I met George in my first year of university. Same course as me, but he was doing it for the navy. Different path, same lectures.
He lived with me until I went away for uni. Properly cringey at times, George, but sweet with it. During covid he was terrified, which still makes me laugh, because he’s the biggest stickler for rules I know. Meanwhile I was just trying to get him to come work out with me in lockdown. We did that a lot. Kept us both sane, probably.
When he graduated, I was so proud of him. Genuinely. Then right before his ceremony I got hit with a fever and couldn’t go. I was gutted. Missing that felt like a big deal.
Next time I saw him I told him I’d make him a drawing to make up for it. He insisted on paying me anyway, which I wasn’t expecting, he didn’t have to do that.
I ended up drawing him with his dad, in charcoal. His dad’s his only family really, and he was the proudest man at that graduation even though I wasn’t there to see it. Felt right to put the two of them together rather than just George on his own.
You can see the finished piece here: Battle Ready Baker.