Goodbye Sam...
by mittfh
 
Copyright © 2010 Ben Norwood.

Contains lyrics from "Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha", copyright of whoever Cliff's record label was back in 1970...

I mentioned this song when the contest was first proposed. Back then, I claimed I wasn't an author and couldn't imagine myself writing anything. Just over a month later, I've somehow got three stories up here and another in the works...
So I suppose I'd better do something with these lyrics...

Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha
Goodbye Joe, Hello Joanne.
Suddenly need a new kind of company
Someone to love me.
Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha
Goodbye Lou, Hello Louise.
From today there'll be new games
For me to play
So good luck and goodbye Sam!

That darned song had haunted me all my life - but I'd never dreamed the lyrics could ever mean so much to me - and in a completely different way to originally envisaged! Predictably enough, I was born Samuel Smith, but everyone called me Sam. I'd always felt I was a girl inside, and often envied the girls in the neighbourhood, playing in their pretty dresses. Unfortunately, Mum and Dad had other ideas, dismissing my ideas with comments such as "But you're a BOY" or "Boys don't do that!"

I was an only child so never had the opportunity to dress up in pretty clothes or play with dollies - and both mum and dad refused to let me play at any girl's house - they seemed to think I was bonkers for even daring to suggest playing with them. At school, I was continually teased with that darn song because I hated P.E. and spent most lunchtimes reading "girly" books in the library. Of course, I didn't dare take any such books home, and because I did OK in most subjects, the teachers didn't mention my reading habits at Parents Evenings.

My life started to get better when I started Secondary school, as I met and made friends with Louis and Joseph - who, by sheer coincidence, also felt they were girls inside. We pretty much hung together all the time, and spent most breaks and lunchtimes in the library. School life was better, but lessons were still dull and home life irritating. I already knew Mum and Dad couldn't understand the concept of their only son wanting to be a girl, so I pretended to be interested in football, rock music and Top Gear just to please them. As far as they were concerned, they were pleased that I did well academically, but were disappointed I didn't join any of the school's sports teams or showed no interest in having a kick-around with other boys in the neighbourhood.

Upon arrival in Sixth form I had the surprise of my life when called to discuss filling in my UCAS form with the school's careers advisor. She told me the school had noticed various things about me, and strongly recommended I apply to a place called Tina Gunter College. I'd never heard of the place before, but she told me it was ideally suited to allow me to develop my interests. The other odd thing was that they apprently required a medical assessment before firmly accepting any student.

While not exactly Oxbridge, the college looked nice from the information she gave me, and it boasted a very high pass rate, which pleased Mum and Dad, so I put it top of my preferences. I didn't hear anything more until just after my 18th birthday, when I received a provisional acceptance, subject to a medical evaluation with a Dr. Tring at the school.

When I got into the meeting, Dr. Tring asked me lots of questions about my life and interests, then stunned me by asking about my attitude towards girls, boys, and traditionally male or female activities, before dropping the proverbial bombshell by asking if I wanted to be a girl. I was shocked by this question and told him so, but then he reviewed my answers to his previous questions and asked again. Very quietly, I almost whispered "Yes", afraid of what his reaction would be. He smiled and said "I thought so" before revealing that he wasn't an ordinary doctor, but a psychiatrist employed by Tina Gunter College. Apparently, they were a special college for the "Transgendered", and because of this they avoided unnecessary publicity, preferring to keep their real entrance requirements out of the public domain. He explained that because some parents are ignorant of gender identity issues, or even intolerant of them, that they always wait until a potential student is 18 before arranging for the medical, so they don't have to inform the parents about the nature of the medical if the potential student doesn't want them to. Finally, he mentioned that, if he thought I was still a suitable candidate, I would have another medical with a different doctor - and if he agreed with Dr. Tring, I would be accepted in September.

Naturally, I didn't tell Mum or Dad the true nature of the medical appointment, just telling them it was a routine health check the college liked to do, to ensure its students were healthy. A month later, I had another interview with a Dr. Jones; and a month after that I received my final unconditional offer.

So now it's September 15th, and I'm standing on the platform of a railway station seemingly in the middle of nowhere in mid-Wales, waiting to be picked up by the college to be taken the final few miles to the college itself. I'm a little nervous, but excited about what lies ahead, and happy that both Lou and Joe are here with me. Apparently they also applied to Tina Gunter, but to avoid arousing suspicions they had their medicals at different times to me.

Hopefully, by the time we leave, I'll truly be Samantha rather than Samuel, Louis will be Louise, and Joseph will be Joanne. And to think I always hated that song...

Primary School - takes pupils from the term before their fifth birthday ("Rising 5") to 11.
Secondary School - takes pupils from 11 to 16 (the end of compulsory education). Most also have a Sixth Form Centre, which educates 16-18 year olds. The 6FC is usually a separate building containing the sixth form common room and a few classrooms, but lessons are taught by the same staff as the "Main School" and usually in the same classrooms.
Oxbridge - Colloquialism referring to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. It's a clearing house for UK University / HE College admissions. In Year 12 (16-17 years old), students are given the application form to fill in, whereby they list personal details, qualifications gained and expected, a reference and the universities / courses they want to apply for, in preferential order. Medical checks are not usually required!

And before anyone asks, I am NOT going to write their further adventures, or anything else regarding TG College. As ever, if anyone else wants to pick it up and run with it, feel free...