The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3417 by Angharad Copyright© 2023 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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At last I was finished at work, well apart from the briefcase load I had to take home. I was sitting in my office de-stressing with a cuppa when Danielle came to see me. "I want to get a dormouse licence".

"Okay, do you know what's involved?"

"Yeah, I've seen you signing those silly forms for other people."

"They're not silly, they're dormouse logs from PTES which show what you've done to prove to Natural England that you have competence in assessing and handling. You will have done much of it but not at the level they require to get a licence and remember you have to persuade two licence holders to give you a reference."

"Who's the other one?"

"They may not accept me as one if they find out you're my daughter."

"I'm sure you know a couple of others to sign my form."

"As anyone I reference reflects on me I won't do it for just anyone and certainly not without knowing them and seeing them do surveys, handling all stages, knowing when not to do so. A licence is about what you can't do as well as what you can."

"Yeah, okay I'll look it up on line."

"Yes, do that oh and they expect you to have done the dormouse ecology and conservation course. The Mammal Society run one version but there are others as well. But you need to prove that you've done one. Look go and look up things on line and we'll talk about this again during the season, is that okay?"

"Yeah, it's more complicated than I thought but I'll do some research."

"Good girl, there are some books in my library, you are welcome to borrow them but please put them back after."

"I always do." She looked slightly indignant.

"I know, luvvie, just making sure you continue to do so, some are out of print now."

"I'll guard them with my life," she smirked.

"Some of them are more valuable than that," I fired at her as she left my study.

"Aw thanks, Mum."

Emily popped her head in the door, "Do you want me to clean in here?"

"Please, Just run the vacuum over and perhaps a quick dust, sorry I haven't had time to talk to you today, how' your mum?"

"Much better, she loves your girls and especially when they call her gran. She always thought I was a disappointment as I didn't give her any grandkids."

"There's still time."

"Not for me, had a radical hysterectomy and oophorectomy about eight years ago."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know, you could adopt I did."

"Yes your girls have said they were all adopted."

"Well after the first one I got addicted. I wouldn't recommend eleven."

"Eleven, wow!"

"Well, they were on special offer buy one get one free - so we did."

She laughed and I went up to the bedroom to change into jeans and a sweatshirt thinking to myself that were I still a boy that's how I would dress so why did I go through all the fuss and bother just to wear the same clothes?

They weren't the same, all the clothes I wore were designed for a female body and fitted mine quite nicely these days, and it isn't about clothes. I changed my body because I needed to, the clothes just reflect that. I also needed to be reassigned legally to female. I also wanted to have a relationship with Simon in which I could be a real wife to him and I have. Okay, I can't give him any children but I think we both agree that those we adopted couldn't be any better or more loved if we'd had them ourselves and I think they truly believe that we chose to adopt them because we loved them, which is the honest truth.

Trish burst into my bedroom. "Thanks for knocking," I said slightly telling her off.

"That's all right, you haven't got anything I haven't got and I haven't seen before." She just threw it out with great nonchalance.

"That's not the point, we should give others personal space when they are washing or changing, how do you know I didn't have a lover in here?"

"Cause he's up in London and besides he'd kill you, and your lover, and then himself."

She said it so blithely, did she not consider it was at all possible so treated it as a joke or didn't she think about it in that way? Sadly she hit the nail on the head, if Simon caught me with another man, he would likely kill himself he'd be so hurt and so would I. I have no need of anyone else and we love each other very much - at least I hope we do - or I'll take the Leatherman multi-tool back to the shop, only joking.

"What did you want anyway," I was sorting the dirty clothes out.

"Can I get a dormouse licence sometime?"

"Why?"

"Cause I think it would be good."

"Been talking to Danni have you?"

"Sorta," Why did we spend all that money on a private school?

"Well, go and see what she's found and see what's required then come to me when the season is here and we'll talk then, okay?"

"Yeah, s'pose so."

"How's the master's going?" She had finished her bachelor's degree and was into a master's in order to keep her here a bit longer.

"Oh, I finished that, got a distinction. Thinking about a PhD next, then Cambridge."

"Okay, well done, I didn't know."

"No biggie," she shrugged and left me holding my dirty lingerie.
Does she not value these things because she finds them so easy? I feel her destiny is to go to Cambridge but I don't think she's ready socially or personally mature enough to survive by herself. The fact that she is very clever doesn't stop her being exploited for her naïveté. She is a good-natured girl and doesn't expect people to take advantage of her as nearly happened a while ago when Danni and I managed to stop the paedophile type who was trying to entrap her. Cambridge is a big place with lots of students and teachers and although most are probably ordinary decent folk, there will be a percentage of nasties amongst them. I hope if I can keep her here a year or two longer, she will grow up enough to spot them coming and deal with them like other girls do when they mature.

I sorted my laundry, washed any delicates by hand and put the rest on a 'delicates' cycle after checking any of the others that they didn't have any to do. Of course, I ended up with a pile didn't I? Ask a silly question.

I kept busy for the rest of the day just catching up on chores and I encouraged the older girls to do theirs. Sarah is very good but I don't expect her to do it all and the others get an allowance from Simon and I know one word from me and it would be suspended. I admit I do make some empty threats, but the ones regarding their allowance tends to get their attention and stimulate action. They don't know how lucky they are living in a wealthy family in a relatively safe country, which I suspect most of the population of Gaza or Ukraine would swap in a heartbeat.

I stopped what I was doing and sent off some money to Medecins sans Frontières. They don't take sides and help all they can. It didn't stop me feeling guilty for the relatively easy life I had but it may help some less fortunate than I am. I know the bank send them some every year but they never have enough and the doctors and other health professionals give their time for free.

It was now the Saturday before Christmas and Simon arrived mid-afternoon, he earns loads dosh but he also works incredibly hard for it so does his dad and so does mine, the adopted one. He had been into the office this morning because he fed the dormice - which should be hibernating, but it has been relatively mild and there is always the odd one who is still awake, I know, reading their Kindle, but seriously we have to keep a check on them. If you remember it was going to check them over a Christmas period when I found Julie and I thank the gods that I did because she matured into a wonderful young woman. I'll be seeing her tomorrow, she's coming with Phoebe for Christmas dinner - which will be at lunchtime, I notice David has already started to prepare for it. I recall the old days when I did all the heavy lifting and I'm so glad he's here to take care of it now and he actually does a better job as well.

So after eating a delicious dinner of salmon and broccoli quiche and duchess potatoes with salad and Danni agreed to collect Emily and her mum for dinner, Simon and I repaired to bed amidst a background of sniggering from the younger quarter. Simon threatened to look at certain allowances and it stopped immediately but began again as we were ascending the stairs. He turned to go back and berate them and I managed to persuade him I needed him more than they did, I mentioned that I had an itch that needed scratching. His attention immediately switched but as we entered the bedroom he asked me if my itch was contagious. I told him if it was he was to blame unless it was my chastity belt which had him guffawing as he shut the door.

Needless to say, we satisfied our needs to share our love with each other and made love in a slow and gentle way which surprised both of us because we had both felt an animal lust building as the day went on but we realised that my remodelled organs had caused me trouble before under a violent lovemaking. I was just so pleased to feel his love for me and to feel his strength and security in his arms. We both drifted off to sleep much later than we usually did but the feeling of contentment was all consuming and I admit to shedding a tear.

"What are you crying for?" he enquired when he noticed I was weeping.

"It's silly buy it's because I feel so lucky to be surrounded by all the love in this house and to know I want for nothing."

"We do have a few blessings to count," he confessed and admitted to making a similar donation to mine before he left his office. I admitted to doing the same. I'm not sure if there is any merit in suffering, except for your art and we do seem to be living in a period when the forces of evil are rampaging across the world. It seems the more venal you are the more you prosper but one of these days the pendulum will swing and those beasts will pay for their crimes and the ordinary people will see that the only way to achieve civilisation is through the democratic process not by persecuting those who can't respond by virtue of being too small a number or being too weak or poor. One day, things will be better for those less fortunate but we must never stop trying to show up the corrupt and the cheats and liars who seem to make up the rightwing of the political systems, who lie and misrepresent themselves and the people they are supposed to serve. I recall the words of Jack Kennedy who if you recall reminded us all that we should ask not what my country can do for me but what I can do for my country. If our current lot asked that simple question of themselves, they would be found signally lacking."

I kissed him and told him I loved him and we each wished the other a Merry Christmas and fell asleep in each others' arms.

< center>I wish you all a peaceful and fulfilling Christmas.
Angharad and two delinquent kittens.