You Can Be A King If You Are Brave (book)
You Can Be A King If You Are Brave by Peter Thomas Wolfe
EXCERPT:
"From the rostrum, Principal Irving DeWitt called his name, ‘Mr Lang, do come forward.’ A hush fell over the assembly as the boys, who had just given a cheer for the first eighteen’s victory over Scots College, quickly re-focussed their attention on the podium. Geoff moved to the rostrum to join the principal. ‘It is my utmost pleasure to bestow upon you this Award for Excellence. There are few who, in so short a time, have made such an impact on our school. I am sure many of our boys here will testify to that.’ There was a hum from the auditorium. Geoff gazed down and saw the smiles and nods of agreement. DeWitt continued, ‘You certainly have a knack for dealing with, how should I put it, the most challenging situations. Not everyone has an easy ride, and our school community is not spared the sometimes harsh realities of life. Therefore, I want to publicly appreciate your service to many of our boys who might otherwise have struggled to remain productive members of our student body.’ Studying the young faces below, Geoff saw smiles turn solemn. Some boys smothered embarrassed giggles. One or two poked their neighbour in the ribs accusatorily. ‘Silence boys,’ Principal DeWitt intoned and as if by remote, a hush returned, and DeWitt continued. But Geoff was no longer listening. Instead, he gazed down at the crowd of young men seated before him. They were arranged by class, neatly dressed in blue and red striped school blazers and short grey trousers. As he scanned the auditorium from front to rear, his attention focussed on forms two and three towards the front. These were the classes he was most fond of; boys as young as twelve and no older than fifteen. As DeWitt continued, Geoff picked out the faces of those he had come to know through the bushwalking club. Finding Adam, the group’s most recent member, took only a few moments. Then DeWitt’s words brought his attention back, ‘Please, a huge round of applause to Mr Geoffrey Lang.’ The framed certificate was thrust into his hands, and a huge cheer rose from the youthful crowd. Geoff returned to his seat. Now the certificate hung on his wall, and he continued to stare at it. Was it altruism or simply sexual desire?...”[1]
