Author:
Audience Rating:
Publication:
Genre:
Character Age:
TG Themes:
Other Keywords:
Permission:
by Angharad
I woke with two small bodies cuddled into me. I was wrapped around Mima and Trish was clinging to me from behind. I glanced at the clock; it was coming up to seven–a little early to get up. I dozed for maybe twenty minutes, then thought I’d better get everyone up and breakfasted and dressed.
“Come on, you two, rise and shine.” Both lay still and pretended to be asleep. I repeated my exhortation. They continued to play possum. I started to tickle both girls. They squirmed and wriggled and giggled, and moments later two little bodies ran into the toilet.
“You pee-pee diffwent,” squealed Mima in a piping voice. Oops! Now how do I handle this? Trish hid in the bathroom and cried. How does that song go? Oh what a beautiful morning…
“Meems, come here.” I took her hand and led her into the bedroom. “Meems, what did you say in the bathroom?”
She looked at me and giggled in embarrassment, “Twish has a diffwent pee-pee.”
“And why do you think that is?”
She again laughed with embarrassment, “I don’t know.”
“It’s because that part of her body didn’t grow quite right, but before the doctors can sort it, she has to finish growing, which is a long time away yet. It can be fixed, but not for a long, long time–when she’s a grown up or nearly one. Do you understand?”
She nodded and looked quite concerned. “Do she go to hosiptaw?”
“She will eventually, when it’s sorted. Now I need to ask you for your help. Will you help me?”
She nodded emphatically.
“Now, one of the reasons that Trish is able to stay with us, is because we don’t mind her having a different pee-pee, some people do. But we don’t, do we?”
“No, Mummy.”
“Now, if she thinks we feel bad about it, she won’t stay with us.”
“Oh no, Mummy, I wike Twish.”
“And you want her to stay?”
“Oh yes, Mummy.”
“Okay then, this has to be our secret, we must never tell anyone that Trish has a different pee-pee, or Trish might decide she doesn’t want to stay with us any more. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mummy,” she nodded to show me she did understand. I wanted to check, however.
“So what must you never do?”
“Teww that Twish has a diffwent pee-pee.”
“Good girl, now you sit here and wait a moment while I speak with Trish, okay?” I put her up on the bed and went into the bathroom, and closed the door. Trish was curled up by the wash basin, quietly crying to herself.
“Okay, Trish,” I seated myself on the toilet cover and held out my arms to her. She slowly got up and came to me, clinging to my waist. “Come on, dry those tears.” I tore off a piece of toilet roll and she dabbed at her eyes. “I’ve explained to Mima that you are bit different down below to most girls, but that when you’re grown up, they can sort it. I’ve made her promise not to tell anyone. Is that okay?”
She sniffed and nodded. It was the best I could do for her, and when Mima realised that boys and girls were different, she would need a wider explanation. For now, she was happy knowing that she was helping to keep her ‘sister’ at our house. They seemed to have forged a genuine bond together and I hoped that would carry them through until puberty did its strange things to them, by which time, I hoped we could artificially help Trish start a female one. I was so lucky that a male puberty almost passed me by, so until I started oestrogens, nothing much had happened.
“Will I ever be a proper girl, Mummy?”
“If you still want to be as real a girl as we can make you, when you are old enough, I promise to help you as much as I can. Does that answer your question?”
“Will I be like you, with boobies an’ things?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Thank you, Mummy, I love you.”
“I love you too, Trish. Come on, let’s go and see Mima and tell her we love her as well.” Which is what we did. She was just beginning to get a little anxious and the look of relief on her face was almost palpable.
Trish and she hugged, “I’m sowwee,” she said to Trish.
“That’s okay, Mima, you’re my sister, and I love you.”
“I wuv you, Twish, an’ you my sista.”
“Right then, girls, today is a special day. You’ve declared yourselves as sisters and that means in order to protect you as such, I have to be your mother. At the moment that means I’m your foster mother, but I shall do all I can to keep us all together with Simon and Tom and Henry and Stella as one family, if that is what you want?”
They both looked at me a little overwhelmed. Start again. “You two are sisters now, yes?” They both nodded. “Who else would you like in your family?”
They both hugged me and squealed, “Mummy and Daddy.”
“So who do you want to be Mummy?”
“You,” they both shrieked, “Siwwy, Mummy,” added Mima.
“And who’s going to be your daddy?”
“Daddy,” they shouted. I pretended I didn’t know who they meant, and Mima said, “Daddy Simon.”
“Oh, that Daddy.” They both shrieked, “yes,” and giggled falling about on the bed.
“Anyone else in this family?”
“Grampa Tom,” said Trish. Mima agreed, bouncing up and down.
“Anyone else?”
“Annie Stewwa,” offered Mima. Trish agreed.
“And her baby?”
“Oh yes,” said Trish, “actually, I’m quite looking forward to helping look after her baby.” I looked at the child again, wondering if they’d got her age wrong, did they mean fifteen not five?
“Yes, Baby Puddie,” said Meems, she was close.
“Is that it?”
“Yes, I think so,” Trish concluded.
“So you don’t want to include, Grampa Henry and Grandma Monica?”
“Oh yes, we forgot them, because we don’t see them as often.”
“Yes, don’t see ‘em as offin,” parroted Mima.
I began to wonder if Trish was going to out grow me by the time puberty hit. She was obviously very bright and needed a good education to develop to her potential. I needed to start looking at schools–like today. I decided that I’d do that as soon as I could settle the girls to playing with their dolls or something.
We breakfasted, and Mima seemed back to normal, Trish was okay too, so hopefully the bug was over. Stella would be glad, I was delighted. I got them dressed and then they played with their dollies, while I did a coloured wash chucking my jeans in the machine with several other non-colourfast clothes.
I made a list of schools from Yellow Pages and went to sort the washing, there were bits of white stuff in it. Had I left a tissue in a pocket? I had, and then I remembered something else I’d left in a pocket–Tom’s list. It fell apart as I removed it and tried to open it. I’d have to go and see him later and apologise. Oh poo!
If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudos!
Click the Thumbs Up! button below to leave the author a kudos:
And please, remember to comment, too! Thanks.
Comments
Would a 5 year old really
say, "actually, I’m quite looking forward to helping look after her baby.†Seems beyond most 25 year olds that I've known lately. But loved the sensitivity in the chapter. Hope Mima and Trish can continue to be close sisters even as they get to those ages where rivalry and general adolescence mess up relationships.
actually, you would be surprised...
When my son was 18 months old, he told my mother "Pa and Mimi go see Granny in Abraham". Pa& Mimi were of course, my spouses parents, and they drove a Lincoln Town Car named by my son "Abraham". It's like some kids start out a step or three ahead of the rest of us in linguistic and reasoning abilities.
Janice
Well Now,
Looks as if the girls have adopted everybody. Such innocence is precious. Hope they stay innocent for awhile.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Finding a school for Trish…
…is not going to be easy because so many schools seem to suffer from GIDphobia. I suppose it is understandable in some ways, because of the very real chance of some other child discovering just what Mima found out in tonight's episode, which will inevitably lead to complaints from the parents of "so-called" normal children. There were a number of times when I was confronted by an angry mother or father who thought GID was an infectious disease that little Willie might catch.
I can't decide whether Cathy should "out" herself to potential schools or not. In Holland that would be no problem, but in UK today, with the almost universal hysteria about pædophilia, she is quite likely to get branded as a pervert who is forcing a child to be what it is not, even if, as we we know, that is not the case. Personally, I would advise against it until Trish is well settled in a school and is recognised as an extremely bright and personable little girl.
Tonight's episode was beautifully sweet and tender, and Cathy is becoming such a wonderful, natural mum.
Hugs,
Hilary
Funny sweet episode, hum? ... Ang must have a clifhanger at hand
Charming and clever dialog, Ang..
Trish did seem to talk a bit old in that one line but sometimes kids say things older than their years as they do so want to speak like adults.
But Hillary, I realize you were reflecting on bitter episodes of your childhood -- and you have my sympathy, no kid should be treated like that -- but did you really have to say ... and I quote
>>
There were a number of times when I was confronted by an angry mother or father who thought GID was an infectious disease that little Willie might catch.
>>
Was that intentional or not?
Sorry but the wise cracking thirteen year-old in my head keeps taking over.
And I agree, keep the Cathy background history in reserve and use it to boost Trish sometime in the future when she is feeling particularly down.
John in Wauwatosa
P.S. Ang, any verdict by you or Bonzi as to Mima’s odd manner of speech? Just temporary trouble due to a minor ear infection, wax build up, an injury from her car collision but healing or is she partially deaf or becoming deaf? And say hi to the goddess Sekmet for me.
John in Wauwatosa
Little Willie – Ooops!
After I had posted it I realised about my unintentional pun and decided to let it ride. I thought that if it made someone giggle, if only the thirteen-year-old inside you, John, it was worth leaving. I am sure my own thirteen-year-old will think it's hilarious when I show her your comment.
Actually, here in UK little Willie is quite often used as a generic for small boys. I believe the origin of the name goes back to World War 1, when our forebears referred to the German Kaiser Wilhelm as Little Willie because he was quite a small man and very sensitive about it. No political correctness in 1914.
Hilary
And here I thought it was from the poem..
Wee Willie winkie...
Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown,
Tapping at the window and crying through the lock,
Are all the children in their beds, it's past eight o'clock?
Annette
Which Little Willie?
In addition to the nickname alluded to above, in the U.S. at least there are a number of 'Little Willie' jokes popular with adolescent males. Unfortunately, being long past my adolesence, I can't remember any. :-( But the level of humor was about on the level of the 'Mommy - Mommy' jokes or the ever-popular 'fart' jokes. Little Willie embodied everything near and dear to the adolescent male: rude improper behavior, gross-out jokes, and a ready willingness to display these characteristics to any girls or adults around.
Great Way For Cathy To Explain It
The way Cathy explained Trish's birth defect to Mima was the best way to handle it. Kids that age don't need to know the why of it just yet. I think Mima will defend her big sister when they get older and Trish has to deal with the bigots that will come along as she gets older. Helping her learn at a very young age will allow her to be open minded as she grows up. Cathy has taken to motherhood really well and she has really shown her love to those two precious girls.
I'm with Cathy...
on Trish's age. is the home SURE she's only five?
That said, I do recall another five year old explaining genetics to small friend (also five)... And getting MOST of it correct (including the big words). Okay, so she was reading Jules Verne in second grade (Unabridged versions) and is studying neuroscience and cell biology at the uni... But, hey, five year olds can certainly come up with some doosies. :-)
Mima obviously loves her big sister, and the mutual feelings made for a nice feel good.
I think that at this point, Cathy was right to not talk to Trish about her own past. That she accepts Trish, and tells her that she can grow up as she needs is sufficient now. Later, if things don't go as smoothly as Trish might like, perhaps Cathy might tell her then, so as to give her hope. But, there's no need today.
As to whether Mima's able to keep the secret, I suspect so. She's a very determined little girl, as she's demonstrated time and time again, at great volume. :-)
Interesting family they have there.
Thanks,
Annette
Ignorance
Ignorance and stupidity are two different things. Trish is quite smart and articulate, so it didn't surprise me. Might surprise the teachers when she goes to school though, since Cathy is also a teacher.
Eaton ?
MIT is just 20min away, she can stay with me. There's always Harvard. Worcester Poly Tech or Brown That was the clearest sentence I read in this story. Or if mommy wants a secular education, we have Boston College, or Holy Cross
Then there's Stanford, Cal Tech .
Cefin