For a Very Special Girl on her birthday–I hope you’re having a wonderful day, poppet

At Aunt Greta’s–
Farah, Bryony & The B.B.C.
by Gabi
Chapter 15 of a Continuing Saga…

We waved them goodbye as Mrs Rose drove off and then returned to the house where Farah and I went back up to my room. Everything had been left neat and tidy.

‘I hope everything goes okay for Bryony at the doctor’s,’ I said. ‘It’s not going to be easy for her having to pretend to be a boy at school and only being a girl at home and the weekends.’

‘Nora stayed as a boy at school until the summer vacation started,’ Farah told me, ‘and started school as a girl in the fall after spending the whole summer vacation as a girl. She had plenty problems at the beginning of the semester with a lot of unkind remarks and teasing. She was tearing up all the time until the bullies got tired of it.’

‘Poor girl,’ I sympathised. ‘Bryony even gets teased as Bryan, just because he’s rather girlie, so when she eventually comes to school as Bryony it’s gonna be hard for her.’

‘Well then, us girls’ll just have to do all we can to help her,’ Farah replied. ‘I’m sure we could recruit some of the other girls

‘We’ll have to ask Bryony’s permission before we say anything to anyone else,’ I replied. ‘She might not want anyone else to know about her just yet. If she agrees, I think we could ask Angela, Kristal, Juniper and Lacey to come in on the Bryony Buddy Corps; they were the ones I told first when I decided to be myself. If they joined us, that would make six of us.’

‘The Bryony Buddy Corps,’ Farah repeated. ‘The B.B.C., that’s neat, kinda real cool sounding. I like it.’

‘We can’t do anything until we’ve spoken to Bryony. It will be very hard for her having to be Bryan at school and Bryony the rest of the time. The ones we’ll have to watch out for are John Thomas, Willy Philpot and the Android.’

‘Yeah, boys like that always have cooties, Eeewwww!’ Farah replied.

‘Cooties?’ I queried.

‘Yeah, you catch cooties from monkeys like those three.’

‘But what are cooties? Something like nits, you know, head-lice?’

‘Well sorta, but they’re a bit like germs. So, f’rinstance, if a boy we think is icky–the Android, say–touches a table, and I saw you about to touch the same table, I'd say, “Watch out, Gaby! That table’s gotten Android’s cooties on it!” and everyone will cross their fingers to ward off the cooties.’

‘So if boys have cooties, what do we have?’

‘They think we have cooties, but of course we don’t unless we’ve caught them from a boy.’

‘Do all boys have cooties?’

‘No, only the icky ones,’ was Farah’s answer.

‘I wonder how Bryony’s getting on at the doc’s?’ I remarked.

‘Maybe she’ll ’phone when she gets home,’ Farah replied. ‘Then we could ask her what she thinks about the B.B.C.’ She looked round the room. ‘This isn’t your regular bedroom, I guess.’

‘No, I’m only here while Tim is plagued; he’s got scarlet fever which is kinda catching. I’ve only got a few things here.’ I looked towards my small collection of Barbies on the chest of drawers.

‘Those Barbies are yours?’ Farah asked. ‘I’ve gotten a huge collection of them, but most of them are back home in the States coz there wasn’t room to pack them all.’ She stood up and went to look and picking one up exclaimed, ‘Oh wow, you’ve gotten a pregnant Midge. You’re sooooo lucky. Mom tried to get me one, but they were taken off sale coz some stupid old-fashioned nuts thought she would make all us girls want to get pregnant before getting married. Some people can be real dumb.’

‘I was lucky to get her; she was given to me by a friend who had two and let me have her spare one. Actually I don’t have many girlie toys; Tim and I have a model railway that we’ve built in the attic at home. He does all the train bits and I build the scenery and the houses; I love building them and fitting them out with furniture and people inside. They are the nearest thing to having a doll’s house I have.’

‘That is just sooo cute. It’s real cool to be creative.’

‘When Auntie G was a girl she had a fabulous doll’s house,’ I said, remembering playing with it on one of my trips back to 1944. ‘I wonder what had happened to it. It might be up in the loft, as she has lots of her past stored up there. Remember I said about finding her old Tuckton uniform up there?’

‘Wow, I’d love to have a look up there,’ Farah said.

‘We’ll ask her after tea,’ I replied.

At this point I heard Mum calling from downstairs so we went to find out what she wanted. ‘I’m going back home now as Mrs Tate will have to go home to cook her evening meal, and Tim will be wanting his tea. Enjoy school tomorrow, I’ll see you both again soon and as soon as Tim is bug-free we’ll have a party.’

‘That would be real cool, Ms Chambers,’ Farah said, ‘then I’ll be able to see the model railroad that Gabs has been telling me about.’

‘Yes, it’s rather special and I’m very pleased with what my clever children have created,’ Mum replied proudly. ‘Now, I must dash. ’Bye, Farah, ’bye, sweetheart.’

‘’Bye, Mum, give Timmy my love.’

‘Yeah, mine too, Ms Chambers. ’Bye,’ added Farah.

* * *

Auntie G provided us with a scrummy tea which we ate outside in the back garden. It was a lot different to how it was in 1944 when I was last in that year, and the mound that had been the Anderson shelter was much smaller and was now a rockery filled with Auntie’s special alpine plants. I wanted to tell Farah about it but was not sure how to bring it up without making her suspicious. Then I had a brain waggle.

‘Auntie, where used the air-raid shelter to be when you were a little girl?’

‘Over there, Gabs, where the rockery is, but it was a higher mound then because the shelter was underneath it. What made you think of that suddenly?’

‘Well, I was thinking of that day last week when we were up in the loft looking for a wedding prezzie for someone, and we found all your old school uniform and things and we dressed up in them on and pretended we were back in thee war, and had a wartime recipe from your mum’s old 1942 recipe book.’

‘That was fun, wasn’t it,’ she said. ‘Perhaps we should do it again, and maybe you, Farah would like to try on the spiffing clothes we had to wear when I was your age.’

‘Oh wow, Auntie Greta, that would be sooooo neat,’ came the reply. ‘Gabs pointed out some of the school photos from your time that are hanging in Assembly. We found you in one of them but the bell rang and we had to go back into class. Gabs looks just like you did then.’

‘Perhaps it was Gaby standing in for me,’ Auntie said, giving me a wink.

‘You mean like she had travelled back in time like Dr Who?’ said Farah. ‘Wow, that would be sooooo cool to be able to do that.’

‘Wouldn’t it,’ I added. ‘Then I’d be able to play with that amazing doll’s house you had. Do you know what happened to it?’

I don’t think anything happened to it,’ replied Auntie G. ‘You know how I hate throwing things away, so I think it may still be around.’

‘You mean up in the loft?’ I asked.

‘Maybe, but it’s more likely to be in the storage space over the garage–there are a whole lot of my old treasures up there as well. It’s such a beautiful doll’s house that it seems a pity for it to be up there, when you could have it in your room, Gabs; we’ll have a look over the coming weekend.’

‘Could Farah come and help look for it too?’

‘Yes, could I,’ asked Farah. ‘Pleeease?’

‘Of course, my dear, I’d love you to, if you’ve nothing better to do,’ Auntie replied. She paused for a minute, thinking. ‘I know, I’ll ask your parents if you can come on Saturday at around mid-day, and you and Gabs can have a sleepover together.’

‘That would be absolutely ace, Auntie,’ I exclaimed. ‘What d’you think, Farah? Would your ’rents let you?’

‘That would be sooooo neat. I’m sure Mom and Daddy would let me, unless they have something else planned.’

‘Well, we can ask them when they come to pick you up,’ Auntie G said.

‘Where would Farah sleep?’ I asked. ‘There isn’t a spare room.’

‘I don’t mind sharing with you, Gabs. I’ve shared a bed with other girls back in the States and that bed in your room is big enough for at least three.’

‘I don’t mind sharing with you either, Farah. You’re right about the bed being big, I often wonder if I’m going to get lost in it over night,’ I replied with a giggle.

‘It is big, isn’t it?’ Auntie G added. ‘I too thought it was huge when I was your age; in fact there were several times when I shared it with another girl who had to stay the night for some reason or other.’

‘Who was she, Auntie?’ I asked.

‘Oh there were several; let me think now…’ she paused for a moment, ‘there was Nancy, Winifred…and Freya that I can remember off the top of my head.’

‘I used to have a Great Aunt Freya, she was Mommy’s dad’s–my grandpa’s–elder sister,’ Farah chipped in. ‘I fact Mommy said they were gonna call me Freya, but Grandma said it would be too confusing so I was called Farah instead, coz Daddy was a Charlie’s Angels fan. Great Aunt Freya died in an auto accident about three years ago.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ Auntie said.

‘Me too,’ I added.

‘’S okay,’ Farah replied. ‘Actually I was a bit scared of her; she was very strict and kept on about me being unladylike! She disapproved of virtually everything; when we visited her I had to wear a frilly party dress and she made me stand and recite poetry to her with my hands clasped behind my back.’

‘Eeeewww, gross!’ I said.

‘I bet she’d have forty fits if she saw me on my motorbike,’ Aunt Greta chuckled.

‘That’s for sure,’ Farah agreed. ‘She disapproved of everything and she refused to wear jeans or pants of any sort.’

‘What even knickers, err–panties?’ I asked, wide-eyed.

‘Panties!’ squealed Farah. ‘She thought panties were disgusting, an invention of the devil and only fit for what she called “loose women and street walkers”. Great Aunt Freya always wore bloomers down to her knees. One of my boy cousins used to creep up behind her and ping her elastic. It made her even crosser than she normally was.’ She grinned, Auntie Greta burst out laughing and I giggled.

‘If she was that prim and proper she deserved it,’ remarked Auntie, still smiling. Our glee was interrupted by the ’phone ringing.

‘I’ll get it,’ I said and rushed out into the hall and picked up the handset. ‘Hello, nine-four-nine-seven-six-three.’

‘Hello, Gaby? It’s Bryony.’

‘Oh, hi, Bryony. How did you get on with the doctor? Did she say anything?

‘Yeah, she said that she thinks I’m transgendered like Farah’s friend Nora.’

‘So what happens now?’ I asked.

‘Well, I had lots of blood taken from my arm and that has to be tested, then when she gets the results I have to see her again and then she’ll decide if I should go and see this Dr Knutter lady.’

‘So will you be at school tomorrow?’ I asked.

‘Yes, as Bryan, worst luck. I’ve felt so right wearing your denim skirt, but it’ll be trousers tomorrow.’

‘Bryony, Farah and I have been thinking about your problem and we’ve decided that we want to help you all we can so that when you do come to school as your real self there will be a small group of us girls to look out for you and protect you from the bullying that might happen. We decided it should be called the Bryony Buddy Corps or B.B.C. We both thought that we would ask Angela, Kristal, Juniper and Lacey to come in as well. But it would mean that they would have to know about you being a girl in a boy’s body, and we didn’t want to say anything to them before asking your permission.’

‘I get on okay with Angela, Kristal, Juniper and Lacey, I’ve often played with them and they treat me the same as they treat each other and we often giggle at the same things. I think that’s a kewl idea. Mummy bought me some lovely new clothes, and the doc told me I should wear a bra all the time; I’m going to wear a baggy sweatshirt to keep them hidden as much as possible for now. Mummy says she’ll wash your skirt and top and let you have it at the weekend. I gotta go now, as Mummy’s got my tea ready. Give my love to Farah if she’s still there. ’Bye, Gaby!’

‘’Bye, Bryony. See you at school tomorrow, Bryan.’

I heard her giggle before she rang off. I replaced the handset on its rest and returned to the sitting room.

‘Bryony?’ asked Farah.

‘Bryony,’ I replied, nodding my head.

‘And?’

‘Oh, the doc thinks she’s probably transgendered and wants to see her again next week when the results of the blood tests are back. And I mentioned the B.B.C. and she thinks it’s a kewl idea.’

* * *

Friday at school would be a full day with proper lessons and homework to be done over the weekend. Dr Way picked me up as he had on the previous day and dropped me and Farah at the school gate where Angela, Kristal and Juniper were waiting for us.’

‘Hi, guys,’ they said as we got down from the Cherokee and Bryony-pretending-to-be-Bryan came round the corner.

‘Hi, guys, hi, Bry,’ Farah said, beating me to it by about half a second. I saw that Bryony was wearing a loose and baggy sweatshirt, so she was probably wearing a bra.

‘Come on, Bry,’ I said, following Farah’s example, ‘come and walk in with us. You don’t mind, do you, girls?’

‘What’s this, Gaby?’ asked Kristal, looking at me. ‘Is he your boyfriend or something.’

‘Nothing like that,’ I replied, ‘but all will be revealed to you soon, eh, Bry?’

Bryony nodded and Farah said, ‘Can we meet during recess, and Gabs, Bry and I will explain it to you.’

‘Recess?’ queried Juniper Berry.

‘American for break time,’ I said.

‘’ave you three got some tidy plot you’ve ’atched?’ Angela asked, her voice sounding more Welsh than usual, raising her eyebrows.

‘Not a plot, as such,’ Bryony answered. ‘There’s not enough time to explain now, which is why we decided break time would be better.’

‘And we can get further away from flapping ears,’ I added.

‘I can’t imagine what it’s all about,’ Kristal said.

‘We can’t tell you now, Kristal,’ Farah said, ‘there’s not time, but it sure is something unusual.’

We made our way into school, Bryony peeling off to use the boys’ cloakroom while the rest of us went to the girls’.

‘What’s this all about, Gaby?’ Angela asked.

‘I can’t tell you, it’ll have to come from Bry,’ was my reply.

‘Yes, that’s another thing,’ Juniper chipped in; ‘Both you and Farah have started calling Bryan, Bry. Can you at least tell us why?’

‘Look, Juniper,’ Farah said, ‘If Gabs and I could tell you we would, but we promised we wouldn’t say anything until Bry has told you her–HIMself.’ She blushed pinkly, but luckily Juniper didn’t pursue the matter. However Angela and Kristal were looking very thoughtful.

‘Are you lot coming for registration?’ Kristal asked.

‘I’ll be along in a minute, Kris,’ I said. ‘My hair’s a bit of a mess so I’ll give it a brush.’

‘Okay, come on you three,’ she said to the others. ‘Gaby can catch us up.’

‘I guess my hair’s a bit messy too,’ Farah said. ‘We’ll catch up with you in homeroom–I mean–well you know what I mean.’ She giggled and I grinned at her.

‘’Kay,’ replied Kristal, and she left with Angela and Juniper.

‘Shit!’ Farah exclaimed when they were out of earshot, ‘there’s me sticking my big foot in my mouth.’

‘I don’t think they noticed,’ I said, ‘but I think we should warn Bry-ony.’ The ony was added in a whisper.

‘Okay,’ she agreed. ‘let’s go look for her.’

As we left the cloakroom we almost bumped into Bryony. Farah came straight to the point. ‘I’m sorry, Bryony, but I may have put my foot in it. Angela, Kristal and Juniper were trying to give us the third degree about why we were calling you Bry and I said that you would have to tell them yourself, and then I accidentally let a her slip out before I realised it. Soreee.’

‘She covered it up with a him straight away, and I don’t think they noticed,’ I said.

‘Don’t worry,’ Bryony said, giving Farah a hug. ‘I’ll explain everything at break time. Come on or we’ll be late for registration.’

‘Ah yes,’ Farah said in an undertone, ‘Another meeting with our famous form teacher, Ms Tess Tickell,’ and all three of us giggled.

* * *

After registration with Miss Tickell and Morning Assembly, Friday mornings started with maths, or math as Farah called it, so it was her first exposure to Mr Ogg. As he entered the classroom we chanted ‘Good morning, Miss Trogg,’ to which he replied, ‘Good morning, class.’

He stood behind the teacher’s desk and surveyed the scene, looking at each individually in turn as if trying to memorise each one. He stared at the Famous Five sitting together in the back row. ‘ Right,’ he said, ‘Messrs Pratt, Arden, Royde, Thomas and Bates, I think we’ll split you up and then we might just manage to get a bit of work done. So, Master Royde, you will change places with Miss Fortune and sit next to Miss Wood. And I think you, Master Bates, should change places with Miss Green in the second row. You are to sit in these places for every one of my classes; do you understand?’

‘Yes, Miss Trogg,’ said Wayne Bates, purposely leaving a small gap between the two words.

‘Yes, Miss Trogg,’ replied the Android with a cheeky grin; he was only too delighted to be told to sit next to the girl he fancied. Neither Talia Fortune nor Emma Wood looked particularly pleased with the new arrangement. The lesson was mainly revision of what we did at the end of the summer term and Mr Ogg also spent some time with Farah to check what she had learned at her American school.

It was French next and the Famous Five had returned to their own desks before Mademoiselle Leblanc bustled in through the door. We stood up and chanted, ‘Bonjour Mam’zelle Leblanc.’

‘Bonjour, mes enfants. Assayez vous s’il vous plaá®t.’” 

Before we sat down, Farah looked at me and grinned. I grinned back and when I turned to face Mam’zelle again she was staring at me. ‘Gabriel Chambers, pourquoi portez-vous une jupe?’”¡

‘P-pardon mademoiselle? Je ne c-comprends p-pas,’ I stammered hesitantly.

‘Why are you wear-ring a skurt?’ she said rolling her ‘Rs’ in her throat. ‘Répondez-vous en Française s’il vous plaá®t.’ §

‘Parce que je suis une fille, Mademoiselle,’ I replied, knowing I was blushing furiously. ’J’étais tourjours une fille et je m’appelle Gabrielle.’ ¶ I was sure I could feel sweat running down my back.

‘Trés bien, Gabrielle, c’est un nom trés joli français pour une jeune fille.” ”  And your nom de famille, Chambres,”¡”¡ you know what it means?’ she asked.

‘Yes, Mam’zelle, rooms.’

‘Wrong!’ came a voice from the back row, ‘it means potty!’ There was a roar of laughter from the back of the class.

’SILENCE!’ roared Mam’zelle, in a most un-Mam’zelle-like manner. ‘I weel not ’ave such be’aviour in my classes. John Thomas, you will make an apology this instant!’

‘I’m sorry, Miss,’ came the reply.

‘En français s’il vous plaá®t.’

‘I’m sorry, Mam’zelle.’

‘You will repeat after me, “Je suis désolé, Mademoiselle.” § § ’

‘Je swee dayso-lay, Mam’zelle,’ repeated the unfortunate John Thomas.

‘And to Gabrielle also,’ Mam’zelle said in French.

‘Je swee dayso-lay, Gabriel,’ muttered the unfortunate boy.

‘And,’ said Mam’zelle, writing, “Je suis désolé, Mademoiselle.” on the board with a noisy chalk, you will copy this down in your exercise book and write it out for me one hundred times and give it to me before you go home this afternoon.’

‘Yes, Mam’zelle,’ replied the unhappy boy.

‘En français, s’il vous plaá®t.’

‘Oui, Mademoiselle.’

After that the class settled down to some hard work–irregular verbs, Eeeewwww!

* * *

It was a relief when the bell rang for break. Outside, Farah and I called Angela, Kristal, Juniper, Lacey and Bryony together and we went off to a more remote part of the playground where we could sit without being overheard.

Farah started: ‘Bry, here, has a problem, a distressing problem, which Gaby and I have said we will try to help with. This is very serious, so please don’t laugh. It’s all yours, Bry.’

‘Th-thank you, F-Farah,’ said Bryony. ‘Th-this isn’t easy to s-say b-but I-I’ll try. You know how we all thought th-that G-Gaby was a boy but all along she had been a g-girl, p-pretending t-to b-be a b-boy?’

There were nods and murmurs of, ‘yes.’

‘Well, I-I-I am a g-g-girl, b-but b-born into the wr-rong b-body–a b-b-boy’s b-b-body.’ She breathed a sigh of relief at having said it. ‘I’ve known I’m a girl in a boy’s body ever since I was about three years old. I’m what is c-called tr-tr-trans-g-gendered.’

There was silence for a few moments and then Farah spoke. ‘There’s a kid back in the States I know who has the same problem and she now lives and goes to school as a girl. Gabs and I talked to Bryony yesterday and she told her mom, who took her to see the doctor.’

‘The d-doctor took some of my blood,’ Bryony explained, ‘and it’s being tested and she’ll let me and Mummy know the results next week. And there’s something else; I’m g-growing b-b-boobs.’ She raised her sweatshirt and her small bust showed through her cotton shirt. ‘The doctor says I should wear a bra.’

‘You have bigger ones than me,’ Kristal said. ‘Lucky you.’

‘Not lucky if she has to try to look like a boy. Did Farah call you Bryony?’ Juniper asked.

‘Yes, that’s how I’ve always thought of myself,’ came the reply. ‘I hate being called Bryan as it reminds me of what I am not, so could you call me Bry in front of the other guys, and maybe when we’re together you can call me Bryony.’ She then described how she had dressed up with her cousin Penny, and how much more natural she felt in girls’ clothes. ‘When I went to see the doctor yesterday, I borrowed a skirt, top and some knickers from Gaby, and Mummy took me shopping for my own clothes before we went to the doctor’s, so at least I can be a girl at home until I’m able to be one full time and come to school as Bryony Rose.’

‘And that’s where we want some help from you, guys,’ I said.

‘The idea of this meeting,’ explained Farah, ‘is to ask if you four will join Gabs and me in the B.B.C.–the Bryony Buddies Corps–so that she will have some friends to look out for her and support her when she eventually comes to school as Bryony.’

‘That’s a tidy idea,’ Angela said, ‘And I’ll certainly do all I can to ’elp. It must be proper terrible for you, Bryony, to know you ’ave the wrong body.’

‘It all seems a bit weird,’ Lacey said, ‘but if it’s true I’d be happy to help.’

‘I’ve always thought you were too girlie for a boy, Bryony,’ Kristal added, ‘so it’s not really very surprising, and one does read in the papers about such things.’

‘Will you have a sex-change?’ Juniper asked.

‘If the doctors decide I am t-transg-g-gendered, I’ll have an operation when I’m older. I’m not allowed to have it till I’m eighteen.’

‘Please don’t tell anyone else,’ Farah said. ‘Keep it to ourselves for Bryony’s sake.’

‘Yes, please do,’ Bryony said, ‘or I’ll be dead meat.’

‘Let’s all join pinkies and pinky-promise together,’ Angela suggested, ‘and wish success to the B.B.C.’

We heard the bell ring for the end of break, so we quickly hooked our pinkies together and promised to keep Bryony’s secret, then got up and walked back to our classroom, feeling something had been achieved to make things easier for Bryony when the time came for her to be her true self.

After break we had English and history and then it was time for lunch. During the pre-lunch break we six got together again and Bryony told us some more about herself. At lunch we all sat together. It was fish pie and peas which was quite good and apple pie and cream for pudding which made Farah feel very much at home, ‘Even if it’s not quite like Mom makes,’ she said.

Our afternoon lessons were biology, then we had art and finally PE. Bryony had been given a note by the doctor excusing her so she went to the library to start on her homework.

Dr and Mrs Way arrived in the Cherokee to collect Farah, and I was about to walk home with Bryony, when we were told to hop in and they would drop us off at our respective homes.

* * *

We dropped Bryony off at her house and then went on to drop me off. ‘We have a little surprise for you guys,’ Dr Way told us. ‘I have to go to a meeting in Manchester’–he pronounced it Man Chester, as if it was two words–‘tomorrow and Sunday, and Mom wants to come with me, Farah; so your Aunt, Gaby, has agreed that Farah can spend the whole weekend with you.’

‘Oh wow, Daddy, that’s just sooooo cool. Is it one of those important meetings you have to go to?’

Yes, honey,’ Mrs Way replied for her husband, ‘and we won’t be back till Monday, so do you think you’ll manage to walk to school with Gaby okay?’

‘I thiiiink I’ll just about manage to stagger there,’ Farah replied with a giggle.

* * *

After we had done our homework and had our supper it was soon time for bed. After baths we put on our night things and went to bed. Just before we got into bed Auntie brought us a late night snack–a mug of hot chocolate and HobNobs.

‘Ooooh, hot choc and cookies, brill,’ Farah said, grinning at me.

‘We call them biscuits,’ I told her, grinning back.

‘Don’t forget to brush your teeth afterwards, girls,’ Auntie told us.

‘We won’t, Auntie,’ Farah replied for both of us.

‘Don’t be too late putting your light out, will you?’ Auntie said. ‘I’ve got all sorts of things planned for you tomorrow. Night-night.’

* * *

I was wakened by Farah shaking my shoulder. ‘Gabs, wake up! What’s that horrible howling noise?’

Recognising the now-familiar sound of the air-raid siren, I was awake in an instant. ‘It’s an air-raid, I can’t explain now but we have slipped back in time to the second world war and you must call me Greta. This has happened to me before; we've got to get up and go to the air-raid shelter.’

At this moment the door opened, the light was switched on and Mummy was there. ‘Greta, Freya, get up quickly, girls. Put on your underthings, socks, shoes and dressing gowns, bring a blanket and come with me to the shelter immediately. And don’t forget your gas masks.’ She hurried away towards her own room leaving us alone.

Farah, alias Freya looked at me open-mouthed as if I was feeble-starkers-bonkers.

To Be Continued…

___________________________________

”  ‘Bonjour, mes enfants. Assayez vous s’il vous plaá®t.’ Translation: ‘Good morning, children. Sit down please.’

”¡ ‘pourquoi portez-vous une jupe?’ Translation: ‘why are you wearing a skirt?’

 § ‘Répondez-vous en Française s’il vous plaá®t.’ Translation: ‘Reply in French, please.’

 ¶ ‘Parce que je suis une fille, Mademoiselle, J’étais tourjours une fille et je m’appelle Gabrielle.’ Translation: ‘Because I am a girl, Miss. I always was a girl and I am called Gabrielle.’

” ”  ‘Trés bien, Gabrielle, c’est un joli nom français pour une jeune fille. Trans: ‘Very good, Gabrielle, that is a pretty French name for a young girl.’

”¡”¡ nom de famille, Chambres, Trans: family name, Chambers

 § § “Je suis désolé, Mademoiselle.” Trans: “I am sorry, Miss.”

---

Thanks are due to Bonzi once again for allowing his Mum to do her splendid proofing
and to Kaleigh and Annette, my oh-so harassed trans-pond teen-girl-speak consultants.
Any mistakes remaining are the entire responsibility of the author–and that includes the French dialogue because her French is very rusty!

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