I catch the train to meet Mum but find I
have an unexpected travelling companion

A Fortuitous Adventure:
or, how I got my first job

by Louise Anne Smithson

Chapter 16

Another train journey

I was due to meet Mum on Monday afternoon and she had arranged for us to stay overnight at the Novotel at Birmingham Airport. Aunt Carol offered to drive me to Shrewsbury station at lunch time to catch my train to Birmingham, and Clare came along for the ride as she was not due to work on that day. I’d dressed myself with great care in my new suit, combining it with a dark red blouse which, by chance, matched the stones in my new necklace and earrings given to me by Gran. I also wore my white high heeled shoes with a matching handbag and carried with me a weekend case containing my nightdress and a change of clothes for the journey back on Tuesday.

‘Do I look alright?’ I asked my companions.

‘Yes of course, you look fine in that outfit,’ said Aunt Carol. ‘I don’t think you need to be afraid of being discovered.

‘It isn’t so much a question of discovery as Mum’s reaction to me dressed as Emily rather than as Chris,’ I said.

‘It is bound to be a bit of a shock for her to see her son wearing a skirt and with long hair and makeup, even though she has seen some pictures of you already. However, I suspect that once she gets used to the idea she’ll be proud of you,’ she answered.

Over the last few days Aunt Carol had become fully accepting of me as Emily in our conversation, although I suspect that she also still had a few reservations..

‘I hope it won’t be too much of a shock for her. I’ve been trying to get her used to the idea of having a daughter for the last fortnight.

‘I’m sure she’ll be fine, but please remember that sixteen year old girls have to be careful when they’re travelling on their own,’ she said.

‘Don’t worry! I’ll be there in less than two hours,’ I said; ‘and I’ll telephone you as soon as I arrive at the airport.’

‘Yes, please do so to stop me worrying. I couldn’t forgive myself if anything happened to you.’

‘Here you are, Emily, I’ve brought you something to read on your journey,’ said Clare, handing over a couple of teenage fashion magazines to me at the entrance to the station, whilst her mother sat in the car parked nearby on a double yellow line.

‘Thanks, that’s a good idea. If I’m busy reading on the train it’ll discourage any attempts to engage me in conversation. I’d rather not have any lads trying to chat me up if I can avoid it,’ I said.

‘Maybe not today, but there’ll come a time when you might be glad of the attention,’ said Clare.

I blushed but said nothing by way of answer.

‘Good luck then,’ said my cousin, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.

I thanked her and walked into the station and on to the platform feeling quite good about myself, both in terms of the way I looked and because I would soon be seeing Mum again.

---

My journey was relatively straightforward: I had a choice of either remaining on the train as far as Birmingham New Street and then boarding a London express, which would stop at Birmingham International Station, or else I could get off my train at Wolverhampton, which was the starting point for the London expresses. Wolverhampton railway station is as bleak and uninviting as the town itself, but at least I would be guaranteed to get a seat from there. The London expresses often got very crowded and it could be a scramble to get on them at Birmingham.

I was sitting on a seat at Shrewsbury station, flicking through one of Clare’s magazines and waiting for the arrival of my train, when I heard a voice that I recognised.

‘Hello Emily, you look very smart, where are you going today?’

It was Geoff’s friend Rob, with whom I’d danced a fortnight earlier. I wasn’t sure whether I was pleased or not to meet him again, but was quite content that he had noticed my outfit.

‘Hi Rob, I’m just going to meet my mother at Birmingham Airport,’ I replied, smiling.

‘I’m going to visit my eldest sister in Nuneaton; do you mind if I travel with you as far as Birmingham?’

‘I shall only be travelling as far as Wolverhampton on this train,’ I replied, without committing myself to any other answer.

He took my response as a ‘yes’ and parked himself on the seat next to me.

‘I enjoyed the dance at The Lord Hill,’ he said.

‘So did I.’

‘I understand that your cousin Clare has been out with Geoff once or twice since. Have you been doing anything much?’

‘I’ve been very busy and also had to visit my Gran in Sheffield,’ I replied.

Fortunately our train arrived at this point.

The train from Shrewsbury was only about a third full and so we were able to occupy a table with four seats. Rob took my case and put it on the luggage rack above the seats for me. I put my magazines and handbag down on the seat next to me so we had to sit opposite one another. As he sat down his leg inadvertently touched one of mine. I felt a momentary tingle of pleasure before I moved it out of his way.

I decided it might be easier if I took control of our conversation rather than left it to him, so I started to ask about him, his family and what he was doing in Shrewsbury. He told me that he was eighteen and had a summer job on a farm nearby prior to leaving for university in the autumn. In fact he turned out to be very good company: witty, self-effacing, and unwilling to hog all the conversation. On several occasions he invited me to contribute or to tell him about my background, but I would answer only briefly before steering the conversation back towards him. In these circumstances it is best to tell as few outright lies as possible, and so I was deliberately vague about my background. In no time at all I noticed that we were travelling under the overhead electrified wires which indicated that we were approaching Wolverhampton station. Rob began to stand up in order to retrieve my case.

‘I suppose I could stay on this train as far as Birmingham,’ I said. ‘It wouldn’t make a great deal of difference to me.’

He returned me a broad smile, as if to say that it would make a great deal of difference to him, and sat down. We continued to talk together happily for another half an hour. It was a nice feeling that such a simple decision on my part seemed to give him pleasure, even though he was a year or two older than I was and also quite good looking. When we did eventually reach Birmingham Rob took down my case and carried it, together with his own, to the platform. He even helped me off the train. I could see that there were advantages in having a guy as a travelling companion to help with the luggage, especially if one is wearing high heels.

I had a fifteen minute wait until the arrival of the London train whereas he had twenty-five minutes until his local to Nuneaton.

‘May I buy you a coffee?’ he asked.

‘No thanks, I wouldn’t really have enough time to drink it,’ I replied. ‘But I’ve enjoyed having your company on the journey,’ I added as an afterthought.

That also seemed to please him.

‘When do you get back to Shrewsbury?’ he asked.

‘Tomorrow night.’

‘I’m away until next weekend, but how would you feel about meeting up some time for that coffee? Nothing heavy; just two friends having a coffee together.’

I hesitated for a moment, wanting to say yes but not sure how to answer.

‘I don’t know my work rota that far ahead, but if you have an email address I could let you know when I’m free.’ I said to give myself a little more time.

He agreed and we exchanged email addresses. I then went to the ladies toilet in order to check on my hair and repair my makeup. Nobody took a second glance at me as I did so; I was now quite confident in my appearance and demeanour as a woman, it was just in the matter of handling guys that I was uncertain of myself. Rob was still waiting for me when I emerged and it was almost time for my train. There was quite a crowd waiting to get on.

‘I’ll help you to find a seat, if you like,’ he offered.

‘Don’t worry Rob, it is only a ten minute journey, I’ll let them all get on first and stand at the end of the carriage,’ I said.

As the crowd fought to get on the train Rob and I stood back. Then, rather bashfully, he kissed me on the cheek. I turned towards him and smiled.

‘Thanks for helping me with my luggage. I’ll email when I know my rota.’

Once the queue to board had subsided he helped me on and handed me my case. As he did so I gave him a quick kiss on the lips and went in the carriage without looking back.

‘Oh Emily, whatever made you do that?’ I thought to myself, as I sat on my suitcase at the end of the carriage, not quite believing what had just happened.

---

Twenty minutes later I was standing in the Arrivals Hall at Birmingham Airport inspecting the indicator board. I was in plenty of time and my mother’s flight wouldn’t be landing for another thirty minutes. I guessed it would be at least an hour before she emerged from the Arrivals Gate. I therefore bought myself a coffee and sat down to make the promised call to inform Aunt Carol that I’d arrived safely at my destination and had not been abducted, murdered, or sold into slavery along the way. My mind was still in some turmoil regarding Rob and the train journey so, as soon as I finished talking to Aunt Carol I decided to have a talk with Clare on her mobile phone.

‘Hi Emily, is everything ok?’ she asked as she answered my call.

‘I’m fine and am just waiting for Mum’s plane to arrive, but I wanted to talk to you if it is convenient.’

‘Yes, of course, what do you want to talk about?’

‘I ran into Rob on Shrewsbury station and travelled to Birmingham with him.‘

‘I’m afraid I’m partly to blame there; he was originally intending to travel on Sunday night after the festival, but I let it slip over the weekend that you were travelling to Birmingham on Monday and so he seems to have changed his plans,’ she confessed.

‘But how did he know which train I would be travelling on?’

‘I may have let that slip out as well. Sorry!’

She didn’t sound particularly sorry.

‘I wish you’d warned me.’

‘How was your journey?’ How did you get on?’ she said, rapidly changing the subject.

‘It was fine, he was good company, but he has asked me out again and I don’t know what to do,’ I replied.

‘Well you must have some idea whether you like him or not?’

‘I like him well enough, but the idea of going out with a guy frightens me. When I agreed to dress as Emily I didn’t envisage going on dates as her as well.’

‘Well you can’t go round looking as beautiful as you did at Anne’s dinner without attracting some attention from the opposite sex. I always thought you liked it when guys said how nice you looked.’

‘I did enjoy the dance and I don’t mind a little bit of mild flirting at work. I also quite liked it when Rob carried my case for me or helped me off the train, but going out with him is different.

‘You never know, it might be good fun.’

‘I don’t know Clare; in some respects I’d like to go out with him, but what’ll happen when he finds out about Chris?’

‘Does he have to know about Chris?’

‘Yes, I could never keep it from him. It was bad enough that I kissed him without his first knowing.’

‘So you kissed him again today?’

‘Yes, but only after he kissed me first,’ I said defensively.

‘I see,’ said Clare in a knowing voice. ‘So how have you left things with him?’

‘I’ve promised to email him during the week.’

‘So why don’t you tell him by email, and let him decide what to do about it.’

‘He’ll go bananas and accuse me of tricking him,’ I said.

‘How do you know that? You have to give him the chance to respond. You never know but he may still wish to go out with you.’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘Well, in that case you’ve not lost anything. You don’t have to see one another again.’

---

The arrivals board showed my mother’s flight about to land. I still had at least half an hour to wait for her. I made my way to an Internet kiosk and paid to use my email. I then drafted the following note:

Dear Rob,

It was good to see you again this afternoon and I did so enjoy your company. I would be happy to see you again, on the understanding it was as you said nothing heavy! — Just two friends sharing a coffee.

However, before we do so there is something I need to tell you that may well cause you to change your mind. You see, no matter how I may look, feel and act, I am not physically a girl. I was born and brought up as Christopher, and, as yet, I have done nothing to change that, other than spending the last few weeks living and working as Emily.

Those weeks have convinced me that I should have been a woman, and that I need to begin the process of becoming one as quickly as possible. I am truly sorry if this has shocked you or you think I have tricked you, but it wasn’t deliberate. Although I really liked you on that first occasion we met, I deliberately kept you at arm’s length — for your own sake. I am sorry that I kissed you this afternoon; I got carried away and should never have done so, without first telling you about my situation.

If, after reading the above, you have no wish to see me again, I will understand and not think any less of you. I would only ask you not to make a big fuss or blame my cousin. She means well but doesn’t always think about the consequences of what she does. If, however, you feel that you can cope with having me as a friend and still wish to see me again, then I would really love to see you. You can contact me by email or my mobile any time.

Love,

Emily x

I read the draft of my message through several times, wondering how he might react to it or whether I’d even send it. He clearly had no idea about my background, and it was only fair to let him known before things went any further.

As I was reading through my unsent message for the fourth or fifth time, my mobile phone rang: it was a call from Mum.

‘Hi, Mum, Emily here, where are you?’

‘Hello, dear, I’ve passed through Passport Control and am waiting for my luggage to arrive on the belt. I’ll probably be about ten minutes more. I was just ringing to check you were waiting and to find out where we should meet.’

‘Of course I’m here waiting for you. I haven’t seen you for a while and have such a lot of news. I’ll be waiting near to the gate in the arrivals. I’m wearing an off-white skirt and jacket and a red blouse,’ I answered.

‘Good, I’m looking forward to seeing you very soon, love.’

The time for procrastinating was over. I hit the ‘send’ button and logged off the computer. I had no idea when he would receive my message, and how he would react when he did do so. I’d just have to wait and see. I made my way to the meeting area in front of the arrivals gate where there were a number of people waiting to greet passengers.