‘You can go in now, Jenkins.’

I stood up and smiled at Miss Jones, the headmaster’s secretary. I could see that she was dying to say more, but didn’t seem able to put into words what she obviously felt.

The headmaster waived me to a seat without looking up, as he was writing something down.

Eventually, he put his pen down and then looked up at me.

‘Erm, thank you for coming to see me.’

As I had been ordered to see him by my housemaster, I assumed that he was just making pleasantries.

‘Perhaps you can explain to me what is going on?’

‘Sorry Sir?’

He sighed, rubbed his forehead with his hand, looked heavenwards and continued.

‘Can you explain why you are dressed like that?’

I looked down at myself. I was dressed in the regulation uniform of the school. I couldn’t see what the problem was.

‘It s the school uniform Sir.’

‘I know it is. I can see that, but why are you wearing that uniform?

‘It, erm fits Sir?’

‘Don’t get funny with me. You know exactly what I mean.’

‘It was me and my sisters idea Sir.’

‘My sister and I,’ corrected the headmaster and then continuing before I said something that I shouldn’t, like I didn’t know that he had a sister.

‘Well we are getting somewhere—I think. And why did she feel that you should come into school dressed like that?’

‘Well we both felt…that is she thought that it was a good idea and I agreed with it.’

‘But why?’

‘Why what Sir?’

He counted to ten under his breath and then continued.

‘Why are you wearing it?’

‘What Sir?’

‘That uniform.’

‘This one?’ I asked waiving my hand up and down.

‘Yes,’ he said through gritted teeth.

‘What’s wrong with it, Sir?’

‘Nothing per se, but you should not be wearing it, you know that.’

‘But Sir my name isn’t Percy, how could it be’

‘Stupid child, anyway, that is not the point.’

‘What isn’t Sir?’

‘Never mind. Now about the uniform…’

‘Its not a bad uniform.’ I mused.

I really thought that he would burst a blood vessel; I saw the one at his temple visibly throb.

He stood up and paced the room. I stayed quiet, as I didn’t want to say anything that might cause him to have a heart attack or something.

He turned to me and frowned.

‘This wasn’t your idea at all, was it.’?

‘I plead the fifth.’

‘The what?’

‘The fifth amendment.’

‘You never have been good at geography or history, have you?’

‘What has that got to do with it Sir?’

We live in the UK and the Fifth Amendment refers to the US Constitution, which…well never mind that, we are getting off the point.’

‘What is the point Sir?’

‘Don’t try and be smart with me. I asked you a simple question and I want a simple answer.’

‘Erm, what was the question again Sir?’

I swear that he swore under his breath.

‘Why are you wearing that uniform?’

‘We, that is my sister and I, thought that it would be a good idea to show that it didn’t matter what you wear or how you presented. It is the person under the clothes that is really important.’

He stared at me for a moment and then smiled.

‘You are probably right. You can go, but put on your normal uniform in future and don’t try to confuse everyone.’

I looked down at the boys’ uniform and smiled. I never did like wearing trousers even when everyone thought I was a boy.

I walked over to the door, opened it and then turned back. He was looking at me, a smile still playing on his lips.

‘I love you Daddy,’ I said.

‘I love you too Sarah, but don’t call me Daddy at school.’