Chapter 2: Graduation

The air was hot and thick as the families all sat on the cheap plastic lawn chairs that covered the football field.

“At least the cloud cover is blocking some of that heat, hot damn!” said Uncle Topher, elbowing his elder brother, Brad Sr. who sat next to him.

“God, whos’ speaking now?” said Brad Sr., fanning himself with the commencement booklet they handed out to family and friends who were in attendance.

“In my day, graduations moved much faster than this.” Said Topher, getting a little antsy and patting his pockets for his packet of cigarettes.

“Pinball, I thought you gave those death sticks up?” inquired his older brother, looking over at him.

“I have, Wrecker. I mean mostly. Down to less than a pack a day now.” He said, using his brother’s old callsign.

“That’s great news,” said Brad Sr., “and here’s even better. He looks like he’s wrapping up!”

“Hot damn, about time.” Said Topher.
The collegiate commencement speaker, adorned in the school robes and cap had closed the black folder on top of the podium and rested his hands together, looking up at the crowd.

“….and I have no doubt that this graduating class before me, as well as those behind me will become the future leaders that this country needs. Thank you!”

He nodded, gave a curt waive and took his seat. It was hard to tell if the applause was in genuine response to the speech, or the fact that it was now all over.

“Thank you, thank you.” Said the school President, who shook hands with the speaker and addressed the audience. “And now, the moment you have all been waiting for. This year’s graduating class!”

More applause.

The President continued, “I call to the stage….”

A girl with blonde ringlets adjusted her overly large sunglasses and turned to the raven-haired beauty sitting next to her.

“About time! I’m literally roasting in this gown. Why do they have to be polyester?”
Megan turned to the overly heated girl. “You sure you are only roasting because of the heat of the gown, or was it from the bender you went on last night?” She raised her eyebrows superciliously and tilted her head, knowingly.

The girl next to her, Megan’s fellow mechanical engineering graduate and best friend, Marietta, blew a raspberry.

Megan chuckled quietly, “Shhh…they’re starting.”

Megan craned her neck to see a little better and made to push her glasses up her nose. Her finger touched air, and she remembered that today she had chosen to wear contact lenses.

Alphabetically, names were being called for the graduating class. Megan consulted her watch: 13:04.

Megan smiled, crossed and then recrossed her ankles, fanning out her gown in turn. True, it was hot, but in another 45 minutes, she would be officially a graduate, Suma Cum Laude with a 3.98 GPA. She could hardly wait. Not just for the graduation to be over, but for the surprise her uncle and father had planned for her.

While waiting for her name to be called, she reminisced.

She had suspected it would be something to do with flying. For a month ago, she had taken a call from her younger brother, Brad Jr. Asking what the family needed to do to prepare for her graduation ceremony.

“Nothing much, little brother (who was 6’5’’ and solid muscle to Megan’s 5’10’’ athletic frame), just make sure you, mom and dad bring your invitations. Can uncle Topher still make it?”

“Uh, I think so. No. Definitely not. I mean, no.”

“Bradley…” she said sternly, sounding like her mother.

“Uh, I dunno. Don’t’ ask me that. Ask mom. Mom!”

Megan laughed at catching her brother out in a white lie. Megan had sent out personal invitations about her graduation weeks beforehand and she knew her uncle was more excited about her graduating than she was. So, why now, would he ‘not be able to attend?’

The phone crackled and she heard her mothers’ soft voice, “Hey baby. What’s up?”

Megan decided to press her advantage, “I was just asking Brad if Uncle Topher was coming to my graduation and he said that ‘he wouldn’t miss it for the world’”.

“Well, he wouldn’t. You know you uncle loves you more than all the aircraft in the world—”

“Mom! You’re ruining the surprise. You weren’t supposed to tell her!” Her brother yelled from somewhere in the background.
Megan laughed. Gotcha.

“Oh. Shoot. Forget I said anything honey. Gotta go. Bye, baby.”


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Back in her chair on the football field, a member of the school staff with a headset and clipboard motioned to the row they were sitting in. They were meant to follow him, behind the main stage and walk around so that when they were called, it would be a smooth transitional process.

“God, I hate heels.” Said Marietta, fanning out the front of her gown and wobbling slightly.

“That’s because we never wear them, dummy.” Said Megan, equally unbalanced in her own heels for the first few steps.

They rounded the stage where, blissfully, they were in shade.

The line of students all crowded under the shade, bumping and jostling to keep cool. As they did so, another handler was motioning for them to continue moving around the stage to prepare to walk across it.

“So much for that,” said Megan, shielding her eyes as they made their way out from the shade and back into the sun. Their line reformed and moved along.

They had now rounded the stage. Megan could see the crowd span across the football field. Rows and rows of parents and grandparents. Aunts and uncles. Siblings and the like. Megan and her fellow students began to climb the stairs.

She could see the crowd more clearly now. She searched for her family and spotted them instantly. Her massive brother was at least a head taller than most. To his right was her father, mother and uncle. He wore his aviator shades and had the biggest grin in his face. She grinned, too. So, he was in attendance.

“Warren, Marietta.” Came the voice from the podium and Megan’s fellow classmate with the blonde ringlets moved to take her ceremonial walk, removing her sunglasses.

“How do I look?” she said, touching at the ends of her hair.

“You look just fine, now go!” Megan chided.
A few seconds later another name was called. “Wolfe, Megan. Suma Cum Laude.”
Many cheers broke out and Megan waived, ducking her head slightly and smiled. A few wolf whistles could be heard from her fellow students’, and she blew a few fake kisses.

“That’s my baby!” Cried her father, who, like the rest of her family was standing up.

“Congratulations, Megan. The world expects great things from you.” Said her professor, whose hand was placed over the microphone so that the words were for Megan alone. She nodded and smiled as she bent to receive her extra academic ribbons around her neck. She took her diploma and thanked her professor. She brought her tassel across her mortarboard, signifying she was now a graduate and looked up one final time at the crowd. Both her uncle and father gave her the thumbs up. She smiled brightly and returned the ‘thumbs up’, a family gesture.

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