The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2129 by Angharad Copyright © 2013 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

I sent an email to Dr May saying that I would address the meeting and he wrote back and thanked me. He also said he’d introduced me to the organiser as Dr Cathy Watts, and that they, the organisers would be in touch.

Sure enough, half an hour later I had an email asking me to call a number to speak to the organiser of the meeting. Reluctantly, I rang. It was answered by a male voice.

“Hello?”

“Hello, this is Cathy Watts, to who am I speaking?”

“Ah, Brian’s friend.”

It took a moment to compute, “Yes, Dr May.”

“Indeed he is.”

“Who else is talking and what d’you want me to talk about?”

“Can you do the science–social life of badgers, biology, that sort of stuff?”

“I’m sure there are better qualified people than me.”

“We want a balance, most of the speakers are men yet many of the protestors are women, we need women at the debating end too. We heard you on the radio making a fool of that prat from Defra.”

“I thought he rather did that to himself.”

“Yeah but you and Brian heaped the icing on the cake right up to sink him underneath it.”

“Did we?” I hadn’t heard the broadcast even though they were supposed to do me a copy.

“Oh yeah, I’ll run off a CD of the prog if you like, you can collect it tomorrow.”

Tomorrow? Goodness it was Thursday already. “Thank you. This is going to sound silly, but how d’you want me to dress?”

“Anyway you want, as long as you look female.”

“I am female, how would I look any other?” Did he know something he wasn’t telling me?

“Yes I know, but some women scientists look like blokes.”

“I see. Have you seen my film on the dormouse?”

“Film on the dormouse? There was one on the BBC last year with some dolly bird fronting it.”

“Dolly bird? I’ve been called a lot of things but that isn’t one of them.”

“That was you?”

“That’s what it said in the credits, written, presented, directed and produced by me.”

“Wow, wear those shorts and top.”

“I don’t have them any longer,” I did but I wasn’t going to wear them so people would ogle me, the message not the messenger was the important thing. “D’you have a projector?”

“There’ll be one available if you need it.”

“I’m rather hoping it will be needed.”

“You got it.” I felt like correcting him, you have it, is what he should have said, but am I bovvered? Actually, yes.

I sent a few begging emails which I’d check first thing tomorrow. Then I picked up Lizzie and after sending the kids to bed went and sat with Simon. He watched me feed the baby and the sly looks he gave me every now and again meant he was getting randy. It was deliberate, I wanted him to make love to me when we went to bed, but in the interim, I wanted him to make a cup of tea which he acceded to do.

An hour later, I changed the baby and put her to bed then went and cleaned my teeth. Simon cleaned his and waited for me to get into bed. Today I was randy, then I thought about it, it was roughly a month since I’d last felt like this, which lasts two or three days and passes. Even we man-made women appear to have monthly cycles.

The inevitable happened–yeah, just as life got interesting and passionate, the baby woke up and threatened to wake most of the cemetery if I didn’t go and sort her. She was teething and after trying to crush my finger as I rubbed on some Bonjela, she eventually went back to sleep–about quarter of an hour after Simon.

When I awoke Simon had already gone to work, it was about half past seven. I needed tea, so I rose, did a quick bathroom call and after making the tea went to my study. Two of my emails had been answered and positively. I sat and watched the clips they’d sent me and printed off the notes. By the time the girls were down I had a much better idea of badger biology than I’d had before and I had enough film to make a DVD lasting about ten minutes to illustrate my case. I only had to fill the other ten minutes with talk and take questions for the final ten. It wasn’t going to be easy, but I could do it.

I went and had breakfast with the girls, usually Danny didn’t appear at breakfast with them except on school days, but since becoming Danni, he did. It was too weird for words and instead of trying to analyse and explain or even understand, I just went with the flow. He’ll let me know when he’s had enough.

“Can I go and see Pia and Cindy later, Mummy?”

“If you want to, sweetheart.”

“Pia’s going to get her hair done, it’s not fair mine is so short.”

“I’m sure Julie could do something with it to make it more feminine.”

“D’you think so?”

“Yes, but remember, if she does she might not be able to make it boyish again by next week.”

“I’ll just grease it down with gel.”

“Ask her then,” I said as Julie appeared for her breakfast. Instead of Danni asking, I did and she said she’d have to take Danni down to the salon. I said I’d bring her and she agreed to do it first thing if we hurried. We did.

Danni’s collar length mousy hair became a dark red pixie cut which looked really nice and suited her face really well. I offered to pay Julie for her time but she shook her head–she’s family–weird–but family. Thankfully, Danni thought she was joking.

On the drive back home, I was a little concerned that the cut would be unable to be disguised. I noticed Danni looking at it in the vanity mirror of the car. “Like it?”

“Oh yeah, it’s really kewel.”

“What about when you go back to school?”

“Should be alright, lots of kids dye their hair these days.”

I had noticed but usually they’re Goths and dye it black or blond, not auburn pixie hair. Oh well, if push comes to shove, we’ll have to see if it can be dyed some more boyish colour before Danny re-emerges. At least it wasn’t pink. I dropped her off at Cindy’s house–they were going to meet Pia in the town centre, go to the salon with her and while she had her head examined, I assumed the other two would sit and wait or look round the shops. It was an interesting combination, one genuine transgender girl, a mutilated boy who was trying to become a girl, and a boy who was just enjoying the ride as a girl for the moment.

I knew Danni had thirty pounds to play with and presumed the others would have something similar, so unless some unforeseen incident occurred they should be fine and Danni was going to catch the bus back home afterwards.

I arrived home and after checking that the DVD I’d made ran on my computer, I highlighted my notes and went off to play with the girls for the rest of the morning. I know I have Jacquie as a back-up but I’m their parent and it’s good for me to play with them as well as them respect my need for space to work in my study at times.

We messed about in the garden, played catch with a Frisbee thing and generally had fun. David called us in for lunch and in the afternoon, he showed them how to make some fairy cakes in the bread machine and I was allowed to finish the work I needed to do for the evening.