then gave a vocal version of Eric Coates' "The Dambusters March". A soloist joined them to perform a humorous version of "Rule Britannia". Riku was introduced next and he gave a piano concerto by Grieg with assistance from the RAF. Riku remained on the stage to accompany the choir in "An Evenings Pastorale" followed by the "Going Home," version of Holst's New World Symphony. The first half of the concert was wound up by the choir and the Band of the Royal Marines performing part of Beethoven's ninth symphony. The second half was opened with the Band of the Coldstream Guards performing Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance No 1. The crowd promptly got into Promenade Concert mode and joined the choir in the "Land of Hope and Glory" section. Riku was back on to accompany a Royal Marine bandsman in Mozart's best known horn concerto in E flat.
The choir then performed a medley of three songs by Edward German: "O Peaceful England,", "Long Live Elizabeth" and, with the aid of a soloist, "Who were the Yeomen?"
All the bands were back and the choir were on their feet. Riku performed a simple fanfare on the piano which was echoed by a lone trumpeter. Riku repeated the stanza and was answered by three trumpeters. I recognised the fanfare as that used to introduce the peers' entrance in "Iolanthe". Then a swelling roll of drums and we were all on our feet as bands and choirs broke out into Elgar's arrangement of "God Save the King" - all three verses.
We were on our way home almost immediately. We were well aware that neither Garret nor Riku would be home for a while, as there would be packing up to do.
After hot chocolate we retired to bed. I crept in next to Lloyd, and alongside Philip's feet. Both boys were asleep almost immediately, but I lay there awake.
It was some time later that I heard a creak on the stairs, as of somebody not wishing to be heard. I heard Garret and Riku whispering on the landing, then the soft click of their bedroom door closing. I don't remember much after that.