Antibodies 21

© Copyright BG Taff

Characters.
Verna Spiro Type one Virus
Nana Bev, Interplanetary prospector.
Jamie, Bev’s younger prospecting Partner.
Dennis Potter Freight manager and old friend of Beverly’s.
Jack Godfrey Yard foreman and walking boss.
Charlotte and Lucy - Jamie’s younger dancing & clubbing friends.
Rose and Violet. Cis-girl friends of Jamie.
Dr Williams Virologist
Jennifer Jamie’s girlfriend. (Sleeping partner.)
Shirley Jamie’s niece.

Chapter 21

After pausing in the recess behind the inglenook fireplace I stepped casually into the restaurant and my mothers’ field of vision. She did not recognise me, nor did my younger sisters so I turned and stared into my mothers’ face. She looked up as uncertainty crossed her features and I chose my moment.

“You don’t recognise me then?”

I saw the dawning light of recognition slowly widen her eyes and lower her jaw as she struggled for words.

“Bernard?” She gasped softly.

“It’s Beverly now; Beverly Taff. What’s more you know it.” I replied while still maintaining a critical distance.

She struggled to get out of her chair while her daughters rushed to help her. I did not step forward or bend to help her for I wanted to physically demonstrate the rift between us. Finally she got to her feet and reached out with both arms but I did not accept her invitation. A single page letter of apology and a hug was not going to repair the years of damage and cruel rejection.

My expressionless mask was no act, I found that I really had no feelings for her or the two younger women supporting her. She quickly recognised my indifference and searched for some way to open a constructive conversation. I saved her the effort by asking.

“Now you’ve found me, what d’ you want to do with me?”

For several seconds she just stared at me, seemingly lost for words, then she collected her thoughts.

“I, - I don’t want to ‘Do’ anything with you. I just want you to reconnect with the family.”

“Why?”

She hesitated and I noted the brief flicker of guilt behind her gaze as she searched for a credible reason. Her hesitancy puzzled me; I thought she’d have her case well prepared and arguments lined up like a lawyer:-

‘Or was she playing the ‘please-forgive-me’ card and pandering to any feminine forgiving nature I might have.’ I wondered.

“You didn’t deserve to be treated like you were by your father.”

“I know that; you’re preaching to the choir.”

“I want to apologise for what he did.”

“Bit late for that now isn’t it. You should have fought to prevent him evicting me when I was just turned sixteen.”

“How could I stop him; he was a bully?”

“There must have been a dozen different ways to stop him. You could have divorced him; after all the wealth in our family was all yours courtesy of your grandfathers trust, my great-grandfathers’ trust.”

“That’s something else we have to sort out.”

“Oh! What’s that?”

“He tried to block your inheritance due to you when you became twenty-one. We couldn’t find you and they lawyers wouldn’t let him.”

“I was disinherited!”

“No you weren’t. Your father could not disinherit you, nor could I, The trust lawyers couldn’t find you. Your inheritance is still in the trust. You changed your name and you changed your gender. We only learned who you were since the Verna Spiro Pandemic and the business with your blood.

Your brother was virtually living on Mars and they kept a supply of your inoculations on Mars base to treat anybody who had inadvertently become infected while on Earth. Your brother thought he might have been exposed so he told the authority on Mars and they ran tests on his blood. He wasn’t infected but the computers at Doctor Williams’s Oxford lab rang alarm bells when they discovered your brothers blood was a genetic match to their main donors’ blood. That is; your blood.

We had long ago assumed that you were dead, an early victim of the Verna Spiro but the way the trust was structured meant the monies and share rights could not be legally disposed of for fifty years. Your great grandfather Charlie was nothing if not cautious.”

“Where’s my brother now?”
“He pretty much lives on Mars, to avoid contact with the virus.”

“So why wasn’t he inoculated.”

“You laid down your terms early on. Only men vital to mankind’s survival were eligible to be inoculated. He was passed forty; not deemed essential and that doctor woman decided not to tell him he was related to one of the two primary donors to protect your identity.

She was also fearful of being accused of nepotism.”

I shrugged. During the onset of the virus and for many years before that,
I had lived the life of a gypsy and family had meant nothing to me. I was still pretty much indifferent to my brother’s plight and my mother stared at me as that realisation slowly dawned on her.

“Don’t you care about your brother?”

“I’ve never thought much about him until now.”

“You do realise he’s a father don’t you. Two children are probably going to lose their father eventually when he finally succumbs to the bug.”

I shrugged again.

“Millions, no billions of kids are losing their dads all over the world. Why should your grandchildren be any different?”

“But they’re your family!” My sisters now weighed in.

I frowned at them.

“You still don’t get it do you. I don’t have any family.”

“Yes you do!” The younger sister insisted. “It’s not our fault you were thrown out. Besides our children have a right to know they’ve got another auntie.”

I was slightly pleased that she had quite unconsciously referred to me as an auntie. This sister at least showed some capacity to accept me as her sister. I began to wonder if it was worth giving them -the family- a second chance.

“And how many children do you have?” I asked her.

“Five, and my oldest son is approaching puberty. He’ll be becoming vulnerable to the virus in a couple of years.”

I paused to reflect then turned to leave via the lavatory door I had just entered by. I had no intention of revealing where I was going.

“I’m going to speak to somebody for advice,” I explained as I tapped my phone as if to indicate I would be making a phone-call from the lavatories.

They paused in their seats as I made it obvious I wanted privacy then I slipped out through the lavatory door. Once out of sight, I stepped across the hotel foyer and slipped into the lounge where Jamie was entertaining our twins.

“Do you want to meet with some of my family?” I asked her bluntly.

“Whatever suits you.” She replied.

“Okay. I’ll call you in a minute.”

Thus emboldened I returned to the restaurant and stood looming over my mother. I wasn’t smiling and she looked distinctly nervous.

“Right mother! This is a one off. I’m prepared to give my brother and my brothers in law an inoculation of my blood but for that I require total secrecy about my connection to your family ; - that is, my family because I don’t want to grow some sort of emotional tail that others can catch me by. You must arrange for you son and sons in law, to meet me anonymously at Potter’s freight depot next Sunday when the place is normally closed. I will rendezvous with you to supply the inoculations. Bring your grandsons as well. It will do them no harm to be inoculated.

I will be there with my team to administer the inoculations. There will be NO publicity.

I had no time for the tears that flowed from all three women but instead declared that I would share a family lunch with them there and then in the restaurant.

“Our children are in school.” They declared; we’ll have to eat this evening.

“I’ve no time for that. I’m a busy woman, wait here please.”

So saying, I stepped across to the lounge and motioned to Jamie as I bent down to pick up one of our twins. By now Shirley and Jennifer had joined Jamie in the lounge so Jennifer picked up the other twin while Shirley wheeled in the empty double buggy. Jamie and I entered together as my mother and sisters stared askance at our appearance.

There puzzled frowns told everything so I went straight to an explanation.

“This is Jamie the mother to our twins, this is Jennifer, Jamie’s bedfellow and partner and this is Shirley my niece by association and biological half-sister to our twins.”

For long seconds, the silence was deafening before my mother finally recovered her composure.

“Your twins?”

“Our twins,” Jamie corrected her. “Bev is the dad and I’m their mum.”

“So how does Jennifer fit into this?”

“She’s my partner. Don’t bother asking.”

“So you’re saying the twins are my grandchildren.”

“Yes.” Jamie confirmed. “Before transitioning, Beverly froze her sperm so they are your biological grandchildren.”

“This is crazy.”

“The world’s a crazy place these days. Get over it.” I advised.

“I think I’d better order that lunch now while I unravel this stuff.” My mother opined.

She motioned to the waitresses who had been hovering in anticipation. And the table settings were quickly reset for our larger grouping.

ooo000ooo

My predictions to Jamie about my mother’s response had been accurate. During the lunch, she spoke but sparingly to me and even then only to determine some aspect of my twins condition or circumstance. Jamie on the other hand, endured a third degree worthy of the old Spanish Inquisition; especially when my mother realised that Jamie was a transgender with a womb and partial ovarian transplant.

My mother demonstrated clear relief when she realised that Jamie could demonstrate the exact maternal genetic history of our children especially when she watched Shirley fussing with the twins. Then she ‘revealed her moral slip’ by asking why Jamie and I had not got ‘married.’

“I Mean. If you went to all that trouble to have children, why didn’t you marry their father and make them legal?”

Jamie gaped slightly as the table fell silent.

“What d’you mean legal? Bev’s listed as their dad on their birth certificates and I’m listed as their mum!

“Yes, but you’re not ma -.”

“Now hold it right there old lady!” Jamie snapped. “I’m not some sort of gold gigger. My partnership with Nana Bev is strictly a business and platonic friendship. There is no romance or sexual connection at all!”

As she spoke, Jamie looked at me to confirm her words and I smiled as I nodded. “Yes, partners in business and now captains of our own ships. Friends? Yes! Very much so, but lovers; - no.”

My mother studied me critically.

“So will the children have a father?”

“Of course they will – when I’m home; and there will be several women in the family who will also share the care. There’s a veritable clan of relatives on our farm; which, by the way, is a protected location.”

As I revealed this I could see Shirley counting in her head then she turned and grinned.

“Eight women altogether, if you count all Jamie’s cousins as adults over fifteen. That is; being legally entitled to baby-sit. There’s also Shirley’s father - Uncle Jack, Jamie’s brother-in-law married to her sister.”

“Will I be able to visit this clan?” My mother pressed.

I paused thoughtfully before explaining.

“Jamie’s clan would have to be consulted plus the vaccine council who run the male inoculation scheme. They’re red hot on protecting us for all the obvious reasons.”

“But we’re family as well,” one of my sisters protested. “Why should Jamie’s family have some sort of preference over ours?”

“History!” I replied bluntly. “They were here for us in the hard times, or at least her sister was. Where were you?”

She had no answer and fell silent.

For several minutes, the table became silent as the food was served. The atmosphere became strained as all the diners were reluctant to raise any other topics that might prove contentious. Eating gave everybody a chance to avoid any other conflict. The mood suited me.

Eventually the meal finished and Jamie prepared to leave with Jennifer, Shirley and the twins. I had other business to attend to before returning that evening to the farm. I had to advise the Vaccine Council of my intentions to donate a small dose of blood for my brother and brothers-in-law. Doctor Williams called me back directly when she received my text.

“You’ve got my permissions Bev; I’ll sort it with the council.”

“Thanks, I need to know by tomorrow.

In the parking bays, as I was kissing Jamie and Jenny bye-bye, my mother and sister approached again.

“Will we be able to visit your twins regularly?” My sister asked.

“Lets not rush things,” I replied, “I hardly know you except to remember that you comprised a family that shunned me. When I meet my brother at Dennis’s freight yard, we’ll discuss more stuff then.”