Easy As Bawling At A Wake!
by: Angharad
part:303.

I was glad for Simon's help in getting my purchases to and from the station. I hadn't realised how much I'd bought until I had to pick them all up again from Waterstone's cafeteria.

We grabbed a takeaway on the way home, Simon fancied a pizza. I don't really like them, but it made for an easy dinner.

The priest who was doing my father's funeral came about seven and stayed for an hour. He was the same guy who did my mother's service and of course he remembered me and we talked about my situation for some time.

"Catherine, I'm aware that your father had some issues with your life style, but I'm aware that once he got used to it and knew that it was a serious departure on your part, he set about getting to grips with it. I won't say he enjoyed it, but he did become very proud of you as his daughter. I saw him hosital once or twice and he'd saved bits from the local paper to show me, about your exploits."

"The crafty old sod, he didn't tell me," I gasped. Simon doubled up laughing, he thought it was hilarious.

"You didn't know he kept a scrap book about you."

"When?"

"All your life, he obviously had to change things when you made your change over."

"When I transitioned," I corrected him.

"Quite so, when you transitioned. I think he was horrified and then delighted to see what a pretty girl you actually made."

"Did you know that he beat me up when I told him I was transgendered."

"He told me he had beaten you, that he had lost his temper and that he regretted it, but that he couldn't undo the past."

"He nearly hospitalised me, I could hardly walk after it, and I tried to finish the job, I took an overdose."

The priest fidgeted, this was obviously uncomfortable territory for him. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that."

"It's old hat now, and I've forgiven him, so I'm not holding him back. I loved both my parents you know."

"I have no doubt about it."

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

"In what context?" he frowned wondering what I was going to say next.

"I had a visitation from my mother."

"Oh, what happened?"

"She came to seek my forgiveness, apparently it was stopping her from moving on. I thought it was an hallucination at first, but it wasn't because she gave me a message about something in the house I knew nothing about, and which we confirmed the next day. Didn't we Si?"

"Absolutely, made your hair curl when we found it." He laughed again.

"Goodness, and what did she say?"

"She told me about this secret place in her bedroom, which we looked for and found and she begged my forgiveness. I gave it and she thanked me and disappeared. She told me my father was with her but very tired after his illness."

"Fascinating."

"I hope tomorrow you'll avoid mention of my change and the conflict we had in the family. Some of those present like my aunt will be aware of it, but I think Daddy and I had truly buried the hatchet before he died."

"I shall be talking about his life, his successful marriage to your mother and his loving relationship with his daughter. It's a celebration of his life and a farewell to his body, you have enough to deal with without raking over the past. I shall see you tomorrow at the crematorium, did you have anything in mind for the reading?"

"I'd love to do it, but I don't think I could, I shall be too tearful, could Simon do it?"

"Of course, there are several which we recommend."

"I did a reading of St Paul for one of my student's funeral, I rather think Daddy would approve of it, seeing through the glass darkly and so on."

"And the greatest of these is love," he smiled at me.

"Yes, that's the one."

"Yes, it's rather good isn't it, all sorts of esoteric stuff in the symbolism too, some say he was a Kabbalist, I don't know."

"They say all sorts of things about him, but the language in the King James bible is so magical, I know that Daddy would like it and it may trigger thoughts for one or two others."

"I'll arrange for a King James Bible to be available."

"Don't worry, we have one here, that we'll bring with us."

"Oh, okay. I shall see you tomorrow."

"Yes, I'm hoping my aunt won't make a scene, she only found out about me when I called her to tell her Daddy had died. She called back and spoke to Simon. She's a terrible snob and Simon wound her up a bit."

"Oh? In what way?"

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Simon is an aristocrat, his dad is Viscount Stanebury."

"What? Good lord, no I didn't know."

"So he is Lord Simon Cameron."

"I see."

"We're engaged and as soon as my legal status is changed to female, we are going to marry. However, I have another nine or ten months to go."

"I see."

"Well, Aunt Do upset Simon enough with her snobbery, that he told her we were already married, and he referred to me as Lady Cameron."

The priest chuckled, "I see, so a case of the biter, bit!"

"Exactly!"

"I shall refer to you only as Catherine or Derek's daughter. Did your father approve of your forthcoming marriage?"

"I think he did, he liked Simon quite a lot, because Simon would push him down the pub in his wheelchair."

The priest laughed again, "A friend in need," he chortled to himself.

"Sort of."

"Don't worry, I'm glad that you have found happiness both in your own situation and also found happiness in a relationship. God works in mysterious ways, so who are we to question his decisions."

"Sadly, I'm a scientist, so it's my job to question everything until I understand it."

"As a mere priest, I am not burdened by such requirements and can accept things as acts of faith. But tell me, how did you 'process and integrate,'I think those are the appropriate words, the visitation of your mother? Can you explain that scientifically?"

"Not to my satisfaction. However, it wasn't related to my area of study, so I can let it pass until I have time to think about it."

"Are you sure you're not a politician?"

"Who me?" I almost squealed, "No way!"

He chortled and left.

"I'm glad you told me I was doing the reading before we got there," said Simon a little sarcastically.

"Yes, sorry about that, I meant to say something before, like asking you if you'd do it?"

"Woulda been nice."

"I shall make it up to you Simon," I said and winked at him.

"What about this 'ere outfit, I ain't seen it yet, 'owsabout you model it for me and I'll get us a glass of Merlot?"

"Okay with me," I said and trotted off to the bedroom to change.