The board of Governors concluded their final meeting of the year after approving young Armando and Gabriel’s graduation from high school.
Armando’s grandfather, Dr. Edward, who had once been the headmaster of the school, got up from his chair and walked over to a cabinet by the window. He opened the cabinet, reached inside and pulled out a framed parchment, and brought it back to the large oak table where the Governors were seated.
He stood and cleared his throat, then began an explanation of the parchment and a history of the school. His voice was deep, but carried a note of sadness and regret. Some of the Governors looked concerned, while others seemed impatient at the length of the presentation.
It had been a long time since anyone had laid eyes on the parchment, and most of the Governors were relieved by its reappearance. They were more interested in the school itself than the details.
Eventually, after much talking and listening, the Governors congratulated the young graduates and dismissed them. As they left, they gathered around the parchment to view it.
The parchment was a circa 1805 letter from Sir Thomas Love Peacock to the headmaster of the school, William Makepeace Thackeray. It was in Thackeray’s own handwriting, and bore his famous signature, “T.L.P.”
The Governors were shocked. Somehow, without their knowledge, the parchment had been found and, most likely, concealed by generations of Governors and wily Headmaster, hidden again.
The parchment had caused the school to change over the decades. Through it the Governors had found themselves and had changed the school.
Dr. Edward talked to the Governors for several hours, before taking the parchment back to his office and locking it safely away in his cabinet.
There was a short silence, then the Governors began to speak at once.
“What are you planning?”
“How can we not?”
“What is there to decide?”
The questions continued for at least another hour, but the questioning went nowhere as the Governors were too busy exploring their feelings. Dr. Edward had managed to inspire a group of flawed and self-centered people to do the right thing.
Words began to flow freely. Smiles were stretched tight over faces that were flushed red. The Governors were inspired.
In the end, the Governors put their heads together to agree on a set of resolutions. The resolution proposed by Dr. Edward called for an extraordinary meeting of the Board of Governors, to be held at Stonehenge on the first day of spring in January of 2013.
After the meeting, Armando and Gabriel were presented with their diplomas, and they accepted them, shaking hands with the members of the Board of Governors. They then turned and walked out of the building.
Their parents were waiting in the hall.
Armando walked purposefully over to his father, who was waiting with a bouquet of flowers. He held the flowers out to his son, who shook his head and gently pushed them away.
“Sorry, dad.”
His father smiled, “It’s a bit early aren’t they?”
Armando shook his head, “No, the semester’s over.”
His father looked confused.
“No, this is the rest of the year.”
His father was confused.
“No, this is the rest of my life.”
His father began to bluster as he tried to get angry. He didn’t know what to say.
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