On Wednesday morning, neither Bryce nor Curtis were all that energetic at the fitness center, and Roland did not show up at all. Curtis said he would like to sleep for a week, and Bryce sympathized. It had been especially hard on his friend in his dual role as President of Sigma Alpha Tau and also President of the Pan-Hellenic Council, especially as the Office of Student Affairs had not been very helpful. That was probably part of the retaliation Dr. Dickinson warned about, and the displeasure of the VPSA at the Council selecting Curtis as its president. But Bryce had heard several comments from members of other fraternities and sororities praising Curtis’s handling of some difficult situations. Of course, he passed on these comments to Curtis. We can never get enough positive reinforcement.
That morning Dr. Anjot was introducing the consideration of the most important play by the dramatist Pierre Corneille (1606-1684). He had already in previous classes discussed the characteristics of French Classicism, involving the rejection of the extremes of the previous style, and the adoption of balance and proportion as criteria for greatness. The attitude of the classicists was summed up in the requirements that a drama take place dans un jour, dans une place, un fait accompli (in one day, in one place, one thing accomplished) as their interpretation of the Aristotelian requirements of unity of time, place, and action. The instructor had likewise discussed the background of Corneille and his early career. Now it was time to consider what may be his most important work.
This is the drama entitled Le Cid, produced in 1637. This play was based on a Spanish work, Mocadades del Cid by Guillen de Castro, dating to 1621, and ultimately on the Spanish national epic, El Cantado del Cid. This illustrates the predominance of things Spanish in European life in the later sixteenth and early seventeenth century, the period of Spanish greatness.
Corneille’s work was greatly criticized for not adhering strictly to the three unities. This began an extended literary conflict known as “le Querelle du Cid,” a war of pamphlets and literary attacks back and forth lasting several years. Of note is that Georges de Scudéry, the brother of the author discussed the previous week, was one of those attacking Corneille for not adhering strictly to the unities. The chief minister to King Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu, became involved, as did his institution, L’Académie française, newly founded to improve the French language. Corneille went into a snit, and retired from the stage for a time. Much later, in 1660, Corneille published his Trois discourse sur le poème dramatique in which he not only defended his style, but also proposed that, while the Aristotelian unities were valid, they were not to be interpreted so narrowly as to quash all creativity. In a sense, this was Corneille’s greatest contribution. He is considered one of the three greatest playwrights of the Classical period.
At eleven o’clock that morning, after his English class, Bryce met with the other members of the Executive Committee of the LGBT Club. Gary Woodson was still president until the election that evening, and Bryce was still secretary. The first meeting of the new semester was scheduled for that evening, and they needed to review the agenda. The program was a discussion of the status of LGBT issues on campus, with emphasis on the recently concluded rush week. For this purpose, Felicity Gaines and Mike Sandoval were designated discussion leaders.
After a lunch which, once again, was dominated by Damon and Caroline discussing menus, Bryce checked the campus mail box again. He found a response to his request to the Illinois Bureau of Vital Statistics for a copy of Damon’s birth certificate. This document listed the names of both parents and their ages at the time of birth, and so contributed to the file of information Bryce was compiling in the hope of providing Damon with a family background. It showed that his father, Ernest Watson, was 29 years old at the time Damon was born in 1991, so he would have been born sometime in late 1961 or early 1962. Bryce then sent off a new request for a birth certificate for Ernest Watson with the indicated birth date. He also requested a death certificate if such were available. Damon simply said his father left the family when he was small, and he did not know what happened to him.
In the medieval England class that afternoon, Dr. Dickinson discoursed on the importance of the Norman Conquest of 1066. In one sense, this was another Viking invasion, as the Normans were ruled by a dynasty descended from a Norwegian chieftain called Rollo, or Rolf. Bryce remembered encountering his tomb in the cathedral of Rouen during his summer travels with Damon. The sixth Duke of Normandy was called Robert the Devil, who died in 1035 leaving behind only a bastard son as heir. This is the man known as William the Bastard until 1066, when he conquered England, after which time he was known as William the Conqueror. William was only nine years old when his father died. His mother was called Arlette or Arlotte. Bryce preferred the latter reading, as it gave more opportunity for word play. She was the daughter of a tanner. William had a rough time establishing his authority over Normandy, but by 1060 was firmly in control.
His conquest of England in 1066 was likened by Professor Dickinson to the arrival of St. Augustine of Canterbury in 597. England had been under the control of the Danes during the reigns of Canute the Great and his sons between 1016 and 1042, and there were still dangers of Scandinavian conquest well into William’s reign. But the Norman Conquest reunited England to the dominant civilization of the continent, preventing it from becoming a mere sideline as a dependency of some Scandinavian realm based in Denmark or Norway, in the same way that St. Augustine reconnected the British Isles to the mainstream of Christianity and civilization and prevented an orientation to the pagan realms across the North Sea. England would be a part of the West, and not just a fringe part, either. The connection to France was a connection to the heart of the West. Dr. Dickinson again cited 1066 and All That as saying, “The Norman Conquest was a Good Thing, as from this time onward, England stopped being conquered and was thus able to become top nation.”
Bryce spent the hour between three and four in the library, working on his term paper on Richard Lionheart, a fourth generation descendant of William the Bastard.
From four to six there was the English study group. There was a lively discussion about the significance of the Norman Conquest, with some maintaining the superiority of the native English institutions, and others the importance of the Norman contributions. Bryce came down firmly on the side of the Normans, pointing out that for the next century and a half, until King John lost most of the French possessions in the early thirteenth century, the English monarchs were able to play a role in wider European affairs mostly because they were also masters of huge portions of France. His subject, King Richard, was also Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou, and in fact ruler of more of France than the French king, his cousin and rival, Philip Augustus. Some of the others in the group did not have the background Bryce had, and so did not have that future development to consider. More than one reacted on the basis of a belief in the uniqueness of the English, and, although unspoken, the belief in the superiority of the English to any other people. Needless to say, members of the group such as Chris Robles did not share that outlook, and appreciated Bryce’s contributions. Kevin Weatherington, a leading Anglophile, finally conceded that it did t really matter whether the local administrative unit was called a shire or a county, and Bryce conceded that it did not matter whether the chief administrator of that unit was called a sheriff or a seneschal.
That evening was the first meeting of the LGBT Club of the semester. Because of the pressure of time, Bryce and Damon supped at the Union rather than going to a restaurant off campus or preparing something in their own apartment. Bryce had only an hour between the time his history study group ended and the meeting time of the LGBT Club. It was during this hour that Damon informed Bryce that he was forming a study group of his own. Bryce had his English history study group on Wednesdays and his French study group on Thursdays. Damon felt the need of some reinforcement in his political theory class, so he took the lead in organizing a study group, which would meet at the same time as Bryce’s French group on Thursday evenings, beginning at 7:30.
The regular meeting time of the LGBT Club was on the second Wednesday of the month in the evening. Bryce functioned as secretary, taking minutes of the business portion of the meeting, which convened for the purpose of electing officers for the 2010-11 academic year. Gary Woodson declined re-election as president. He was now a graduate student, and noted that the Club had traditionally been an undergraduate led organization. Bryce was nominated, but declined, citing his responsibilities elsewhere, but he did accept re-election as secretary. Felicity Gaines, who had served as vice-president during the spring semester, was then elected as president. Josh Young, who had resigned as vice-president in a snit last spring, was elected to that post once again. The club continued to represent a spectrum of opinions and approaches to a common goal.
As confirmed at the Executive Committee meeting earlier that day, the program for the evening was a general discussion of the status of LGBT issues on campus, led by Mike Sandoval and Felicity Gaines. As secretary, Bryce would record a summary of the discussion. There were problem areas, some of which had been brought out during rush week, but, Bryce was pleased to note, both Felicity and Mike praised the efforts of Curtis Manning to enforce the non-discrimination rule. One can never be certain of the motives of others, and so some votes may have been influenced by homophobic considerations, but at least that could not be a public factor in admissions to fraternities or sororities. Felicity reported less prejudice among the sororities than Mike saw in the fraternities, which provided a potential topic for a later meeting.
Bryce was pleased to see at the meeting the student he had encountered on registration day, Peter Boyington. He took the opportunity to speak with Peter after the meeting, and found the freshman satisfied with the proceedings thus far, and pleased that the information about acting out passed on by his brother had proven to be false. Peter said he felt comfortable at the meeting, and would be back. Thus, little by little, progress was made.
The most important event during the remainder of the week in the view of many of Bryce’s friends was the birth of a son to Kyle Sandoval and Kathy Collins. Very much on time, Kathy went into labor at lunch time on Friday, September 10. She gave birth to a healthy son at 5:03 that afternoon, to the delight of Kyle and the satisfaction of his family. Kathy’s family remained unsupportive, and even raised the prospect of adoption once again, but the Sandovals firmly rejected that possibility, claiming the newborn as a member of their family. The boy was named Peter Charles Sandoval. The Peter was for Kyle’s father, Pedro, while the Charles was Kyle’s name at the restaurant, Carlos. A baptism was scheduled at St. Boniface on Saturday, September 18.
As planned, Kyle and Kathy had consulted Father Fenwick about marriage. As they already knew, the diocese required a minimum of three months of marriage preparation sessions, an effort to make certain that the proposed marriage was entered into with sufficient understanding of the sacramental nature of the union, and of the practical requirements, in an attempt to assure its permanence. In the years since Vatican II, the Church had been spectacularly and embarrassingly unsuccessful in these efforts, but they persisted. In the process, it was determined that Kathy’s parents remained completely unsupportive and non-cooperative. Kathy’s eighteenth birthday fell on January 5, and so a wedding on Thursday, January 6, 2011, was set. By then, she would no longer need parental permission. She would live at the Sandoval home, with Kyle and their son, while completing her senior year in high school. Bryce and Damon were both asked to be groomsmen in this wedding. This was a cause of both rejoicing and sadness - rejoicing in that Kyle and Kathy were so clearly in love and looking forward to a life together, sadness in that her family could not be part of that life.
Early on Saturday morning, September 11, Bryce and Damon left Clifton and drove to Chicago. They found a new place to stay, as Vanessa’s new apartment was in a different part of town than that of Damon’s mother, near which they had stayed in the past. They arrived before lunch, and were met for lunch by Vanessa and all four of her children, her own three and the one left behind by her sister Wanita.
Young Nathan was the focus of the attentions of his Uncle Damon. Of course, Nathan had with him the post cards he had received from Rome, which had arrived after Bryce and Damon were back in this country. So, Damon had to explain about the slowness of international postal services, especially of anything less than first class mail. Then he had to go over each of the postcards, explaining what was shown and its importance or significance. That took most of Damon’s attention during lunch.
While this was going on, Bryce spoke with Vanessa. She was much happier than he had ever seen her before. Her job as receptionist with the law firm, gained in part through the advocacy of Sterling Winslow, suited her. She felt confident in performing her duties, and her bosses seemed satisfied with her work. She was earning a decent wage, but because of the four children still qualified for the public housing where they now lived. Unlike the place where her mother, and Damon’s mother, still lived, her new place was in decent shape, and was in an area which was mostly free from the violence of the older place. This was a function of it also being free of the pervasive presence of drugs, which so characterized the old place. That was the source of the greater part of the violence.
Vanessa felt confident enough that Damon and Bryce were invited back to her apartment after lunch. There, they found a neat and clean place, with a larger bedroom for Vanessa and the two girls, and smaller one for Nathan and his younger brother. There was nothing fancy, although they did have a new television set, purchased with one of Vanessa’s first paychecks. But they were obviously happy there, which was clear not only from their words, but from every aspect of their actions.
Vanessa also reported that Nathan was doing well in school. He proudly showed his uncle some of his drawings and other papers from the Kindergarten where he attended. They were displayed on the refrigerator door, secured with magnets. The younger children, too, seemed happy and outgoing. They were doing well at their day care center, located at the church they now attended. Bryce and Damon both were very pleased with these developments in the family.
Later in the afternoon, Nathan insisted on another visit to the Navy Pier, with its various attractions. This has become a part of any visit of Damon and Bryce to Chicago. One thing which greatly affected Bryce was that Nathan had taken to calling him Uncle Bryce. He now felt part of this family as well as his birth family in Lincoln. The three “men” of the family stayed out late, and it was only around Nathan’s bedtime that they returned to the apartment. The boy was exhausted but happy, and so were his uncles.
The next morning Bryce searched for a Mass which would satisfy him. On the recommendation of several persons, including Andrew Greeley, he and Damon went to Old St. Mary’s in downtown Chicago. It was an old parish, but it did not have the traditional ceremonial aspects of St. Boniface in Clifton. There were a lot of young people, including many couples and some who might have also been gay couples, but there was also the atmosphere which Bryce had disliked at the Newman Center. It was more a social gathering than a worship service, with a lot of camaraderie and jollity, but not much reverence. Somehow, God seemed to be left out of the gathering. That, at any rate, was Bryce’s assessment of his experience.
After Mass, they reconnected with Vanessa and her family over Sunday dinner. Vanessa also felt the need for something more than the aridity of her existence in her former life, and so she and the children were attending a Baptist church, with an active program for the children. Damon reminded Bryce that he had been technically a Baptist as a child, although he had never been active, nor had his family. Damon had never been baptized, as a Baptist or anything else. Bryce and Damon were pleased to see this sign that Vanessa and her children were more settled and responsible than the menagerie at the apartment where they had previously lived.
Once again, the entire family joined Bryce and Damon for Sunday dinner at a decent but inexpensive restaurant. Anything fancy would have embarrassed Vanessa. Bryce was becoming acquainted with the three younger children. In addition to Nathan, who was five, Vanessa had Beyoncé, who was three, and Leon, who was two. She had also taken on responsibility for her niece, Candyce, daughter of her sister Wanita, who was also three. It was not at all unusual in such circumstances that a responsible person, such as Vanessa, step up and take over for an irresponsible one, like Wanita, who had simply disappeared with her latest boyfriend. The kids kept the situation hopping, as they were never quiet. That afternoon Bryce insisted that the entire family, not just Nathan, enjoy an outing to an amusement park, so they went to Six Flags, where the kids rode the carousel and other kid-friendly rides and had a great time.
By dinner time, they were all exhausted, but they ate at the park, and then were taken home by Bryce in his Mustang, which was crowded with three adults and four kids.
Unfortunately the visit had to end, and after dropping off Vanessa and the kids, Bryce and Damon left for Clifton, a five hour drive away. It was late when they got back to their apartment, and so they went almost immediately to bed. Damon expressed his appreciation to Bryce for the consideration shown his family, but Bryce replied that they were his family, too, now that he and Damon were a couple, and he liked being Uncle Bryce. He really enjoyed the day with the kids. It was a mentally relaxing if physically exhausting change of pace from the campus activities.
The following week all went well. There were no new problems either at the apartment or on campus. The pledges of SAT admitted to that status on September 7 were assigned to various brothers, who were to be their mentors, or big brothers, for the semester, assisting them in integrating into the fraternity and the broader campus. Not unexpectedly, Bryce was assigned to mentor Roland Lyle, and Damon was assigned John Luke Lansing by Pledge Master Phil Cecil. Although there were a few comments about type casting and profiling, the two gay freshmen were actually quite pleased with this arrangement, as it avoided a number of potentially awkward situations. Bryce complained that if he screwed up he would never be invited to share a box at a horse show with the Lyles again. Unsympathetic, Beau simply told him not to screw up. Jason Todd wanted to be mentor to his boyfriend, Nate Hagan, but that kind of relationship would not be allowed, any more than assigning a blood brother to be mentor. Hence, Nate was assigned to Keith Hamilton, the member who had worked out well for Bryce last year. Each of the pledges met with his mentor and worked out a time to meet each week to check on progress. For Bryce and Roland, this was Fridays at 3:00, after their joint medieval England class. Damon and John Luke set a time at 2:00 on Thursdays.
On Saturday morning, September 18, another highway pick-up was scheduled. Thus far Bryce and Damon had both managed to prevent the pestilential penitential penance of proctoring by not pronouncing ‘Percival’ in the proximity of President Curtis Manning.
Later that afternoon, they would skip the soccer match with another fraternity because they would be attending the baptism of little Peter Charles Sandoval at St. Boniface Catholic Church. For this occasion, even Pedro Sandoval was present, allowing a subordinate to run the restaurant during the time he was away. Naturally Bryce and Damon were present, as was David Simpson. Kathy’s parents put in a brief appearance. They arrived only a minute or so before the scheduled time, said nothing to anyone, and departed as soon as the rite was concluded. The ceremony took place in the afternoon, with Mike asked to be godfather to his nephew, while a friend of Kathy’s from school was godmother. Young Peter Charles showed that his lungs were in fine shape as he protested when the cold water was poured over his forehead. He was clad in a lacy gown, which Bryce later learned had been used for all three of the Sandoval siblings, and for Isobel and her sister before them.
Following the baptism, everyone (except the Collinses) reassembled at El Rincon Latino for a celebration. There was a private room on the second floor which neither Bryce nor Damon had seen before, as they had not been there for a large private gathering. There, the family and friends celebrated the admission of little Peter Charles to the family of Christ. As Pedro Sandoval said, his family was now like that of Cornelius in the Bible, with all his household being baptized.
Included among those celebrating was Father Fenwick. Peter Charles got his revenge for the cold baptismal waters when the priest picked him up, and he tinkled down the front of the clerical suit. This, of course, was highly embarrassing for Kathy and also for Isobel, but Father took it well. It was not the first time that happened. Kyle took his son and removed the baptismal gown, which was also wet, and garbed the boy in diapers.
The presence of the Pastor of St, Boniface gave Bryce an opportunity to get to know him better. He introduced himself, explaining that he was a friend from school, not a local resident. He also mentioned that he had asked the Newman chaplain, Father Miller, to be his spiritual advisor. Father Fenwick commented that this was a wise choice, as he knew Father Miller well and admired his abilities along those lines. Deacon Jeffers was also part of the party, and told the priest that Bryce was one of those who helped out at the soup kitchen, and a friend of the young man with the blue hair who had been attending the last few Sundays. They both commented that the blue hair was hard to miss. Bryce said the student was named Nate Hagan. Father Fenwick said he had a Hagan in his background somewhere, so they were probably related if Nate was from Marion County. Bryce decided to relate that information to Nate before confirming it to the priest.
There were so many connections in life.