Book 2, Chapter 4

It was still only 4 pm when I left Dr Stanhope's and even a long quilted winter coat with boots couldn't keep the cold wind out, so that's how I ended up in Debenham's trying not to spend money I didn't have. My intentions unfortunately didn't save what I did have once I started chatting with Kelly on her cosmetics counter. It seems sailing in sun and salt spray followed by wandering wintery, windy Wales demanded more moisturisers and sun screens than I knew existed.

"Appearing regularly on television you have to look after yourself or the close-ups will make your skin look like the craters on the moon."

I did manage to calm Kelly's selling enthusiasm to one extra moisturising shield against the wind by pointing out that it was now January in Cardiff and in any case the skin of the new relatives I'd just met in the Caribbean didn't seem to fare to badly from sun. Then I suggested she join Serena and I along with whatever other friends turned up in the café after work.

Jenny and Evan were already there when I reached the café and it seems they had kept up regular Friday meetings even when it was just the two of them.

"Don't look so shocked Venus!" chided Evan. "Jenny knows I'm gay. Everybody does. It was my Christmas present from me to me because when you left for the Canaries it hit me that staying in the closet was going to guarantee me a very lonely future."

"I explained to Evan that every girl needs a Gay Best Friend" Jenny explained.

"I've seen 'Sex and the City' and I've seen 'Will & Grace', Evan and I think that you might have difficulty fitting the GBF stereotype being a 210lb 6'3" rugby prop-forward."

"I've thought of that and I have one gigantic advantage over Will and Stanford Batch. I'm the real thing, so in Cardiff I'm the role model other prospective GBFs will have to measure themselves against!"

"Well you certainly have large shoes for anyone else to try and fill because I remember the trouble you had getting size 48s (14 in UK/US)."

That was when Andy and Kelly arrived, entering together with Serena just a minute later which made introductions easier than having to do lots of repeats. What became immediately obvious was Andy's tongue practically drooling at the sight of Kelly and her complete and utter lack of interest in him. So much more stimulating for the rest of us to observe than if the attraction had been mutual.

It must have been 20 minutes or so before I was sure that nothing was going to be said about my surgery and I wasn't sure who knew what if anything. This must be how Evan felt about people knowing he was gay…

Co-opting a convenient lull in the conversation I made my announcement "Excuse me everyone but to clear the air you should all know I've been re-plumbed and joined the other side."

"What do you mean?" asked Kelly.

"I mean they have operated to sort out the gender situation I talked about on television."

"On television when?" came from a very confused question from all the others.

"Oh sugar!" I'm so sorry, you don't know anything do you Kelly?" The continuing befuddled expression on Kelly's face confirmed my blunder. I'd told Serena about the surgery but what had been important in my life hadn't magically become known to the rest of my friends. I did my best to explain but after a couple of minutes Kelly interrupted.

"Why on earth would your friends think you were a boy?" It seemed Kelly had seen the programme but taken in my appearance more than what I'd said

"She had a prick so everyone thought she was a boy but what I don't understand is how she can have been on television when she hasn't started her voyage?" was Serena's explanation and, to her mind, more important question.

"We've got that recorded for my Dad at home." was Jenny's contribution when I mentioned the Bilbao programme's name and so it was that at 7 pm we were all round Jenny's with fish and chips we'd bought on the way watching Bilbao Reborn'

"So what's between your legs now?" asked Kelly at the end of the recording.

"About the same as yours I imagine. Vagina, cervix, uterus but only one ovary."

"Wow!" "Wow!" came a double explosion. Kelly's once she'd taken in the my medical situation and Jenny's to the television performance.

"Are you sure that was you? That was so, so… real" was Evan's reaction.

Every one it seemed had their own angle on my situation Serena and Evan on more television programmes, Jenny on whether I could get pregnant and Andy, rather grossly I thought on the details of my vagina. Strangely however the whole topic died in less than an hour under the more immediate pressure of deciding where we were going tonight which turned out to be a pub Kelly knew with really hot live music. Teenage priorities took precedence as my momentous news, like I expect Evan's 'coming out' on its day, proved in the great scheme of things just a flash in the pan.

With no Litara this weekend just the three of us breakfasted on Saturday morning then, while Dad put in a few hours at the yard, Mum and I cleaned and tidied. Once Dad was back we had a light lunch before I changed into what I thought was appropriate for a dance workout.

"What on earth are you wearing Venus?"

I'd forgotten to mention my plans and once more run up against the strange inability others had in reading my mind - was I really so thoughtless? Perhaps I'd grown up fitting around others and was unused to having a life of any particular consequence to them. Once I'd explained the deal on dance lessons Dad offered to give me a lift if I would introduce him to John Hart which is how the three off us walked in John as he was sorting out music and chairs, I presumed for rest moments with the class to come.

"Ah, the protective parents approach!" exclaimed John with not a hint of embarrassment.

"A little." My Da agreed. "She is a very special girl, but also her mother and I used to dance a lot so I was intrigued by her description of what you were offering."

"Please, I'd be delighted if you joined us." John offered turning on the music. "Today I think is good to rhumba.