Bab’s New Year’s Resolution 11

Barbara. Chief Protagonist AKA Bab’s.

Lola (Seventeen) Barbara’s oldest adopted child. Transgendered girl rescued from an attempted murder.

Olivia. (Fifteen) Barbara’s second adopted daughter: Black lesbian girl fostered out of care then adopted. (With Olivia’s consent!)

Joyce Banks. Bristol Social worker.

Aaron Talbot Surgical registrar – married to -

Shirley Talbot Lecturer at Local university.

They are a married couple who own a narrow-boat on the canal. Friends of Lola

Mickey Talbot (Twelve) Aaron and Shirley’s oldest child.

Jessica Talbot (Eleven) Aaron & Shirley’s middle child.

Bianca Talbot (Nine) Aaron & Shirley’s Youngest child.

Billy Medical colleague of Aaron’s – he also owns a narrow boat in Bristol.

Sandra Her parents also own another Narrowboat in Gloucester.

Jackie Sandra’s friend (a bit headstrong and ‘adventurous’)

Julie Third member of the threesome, (more level-headed and sensible than Jackie).

Jason. (Black) London Gang member deals in drugs at the children’s homes

Tyrone (Black) Also a gang member, friend of Jason. Also a dealer.

Tyson (White) Also a gang member into drugs and trafficking young girls.

Angela (Angie), Olivia’s trafficked, drug-addicted friend (Rape-gang Victim and important witness)

Sergeant Davis, (Bridie) female police bodyguard for Angela.

Detective Sergeant Davies. (Brian) Bridie’s twin brother.

Inspector John, Heading up the anti-rape-gang operation in Birmingham.

Chapter 11

Brian had already started into Dinner when Lola and Olivia appeared in the dining room and Bab’s was busy carving the rest of the roast.

“Mmm! That smells good,” Lola enthused.

“Well get stuck in or this big lummox will have scoffed the lot.” Babs chuckled.

The girls needed no encouragement and soon the dining table was alive with chat. As Olivia polished off the last slice of her first helping of beef she remembered something that Bridie had told her at the hospital. She nervously broached her inquiry.

“Nina.”

“Yes darling.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“By all means petal.”

“When I was talking to Bridie in the hospital we spoke about my friendship with Angela.”

“Ye-ees.” Bab’s responded cautiously.

“She said you knew all about us and I was wondering.” Olivia hesitated.

“Go o-oon.” Bab’s encouraged her

“I hope you don’t think I’m being rude or cheeky but can I ask you something personal?”

“I’ll answer you if it helps with your friendships and the rape gang case but if it just personal nosiness I’ll tell you to mind your own business, is that fair?”

Olivia immediately sensed that Bab’s obviously had some sort of big secret and it obviously concerned what Olivia and Bridie had talked about; namely Olivia and Angela’s lesbian friendship. Otherwise Birdie would not had suggested that Olivia talk to Babs. Olivia pushed on nervously hoping not to somehow offend or hurt the old woman she had come to adore.

“I’m not sure how to broach this but you know that Angie and I have a very deep friendship.”

“You mean your lesbianism?” Bab’s replied bluntly, just to clear the air.

Olivia nearly dropped her fork as she turned to see Brian’s reaction. When he did not even falter with cutting his second portion of the delicious beef, Olivia realised that the information was ‘old hat’ to everybody around the table.

“Bloody hell! If it’s that well known, you’ll know what Bridie and I were talking about.”

“Yes – the sleeping arrangements. Carry on.”

“Bloody hell,” Olivia muttered, “nothing’s sacred around ‘ere. Is it?”

“We can’t have secrets Olivia.” Brian interjected. “Secrets can lead to lies and that could lead to mistakes being made. Fatal mistakes! So what was it you wanted to ask Bab’s?”

Olivia could hardly believe her ears but she pressed on with her concerns.

“Alright then, I’ll come right out and ask.”

“Angela and I could soon be sleeping together but you don’t seem at all concerned and that’s a bit odd for a seventy-three-year-old harridan like you? I’d have expected all the usual shit from somebody your age. How come you're so laid back about it?”

Bab’s grinned then retaliated semi-mockingly.

“Huh! Harridan, is that what you think I am? A harridan!”

Olivia smiled uncertainly but kept her nerve.

“Well no. That’s just it, you’re not a harridan and you’re okay with Angie and I sharing a bed when she comes here. I don’t get it. Why are you so liberal-minded?”

Bab’s suddenly realised that nobody had ever told the young fifteen-year-old what Bab’s was. Anticipating Olivia’s coming surprise, Babs released a soft chuckle before pitching in.

“Tell me Olivia, what do you think it was like for LGBT people way, way back in the nineteen forties and fifties?”

“Pretty shitty, I guess,” Olivia replied.

“Well you won’t ever have to guess again darling. You’re looking at an LGBT fossil. You’re looking at a seventy-three-year-old, post-op trans girl!”

Olivia almost shrieked with shock.

“What!! You’re – you’re trans! A trans girl. Like Lola!”

“Nothing less my little lesbian chickabidee, a trans girl, through and through.”

Olivia was wagging her head as she muttered disbelievingly.

“Fucking hell! That’s some shit man, I mean – the nineteen forties. My granny wasn’t even born then!”

“I think you mean ‘that’s some shit GIRL! A thoroughly modern young miss like you should at least get nouns and pronouns right.”

Olivia was too shocked to respond so Lola filled the stunned conversational void.

“That’s why social services placed me with Bab’s. She understand us and she’s truly sympathetic – to all of us; gays and trans and everything else.”

Olivia stared through an obliquely styled frown as she began to grasp the import of Babs’s revelation. After a prolonged somewhat guilt-ridden silence she finally found the words.

“So all the shit – all the stuff we’ve only read about, the stonewall riots, Alan Turing, the first prides! Everything, you were there.”

Bab’s frowned slightly.

“Well not everything darling. I was around in New York when the stonewall riots were going off, but I certainly didn’t participate. I was a foreign alien working on my ship so I was far too scared to risk being arrested and then deported. I’d have missed my ship, lost my job and all sorts of shit.

I knew nothing about the Alan Turing case until recently.

But as to Police persecution well, (and here Bab’s glanced apologetically towards Brian,) I could write you chapter and verse; – being arrested for ‘behaviour likely to’, - ‘indecency’, - ‘corrupting minors’ and on, and on, and on. ----- and all based on Police prejudice – backed up with viciously cruel, oppressive legislation. I ‘ve never corrupted any minors but it’s on my arrest record going back to the sixties.”

It was Lola’s turn to frown.

“So how did you get passed to be an adoptive mother by the social?”

Bab’s gave a wry little wistful smile.

“Things have moved on Lola dear, besides, who else around here would foster, then adopt a seventeen-year-old transsexual who was sofa surfing then dossing all over Bristol?”

Olivia turned to Brian and observed very provocatively.

“You’re being very quiet Detective Sergeant.”

“Don’t rub it in Olivia. I wasn’t alive in those times either. I can’t apologise for what my predecessors did.”

“And I’m not accusing you Brian,” Bab’s added to defuse the situation, “it’s water over the Dam Olivia, so please don’t use my experiences as your own stick to beat your own drum. I'll support you when I think you're right and argue when I think you're wrong.”

“Aaaww! That’s not fair Nina. The stuff you could tell would cause a revolution.”

“Yes young lady, but who would be the losers. Now, anybody for spotted dick and custard?”

The change of conversation reminded people that there was one of Babs’s famous puddings still to be eaten. Brian was desperate to try it after his twin sister Bridie had enthused about the pudding, but his full belly was swollen like a poisoned pup.

“Give us a while for the beef to go down Bab’s. If I’m eating like this for the next couple of years, I’ll end up looking like a pig.”

Lola smirked as she thought of all the times she had heard the police being referred to as ‘The Pigs’ but she bit her tongue. Brian was a nice guy and she was surprised to feel a twinge of guilt at the idea of making a ‘pig joke’!

“Am I fancying this guy,” she asked herself.

Eventually, the meal was finished and Brian picked his way along the towpath to the caravan. Next time he told himself to remember the bloody torch but he met with no mishaps and soon both the caravan and the cottage were as quiet as the grave.

ooo000ooo

Morning came bright, sunny and very early as Lola took the lock-gates padlock key to unlock the river-lock-gates for Babs. Olivia had started laying up the breakfast table and was enjoying the brilliant dawn over the estuary when Lola returned laughing and giggling with Brian. Olivia studied the couple as Lola skipped through the garden gate then turned to grin as Brian followed her. They had obviously just shared something amusing and yet, Olivia did not feel in anyway jealous.

‘They would make a nice couple if Lola wasn’t cis and Brian wasn’t married with kids.’ She mused.

This thought caused Olivia to realise she was actually luckier even than Lola – she had Angie and in a couple of months Angie would be right alongside her, sharing her life, sharing the cottage - sharing her bed even. She hugged herself with secret anticipation as Lola bounced joyfully through the door.

“Where’s Babs.”

“Feeding the cats.” Olivia replied even as Babs emerged from the tiny utility room that was stuck onto the gable end of the cottage like a carbuncle.

“Morning girls! Morning Brian!”

“Morning Nina!” The girls chorused over Brian’s more thoughtful greeting.

Bab’s picked up on the girls’ joyous mood’s while noting Brian’s thoughtful demeanour. She addressed Brian first.

“No problems I hope.”

“No, no, none at all. It’s just something Lola mentioned on the towpath.”

“Oh, should I know about it?”

“Yes and no.”

Brian turned to Lola and nodded towards Babs.

“You’d better tell your nina Lola, it’s really a matter for you and Olivia to deal with.”

“Me?” Olivia asked.

“Yes, both of you; and the sooner the better. It’s what you and Lola were chatting about yesterday.”

Olivia was about to rip into Lola for betraying their confidentiality but Brian anticipated Olivia’s anger and intervened.

“Hold on Ollie. Lola’s been sensible. She was right to run it by me because we adults can help. The sooner Lola can address the sperm issue, the better.”

“Do tell!” Bab’s observed, “would it be rude of me to ask what this is about?”

Oliva span around in anguish to explain.

“Lola wants to become a mum someday and so do I. Yesterday we were chatting about freezing and storing Lola’s sperm before the hormones make her sterile. It was private and I’m hurt that Lola mentioned it to Brian!”

“I was only getting advice,” Lola protested, “two heads being better than one or more correctly, three heads being better than two.”

“Or better still, four heads being better than three,” Babs added with a smile.

Olivia sniffed defensively as she took the milk from the fridge and added the final touch to the breakfast table.

“She should have asked me first.” Olivia snapped. “I was going to speak to both of you this morning.”

Babs, as ever the mediator between the girls, did her stuff again.

“Well, now’s the best place to sort it. We now understand the agendas. Which of you two girls want’s to explain?”

“Olivia can, I’ve already run some stuff past Brian.” Lola declared.

Babs turned to Olivia with questioning eyebrows.

“It’s the money thing. It costs to freeze sperm and yesterday, up in my room, we were wondering how to approach you or Brian or the social services in Bristol to find out if there was a way.”

After a thoughtful pause Bab’s replied.

“There is a way. When Lola came to me the Bristol social services deposited a lump sum in her fund by way of compensation for when she was surviving on the streets when she should have been in care. Yes. There’s no need to look so shocked. Social services recognise their responsibilities and if a kid goes missing the costs of their care can be set aside if there can be a benefit awarded to the kid later on. It’s entirely discretionary and depends upon a lot of factors, including the child’s circumstances and prospects.

Now that Lola’s done so well and even won her scholarship to Cambridge, Joyce and the welfare team in Bristol see her as one of their success stories. I’m pretty sure they can be persuaded to help Lola freeze her sperm. It’s not like she’s a waste of space or something.”

“Amen to that.” Brian interjected.

“I’ll speak to Joyce ASAP.”

For a moment silence reigned before Brian chose his moment.

“There could well be another cash source. As we came up the tow path just now, Lola asked about criminal compensation for Angie. Well, considering Angie’s injuries and the harm she’s endured; bearing in mind she was frequently beaten by the gang, it’s pretty certain she’s owed a hefty sum. I’ll chat with my sister Bridie because she’s involved with that department as well. There will also certainly be a reward for the help she’s given us in nailing this gang. Indeed, there might even be a modest award for Olivia though I’m not sure for Lola, she did help but it was a minor input. I’m certainly not going to raise any hopes here. It’s best we speak to Bridie, she’s more up on that side than I am.”
The mood around the breakfast table improved considerably and Lola felt a little foot inveigle its way under the table and into her crotch as Olivia gave her a huge grin.

“See. What did I tell you.” Olivia smirked.

Once again, Brian intervened.

“I don’t know what else you chatted about but all I can say is don’t get your hopes too high. I do believe you are entitled to what I’ve said. But don’t count your chickens yet!”

Bab’s injected her snippet.

“Well, the funds for Lola’s sperm already exist because I’ve got letters from Joyce stating what sums are being held on account. I’ll arrange to meet Joyce this week and you should be freezing sperm by next week. There’ll be tests of course but the clinic sorts all that out.”

On hearing this news, both girls teared up and stepped softly around the breakfast table to throw their arms around their ‘nina’. Seated as she was, she indulged them for several minutes then patted their butts like a nanny cuddling a toddler grandchild.

“Now girls, the marina manager mentioned that there might be some jobs for you up with the boats. You’ve got a few hours before the tide’s up cos there are no early takers today.”

The girls grinned and Lola called her Ginger cat as they trotted out through the front door.

Marmalade wasted no time catching up with the girls and boat-owners grinned as they saw the familiar sight of two girls and a ginger cat entering the marina office. The manager got out from behind his desk to explain what work he had and the girls were soon organising the grass-cutting. Marmalade the cat of course took station on the warm roof of the mower-shed to superintend the work and savour the sun.

By evening the grass-cutting, lock maintenance and other work for various boatowners was done and Bridie arrived just as Lola and Olivia were securing the lock for the night. Both girls were tired but considered themselves moderately wealthy with all the tips they’d received on top of their agreed salary. Bridie grinned as she studied the filthy, mud-caked state of the girls before they went to clean themselves up.

First Bridie chatted about the case progress to Babs then she decided to talk to the girls. To her surprise, the pair were just stepping out of the shower as Bridie arrived at the top of the stairs.