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(aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2309 by Angharad Copyright© 2014 Angharad
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“So that’s Neal’s replacement is it?” asked Simon as we cuddled together in bed.
“Yes, what did you think of her?”
“She’s wasted as a technician.”
“I agree and told her as much.”
“So why did you appoint her then?”
“I didn’t, Daddy and one of the other lecturers did.”
“Yet you supervise her?”
“I run the dormouse breeding programme, she has is based there so is nominally under my control. I also have priority for her time when I’m teaching.”
“But that’s a seniority thing?”
“Yeah, I’m a reader or senior lecturer, in the States I’d be on assistant professor scale.”
“Not bad at thirty.”
“Compared to some, but then Tom was a professor at thirty five.”
“You might be one as well—you’d be a natural to replace Tom when he retires.”
“I don’t know if I’d want to.”
“Why not?”
“Lots of politics and business. I don’t want to be more concerned with balancing budgets than educating young minds.”
“That’s a fact of life these days.”
“I don’t have to agree with it.”
“Isn’t that a bit ostrich like?”
“No, I’m aware it happens and I have to keep some controls on spending on the dormouse programme and the other bits I run like the ecology courses.”
“Do you still teach them?”
“I share some of it with Amber Wilkins.”
“Who’s she?”
“Tall girl, dark hair bit of a moustache.”
“Oh that was Amber?”
“Yeah, what’s funny is when people remember we have a trannie in the department they usually think it’s her.”
“You don’t have a trannie in the department, do you?”
“Yeah, me remember?”
“Have you been dressing up as a man then?”
“No—don’t be silly.”
“You’re a woman, if you remember you were officially cured when you got your gender panel thing back recognising you as female. You were no longer transsexual, your birth certificate says female. As far as I’m concerned you are female full stop.”
“You know what I mean, I can’t deny my history even if it’s been ‘rehabilitated’ by the Gender Recognition Panel.”
“I’m not going to argue the semantics, the facts are that you have been legally recognised as a female, and you are also a legally married female and adoptive mother of several children. You’re a beautiful woman and a wonderful wife and mother so let’s just forget the past mistake shall we?”
“Mistake?”
“On nature’s part giving you the wrong plumbing.”
“Hilary had a point.”
“Did she?”
“Yes, the part about referring to the wrong plumbing could be seen as a way of hiding an element of homosexuality on both our parts.”
“We’ve discussed this and also spoken to Anne Thomas about it, she agreed that those who held that view wouldn’t alter it if you could categorically prove them wrong, they’re like fundamentalists in religion. Fixed in their view or blinded by it. In a theoretical argument they could have a point but as Anne said, they don’t know you or me and we know it isn’t true. It’s like these morons you see on blogs or other stuff on the internet who shout, ‘show us your ovaries,’ most ordinary women couldn’t do that without a scan, so what are they proving other than how stupid they are? Women who’ve had them removed or didn’t have any in the first place aren’t any less women are they? Being a woman or a man is more than just reproductive cycles, that’s just biology being a human being of either sex or gender is much more complex—isn’t it?”
“I suppose so.”
“Look, Cathy, my wife, my lover, the mother of my children—I don’t give a toss what Hilary or anyone else thinks—I know you intimately—and believe me you are all woman, right down to the PMS and difficulties parking a car.”
I snorted at the last part.
“I can park a car,” I protested.
“Yeah in an empty car park.”
“So? Lots of men can’t park cars either.”
“Okay, maybe I should have said read maps.”
“That’s not fair.”
He chuckled.
“You got pulled into the argument with Hilary,” I suggested.
“Well yeah, I’m not going to let some Mancunian tyro insult my wife.”
“I don’t think she meant it as an insult, she was surprised to see me breast feed and she doesn’t believe I didn’t take hormones to cause lactation.”
“That’s her problem, we all know you didn’t.”
“Thank you for fighting my corner.”
“You’re my woman, what am I supposed to do except protect you.”
“Hmm, interesting way of putting it.”
“What is?” he yawned.
“Calling me your woman rather than your wife.”
“Well you’re both, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
“So I am, I hadn’t noticed.”
“Yep multitasking again.”
“But so do you.”
“I can’t, I’m a bloke.”
“You can, you’re my man, my husband, the father to my children, and my soulmate.”
“Oh yeah, perhaps I can.”
“Can what?”
“Multitask.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Simon, you’re a bloke.”
“But you just said I was all these different things.”
“So, they’re not all at the same time are they?”
“No, I suppose not. So neither are yours then.”
“Yes they are, I’m a woman remember—I can fulfil more than one role at a time.”
“Oh, well that explains it.”He yawned and dropped off to sleep. I wanted to scream that my argument was cobblers but he’d surrendered to sleep so I turned over on my side and he snuggled into the back of me and I eventually fell asleep too.
At breakfast, everyone except Trish told me they didn’t want me to invite ‘that woman’ again. I asked why and they thought she sounded intolerant and old fashioned. I didn’t think she was either, just curious and possibly had some preconceived ideas which were tested and found wanting. She’d been a good support at work but my gender wasn’t questioned there anymore and I suppose seeing me doing something I shouldn’t be able to do surprised or even shocked her.
I dropped the girls to school and went on to work, I saw Hilary at lunch time and we had lunch together. “Thanks for a lovely day yesterday, I really enjoyed it.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You breastfeeding really caught me by surprise.”
“I think we all noticed that.”
“Yeah, sorry about that—I was just curious.”
“We noticed.”
“Sorry—but I don’t know any other transsexuals.”
“According to the Gender Recognition Panel I’m female not transsexual.”
“Oh—okay, but can a bit of paper change your biology?”
“Having gender dysphoria isn’t about biology, it’s about self identity”
“But you said you were cured now.”
“Yes, as far as I and the powers that be are concerned, I am.”
“Good, now what d’you think of the Voice?”
“What Pavarotti, I thought he was dead?”
“No the programme on telly.”
“I have no idea, I’ve never seen it.”
“You really are an aristocrat, aren’t you?”
“Because I don’t watch television?”
“Yeah, that as well.”
“No I just have better things to do.”
“Oh, so that infers the proles don’t?”
“Not at all, it’s all about taste and personal preference which isn’t about social status.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No I don’t think it is, though education might be involved.”
“Don’t tell me, you prefer radio and classical music?”
“Okay, I won’t tell you.”
“Won’t tell me what...?”
It looked like a long afternoon was in prospect.
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Comments
If music be the sound of .....
Greetings
I much prefer listening to music, than watching television. Took a look at the list of television programmes, on the 50 or so channels early evening. Decided there was nothing worth watching!
Thank you for another chapter.
Brian
So we're an aristocrats ...
... according to Hilary because we've never owned a TV in the 47 years (today!) we've been married and we like classical music and Radio 3 and 4 :) We seem to be missing both the titles and the stately home that's supposed to go with it :)
I think Trish is too quick to judge (I suppose that's OK for a 9 year old) Hilary will turn up trumps eventually.
thanks
Robi
Hmmm...
Seems interesting - that Cathy and Simon seem to have that same discussion so often... What discussion you ask. The one where Simon has to convince Cathy he believes she's a she. Sad that she seems to be so lovely yet still has so many questions about her identity... Triggered almost every time someone else questions it.
Wonder where things will go from hear.
Thanks,
Annette
Cathy, I'm On Your Side
I wouldn't have a clue who Lady Gaga or Miley Cyrus were except the national news forces them down our throats. I don't own a smart phone (that will probably end this year). I don't text, I don't tweet, and I still have a land line. I like opera and classical music. I don't watch reality TV. I couldn't care less about 'The Voice' or 'Dancing With The Stars' and the rest of that stuff. I am reading the fifth volume of the Fire and Ice Saga. I like wine, but couldn't tell you why I like one and not the other. Face it, I'm old.
Portia
I learned so much today !!!
I learn so much in these episodes ! I thought a Mancunian was an Asian warrior. :)
It appears that it can be the handicap of the transwoman to constantly question herself. And admittedly there is just lots of pain in our lives from time to time. For inscrutable reasons, people just do not seem to question me or my existence, except when they do and then it hurts a lot and I get tearful.
Cathy took the high ground in the face of the enemy, so perhaps she will have a new allie? Or not.
The fact that she did not do puberty, did not grow hair, and passed so easily as female should have the bells clanging away about her not being purely XY.
It is significant that the minute I stopped saying I was transgendered, and started saying I was Intersex, whether all that is strictly true or not, life got much easier. And, one day I think that it will be proven that there is not large bodies of XX or XY, that we are all subject to considerable variation.
G
Being transgendered is not necessarily a ticket to hell
socially speaking.
It depends a lot on how well one passes and present yourself and frankly being attractive helps quite a bit. I pass very well, am reasonably attractive and the few times I had to acknowledge my TS status has not been an issue and that started back in the 80s and 90s so we are talking decades of experience in the matter. That has only been confirmed when I took a polygraph for a security clearance recently as, yes, they knew about my T-status as I had told them and it is best to not let them think you are ashamed to trying to hide it by letting them figure it out. Based on my experience of his initial reaction to me when he first saw me I knew that at least I had a level chance at being fairly treated. And I was.
Granted I cannot claim intersex status so can't compare of course.
The television in
our house is always on, Not that i watch it much, Maybe the news and some sports program's but that is about it, I suppose if i am honest its on more out of habit than any paticular need, I guess its more a sign of the times we live in, It does seem nowdays no one likes the silence when the TV is switched off and even if they do not intend watching they still turn on the TV ....Sad really when you think about it...
Kirri
Mine is usually off
I watch very little television, spend hours on computers but not television. It annoys me when I go to people's houses how many leave the telly on. I was always taught it was rude. Perhaps etiquette has changed (yeah it died).
Angharad
Threads
Another new thread to explore in the story line. Love it as all the others. Thanks again.