 |
“Milk Pudding Monthly? Cockroach Weekly? No idea and not sure I care.” Taran paused for dramatic effect before announcing in a slightly triumphant voice, “It was ‘Brides’.” Sometimes words have a great power. Taran’s terse sentence hit me harder than any amount of physical force. I slumped down on the bed, “Oh shit.” |
The Price To Pay - Vol. 5.05 - Celyn’s New Year (Part 1)
“Celyn!”
The loud shout wrenched me out of my slumbers. I became aware of someone else lying next to me. I felt really contented pressed against Amarjit’s back, one arm wrapped around her tummy under her nightdress, the other pressed against her shoulder. I pulled her a little closer and and caressed her bare skin. I heard her sigh, “Mmm, that’s nice
“Celyn, what’s going on?” came the urgent question, in an even louder voice.
I opened an eye and saw my Mother standing in the doorway looking angry.
“Hi Mum, whassup?” I drawled, still not fully conscious.
“You know perfectly well, young lady!”
My befuddled brain tried to process the accusing tone of my Mother’s voice. I couldn’t think of any major sins I’d committed recently. I gazed round the room and it didn’t look any more untidy than usual. I looked back at my angry parent to see if there was any clues in her demeanour, again nothing obvious.
I tried to remember anything that had happened in the previous twenty four hours that could be a cause of the antagonism. ‘..the train journey home...cheating chancellor...paprazzo...party...what sort of party?...why was it a party?...coming home....church bells...church bells...what day do church bells..’
Suddenly I had the answer. Of course no wonder she was angry, I’d forgotten one of the major family traditions.
“Oh, sorry Mum, forgot to put the presents under the tree, they’re still in my case, Merry Christmas by the way,” I replied, apologetically and closed my eye again and snuggled closer to my girlfriend.
“Yes, Merry Christmas Celyn and did you have a good t.......don’t try and change the subject, you know exactly why I’m upset!”
I lifted my head and looked at Mum again. This was becoming a very challenging experience for my confused mind. I looked at my bedside clock.
“Mum, it’s only eight, we came back late last night. I’m sorry for whatever I’ve done, but can’t it wait till later,” I pleaded.
“No it can’t!” she responded angrily, crossing her arms in a determined pose.
I propped myself up on my elbow and looked at my Mother inquiringly, “OK, well if you could tell me what the problem is then maybe I can apologise.”
“I can’t believe you’d do this.”
“What Mum?”
“You know, do what you’re doing now.”
“I’m lying in my bed and I usually sleep here when I’m home. What’s wrong with that?” I asked, my few operating brain cells becoming even more cotton wool like.
“I know it’s your bed, but that’s not the issue...”
By this time the noise of the altercation had woken Amarjit, “Good morning Mrs Morus, Merry Christmas.”
“Yes, Merry Christmas Amarjit,” replied my Mother politely.
There was a silence for a few seconds as Mum continued to glare at me in obvious annoyance and I returned the stare with interest, angry at my morning’s lie-in being so confusingly curtailed.
“Is there something wrong Mrs Morus?” asked Amarjit, sensing the tension between us.
“It’s not your fault, Amarjit, Celyn should have told you the rules.”
“What rules, Mum?”
“What rules, Mrs Morus?”
“Amarjit, we have rules about our children sharing beds with their friends. We told Celyn she could never have a boyfriend sleeping with her in the house until she was eighteen.”
“Oh, I see, Mrs Morus, well I’m sorry if I’ve offended you,” said Amarjit apologetically, pulling the cover off her shoulder and edging out of bed.
I put my hand on her shoulder to stop her, sat up and looked at my mother before responding in an angrier tone than before, “In case you hadn’t noticed, Amarjit isn’t a boy!”
My Mother’s anger level seemed to go up a notch, she took half a pace towards me before responding icily.
“I am perfectly aware of Amarjit’s gender but it was made clear to me yesterday that she is now your latest fuckbuddy or beneficial friend or whatever you young people call it these days, so it’s the same.”
I jumped up incensed by my Mother’s attitude and shouted back, “Amarjit’s my girlfriend! We love each other! ”
She stepped back.
I continued my verbal assault, “You haven’t had this problem with Taran since she came out, she’s bringing Gini today and they’re sharing a bed tonight!”
I paused for breath, continuing to stare at Mum, while she unusually seemed to be struggling to find something to say. In the sudden quiet I became aware of the sound of sobbing. I turned to see Amarjit with her head in her hands.
“..it’s my fault....I shouldn’t have persuaded you...I’m so sorry...”
I sat down on the bed and put my arm around my lover’s shoulders. This action seemed to defuse the confrontation between my Mother and myself.
“We’ll talk about this later,” she stated before turning and leaving the room, shutting the door harder than necessary as she left.
Christmas dinner was a somewhat muted affair under the circumstances.
My sister and her girlfriend had arrived mid-morning, by which time Amarjit and I had showered and dressed and were sitting in the lounge watching a DVD of ‘Elf’. We then all exchanged presents in a superficially friendly way although I could see my sister was immediately aware of the tension between my Mother and myself. Luckily Dad was Mr ‘Bonhomie’ himself and the morning passed without further antagonism.
Just before we sat down to the meal Taran caught me coming out of my room.
She took my arm and motioned me back in and we sat down on my bed, “What’s going on Celyn?”
“What do you mean?”
“You and Mum, you could cut the tension between you with a knife.”
I explained about the confrontation in the morning.
She was sympathetic before giving me another perspective on my Mother’s attitude.
“Did I ever tell you about the time I was home for the weekend before you broke up with Sion?”
“No I don’t think so, why?”
“You were out with him, I think it was some match or other and I came down late for breakfast. Dad was working in the study.”
“What happened?”
“I came into the kitchen and Mum wasn’t there and I guess she didn’t hear me coming in, probably ‘cos I wasn’t talking to you or something.”
“And?”
“She looked up and saw me then she quickly put away a magazine she had open on the kitchen table.”
“So?”
“I asked her what she’d been reading, you know, just casually, but she changed the subject.”
“Why is this important?” I asked feeling a little annoyed at my sister for telling me about some inconsequential little incident.
I got up to leave, “I need to check on Amarjit, she was upset with Mum this morning.”
Taran put her hand on my arm, “Wait, don’t you want to know what the magazine was that Mum was reading.”
“OK, what was it?”
“After she’d left the kitchen, while I was having my breakfast, I looked in the cupboard. Guess what it was?”
“Milk Pudding Monthly? Cockroach Weekly? No idea and not sure I care.”
Taran paused for dramatic effect before announcing in a slightly triumphant voice, “It was ‘Brides’.”
Sometimes words have a great power. Taran’s terse sentence hit me harder than any amount of physical force.
I slumped down on the bed, “Oh shit.”
I stared up at the ceiling, “It’s not fair, Taran. I didn’t ever want to be a girl, but I’ve done my best to live with it.”
“You’ve turned out very well, sis,” she responded, gently taking hold of my hand.
I squeezed her hand, “Thanks.”
I lay there for a while holding my sister’s hand and thinking how the news of my Mother’s strong, but secretive, interest in seeing me walking down the aisle with some suitable man could explain her attitude towards me and Amarjit.
Our reverie was interrupted by the call for attendance in the dining room. I extracted a promise of a young people’s trip for the afternoon from Taran before making my way to the festive table.
The M4 motorway was very quiet, such a contrast to a normal travel day, even compared to a Sunday there was much less traffic. We reached Chepstow, on the border with England, in less than half an hour and found somewhere to park in the housing estate near the ‘Severn Bridge’ that spanned ‘Mor Hafren’, the border between Wales and England.
Ten minutes later we had made our way through three residential streets and reached the beginning of the bridge’s footpath .
The weather by now had improved and it was a pleasure to see the sun beginning to banish the grey clouds. As we started to cross the bridge a middle aged jogger with a fluorescent jacket and a water bottle in his hand passed us.
“Merry Christmas,” he said as he jogged past.
“Merry Christmas,” we replied as a chorus.
My mood had lifted, I took Amarjit’s hand and noticed my sister doing the same with Gini.
By the time we had reached the main span of the bridge, over the estuary, the sun was completely out. The wind was fresh in our faces as we walked in a leisurely way towards the English shore.
We spent the next hour walking most of the way across the bridge, looking at the waters swirling below, hand in hand, two happy couples exchanging season’s greetings with other groups braving the elements after their celebration meals.
After turning back and making our way back to Wales the weather turned again and black clouds began to fill the sky. I was grateful for the extra layers I’d worn.
Soon enough we were back on Welsh soil. I felt a pressing biological need, “I need a wee.”
“I think the loos near the shops are open.” responded Taran.
I disengaged from Amarjit and made my way towards the shops, “I’ll catch you up by the car, girls.”
Five minutes later I’d done my business in the fairly clean, by usual standards, public convenience. I walked quickly towards where Taran had parked her car in the estate.
I noticed the group of teenage boys by the smell of their drinks before I saw them.
The three underaged boys were drinking cans of strong lager in doorway of closed, isolated shop.
“Hi darlin....” slurred the least inebriated of the three as he stepped forward to block my path.
“Hello, excuse me I need to find my friends.”
He grabbed my arm, “That’s orlright sugar we can be friends..”
I shook my arm clear and moved sideways to pass him. He stepped in the same direction to prevent me escaping. I had a good look at his face for the first time. I froze.
I recognised him. It was Carwyn, the Oaf from my summer on Cyprus. The boy who’d tried to rape me.
I could see from the look in his eyes that he realised who I was.
“Well, hello Trannyboy, I think we have unfinished business..”
End of Vol. 5.05
Comments
Oops!
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...
Let's hope Celyn can keep the oaf at bay long enough for Taran to come to see where she is, and Alys to write the next episode.
Angharad
Oops!
Hi Angharad
Thanks for the neat comment, "...go back in the water" :-)
I can hear the Jaws music, can Celyn escape the peril she's in?
Tune in......soon.
Hugs
Alys
Oh no!
We have a damsel in much distress. = (
A bigoty plotty mother, and a group of drunken boys who know of her past. The irresponsible boozers are an immediate threat, and they would feel my MIGHTY BERSERKER WRATH if I could freely cross over from reality to fiction and vice-versa.
Mother could prove even worse in the long run...
Oh No!
Hi Extravagance
Thanks for the comment and the suggestion of a 'MIGHTY BERSERKER WRATH' :-)
That's sounds like a very useful talent :-)
Hugs
Alys
Celyn's mum is a prude!
Are Celyn & Amarjit not both girls? And where is Sion when she needs him?
May Your Light Forever Shine
Celyn's Mum
Hi Stan
Thanks for the comment and the questions in it.
To answer :-
1) Yes, you're right Celyn and Amarjit are both girls, Celyn's Mothers reaction is prudish and is seen by Celyn as unfair and inconsistent, although bear in mind how Celyn's Mum's worldview has been threatened by all the changes in Celyn's life.
2) Unfortunately Siôn is out of the picture at the moment due to the ending of their relationship, but who's to say whether he might come back some time in the future.
Hug
Alys
Poor Celyn... can't catch a break from Mom or the real world
As to her mother... I agree her world view has been shaken multiple times by her born daughter coming out as a lesbian and then her son having to become her second daughter.
BUT what WAS and what IS her world view?
I don't think she knows. Did she even really have one and just reacted to life rather than act?
She doesn't want Celyn in bed with a boy yet she has trouble with her dating a girl. She complained last chapter that with her older daughter in a lesbian relationship that if Celyn was also a lesbian she would never be a grandmother. Yet she knows full well Celyn can never have nor father a child ...unless some new reproductive tech or advanced organ cloning/growing from, say, stem cell become feasible in a few years.
As Celyn pointed out she could adopt children -- assuming the local adoption agencies are not as big a jack asses as the sports authorities were. The odd fact is IF mom wants a grandchild Amarjit is her best hope as Celyn can't but she could via artificial insemination. As could Celyn's sister but mom seems blind to that.
Perhaps a close cousin or the dad could donate. Then the child would be part Celyn's.
If Celyn married a male there could be no children unless the sister or mom donated an egg foe a surrogate or was the surrogate for them.
BTW though they backed off and said essentially she could play on either male or female teams she was so upset she sounded like she was going to give-up on sports except at the local just for fun level.
Will she change her mind? Male or female she had/has great talent. Enough to get into university at least on scholarship or possibly to have a pro career. She has lost nearly everything he once had or desired. Her old school mates, her boy friend and girl friend. Her love of sports has been severely challenged and she has been accosted by bigots paparazzi. PLUS mom is acting a bi-polar fool.
Why can't she have a little happiness? What did he/she do to earn this time in purgatory?
It was great to see her and her sister talk about how she never wanted to become a woman but that she felt she was accepting it well. And the sister agreed. I got the impression her sister was impressed with how well Celyn was embracing womanhood and not merely accepting that she had no other choice.
I recall at first Celyn was furious at her parents over the SRS after the cancer was found. Once she learned that male reconstruction was dangerous due to the nature of the cancer -- testosterone *fed* it -- she worked hard to accept and embrace her new life . So what is mom's beef with her?
Hum, thinking back on my earlier comment... could the mother have a mild mental disorder and the stress of the last months is exacerbating it? Could explain a lot. Why act at one moment like Celyn is a former male and another like Celyn is a born female? Or did she come from a sheltered background and doesn't have the skills to cope/adapt easily?
Unrealized dreams of her own? IE living through her daughters? Or she had high hopes for them to have grandchildren for her and she sees that slipping away? The Bride's magazine her sister remembered seems an important clue to their mom's flip-flopping behavior/attitudes.
John in Wauwatosa
As to Carwyn the oaf his mom pushed him to date on that vacation where she met Amarjit I am hoping the boys are so drunk Celyn can run away or outsiders come to her aid or best yet she uses her superior athletic skills and kicks him hard in the ...necessitating emergency SRS for HER. And what an ugly woman SHE would make.
-- snicker --
Nice to see you have not lost your touch for this tale.
Maybe this time the attempted rape/assault charges WON'T get thrown out. Maybe this time there will be witnesses to nail the jerk and his jerkettes.
You were missed. So wonderful to have you active here again.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Poor Celyn
Hi John
Thanks so much for your comment and your comprehensive analysis of some of the themes in my little series.
It is always stimulating to read your contributions, they are much appreciated.
To respond to a couple:-
1) The Mother's character, I think she is a typical 'middle class' parent who hoped for conventional successful lives for her children. Only two years before, everything seemed to be on plan, both children very successful academically, son highly gifted at sport. Everything has since come crashing down and she is struggling to cope, probably not helped by workaholic husband.
2) Celyn's sporting activities, I think she will find the lure of taking part in some form of competitive sport impossible to resist in the long term, despite her present attitude, although an offer may come from a slightly unexpected quarter. :-)
Once again thanks for your input.
Hugs
Alys
Reading *between the lines *...
*comprehensive* means * you sure to like the sound of your own voice.*
-- snicker --
Hum, Celyn gets an offer for sports but from an unexpected source?
Well he and her had offers from the same college, national amateur or was it a pro teams development squad? I forget but it was a very great offer.
Unexpected? US Soccer? A European team or university?
A British or Welsh school that heard of Celyn's story and want s HER as a player/coach?
Hum?
As to her damaged home life... she and her sister need a family meeting soon and with no distractions.
Time dad backs down some on his time spent at work as it seems like he is hiding out at work. And mom needs a reality check.
What does she really want? What has her so unpredictable. over the top and well, weird at times?
Perhaps the older sister needs to help mediate things. She has had the easiest time of all as she had been away at university and largely immune from the shit her younger sister has had to put up with.
As to the bullies... time the trash is taken out. This jerk's bad behavior has been swept under the rug or whatever the equivalent Welsh phrase would be, far too long. I forget, does his parents have influence or positions of power were his thuggery can be hushed up?
I fear Celyn might have to pay another high price just for the right to be left in peace.
And the photographer. Simply an example of the nasty side of the British tabloids or has someone *set the dogs* on Celyn? And if so who? Can't be that big a story at this point in time. Some ass in the sports authority upset that they had to let this pervert/abomination play? So not having got their way they are using the press as their means to scare her off? Doing gods work thus the ends justify the means and all that trash?
And I worry Amarjit might break up with her. Not because she doesn;'t love Celyn but because she loves her so much. She cried when mom went ballistic on them for sleeping together. What if Celyn is hurt by the drunken guys? I fear she would blame herself and flee. Or even hurt/kill herself to protect Celyn.
Curious to see where this goes.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
*between the lines*
Hi John
Thanks for another fascinating comment.
'comprehensive' meant I'm impressed by how much you've understood the ideas in my head, how I'm thinking.
I never know what to write in comments, so much easier to write stories, so I'm in awe at someone who can write them so well.
As to Celyn, well once again you've given me some ideas, so thanks for that, just need to sit down and bash the keyboard.
Hugs and Happy New Year
Alys
Ouch!
No sooner than one crisis is deferred than Celyn walks into another.
On the bridal front, if Celyn's still in love with Amarjit in a few years' time, there's no reason why they couldn't have a Civil Partnership at a country hotel or somewhere - Ok, there wouldn't be a groom but an additional bride, but apart from the gender of the participants and the legal name of the union, there's no reason why the ceremony and celebration could be substantially different from an extravagent heterosexual civil marriage. Besides which, there's also the possibility of doing likewise with Taran and Gini.
On the baby front, adoption's one route, alternatively use an experiemental lab technique on a (normal) cell sample to trigger meiosis, then use those in IVF with eggs from Amerjit. Anyway, that'll be a few years down the line, so you can probably gloss over the entire issue for the next book or two :)
The sports comment was interesting - although I don't think we'll see a repeat of what happened in another UK-based story universe with a football club called Melchester United... :)
As for Carwyn, the fact he's inebriated (and thus likely to be less coordinated) could work in Celyn's favour. Knee him in the nuts then run. With any luck, it will take his companions a few seconds to process what's happened, which Celyn could use to her advantage to distance herself from them...
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Ouch!
Hi Ben
Thanks so much for the comment, it is much appreciated.
Thanks for the ideas for future story development and how to deal with Carwyn, something in the nuts might be very useful :-)
Hugs
Alys
An excellent story so far.
An excellent story so far. Well written and in nice short doses but when are we going to see the next one?
is there more of this?
i was looking and rediscovered this, you have two chapters i haven't read but i'll take care of that shortly. but i see a cliffhanger over a year old. please don't leave us hanging.
thanks
What are we going to do with you Alys?
Oh Alys,what are we going to do with you? You start all these great stories and then you leave us hanging. I "finished" all the stories here on Big Closet and all of them are awaiting your completion. That's the bad news. The good news is that they all deserve completion. You're a great writer and you've created great characters. I take heart that you are still with us as I have seen that you, or someone like you has been posting some of the older ones on an alternative site this year. Hope you're doing well. Really looking forward to more of your stories, even if they're incomplete.
Val