(aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2095 by Angharad Copyright © 2013 Angharad
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I was slightly alarmed at Danny’s description of Peter. Part of me wanted to help the kid, another part suggested I keep well away. If I’m an expert on anything, it’s dormice not PTSD. I cannot get involved except in supporting Danny and his own suffering from the attack they both had in France.
“I’m not going to end up like him, am I?” Danny asked.
“I don’t think so, why d’you ask?”
“Because I think I’d rather cut my throat than my dick.”
“Careful, you can live without a penis, you won’t if you cut your throat.”
“That wasn’t what I meant, I’d just rather die than be as screwed up as Peter. He doesn’t know what he is or what he wants to be. If he wants to be a girl he’s gonna need some serious advice.”
“A mess in a dress,” you said earlier.
“Yeah, that’s quite a good one for me, isn’t it?”
“It is, kiddo. But what did you mean?”
“He came down wearing a sun dress with shoe lace straps. Okay, he hasn’t got any tits so it hung sort of wrong, but he was wearing makeup like it was put on by a four year old. I think I could have done better and I’ve never worn it.”
“Don’t start, it’s a pain to wear, especially in hot weather.”
“Muuum,” he protested.
“I’m just advising you like a helpful parent.” I smirked which gave the joke away and he pushed me playfully.
Once we’d both stopped chuckling I asked him, “So what do we need to do with Peter?”
“How do I know? I’ll go and see him now and again but it’s not gonna be easy.”
“D’you want me to come with you?”
“No, Mum, I don’t think you can help him much and it just reminds me of what a woman should look like.”
“Aren’t his parent’s advising him?”
“I think the experts told them to humour him and they think that means let him make himself look like a total mess.”
“Did you say anything to him?”
“Yeah, I told him I thought he was a bit heavy with the makeup.”
“What did he say?”
“He told me there was plenty upstairs if I thought I could do better.”
“And did you?”
He blushed, “Did I what?”
“Do better?”
“Okay–yes I did.”
“You’ve got some mascara left on your eyelashes.”
“Oh shit, why didn’t you tell me?”
“I only just saw it. Use one of my wipes, they’re in the bathroom.”
“Thanks.” He dashed into the bathroom and came back with two red eyes, he must have scrubbed them with the remover pads.
“That looks worse.”
“What, I missed some?”
“No, you’ve made your eyes sore rubbing them.”
“Oh, yeah, okay.”
“Did he agree you knew more about makeup than he did?”
“Sort of, he offered me a dress as well.”
“Did you wear it?”
“No, I took off the makeup and we played computer games, then I came home.”
“It doesn’t sound as if he’s trying very hard to be a girl, does it?”
“He’s trying to be a freak.”
“That’s a little unkind, Dan.”
“You didn’t see him, I did.”
“Maybe I could offer him a makeover at Julie’s salon.”
“That would just encourage him, Mum.”
“But at least it would be encouraging him in reasonable practice.”
“He’s not a girl, he’s a wotsit–you know...”
“Not you know, but eunuch.”
“Yeah, one of those.”
“A castrato.”
“What’s that?”
“A boy who’s been castrated to maintain a high pitched singing voice.”
“They don’t do that, do they?”
“They used to, especially in Italy.”
“That is gross.”
“We’re talking a couple of centuries ago.”
“Why didn’t they use girls?”
“All sorts of cultural and religious reasons. Because girls menstruate they are seen as impure by some cultures, Christianity is one of them.”
“That’s stupid, how is that impure?”
“Ah, but you’re seeing things with modern eyes, which perceive men and women as equal.”
“Well yeah.”
“They didn’t. Christianity was dominated by the misogynistic Church of Rome, which undermined the original message of Jesus and his early followers, many of whom were women. I’d always thought St Paul was a woman hater but apparently not and he sent women to evangelise or advise groups of Christians all over the Mediterranean.”
“Gosh, you know lots about everything, don’t you?”
“No, I just know a bit more than you. Anyway, Rome didn’t like women, saw them as a distraction and they also feared women’s sexuality, so they condemned it and banished women from much of their ritual. Boys were thought to have purer voices than girls–they probably have sweeter ones when they’re young–so were used to sing anthems and other pieces in St Peter’s and so on. Of course boys become men, and in doing so their voices break, but if you castrate them, they don’t develop deep voices.”
“What happens to the poor castraties?”
“Castrati; one or two went on to become world famous singers and made a fortune. One came to Bath and is buried at the abbey there.”
“Cor, they had in Bath? Were the Romans there then?”
“No, this was in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, Rome was invaded by Goths and Visigoths in the fourth or fifth century. Mind you the ancient Romans would have known a bit about castration. It was done as a punishment, to provide eunuchs to guard harems and even some were taught to become diplomats because they couldn’t form their own dynasty and threaten the ruling king or emperor.”
“Of course, they couldn’t have kids, could they?”
“No, but that didn’t stop many of the castrato singers being dreadful womanisers.”
“What they went out as women?”
“No they had loads of affairs with married women.”
“But if they cut their todgers off...?”
“No they just removed their testes, not like Peter. He’s more reminiscent of the eunuchs of India or hijras.”
“Wow, you know such a lot–what do they do?”
“Traditionally they used to be considered to bring luck to public occasions like marriages, so they were hired to attend and bring good luck. Some became prostitutes, some might even have been transgendered. I don’t know, but I believe in India they are being considered as a third sex–neither male nor female.”
“That is weird.”
“I don’t understand it myself, I’m quite happy with the binary system.”
“What does that mean?”
“Just two sexes, provided I’m accepted as a member of the female group.”
“Well you are one, aren’t you?”
“Yes, thanks to legislation a few years ago, but where Peter would feature in my model I’m unsure.”
“Yeah, I can see what you mean. I still think he was an idiot to do what he did.”
“I doubt he would ever be considered an idiot, but he was clearly very disturbed when he mutilated himself. He was very lucky to survive it.”
“I dunno, Mum, I think he might have been better off not surviving it.”
I gasped at his pronouncement, possibly because I could understand why he said it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venanzio_Rauzzini
Comments
Problems ahead
I think Peter needs some serious intervention by Cathy, Trish. Julie and Cindy. He needs some help from the deities, too.
Portia
well some intervention
I dont get the feel that peter is really feeling he is a girl, but is more trying to be one so what happened was "ok". as the goddess usually intervenes for the female spirits (not always, but usually only when pushed by cathy unless there is some distant link to benefit females in the great scheme of things) i dont see it happening unless cathy is really going to bat for peter. she tried after it happened if i recall, but it didnt seem to help him.
well i guess we shall have to wait and see what our devilish felines and Angharad have in store for us, and them.
Terri
Teresa L.
A binary gender system.
Sorry Cathy, I tend to disagree with the 'conventional' system of a society having a simple binary gender system. I include myself amongst those who might possibly be loosely described as the 'inbetweenies'. From my perspective the gender structure more resembles a linear or circular continuum with individuals finding themselves somewhere along the line or somewhere on the circle.
I see a linear gender perspective as the simplest image where wholly male and wholly female are found at alternative ends while the 'inbetweenies' are to be found wherever they choose to locate themselves based on their own feelings.
I see the circular image as the two clear genders at 180 opposed with f-to-m and m-to-f located on their respective halves of the circumference.
I also see this circular image as more appropriate to define the separate issues of varied sexualities because it better enable's those with alternating or varying sexualities to better travel both ways around the circle. This image I feel, better enables people like Peter with obviously complex and traumatised 'issues' surrounding his self image to better address what will follow from his distressing self-mutilation.
This is a most interesting chapter with much food for thought. Thanks for that.
Bev.
Still lovin' it.
X
I think we have to accept
That Cathy is a fictional character and that views in this story may not necessarily reflect those of the authoress. Having said that, a healthy discussion might.ensue.
S.
In judeo/christian America...
Here, there used to be a very rigid binary system. He almost killed me because of it.
In the last 10 years, here I believe that has eased a lot, depending on the segment of culture we are in. The Uber religious still try to keep the illusion going, but the rest of our culture, especially the young ones seem to care less and less.
CAIS and genetic issues have always been with us, but humans prefer superstition and ignorance to knowledge unless the issues are forced.
G
I look at it...
I look at it a bit differently... rather than a linear spectrum, I see it more of an audio mixer...
You've a slider for "maleness" one for "femaleness" feelings Another pair for male/female appearance, etc.
So, a person could have a lot of male and female feeling or a little - balanced and be anywhere from both to neither... Same with appearance, etc.
This seems to "explain" things for me well enough.
Annette
Peter
Poor Peter is going to need a lot of support or will not survive and try to kill himself again. Most of us have been in that situation but had proper counseling and went on to become who we were meant to be in the first place
Another great chapter Angharad.
Hugs From Carla:):)
ROO
Castrato
There is one known recording of a castrato. Obviously, it isn't in high fidelity stereo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjvfqnD0ws
I believe it was done by Edison himself at the behest of the pope.
humans prefer superstition and ignorance over knowledge
A very good observation, Gwen. And as I think about that statement, I wonder about Cathy and how it applies to her, and it certainly does. Cathy is tending to treat the Goddess as superstition in spite of all she has been told about the Goddess by others and by the Goddess herself. She prefers to remain ignorant of the facts about the Goddess, instead of really looking into the matter deeper than she has so far and is thus refusing to learn more about her (knowledge). A good paraphrase might be
Cathy is preferring superstition and ignorance over knowledge.
Don't let someone else talk you out of your dreams. How can we have dreams come true, if we have no dreams?
Katrina Gayle "Stormy" Storm
Peter...
Peter needs help, but I think Danny's right that Cathy's probably NOT the right help... And the "experts" are not necessarily helping that much. He needs his family's involvement, not passive tolerance.
Glad that Cathy and Danny are able to have this chat! They need more.
Thanks,
Annette
Perhaps Peter needs to talk to different experts
Stephanie comes to mind.