Chapter 14

As we walked out of the bank I took Litara's arm. "I need somewhere to sit down and quickly before I fall" I whispered in her ear and was promptly steered to a pavement table outside a small Italian-style restaurant. "What you did in there with the bank manager and before that with Mr Davis. I've never seen you like that; in fact I've never seen anyone behave like that!"

Signalling the waiter Litara ordered herself a caffè doppio and, at my request, a pot of tea for me. "Take a look at the people around you." she suggested. "What do you see?"

I looked up and down the street; shoppers, a man cleaning a shop window opposite and the waiter as he appeared with our order. "Just people going about their everyday business."

"And if this were Kabul in Afghanistan?" she prompted.

"Well, I've seen the news and there are still people on the streets but I guess they must be frightened of being shot or blown up."

"You're right as people have to go about their business but in very different circumstances and with many different priorities. Human beings are wonderfully adaptable given time but often don't cope well with sudden changes. We wanted Mr Davis to help us so I pre-warned him what to expect and he seemed to enjoy rising to the challenge. Mr Cameron on the other hand had no grounds for refusing your request so we made sure that he had no time to think of any by 'bulldozing' him. I noticed by the way that when he asked you whether you preferred Miss or Ms you chose Ms - can you explain why?"

"I've no idea." I replied. "Thinking now I might prefer Miss but at the time Ms just felt right"

"I could guess that you picked up on the fact that I used Ms when we entered the bank? There is no real difference but it was good thinking on your feet as now the bank manager will think of you as Ms Williams, a business woman who knows what she wants and expects it rather than young Miss Wiilliams out looking for a favour. It all comes down to preparation and in life you can either be the one who is prepared and rises to challenges or someone unprepared who gets bulldozed flat!"

Sitting at that table on a pleasantly warm summer's day I could feel myself relax, maybe for the first time since my arrival, or maybe that should be 'crash landing', onto the world as Venus. "The people around us, like our waiter, have no idea what we just did, have they?"

"With you there Vee. I remember at the end of a summer break in student days sitting on a train as we approached Cardiff thinking that the other people in the carriage had no idea that 24 hours before I'd just got off a camel and was sharing tea with tuareg tribeswomen.

I woke next morning at 7:00 to prepare breakfast for my family who were all off to work including Litara who was driving to London. "Delia, what are you cooking for us?" called my father from the bathroom. He was a Delia Smith fan and would tease my mother that he was going to run away with Delia.

"You can whistle for it Da, it's cereals for you. I'm 'Venus the Morning Star' and everyone knows, stars don't cook they shine." Nevertheless I continued frying his favourite cholesterol binge of bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and fried bread. A case of moderation in everything including healthy eating rules which deserve to be broken once every week so. Mum, Litara and I eat it as well too keep him company in a spirit of solidarity.

"If this voyage goes ahead" said my father to Litara. "I want the contract to supply the yacht. Even if she is legally an adult there is no way I am letting my daughter cross oceans on a yacht chartered to look pretty at the right price by an accountant!"

Listening to my father's tone of voice I winced a little internally at the thought of a confrontation between him, my mother a career accountantant and Litara, but it became apparent that Litara was more than ready for him.

"You are not going to get away with just supplying the boat because you are going to be on television dad! Two of the documentary threads want to use the the boat as a focus for modern technology and sustainability, both of which apply to your designs and you have the bonus of being visibly part Polynesian to provide a link to Tahiti. Beside that, as I'm sure Mum will verify, using you will save the production company money!" My sister really doesn't play fair as after his original assertion and with Mum sitting opposite Dad could hardly turn down Litara's demands.

7:45 came round and the family started heading for the door. "By the time I get to London I hope to have details on when your next doctor's appointment is scheduled. When that happens it will mean you stopping overnight with me so you might like to think if there is anything special you'd like to do while in London - beside shopping that is." Litara said as she and Dad went out the door to be followed soon after by Mum who kissed me on the cheek as she left

By 08:30 I had to house to myself and headed for the bath. Americans are such a deprived nation with their showers I thought laying back and luxuriating in stolen smellies. A shower is what you have after your bath! A careful inspection showed that my body hair wasn't a problem yet but I didn't fancy having to shave it regularly.

Reaching out of the bath I dried a hand and texted Serena: BODY HAIR OPTIONS?
30 minutes later having as I dried off the answer came: SHAVE CREAM WAX EPILATOR
My reply: WHAT IS EPILATOR?
Serena: BUY IN BOOTS LOL

With all that had been going on I hadn't been to the marina over the weekend which was the best time to find boat owners with paying work to be done so I pedalled there with little hope. When I arrived though an oldish man with a tow truck was backing a pretty little wooden yacht on a trailer down the ramp into the water. Two hours later we, his name was Bill, had launched the yacht, raised the mast upright and motored to a marina slip and it had been fun! Maybe he was special or maybe it was because I was being treated as a girl to be encouraged rather than a boy to be controlled but we made a good team. Chatting in the cockpit afterwards it turned out he knew my father and he offered me a sail and return next day to Clevedon (in that foreign country, England, 12 miles across the estuary). Still having hopes of finding work I couldn't promise to be available but before I rode on to Dad's yard Bill and I arranged to talk on the phone that evening to settle things.

No work there either but when I told him about my time with Bill and the offer he was delighted. "You'll learn more in a day sailing with Bill than a month with me or doing courses and that 'pretty little boat' as you call it has sailed more ocean miles than any other yacht on this coast."

With no work in sight and my Da's recommendation it looked as though tomorrow was taken care of so I rode first to Boots the Chemists to look at and maybe, depending on how good the description sounded, buy an epilator. Afterward with my new epilator in my bag I rode on to the tennis club to meet Serena.

"Delia Venus, Delia Venus, …." chanted Serena in the changing room.

"Yes Delia Venus but don't go teasing me with it or everyone will hear you are Serena Gladys!" Beside you'll attract attention and I'm not sure I should be changing in the women's rooms."

"Rubbish! With the way you keep your dodgy plumbing tucked away even if you were nude someone would have to look very closely. Anyway if your paperwork is changed what is there for them to complain about?"

"My birth certificate still says male and always will according to the solicitor and my dodgy plumbing as you put it may be tucked but it isn't so tiny they wouldn't see it."

We took out our aggression on the tennis court and an hour later came off drenched in perspiration after the best workout we'd had all summer. That pleased Serena no end as she had lost her County match last Saturday and her confidence had taken a battering.

"As my bicycle is here and I have to ride it home I'll leave my shower until I get there. Maybe afterwards I'll even try the epilator you told me about," I said showing her the new box.

35 minutes later I was standing nude in my bedroom; instructions in one hand and epilator in the other…
Why had Serena written in her text: - LOL