Easy As Falling Off A Pine, Marten!
by: Angharad
part:357

After we got back to the university, I went off to push more paper around my desk and Tom went off to be counted. Why they would want to audit Tom, I didn't know, I could have saved them time. There is only one Tom Agnew, they broke the mould after him.

I rode home on the bike still not sure of what to do about Keith. I tried to rationalise with myself, that it wasn't my responsibility, I didn't have to make everything good for everyone else. So why was I fretting so much?

So rapt was I in my thoughts, rehearsing excuses as to why I couldn't help, ('Sorry I've got ebola,' 'the university doesn't like more than one per department and I got here first!') that I nearly ran down a pedestrian. It was Keith! Freudian or what?

"Lady Cameron, so that's what you think of me!" he ejaculated at me, and fled. I was left shocked by his outburst and rode home much more sedately.

I was in the middle of getting dinner, when the phone rang, it was Stella.

"I've been out on the bike, gradually getting the hang of the gears and things."

"Oh good, I'm really glad they let you take it out. I phoned the bike shop and they were okay for the week. Said, you can sort it out when you take it back. As they know Simon and me, they trust you."

"That's good, I did fifteen miles. I'm knackered now, but I had to tell you."

"Yeah, thanks for that, I'm really glad for you."

"So how's your day been?"

"I had a student tell me they wanted to change sex."

"Boy or girl?"

"A boy who wants to be a girl."

"Well at least you have experience of that direction."

"Yeah, but I don't know how much I want to be involved."

"Sounds to me like you don't want to be."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Fraid so."

"I nearly ran him over just now, riding home. He thinks it's personal. The irony is, I was so busy wondering what to do about him, that I wasn't really watching where I was going. I stopped just in time. Thank goodness for sidepull brakes."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. Tom thinks it's up to the boy himself to do things as they have protocols and so forth for dealing with it."

"Can you just walk away and leave him to flounder?"

"I don't know," Stella was making me feel really guilty.

"How far would you have got without the active support of so many of us?"

"I don't know that either, Stella, that's the problem. Part of me wants to walk away, part of me feels obliged to help."

"Hmmm, so which part of you is going to transcend the other?"

"Transcend? I don't see this as something spiritual, more mechanical. It's about helping someone to jump through hoops or not, as the case may be."

"When you help others, you help yourself."

Oh no! Stella has had an attack of platitudes! "Sorry, Stella, I might not entirely agree with that."

"Oh well, that's your problem. Do what you want, it's nothing to do with me."

She was expressing how I felt. "Look, Stella, I know I was extremely fortunate, doubly so, having you and Tom to help me, and then to have Simon, is indescribable."

"Yes, Simon is indescribable," she laughed.

"I didn't mean it like that. Anyway, I think part of the problem is he sees me as a role model, and I'm very uncomfortable with that idea."

"So who else is he going to pick, erm, Caroline wassername?"

"Who? Oh Cossey, Caroline Cossey, the Bond girl?"

"That's the one, can't think of any other famous ones."

"I'm afraid my student is no Caroline Cossey."

"That's uncharitable of you."

"I mean it, too masculine looking."

"Oh well, I'm sure you'll sort out something in between saving the world and making porn films with Des."

"I suppose I shall have to."

"Right, I have to go. Give my love to Tom. See you at the weekend."

"Okay, Stella, take care on that bike."

"Hey, that's my line."

"What's that between sisters?"

"True. Byeeeeee." She rang off.

I went back to finish the dinner while I racked my brains about what to do.

Tom came in while I was making the gravy, "You know that student you were telling me about?"

"What about him?"

"He's put in a complaint about you, claims you tried to run him down on your bike."