An interval, call it chapter 5 if you wish, while the author goes away for a couple of weeks’ “R&R” away from it all — with no laptop!

Chapter 5 Inside the pub’s inner door

Andy and Christine were finishing their meals and thinking of ordering coffees when Astrid felt an urge which could not be contained….

“Jeez, I need to pee..” she said in a whisper. Not having planned to be away from home for quite so long, the “call of nature” was strong and had to be answered.

“Well, you know where it is…” said Christopher, pointing to the “Ladies”. “if you went into the other you would be guilty of ‘behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace’, so it has to be the ‘other’ one!” Christopher thought this was acutely hilarious and could not help himself but laugh, albeit in a kindly way. “Off you go!”

The other couple of diners were now into their main meals and paid no attention to Astrid’s departure for the ‘facilities’.

Andy looked both ways across the bar as he rose to walk the nearly full length of the building to where Ladies had to go. There was less of her swagger in her step this time. More, she was crossing her legs to get there in time.

Of course, as is the case with Women’s Rooms all round the world, there was a queue. Two other (yes, “other”) women were waiting for just two toilets to be vacated. This would take time.

Astrid felt acutely conscious of her situation. She admired the hand-etched picture on the wall of the passageway. It was of several ladies in full daytime gowns of the 1840s or 1850s. Hair piled high, waists cinched in, pastel china doll complexions, surrounded by horses and pretty flowers. Improbable that they were ‘from real life’.

Astrid said not a word to the two women in the queue. She simply smiled demurely and looked away.

Suddenly behind her, she heard a voice she knew…. Her fellow diner….. “Jenny” who found no place for silence in her life. “Good God, why do we always have to line up before we can pee? Us girls! Always it’s us in a queue! Why can’t the men give over some space! I wish I could pee standing up!..... What about you?...” she asked, clearly talking to Astrid…. Who, of course, had spent most of his life peeing when standing up.

“I.. er.. well, you’re right, there should be more spaces for us, girls….”

“Too right! If we all pee’d up against the wall, they would have to do something about it!”

On that interesting thought, the two cubicles were vacated and the occupants washed their hands and left. The other two waiting were gone in behind the closed doors.

“You know, you really are familiar I’m sure we’ve met before. Did you say you are Andy’s Sister? I didn’t know he had one….”

“Oh, indeed. We just don’t see a lot of eachother really. We live a couple of hundred miles away so the chance to get together is rare.” Andy replied, doing her best to talk in that girly tone she had been using.

“Oh… right…. Where have they gone? Andy and Christine?” Jenny went on with her inquisition, forcing Astrid into a conversation she had thought would come, but not so soon….. “Oh, they’re in London for the weekend and we are house-sitting for them. Gives us a break from being up North…”

“Where’s that? Where do you live?” Jenny was less than polite…..

“Well, if you need to know, we live in Prestbury — it’s part of Manchester”

“Oh…. Don’t know anyone from up there, I don’t.” said Jenny. Not likely to find many to get to know either, thought Andy.

And with that, his female toilet cubicle opened and Andy was able to escape from this woman’s grips. “Silly cow!” said Astrid……

He had sat down to pee for much of the last three years. It was a simple statement of his girly persona, but to do it in a Ladies washroom, this was a FIRST!.....

Chapter 6 will be longer and will come in 2-3 weeks’ time. Ciao, my Sisters!