The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3463 by Angharad Copyright© 2024 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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Diane read my paper and commented that Cathy had a longer scientific career than Charlie had. agreed although I also had to show her one that I published as Charlie while I was at Sussex and was delighted to see that the author had been corrected to Catherine Watts courtesy of my then Professor Herbert. He had since become a very helpful colleague, although I think I was the only female he hadn't tried to bed who went to Sussex.

I checked on my post grad student who was studying fallen tree root ponds and he had found several in the same woods, where I had done some of my dormouse research as a post grad student. I also checked with Danni to see how she was getting on in our orchard. She said using my better microscope, she had identified half a dozen rotifers, some bacteria - which she'd only identified to type, and some protozoans - these are things like amoeba. She also found a copepod, with my help, and a couple of flatworms. From the latter she realised that if you try to store them in alcohol they shrivel up. I then told her to go and see how you should do it and it took her an afternoon to research it. She also found nematodes, very small worms and a couple of mites, which lived in the soil but survived in the temporary pond the storm had created.

Sarah helped her and they were going to research together. I told them it was okay to do it but they could expect a tougher examination because they were sharing. They accepted that, shrugged and went back to their project.

Hannah and the younger girls wanted to be involved as well and nearly destroyed it when they went to add tap water to the small pool as it was reduced in size. Sarah managed to stop them and they added some rainwater from a butt that Tom had, collecting water off the roof of the greenhouse. Tap water often kills freshwater invertebrates especially the smaller ones like rotifers.

I had actually forgotten my birthday until I was reminded by Diane; she brought in some fresh cream cakes to celebrate. I wondered what it was for at first I had so many things going on, so my mind, such as it is, was fully occupied. I was a little worried about Trish, and Danni texted her to tell her to get in touch with me as I was worried. She sent one that night saying she was busy and didn't have time for idle chatter. Danni wrote back to her saying that I was also very busy and may forget to renew her allowance. Her tone was much gentler afterwards detailing how she was trying to calculate several things for the European Space Agency (ESA) mainly about self-propelled Mars rovers and making them able to withstand the dust storms they have on the red planet.

I was pleased she was busy but disappointed that her work seemed more important than her family. I mentioned it to Simon who apparently informed his father - the owner of the house she was using and he carpeted her, stating her use of his house required her to keep in regular touch with the whole family, including him otherwise rent may be levied which he was sure she couldn't afford. It was effective and she contacted us by text about once or twice a month. It was better than nothing and I knew she was busy, but I'd always thought we had a special bond; it appeared I was mistaken.

Tom told me not to worry as young people often forgot those who had sacrificed to get them a place or a job because they lacked the experience of the older people they used, the oldies mainly doing things because they had struggled themselves and didn't want their children to suffer as well. My birth father wasn't one of these as he cut my allowance knowing that I would struggle and to try to make me something I wasn't, I had great pleasure showing him that I'd got a first, won a cycle race - the hill climb without his help. I told him that I didn't need his broken promises to survive and he could stick them where it gave him most discomfort.

He'd promised me extra money for getting my hair cut before I went to Sussex but seemed to forget it when it suited him. I couldn't cope with such inconsistency and got myself various jobs. As my appearance became more female looking the newsagent for whom I delivered papers told me he wanted me to work in the shop as he didn't like sending girls out in the dark mornings. I used to start earlier but spent most of time organising the daily papers for the paperboys, putting them into rounds in the order that they should be delivered.

When someone went sick, Adam, the newsagent went out himself and left me in charge of the shop. It reminded me of my time doing the same in Bristol and I knew I could do it quite easily once he showed me how to use the different sort of cash-register he had. Before long, I was only doing a job in the newsagents. It meant early starts and therefore early nights. Most nights I was in bed by nine o'clock and up before six. As he sold croissants and some other pastries that's what I had for breakfast most mornings and occasionally a sausage roll or readymade sandwich, tuna of course. It gave him a chance to do his books while I served in the shop, which was like a minimart. At times, we had to be careful about shoplifters. I usually called him then and he dealt with them, as he was usually doing management stuff in his office, they didn't know if I was there on my own or not. I didn't want any involvement with the police because of my appearance, I'd have to tell them I was transitioning and that opened up a whole new can of worms. Some of the Hants Constabulary were as Neanderthal as the Met Police and I didn't need to be known to them as a weirdo as it might affect the way they treated me.

One morning, just after we opened Adam caught someone stealing, he challenged them and they pulled a knife on him. It was all recorded on the shop's CCTV but that didn't show how scary it was. Adam was no coward but when someone waves a blade in front of you perspectives change rapidly. "Charley call the police," he called at me, but the man said if I did he would stab him for sure. I saw it all on the monitor by the counter and didn't know what to do. I walked towards them saying I hadn't called them yet brandishing my phone in my hand. I knew Adam was just waiting for a chance to go at him. I stepped towards them standing by the tins of baked beans, I stealthily picked one up and hurled it at the thief. It hit him on the side of his head, he jumped and Adam smacked him in the face and grabbed the hand the knife was in. They wrestled each other to the floor and I dialled treble nine and requested police saying that my shop was being robbed by someone with a knife. They were with us five minutes later, an armed response unit, rushing in with guns drawn. That was more scary than the bloke with the knife. They took him off very quickly and Adam gave me a hug and thanked me for my distraction. A copy of the film was made and given to a policeman who came to take statements a little later. My distraction was clearly visible on the disc and the copper told me I was a regular heroine. I tried to keep a low profile and Adam dealt with most of it as I served in the shop. I was a couple of hours late getting to my class but my tutor told me not to worry as I was still streets ahead of most of my contemporaries. I explained why I was late and he shook his head, "Are you telling me the baked bean is mightier than the knife." We both laughed at it and at my reply which agreed it was, as long as the beans weren't on toast.

Danni already had quite a nice salary playing soccer for Bournemouth Ladies, with a bonus for scoring goals or setting them up. She seemed to have one or the other nearly every time she played. It disturbed her studies very slightly as she had to attend for training and matches. She often ate take-aways after the games or evening training, which probably did her no good at all, but she probably did it no more than the average undergrad though hers were often more expensive ones, but probably no more nutritionally helpful. Anyway she looked alright on it.

My relationship with Tom prospered, if you remember he was missing a daughter or dochter as he called her and was rattling round in a big old farmhouse on his own. I was invited to stay there when I was having problems with the flat I was renting from a charity linked to the university. The arrangement was, I thought, temporary but in thanks I cooked a few meals and he told me he was regarding me as a daughter, not one of his post grad students. I told him I had lost my father several months before and he told me as we both had a need, he would become my unofficial adopted faither and I'd be his adopted dochter. I didn't know what to say, he was such a lovely old man compared to the man who sired me. He thought I was hesitating because I was unsure and asked me what was wrong. I burst into tears because he was nicer than anyone had been before and I didn't want to abuse his generosity. "There's nae chance o that, I'm nae as daft as I appear." I threw my arms around his neck and told him I'd be honoured to be his adopted dochter however legally correct the arrangement would be. He laughed and told me I wouldn't pass the medical for an adopted son and the offer he was making seemed to suit us both. Once again I hugged him and cried all over him. Since then I have grown to love him like a parent and consider him to be one of the only real gentlemen I have ever met. Perhaps Simon and Henry also make the grade but not many more.

Simon came home the weekend after my birthday and gave me a diamond necklace only this time I didn't put it in the washing machine. He thought it was hilarious that I had forgotten it, he also told me that he'd be home on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. He'd have to return for the Friday but would be home for the weekend. Wonderful, I hardly see him these days and was looking forward with a little trepidation and knew that we loved each other but I was not anticipating as gladly, the fact that I was going to be sore over Christmas. Ah well, such is my lot and my diamond necklace was lovely and I was glad we had a safe.