The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2386 by Angharad Copyright© 2014 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

“Was that all right?” I asked Jason.

“You were no Nelson Mandela—he spoke for umpteen hours at his trial—but it was just right for what was needed, to try and show that stupid woman that your only interest was the happiness and security of the children—which is what she also claimed to be her object.”

“I feel exhausted.”

“Let’s go and get a cuppa,” he suggested.

“Oh heavens, look at the time—I must go and get the girls.”

“Tom is getting them, remember?”

“Is he?”

“That’s what you told me earlier.”

“Did I? I can’t remember.”

“You found this hard, didn’t you?”

“The understatement of the year.”

“Even though you knew you would be okay?”

“I didn’t, not until they checked the computer.”

“Do you wish now that you’d gone for the jugular?”

“Why? It would only prove I was as nasty as they were. If they’d challenged me in a fair fight about values or even methods or points of law, I could have respected them. However, their mendacity nearly drove me to distraction.”

“C’mon, I’ll treat you to a cuppa,” Jason put his arm round me and led me through the door. As we exited the building Jeremy Butcher approached us, Jason stepped between us.

“It’s okay I’ve come to apologise,” he said blushing. “I didn’t know they were trying to set you up with child porn—that was nasty.”

“And you think trying to defame me in front of my students wasn’t?”

“I was told you turned boys into girls for your own satisfaction.”

“Why didn’t you come to me and ask me instead of the charade you performed?”

“That was how I was told to do it.”

“I hope they paid you well.”

“I didn’t get paid—it was no win no fee stuff.”

“Oh well, you won’t have to pay tax on it, will you?”

“True. I listened to your closing remarks and agree with them. I’m therefore very sorry I was part of a group trying to bring you down without understanding you. I think I do a bit more now and respect you for it.”

“Are you transgender, Jeremy?” I asked.

“What gives you that idea?”

“Because I think you are.”

“Not really.”

“Are you sure?”

“After today I’m not sure about anything.”

“A word of advice, follow your truth, the rest will follow.”

“Whatever that is?”

“You’ll know it when it happens.”

“Could I have that in writing, please?”

“You have a good future in front of you, Jessica.”

He blushed so I knew I’d scored a direct hit. We shook hand and he left.

“He is transgender, but he doesn’t want to accept it.” I informed Jason.

“Does that matter now?”

“Yes. It wasn’t him I despised just his actions.”

“How can you separate the two?”

“Sometimes you can’t.”

As we crossed to the coffee shop the rain hammered down and we had to trot to get under cover before we were soaked. “Do you have a brolly in that capacious bag, missus?”

“I might have, why?”

“It might prove useful going back to the car.”

Huge drops of rain were bouncing back off the pavements and it took me back to my origins, at least in this incarnation when Stella collided with me. Jason order two coffees and I day dreamed. The sky darkened and there was a flash and a bang, the rain grew even heavier and day became as dark as night. Some of the street lights came on.

“A penny for them, Cathy.”

“I was just thinking about when Stella and I first met.”

“Oh yeah?”

“It was as dark and wet as this and she crashed into the back of me despite having a bright yellow strip on.”

“Yeah but in poor visibility...”

“It was mid afternoon in July.”

“Oh.”

“You were lucky you weren’t hurt?”

“Very lucky.”

“So that’s how you came to know Stella and presumably Simon?”

“Yes, you might say it was a life changing moment.”

“Getting knocked off your bicycle?”

“Yes.”

“I’m trying to see how?”

“I was still living as a boy when I set out that day.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Just under seven years ago.”

“So—I’m trying to see how a collision could change you into a female unless you left something attached to the saddle.”

I smirked. “I was taking hormones and working up to transitioning.”

“To changing over?” Jason clarified.

“Yes, Stella saw me naked in the shower and worked out what was what. She loaned me some clothes and I’ve been me ever since.”

“I’d have thought it required more planning than that?”

“Really it should have done but it happened and it worked for me. If I’d waited until I had enough clothes, I’d still be sitting in my bedsit or worse.”

“I think several young people are glad you didn’t wait any longer. Just think what might have happened in their cases.”

“I try not to, just focus on the positive stuff, keep moving forward.”

“Oh well, I’m off to watch the tennis, I believe Murray is playing today.”

“So they say.”

The rain had stopped but the air was laden with the possibility of more. “Thank you, Jason,” I said pecking him on the cheek.

“It’s my job, Cathy.”

“And you’re pretty damned good at it.”

“I like to think so.” He pecked me back on the cheek and rushed off towards the car park, I ambled along behind him just in time to see some young prat in a car deliberately drive through a large puddle the spray from which soaked an old lady who was a few yards ahead of me. I managed to get the number of his car then went to assist the old lady.