The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2778 by Angharad Copyright© 2015 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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“What’s the matter, Mummy?” asked Livvie as we drove home from school.

“Nothing, sweetheart.”

“Yes there is.”

“Yeah, spill the beans, Cameron,” said Trish and then sat back in her seat when she registered my displeasure in being addressed so.

“Do tell us, Mummy,” urged Livvie which Hannah agreed to and even Danni nodded.

“This is to go no further, okay?”

They all nodded and there was even the odd grunt with it.

“Gramps wanted me to act as a representative for transgender people at the university.”

“Why?” asked Danielle.

“Because I have some experience of it and of dealing with it in others.”

“But you’re not anymore are you?” she persisted.

“Not in a legal sense, but factually I’m still XY,” I think, never had it checked.

“I don’t think you were ever anything other than a lady,” said Hannah, for which I was about to thank her when Trish interrupted.

“She wasn’t a lady until she married Daddy.”

“I think Hannah meant it as a polite form of the generic, didn’t you, poppet?”

“Um...”

“Like saying, that’s a man and that’s a lady, instead of saying woman.”

“Yes, that’s what I meant.”

Trish’s wry look showed she was far from convinced and she retaliated with, “She wasn’t a lady till she grew up, she was a girl before then like you an’ me,” I almost waited for the ‘stupid’ on the end of the sentence but it didn’t happen.

Hannah looked out the window and I suspect a glimmer of a tear appeared in her eye. Trish has a mind like a rapier and it takes no prisoners, at the same time she doesn’t like it when I point out inaccuracies to her—typical kid I suppose.

“Right, girls, let’s keep things civil shall we? I turned down Gramps’ request because I don’t want to be associated with transgender things anymore.”

“You’re not going to make us go, are you?” gasped Trish who is always so anxious that I’m going to get rid of her despite my reassurances to the contrary.

“No, of course not—you’re all my daughters and I’d cut off my arm first. Besides you’re all recognised as females, so it doesn’t apply to you.” Except in an historical sense and I’m not stirring that one up.

“Am I female, too?” piped a tiny voice from Hannah.

“Duh,” was the comment from guess who?

“Yes, sweetheart, you’re as female as they get.”

“Oh good. I’m glad you’re my mummy these days, because you tell me things my other mummy didn’t.”

I really needed to try and give them all more attention but life is just so demanding. “Right, when we get in, go and change quickly and do your homework and I’ll try and do what I have to do before dinner and then afterwards we can do some sewing.”

“Yay,” called Trish and Meems and Danni shrugged.

Hannah nodded. It wasn’t her forte but it did give me a chance to spend some time with them all and occasionally, they actually enjoyed it. You could say I had them in stitches but I know you won’t.

“Are you having dinner tonight, boss?” asked David.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Well after yesterday I thought I’d better do something with tuna or lamb.”

“And...?”

“I’ve done lamb and tuna casserole.”

He laughed when he saw the incredulous expression on my face and then I knew I’d been had and laughed as well.

“Lamb casserole.”

“Can we have mint sauce?” asked Livvie who’d eat it on her cornflakes given the chance.

“There’s mint in it and on the potatoes,” answered David.

“Oh good,” she said and went off to change.

I managed to nab Hannah and took her into my study, locking the door behind. “Don’t take any notice of Trish, she’s often quite acerbic, she doesn’t mean it.”

“What’s serbic mean, Mummy, is it that she don’t like me, ‘cos I’m thick.”

“No, acerbic means sharp like lemon juice. She tends to see things in black and white and anything else she tends to criticise before she’s thought it through. She says things without thinking. I don’t think she thinks you’re thick anymore than she thinks I am...”

“You’re not thick, Mummy, you’re a university professor, you’re a very clever lady.”

Sometimes. “Trish is unusually clever at academic things...”

“What like school stuff, sums and things?”

“Exactly that, but occasionally she isn’t as good as us less clever people in reading other people’s feelings.”

Hannah looked perplexed by this.

“Most of us pick up how people are feeling quite easily and it helps to guide us about what we say in front of them or even to them.”

“So we don’t upset them?”

“Absolutely, unless of course we want to upset them, but that’s very different.”

“Cecily Lomax wanted to upset me earlier.”

“Oh, in what way?”

“She said my mother was a prostitute...” Talk about blush, I nearly caught fire. “Not you, Mummy, Ingrid.”

“I’m afraid we all have to deal with people being silly at times or even telling lies to upset us.”

“Oh it’s not a lie, she was—probably still is; so I said back to her, ‘Why is your dad one of her tricks?’ She didn’t like that and went to hit me an’ Trish stopped her.”

“Trish did?”

“Yeah, she an’ Livvie were lookin’ for me an’ she saw Cecily was gonna hit me and pulled her arm back. She ran off then.”

I looked at this child, she was street wise above her years. I simply hoped it didn’t erode her childhood, but I suspect it had. I would talk to Sister Marie at the earliest opportunity as the sort of slurs being cast were very nasty. Even if I knew they didn’t reflect on me, I was very angry on her behalf. “Is this Cecily girl older than you?” I didn’t know her at all.

“Yeah, she only started a few weeks ago, her dad’s a copper or something.”

Oh is he now? I think he needs to be careful where and when he’s discussing his work. I might try and drop a hint to someone, because if nothing else it’s unprofessional.

“Right off you go and change,” I said unlocking the door after we shared a quick hug.

“I like you much more than my other mother.”

“Try not to be too hard on her, darling, I’m sure she did her best.”

“Yeah, for herself. She’d never have sent me to a private school to make me cleverer.”

“I probably have a bit more money than she does and can afford it.”

“Even if she did have it, she’d spend it on herself not me, except some toy to keep me quiet. No, you’re much better than her even if you do make me do sewing.”

“You don’t have to, darling, not if you don’t want to. I only suggested it because I thought it would be nice for me to spend some time with my girls.”

“I know, so I’ll come along as well.”

“Thank you,” I said and kissed her on the top of her head, “Now, off you go and change.”

“Yes, Mummy,” she said and smirked. “I like calling you, Mummy,” she smiled and trotted off to change.