Chapter 4

“I mean LOOK AT ME!" I shouted.

“I am looking at you and there is no need to shout" my mother’s chillingly reasonable voice declared. “You’ve seen doctor Hughes and he explained you have some gynecomastia and it will pass. That doesn’t mean you can go round dressed like some bimbo! Whose clothes are those anyway?”

“Dr Hughes was nearly 3 years ago and my breasts are clearly not going away and what does it matter whose clothes they are? They were lent to me by my friends when mine got soaked and MY FRIENDS ARE NOT BIMBOS!

“That is quite enough from both of you.” The voice was not loud, if anything it was quietly tired, but it held command because of its unexpected source. “Sit down and stop talking for a minute. Litara put on the kettle and make some tea while I call my mother - we need her here for this.” My father had spoken and with that he walked out of the kitchen, through to the lounge where I heard the television being turned off and the phone picked up.

My mother looked at me then shut the kitchen door and went back to her seat at the table. Serena and I settled nervously onto stools at the counter and waited while Litara put on the kettle and laid out biscuits and Sophie washed out the pot for a fresh brew of tea.

“Well that’s a turn up” said Jack, “Just don’t make Isaac angry”. Jack and my father, Isaac, were not only brothers-in-law but often worked together and were the best of friends. In many ways he knew father better than did my mother.

"She’ll be here by taxi in 10 to 15 minutes". It was my father standing at, or rather filling the kitchen door. Isaac Williams is the son of my grandmother Litara (called Tina) Williams, who immigrated here from Samoa, and the late Malcolm Williams, well known locally for his ferocity and size as a rugby union prop forward. Gentle though I’ve always known him nobody pushes Isaac Williams about with the possible exception of Grandma Tina!

“Venus, this is a family affair, would you like me to leave?" Serena asked.

“Don’t you dare, I need you here, but maybe you should let your parents know where you are"

"Venus?" came my mother's voice.

"Joy, stop. No more." my father’s interruption once more stemmed the flow. Then he looked at me and started to smile, a smile that widened into a grin then laughter. "Venus Williams…Venus Williams… ”

We moved into the lounge where there was more space and were just into our second biscuits when we heard the taxi pull up. “I’ll get the door" my sister offered and I stood at the same time as she showed Grandma Tina into room. She is no taller than me and not particularly fat but just by being there she took up a lot of space.

I remained standing in front of her nervously until Grandma made a twirly sign with her fingers for me to turn around then curiosity seemingly satisfied she approached as though to give me a kiss but first put a hand on my breast and gently squeezed. I then kissed her and we took seats side by side on the settee.

My mother took that as a sign for her to take centre stage so stood and moved to the fireplace. “It is of course nice to see you Tina (Samoan for mother) but I fail to understand why Isaac felt you should be here."

“You!”, in a flash Grandma Tina was back on her feet.“You fail to see! This isn’t about you Joy. This is about the family. This is about” looking directly at me, “this is about HER!”

"Stand up girl.” Looking first at my mother then around the rest in the room Grandma drew a breath and continued “What affects her affects everyone in the family. Isaac has regularly come to me with worries that you, Joy, are pressuring his son to go into a respectable profession like yours. I've been concerned that my grandchild was a natural fa’afafine † such as those I grew up with in Samoa, who was going to have problems in a country with no understanding of such things. I was wrong." Turning back Grandma looked directly at me again. "I have eyes. I can use my eyes, She is a girl!”

With that Grandma dropped back in the seat next to me and I was enveloped in a bearlike hug.

Nobody else but Grandma Tina, it seemed, could have got away with a speech like that. However assumptions are the mothers of all foul-ups and my mother is still standing.

“Who do you think you are Tina, coming into this house pronouncing my son to be a girl. Are you a doctor? No! This is not Samoa in the days of your youth, This is Britain in the year 2000! If there is medical problem we approach it in the modern way and see a doctor!”

I put up my hand to stop my mother before she could go further and struggled out of Grandma's embrace and to my feet. "Excuse me everyone but this is firstly about me and I am 18. I am not a child any more and I have seen a doctor today.” With that I burst into tears as Litara and Serena leap to their feet to come and stand either side of me

“More tea anyone?”

† Just click fa'afafine here or above for a 1 minute video explanation of the term