(aka Bike) Part 891 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad
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Professor Herbert led the way to his car, a Mercedes, a big one. Abi and her partner–a woman named Dilly, got in the back seats and I was left to ride up front.
“Wouldn’t it be easier if I followed you in my car?” I asked the professor.
“No, parking’s tight and I’ll bring you back here for yours later. I hope Italian is alright?”
“Fine with me.”
“So, what’s it like coming back over old ground?” he asked me.
“It feels familiar but different.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“Just different–not sure if either if those words describe it.”
“Is it the new status, that makes the difference?”
“What you mean coming as a woman rather than an adolescent male?”
He nodded.
“It obviously makes a difference–but I suppose it wasn’t so much that as knowing people who knew me before–what would they say?”
“I would hope, only that you are a very beautiful young woman, with a pivotal position in the protection of mammal species in the UK and possibly Europe as the survey widens its scope. That gives you a very important position.”
“Do you not think I’m up to it?”
“I think you were made for it. However, the queen is only as safe as she makes herself–usurpers will try their hand. Rumours are that Southampton were thinking of challenging–didn’t they have some scandal down there recently?”
“Yes–an ex Sussex graduate too.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Perryman.”
“Wasn’t there some query while he was here–paedophiles and photographs of young children–he was cleared, wasn’t he?”
“Not this time–so he topped himself.”
“Oh–I’ve been in Canada–watching beavers...” this brought roars of laughter from the back seat. “Not that sort of beaver–you dirty little girls.”
“Come off it, Esmond, we know the sort of beaver you’d prefer to watch and it doesn’t build lodges.” Abi laughed as she taunted the professor.
“Travel lodges,” maybe said Dilly, quoting a chain of moderately priced hotels. They both laughed uproariously again. “Watch out, Cathy, he’s looking for his next prey item.”
“This lady is happily married,” protested Esmond Herbert.
“Huh, that won’t stop you,” giggled Abi. I was beginning to feel very uncomfortable and I also wondered if my laptop would be safe in my car’s boot–I hoped so. I’d put it in there very hurriedly, I think I remembered to lock it.
Esmond Herbert was quite a tall man, but very slim. I suspect Simon would make two of him, and I’m sure he wouldn’t want to make an enemy of Si.
“So tell me about your husband,” he continued.
“He’s six feet tall, weighs about fourteen stone, used to play rugby for his school and UCL. He works for a bank.”
“I thought he owned it?” quipped Abi.
“His family do–which means Simon’s important, but his dad, Henry, is the chairman and main shareholder.”
“Is he good looking?” asked Dilly wanting to wind up Esmond Herbert, “I mean, as good looking as Ezzie, here?”
“I think so, but then I love him–so I’m not the best person to ask.”
“Is he a good screw?” asked Dilly.
“I’m not sure that’s an appropriate question to ask or for me to answer.” I blushed and felt indignant.
“Oh c’mon, we’re all big girls–except Ezzie of course–or do you want to talk about stupid dormice all night?”
“I’m happy to talk about dormice all night if necessary, but I’d rather talk about my children.”
“Your children? I thought you’d had the chop–you know down below?” Dilly probed and was beginning to really annoy me–I suspected she’d been drinking.
“I’m adopting three girls, and fostering another three–two boys and teenage girl.”
“Bloody hell–Ma Barnardo? Isn’t that a trifle excessive–or just a compensatory mechanism?”
“Shurrup, Dil,” hissed Abi.
“Nah, I wanna know–she’s a woman isn’t she, like you an’ me–‘cept we can ‘have kids and she can’t–not much of a woman, really is she?”
I felt a combination of feelings rising in me–Dilly was absolutely right, I wasn’t as much of a woman in some respects, but in the back of my head I kept saying to myself–‘but I’ve travelled long and hard to get where I am, and no self-centred, narrow minded feminist was going to stop me now’.
“I’d have thought that someone who lives in a glass house shouldn’t throw stones,” I said through a throat which was choking with fury.
“Ooh, take the moral high ground–why don’t you?” Dilly was turning nasty.
“I’ve worked and socialised with all sorts of people–all religions and ethnic types, all types of sex and orientation–and you’re the first woman who’s had a problem with me. Interesting isn’t it? Maybe it says more about you than it does me?”
“Ha ha–bloody little tranny–that’s all you are–giving yourself airs and graces–you’re still a bloody tranny.”
“Stop it,” urged Abi, sounding very annoyed with her partner.
“You know, Professor Herbert, I had lots of aggro when I was here–people thought I was an effeminate man, but very little in Portsmouth. I come here again, as a woman, and I get aggro again. I don’t think I’ll be back somehow.”
“Don’t listen to one jealous lesbian–why don’t you tell her, Dilly–you can’t have children either, can you?”
An imprecation was muttered from the back seat, and I noticed Abi was sulking and refusing to speak with her partner.
“Well here we are, the Travatore.”
“You know, Professor Herbert, I’ve completely lost my appetite–it’s been nice meeting you again, but I think I’ll get off home.” I went to hail a taxi.
“Don’t let one sad woman put you off Sussex, Lady Cameron, a thousand of us loved you tonight–I think that speaks for itself. Now come and eat, and Dilly, behave yourself or I’ll have a second look at your research funding.”
“Big bully,” was muttered from the back seat.
“Come and have dinner–their pasta is exquisite, and their sauces divine–look, if you don’t agree, I’ll call you a cab to go straight to the university. How’s that?”
My tummy rumbled, it was nine o’clock and I was quite hungry–Dilly really worried me, but Abi was nodding at the professor’s exhortations..
“Okay, I’ll stay,” I gave Dilly a daggers stare and she looked away. I wasn’t comfortable, but then neither was she and I was sober enough to think about what I said–she was definitely not.
Despite the pasta being brilliant or whatever, I fancied a risotto, and they did one, so that’s what I ordered after a minestrone soup. It was a mistake–the soup, I mean. It was like a vegetable stew and after eating that, even without bread, my skirt was feeling a bit tight round the waist.
I played with the risotto, which was very good–but I didn’t have the room to store it, so to speak. I did have a latte coffee to help me stay awake on the drive home.
Dilly sulked most of the evening, only speaking when she was asked a direct question–I didn’t ask her any, and if I had I doubted she could have answered me. She seemed full of prejudices, without knowing me–perhaps they were political, like a diatribe twenty or so years ago The Transsexual Empire. I don’t believe in the exploitation of women, men or children nor of sexual or any other minority–I want to live and let live. I also accept some find me difficult to accept for whatever reason–but that’s their problem not mine.
I got back into my car at eleven that night–with an hour or ninety minute’s drive home. I was tired and saddened–minority groups need each other to be supportive, to change the way society thinks. I was still hurt by the barbs Dilly had thrown at me and no amount of shrugging would stem the wound–the poison had got in.
Comments
Cathy's Self Esteem
Cathy's was already lower in the self esteem department when Tilly started in on her. I think a lot of radical feminists have problems with us. It almost seems like they hate being women and think we are somehow really feminine males who can't accept we are gay. I really thought it was great when it was pointed out to Tilly that she couldn't have children either. I wonder if there will be an apology coming from anyone after they have had time to think? They do say that people tend to say what they really mean when they are drunk so Tilly probably won't. I think that from the way she acted, Abi was at the end of her rope with Tilly and will probably tell her to hit the road after this. Professor Herbert will probably lay into her for insulting Cathy and being rude.
The wrong crowd
An encounter like that would have had me down for days. :(
Typical
After being generally praised and welcomed by her former university, all it takes is one narrow-minded bigot to completely change the entire mood of the group. I sincerely hope Abi and Prof. Herbert remain in contact with Cathy and impress upon her that although there was one person (Dilly) who didn't like Cathy, several hundred others at Sussex really liked her and appreciated her for what she is. Perhaps they can pay a visit to Portsmouth in the near future - ensuring Dilly is left behind!
--Ben
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Feminism
I dare say less a "feminist" than a fatuous twit.
A true feminist struggles against all forms of oppression, because they're all the same thing, really.
The current environmental crisis, for example, stems from the same structures of ownership and control as do sexual slavery and the trafficking in women and boys that serves those power relationships. Cathy's dormice are part of the same system that's left Haiti in chaos and turmoil.
How many people are aware that Haiti just (well, in 1993, within a decade) finished paying off its "debt" to France and the USA for freeing itself from slavery? It's perfectly astonishing that the Haitian people were still paying both the USA and France for their lost human "property" within the memory of everyone reading these words. If you're still paying for your freedom more than a hundred years later, at what point exactly did one stop being a slave?
All these are truly feminist issues, and pretty much no one else gives a damn.
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
No these are Human Rights issues
I hate it when feminist try to take ownership about that sort of stuff and say that "they are the only one that care".Now don't get me wrong I am pro equality ,and by that definition a feminist, but saying "only feminist group care" is a degrading thought.
Anyway here is something highly disturbing that might point to the flaws of some of those organization :
one of the biggest misandry in Israeli law is the lack of female-rape ( raping of male by female ) . When this was brought to the public eye several years ago almost every "feminist" organization in here backed off with some lame excuses ( such as: if it would be so less females will complain or "male can't be raped " and so on and so on).
Only a few true feminist or more precisely 'equalist' (both females and males) stepped up to fix this unjust. Today there is a law revision at the local parliament (that will probably pass) thanks to those brave men and women.It's also those men and women (from the "equal rights to all" organizations) that fought for legislating a better work condition to foreign workers and their families and other burning issues in society.
Now don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with feminism ( actually most of it's streams are a godsend to humanity) but there a lot of problems with the term. Why call yourself exclusively as a feminist and not equalist ? isn't better to state that you philosophy is that every one is equal?
There is also the problem of male representation. I am a member of a equal right groups ,and every now and again we get an invitation to some activist conference. About year and half ago there was a lecture in it that said : " feminist group activist.Or why women care more?".This had upset several of me co-volunteers , why dos some are considered less worthy then other just because of their gender?
So please don't give all the credit to feminist organizations. A lot of the real work was done by "Equal rights groups" , who contain people who are : GLBT right activists , minority rights activist, members of male groups , feminist BUT most of all people who declare themselves as all of the above.
Just some food for thought :).
Lily.
euqal or more equal?
the problem with feminists (and most other minorities) is that they don't want actually "equal rights".
what they want is equal rights in areas where they are disadvantaged or discriminated. at the same time they don't want to give up the advantages they hold in other areas.
I will close commenting ...
... on this thread if accusations are all it's going to be about. This is turning into flame bait. Angharad and her story deserve better than to be used this way.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Bike pt 891.
CATHY is more of a Lady AND woman than that shrew is!
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Sorely tempted
I'd have been sorely tempted to turn around and give her a poke in the snoot for that. Likely I wouldn't have done it, but I can say I most certainly would not have sat and eaten with her after those comments.
Well, just goes to show that your Cathy is a better person than I.
Thanks for the story!
Sad that someone had to bring Cathy
down from the high of the speech. I loved her thought though. She should have said it outloud.
—‘but I’ve travelled long and hard to get where I am, and no self-centred, narrow minded feminist was going to stop me now’
Hope she thinks that over and over.
Why do I suspect adventure on the trip home?
Empathy.
I obviously cannot pretend to put myself in the same position as Cathy, namely a post-op transexual but I'm quite sure that remarks like that will hurt just about any trans individual.
Somebody needs to give Dilly a smack in the mouth just to make her realise how hurtful she is. What is it with some feminists.
I mean, I've been to a regular tranny night at a tranny club, (The Club O in Bristol,) and I was lambasted by some femininst just for demonstrating that I had developed a modest pair of boobs. She charged me with making a mockery of womanhood and that no real woman would ever pull out her boobs to discuss what was effectively a medical issue. Nobody else around the table was offended including some other R.G's., but it takes all sorts I suppose. If she was that uptight about trannies why on earth did she come to the club that particular night.
It was well advertised as a tranny night and I've never had a tranny or a transexual make any objections when I agreed to a request to study my boobs. Mostly it's genuine clinical curiosity but this girl well; if all feminists are like her then steer well clear of them, that's my advice.
As to the story well, Cathy's easily up to fending off predators like the old professor by now. Most beautiful girls have already learned to handle wolves long before their 21st birthdays.
Way to go Cathy! Just try to ignore the arseholes even though it hurts sometimes.
If you've got girl, you flaunt it.
Bev.
Jealousy can be pretty destructive
after all you only have to look at Dilly , Faced with somone who is Prettier,Younger,Almost certainly more intelligent, Is it any wonder Dilly is jealous....Not that gives her the right to aim cheap shots at Cathy, As Dilly has already found out ,Just because Cathy came to womanhood late, She is no less of a woman for that....And if she did not know beforehand, Perhaps Abi is now seeing Dilly in a new less savoury light.
Kirri
Always a good read ! Bad
Always a good read !
Bad behavior by Dilly. But why was she drunk so early and in that venue?
She must have some other issues or guilt about something.
Will Cathy save her and forgive her ?
I can't wait for the next developments !
Thanks
D
I suspect that many of us
have encountered the agressive feminist, not to mention other members of society who are uneasy with their own identity. They lash out at the transgendered because they are an easy target and probably a small minority (numerically).
The main problems for most members of minorities are low self-esteem and bigotry. Both are likely to be fuelled by the the all-too-human desire for control which, itself, is often caused by low self-esteem.
Very well plotted and written, Angharad; well up to your usual high standard.
Susie
Intolerable
Dilly's behavior was intolerable in polite company. If Prof. Herbert was being a gracious, or even mediocre, host, he should have done something about it. If this amounted to a change of dinner plans, then that's what it should have been. Turn the car around, dump Dilly back at the Uni and dress her down, issue profuse and heartfelt apologies, let Cathy pick up her own car if she wanted, and head to the restaurant, the two of them, or with some substitute company, if available. To reward Dilly with a dinner after such a display is totally unacceptable.
We're all missing something here I think
Earlier the obnoxious woman mentioned how Cathy was a woman like her and her partner except Cathy couldn't have children, Then he said a catty remark about THAT making Cathy not much of one. But later , I quote...
>>
“Stop it,†urged Abi, sounding very annoyed with her partner.
“You know, Professor Herbert, I had lots of aggro when I was here—people thought I was an effeminate man, but very little in Portsmouth. I come here again, as a woman, and I get aggro again. I don’t think I’ll be back somehow.â€
“Don’t listen to one jealous lesbian—why don’t you tell her, Dilly—you can’t have children either, can you?â€
>>
So Dilly is sterile or at least infertile. I assume she and her partner tried to get her artificially inseminated and the doctors found problems. THAT would explain her hosilty. Here she's a REAL woman and this FAKE has SIX kids while she has ZERO.
Pretty big grounds for less than repressed hostility. Add to that any lesbian antagonisime towards the TG community that she may have picked up and BINGO, we get an apparant man hater. I suspect, I hope, her hate is more complex than being simply a man hater. I suspect good-old jealousy/bitterness at her childless state plays a big part.
Hum? Cathy has on several occasions healed people who were simply in the room with her. Could she heal this angry young woman?
Sadly believable chapter, a minority group ragging on other minorities.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Not worth healing
... it's not like that every one will contribute equally to the gene pool any way. Her sterility will not upset the balance of the universe.
Dilly did the cardinal sin of insulting the person who may be able to heal her - kinda like punching out the only physician who can get that tumor out of your brain.
It is up to the blue light though to decide whether any healing needs to be done and I suspect that aint happening here.
Her name is appropriate - she made a 'dilly' of a mistake!
Kim
*sighs*
After such a high - someone is such a pain. I've yet to run into such a person, but I suspect it's just a matter of time. *sighs* Hopefully things shake out for the good, but only time will tell (& our fearsome authors).
Looking forward to seeing what comes next in the continuing adventures of our intrepid dormouse watcher.
Thanks,
Annette
relationship
I've alway wondered the hostiliy encountered from the lesbian community towards transsexuals, maybe it's more prevalient in my area, but, it's def. encountered. What I find more entriging is I get along with hetro GG's than than I do the Lesbian community.
On a grander scale. why is it, usally the TS's left out in so many laws that's usually been passed for the GBLT community. We're usually in forefront of many lawsuits for change, yet when laws get passed for discrimination, they usually get written for GBL and the T is left outside looking in. Sad world we live in.
I note one other thing. I don't understand TS's that think they can go ''stealth'' and think it not come back & bite em on the butt. maybe prior 1995, one could do this with genuine expectations. But 1995 was a KEY cultural change point all over the world. Microsoft introduced WINDOWS 95, IE Explorer made access to internet avalable to masses. Along with Netcape. Along with AOL. PC pricing started dropping dramatically, and information that was usually hard to get at was at our finger tips.
The world as we knew it B4 1995 was so dramatically changed forever.
For good, bad, better, or worse. Me personally, It's been mostly good and I thank those that went B4 us & some overall enity for it
Back to ""STEALTH"" tho. One bad thing as far as TS's go, the internet made accessing past so much easier. or even current. With current databases out the being maintained and mining for data by companies to exploit all that data. The idea of 'stealth' is basically a myth. I know because they computer work I generally did involved developing those data bases.
Storyline & real timeline shows our main charactor pretty much naive & ignorant of this. Cathy has to know & understand, that as she rose in scientific stature not to mention her marraige to Simon, that any thoughts of not being in spotlight was a total myth in her head. Wishfull thinking cant change what is & will be. She now has to accept she's now going to have media & notoraity for both reasons and accept it with a grain of salt & use her title & notarity for her purposes instead of being used by others. even if she had been born GG. she's still have to learn to do this. She's shown signs of it, but untill she accepts herself as herself & as others see her, exploitation of her is likely. I'm not keen on this bluelight stuff in storyline. yes it makes some interesting read, but left out, the story line ANGHARAD has created for us still had merrit & worked ....... I look foward to many more episodes of a outstanding piece or writing. HUGGS
Interesting comments
I like the chapter as always, it was superb.
I found the comments especially fascinating. I am so far out of these circuits I am totally clueless. I'm sure I have met lesbians, but they don't announce themselves publically. I don't drink, I don't go to bars. I am a homebody of the first magnitude.
So here I find there is animosity towards me from people I don't know. As Spock would have said, fascinating. Perhaps I lead a sheltered life.
Cathy's dentist will note the flat molars, from teeth grinding
Cathy seems to have turned down the flame a bit. My options would've been a swift kick to the chin, or get out at the first safe location, with the advice to place further invites where the Sun never shines, but I'm Irish and Italian, not the most cool headed in the box.
Cefin
The UK is known as TERF Island for good reason
Since there are so many feminists that hate Transgender Women. Just look at JK Rowling for one, she seems to want to become the biggest TERF of all.