Book 2, Chapter 47

Life as a television presenter was proving to be less than spectacular. A section of the documentary on the development of navigation was about Polynesian methods but the director informed me in London that she felt no need to fly me to the Pacific for filming so no free exotic holiday for me this time. Instead I was back in Cardiff helping with the fit-out 0f Dumblebit, taking up any opportunities to sail that I could but always on-call if needed for voiceovers in London.

Serena and Penny came to see me in the marina during their lunch break on Thursday looking very summery compared to me in my dungarees. “‘Ne’er cast a clout ’til May is out,’” I warned at their skimpy dress.

“What planet are you living on Venus? May is the may tree which has been blooming for two weeks and in any case it’s the 3rd of May,” teased Serena.

“We mostly want to check that you’re coming to Beth's exercise class this evening and to ask you for a tiny favour…”

Friends! What are friends for? Getting you into trouble is what they’re for! Penny's family had turned to traditional Indian customs regarding men after the trouble she had with her boss. Things would calm down eventually but for now her friendship with Andy was on the back boiler and she wanted to go out with her cousin's friend. In the eyes of Penny's parents they couldn’t allow it without the cousin going along as a chaperone which meant finding a date for cousin Jay, for which I became a potentially useful proposition.

Pretending to weigh my options I considered that although much had happened since my transition somehow I had still not ever been on a proper date and this might be an opportunity to learn. Just as likely however it was a chance to be humiliated.

“If your family is traditional Indian there is no way your cousin will want to go out with me once he knows about my past and I don't want a date with someone who doesn’t know.”

“Jay is a post-grad architecture student so he saw you on the Bilbao program and he is very keen to have a date with you.”

“I haven’t got anything to wear and I’m doing my hair that night!”

“Thanks to your sister, your modelling and your eye for a bargain you have the best wardrobe of any of us plus friends to borrow from. As to your hair nobody washes their hair on Saturday night.”

“I am; so that it will look good for a special occasion on Sunday.”

“Great! The date’s on Friday, which is tomorrow! We’ll pick you up at 8:30 pm from your house.”

I did get to the exercise class that evening and found we had two new girls from the University wanting to join. They made me wonder how Martina and Gwen were getting on in their student life and whether they would ever come back to Cardiff or even Wales which in turn made me nervous about what I would do afterwards, if I did succeeded in circumnavigating with Dumblebit…

Thank goodness for exercise. I've read it releases endorphins but the biggest benefit for me is it stops my mind going in circles as exercise has a beginning a middle and an end - things ‘real life’ often fails to deliver. Showering afterwards we invited the new girls, Kimberly and April, to join us at the café - I know we were curious about them but I wondered a bit why university students would feel like socialising with locals like us.

“We’re LUGs,” explained Kimberly. “‘That’s Lesbian Until Graduation’ because we both want to get the best degrees we can and not leave university up to our eyeballs in debt. Neither of us come from rich backgrounds and as university social life can get out of hand we agreed to be a couple for self-protection, at least that was the theory.”

“Does that mean you’ve accidentally become a couple for real?” asked Kelly. “That would make such a great movie script! Who would you like to see playing your parts?”

“Jessica Simpson for Kimberly and Kate Beckinsale for April, ” suggested Jenny before the girls could begin to answer.

“No we’re not in love like that,” April answered, “and the truth is university life is pretty dull if you are constantly playing a part to keep out of trouble. That's why we thought of your exercise club as somewhere we could be ourselves.”

“But we're all undercover agents for MI5 and not real people at all,” apologised Serena. “Beth is our boss and although she looks 16 she is really Stella Rimington and 66 years old.”

“Shows you how good the classes are that I look like this!” Beth concluded.

Our ‘social evening’ broke up about 9:30 pm as it was a Thursday which meant that Beth, even if she was a disguised 66 year old, had to go to school in the morning and all of us would be up early. Serena did however, once she'd dropped Penny off and Beth had gone upstairs to do her homework, stay a while with me in the kitchen to chat about what our futures would bring and what to wear tomorrow evening…. The important stuff.

The word had been passed, times set and our coice of film chosen, Bridget Jones's Diary. Why I was so nervous I don't know but when the doorbell rang I jumped and found it took all my nerve to slowly leave my bedroom a minute later and walk down the stairs to the hallway where my father was chatting to Jay with the charm of grizzly bear having his domain threatened.

Jay was not only handsome but taller than me, which was a relief for most of the Indian men that I knew were shorter and Penny was no more than 5' 5". Being a student Jay might have been an impecunious but looking toward the road through the open door I could see that his friend, Penny’s date, was not short of cash judging by the Lexus which awaited us.

“Home by midnight or never darken my door again,” Da declared, I think in jest but there was no way Jay could tell.

Even on the short drive to the cinema I began to get an uncomfortable feeling about Penny's date. He was older than us at maybe 30 and behaved more like an employer than a friend to Jay but there isn't much you can learn about someone two seats over in a cinema. It was afterwards that things turned nasty. Without doubt at the top of the star ratings in Cardiff the selected restaurant was evidently very popular with Indian businessmen showing off their wives and girlfriends. Not my first choice of dining place feeling a bit overly formal but the food was first class and Penny, very much a diamond in appearance to be shown off, was lapping up the flattery until her date leant over and whispered in her ear…

Plates, glasses, assorted cutlery and the palm of Penny's hand hit him in the same instance.
Up on her feet she took my hand. “Time for us to leave Venus.”

I don’t know what her date had done to upset her but I was ready to back Penny without hesitation. Jay stood but remained at the table looking backward and forward between his friend and Penny uselessly. We were magnificent sweeping through the restaurant for as much as Penny was shining like a diamond I glowed with the fire of a ruby and it was impossible for me to look less than regal wearing the sari Penny lent me.

The taxi waiting conveniently outside the restaurant dropped us 5 minutes later back at my parents and we waited for Penny's parents to pick her up for the longer drive to her home.

“What on earth did he say Penny? He must have insulted you pretty badly.”

“He insulted both of us. You he called a Dalit which is in India an Asprushya or untouchable.”

“So what? That just means he’s a snob and maybe hung up on race. I’ve heard worse growing up.”

“But what he said was that once he and I were together I wouldn’t have to put up with Jay’s Dalit, hijra tart.”

I put my arms around Penny to hold her tight because she had started to cry. “He’s an idiot on so many counts,” I said, “but mostly for thinking that you were like him. I’m so proud to have such a brave and loyal friend as you.”