Editing by Bronwen
She was given the name of a boy because that is what it said on her birth certificate. She never felt like a boy and wondered why she was called Albert after her grandfather. She never liked boy clothes and didn't know why they made her play with boy's toys when all she wanted was to play with dolls. When she turned nine, a girl the same age as her moved into the house next door and that is when she realised she was definitely a girl and told her Mum in no uncertain terms she no longer wanted to be called Albert but from now on she would only answer to the name of Alice.
Her mothers name was Helen. She had divorced her husband just after Alice turned two, so Alice did not really get to know her Dad and he had never visited, so there was no real comparison about men and women in her young life.
Helen decide it was time to take her child to the local clinic and have a talk with the doctor that she had been seeing since Albert was born, so she made the appointment for the next day. That night she went to tuck Albert into bed and asked him why he wanted to be called Alice?
Albert replied, “Mummy I'm not a boy; I’m just like Jane next door and like all the other girls I play with at school.”
“Darling I know you don’t like playing with boys but you were born a boy.”
“No Mummy!! I am a girl, and I don’t want to have that thing down there. I want to look just like Jane.”
“Sweetheart you won't be going to school tomorrow, we will go and see our doctor and you can tell her all your troubles.”
Alice said her prayers and as usual asked God to turn her body into a proper girl like her friend Jane.
In the morning Alice asked her Mum if she could go to the shops after she saw the doctor, to buy some girl clothes.
Helen replied, “Lets just see what the doctor has to say shall we?”
“Mummy I don't care what the doctor has to say, I won't go back to school as a boy.”
Helen decided not upset herself or her child at this stage as she already knew there was something amiss when her son wouldn't play with boys at preschool. She hoped it was just Albert being a timid child.
Morning came all to soon for Helen who was worried what her doctor would say about her now stressed out son. Alice was up early this morning. She got her own breakfast and was sitting at the table in a nightie that was given to her by Jane a few days previously, and decided to just wear it so her mum could see that she was determined to be a girl.
Helen decided not to comment and let it slide. She herself was getting worried about what would happen with her child, but thought about giving all her love and support to see this through with Albert, Time was getting on so she told Alice to get dressed and ready so they could drive into town to keep the appointment with Dr Jennifer Bricksure.
In the car Alice was very quiet and had her hands folded in her lap looking out the window as if not wanting to talk with her Mum in case she changed her mind and sent her to school instead, Helen looked at her child and thought, 'I would quite like to have a daughter. I hope that Jennifer can sort things out Albert,-- no!!! I will have to think of Albert as Alice, I quite like that name for a girl.'
It wasn’t long before they were in the car park of the clinic. Alice was still quiet so Helen said, “Honey I know you are worried that the doctor will tell you you can't live as a girl but just tell her how you feel and she will tell you what she can do to help you.”
Helen took Alice by the hand to show her that she loved her no matter what happened.
Alice relaxed a little and said, “Mummy will you still love me now that I want to be a girl?”
“Of course darling I will always love you.”
“They won't send me away will they?”
“No sweetheart, no one is ever going to take you away from me.”
Still holding hands they arrived at the reception desk.
The young woman said, “Oh hello Mrs Jenson, the doctor will be with you in a few minutes. Hello Albert no school today?”
“No miss and I’m Alice.”
Jan the receptionist looked at Helen but said nothing. Helen just nodded her head slightly but also said nothing and sat down on the chairs in the waiting room and picked up a magazine which was of course like all waiting room reading matter three years old, and she said to Jan, “Is it your job to keep these magazines up to date Jan?”
“Yes Mrs Jenson, sorry I haven't had a chance to swap them over but seeing there are no other patients due I will quickly go out the back and bring them out.”
“Thank you Jan.”
Helen was a stickler for order in all things in life and had also instilled in her son, soon to be daughter, to be the same.
The door opened and the doctor walked in and said “Good morning Helen, good morning young man.”
Alice replied, “No I'm Alice and I'm a girl.”
“O.k.,” said Jennifer, “lets see what we can do to sort things out for you Alice.”
Helen said, “Jenny, you have known me for a long time and I know you will not beat around the bush and be completely honest with me. The problem I have is with Albert wanting to be a girl.”
The doctor replied, “Helen would you mind if I had a little chat with Alice by herself?”
Helen wasn't too happy about Jenny wanting her to leave the room so she could have a chat with a child getting more anguished by the minute, so she said, “Jenny if I'm going to be helping my child I want to know exactly what’s in store for both of us so I am not going unless Alice wants me to.”
At this Alice looked at her now concerned mother and said, “Mummy its o.k., I’m nearly ten and I'll be alright.”
“Well if you need me just tell the doctor and I’ll come in.”
Helen sat down and watched her now daughter disappear through the doctors surgery door.
Jennifer was not just a GP but also a qualified psychologist and was quite familiar with dealing with transgendered people. She had two other patients at the time who were doing their real life test; the only difference was that they were adults. She knew she would have to tread carefully with this nine year old.
She very quietly said, “Alright young man, lets see if I can help you by asking you a few questions. Is that alright with you?”
“Yes but I’m not a boy.”
“Alice if I’m going to help you, you need to let me ask you some questions. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to, o.k.?”
The questions were the typical ones to ascertain what was going on in this child’s head. After half an hour Helen was asked to come in and have it all explained to her and how to deal with a transgendered child. Once Helen knew what to expect she seemed to relax and started to ask a multitude of questions herself.
Being only nine almost ten, all Jenny could do was prescribe puberty blockers for Alice so she wouldn’t develop any male characteristics, but of course there was a lot more to sort out for Alice such as school records, name change and protecting her from people that are completely against letting people change their gender, let alone a ten year old boy.
The future will not be an easy journey for mother and daughter.
This scenario repeats itself a thousand times throughout the world.
To be continued?
If readers are interest in this story continuing then please make it known in the comments.
Hugs to all, Carla Bay.
Editing by Bronwen
Previously:
Being only nine almost ten, all Jenny could do was prescribe puberty blockers for Alice so she wouldn’t develop any male characteristics.
But of course there was a lot more to sort out for Hele,n such as school records, name change and protecting her child from people that are completely against letting someone change their gender let alone a ten year old boy.
The future would not be an easy journey for mother and daughter, this scenario repeats itself a thousand times throughout the world.
***The story continues***
Doctor Jennifer Bricksure sent Alice out to the waiting room for a while so she could explain to Helen in "layman's terms" what would happen to Alice once she prescribed puberty blockers. She gave Helen a book to read with all the information she needed to know about what would happen to her child’s body in the coming months.
Helen said, “Jenny I do not have a problem with Alb---Alice wanting to be a girl but I need to know the next step I have to take to make this happen.”
Jenny replied, “Helen we have known each other since fifth grade and been good friends ever since so I will help you and Alice get through this.”
Helen had tears in her eyes and said, “Jenny how could I have missed this?”
“Helen we sometimes close our minds to something that is staring us in the face and prefer not to acknowledge certain events in our lives. We all do it sometimes.”
“It was hard when Robert upped and left me. He never wanted to have children and once Albert was born, Oh! there I go again, calling her by her boy name!”
“Helen calm down, things are not as bad as you think. It is much more accepted these days and if you follow all the right procedures the outcome will be a good one.”
While the doctor and mother were in discussion behind closed doors, Alice decide to go to the toilet and than go to the dress shop that was situated across the road from the surgery. The only thing is that she forgot to tell Jan the receptionist where she was going and wandered across the road with one thing on her mind, and that was to look at all the nice feminine clothes and shoes they had on display in the show window. She stood there for a few minutes and decided to go inside and have a closer look. She opened up the glass sliding door activating the warning buzzer to let the owner know that there is someone in the shop.
A lady in her mid fifties came out from behind a rack of dresses and said. “Hello young man what can I do for you?”
Now Alice realised that she would have to be careful for the time being and replied, “Oh sorry miss I must have walked into the wrong shop by mistake.”
“And what shop were you looking for dear?”
“Umm, sorry miss, I had better go back to my Mum over at the doctor's surgery.”
“Ok dear, what's your name?”
“I'm Alice”
“Really?!!, you're not wearing the right clothes to have a girl's name.”
Alice started to make her way to the door but the shop owner blocked her way and said, “Hang on child, tell me a little bit about yourself.”
Alice was now starting to panic and had tears forming in her beautiful blue eyes.
“I just want to go back to my Mum miss.”
“It's ok I'm not going to hurt you.”
Just then the door opened and Helen said, “What are you doing over here Alice, you had me worried sick when I couldn't find you in the waiting room.”
“I'm sorry Mummy I just wanted to look at the dresses in the shop.”
“Darling you mustn't just walk off like that, girls get kidnapped every day.”
This conversation was getting a little strange for the owner of the shop.
“I don't know what is going on here, but why is your boy running around claiming to be called Alice when he is clearly a boy?” she said to Helen.
Helen was taken aback by this statement and replied with as much authority as she could muster, “I don’t see that it is of any concern of yours what my child’s name is, do you?”
“Well madam all I know is that girls don’t wear boy's clothes and come into a dress shop do they!!”
just as Helen was about to unleash another mouthful, Jennifer opened the door and said, “There you are Alice.”
The shop owner said, “Jennifer what is going on?”
Jenny replied, “Calm down Mary!! Alice is a patient of mine and she is a girl with a medical problem.
Mary replied, “Mental problem if you ask me.”
After the situation was explained to Mary things calmed down, and she even apologised to Helen and Alice.
Jennifer then said, “Right I have to get back to my surgery. Oh and Mary, please let this young lady have a look at some of the dresses that she so admired.”
While Alice was allowed to look at dresses and shoes, Helen and Mary got acquainted a little more and it looked like the two of them could even become friends.
“Could I try some dresses and shoes on please Mummy?”
“Well yes darling but let Mrs Jeffrey help you with that.”
“Thanks Mummy.”
After about an hour Alice ended up with quite a wardrobe, shoes and all. Mary even reduced the price and was quite keen to help Alice with her new wardrobe. Helen was amazed at what she was seeing in her child and just decide to go with the flow.
On the way home Alice wore a dress and a red pair of Maryjane's. Her hair was already fairly long and with a bit of styling it looked like any other ten year old girl. Now, there remained a little problem - school!!
Helen decided to drive home and had Alice change back into male attire till she spoke with the school principal. She said, “Ok Alice we have to sort things out with school, so I will talk to the school principal and we shall see if you'll remain in this school or we have to move to another area.
Alice said, “Mummy will I come in with you to the principal's office?”
“If you want dear, but leave me do the talking and wait to see what her reaction is when she finds out what you are doing.”
Helen and Alice walked across the playground and into the office administration building. Luckily all the kids were in class so Alice didn't have the worry of talking to anyone on her way to the office.
Helen knew where the principal's office was and went straight to the door and knocked.
“Enter” came a very feminine voice, so Helen opened the door and let Alice walk into the rather large office first.
Miss Rita Bellenger was a very petite lady and one would hardly think that she could be a principal of a fairly large school, but she did it with a very steady hand and had the support of all the staff around her.
“Hello Mrs Jenson and Albert, to what do I owe this visit, is there a problem?”
Helen always addressed people by their last name and said,“Good afternoon Miss Bellenger there is a bit of a problem that we have to discuss about my child.”
Rita replied, “First of all I think we can dispense with the formality and call each other by our first names don’t you think?”
“Well ok thanks Rita.”
Rita then said, “Albert would you like to close the office door for me please?”
“Yes Miss.”
“Alright what's all this about Helen?”
“I have just come from my doctor's surgery and have had a discussion that you might find strange.”
“Helen, I have been around long enough to listen first and than make up my mind as to whether what I hear is strange or not.”
Rita's school had mostly women teachers and the men that were there are either married with kids of their own or were gay, so she didn't miss much and she had a good rapport with them all.
Alice was starting to get anxious and Rita could see this happening so she said, “Albert how would you like to go to the office kitchen and make your Mum and me a cup of tea.”
Alice replied, “Yes Miss, white with sugar?”
Rita smiled at her young student and said “Yes dear your mother has taught you well hasn't she?”
“Yes Miss.”
Helen winked at her now daughter and said, “Relax sweetheart, you're going to be fine.
With that Alice almost glided out of the room.
“Right Helen, to the problem at hand, what can I do to help?”
“Well Rita I hope you will be understanding about what I’m about to tell you.”
“Helen, if your referring to Albert being different I have already made notes from what his teacher has told me for about a month now so don't be afraid that I might stop your child from being who she is.”
Helen sat there with her mouth open when Rita referred to Albert as she.
There was little said before Alice came back into the office and gently placed the two cups of tea on Rita's desk saying “The tea has been stirred with one sugar in each cup Miss.”
“Thank you dear, now take a seat and lets talk about your little problem shall we?”
“Yes Miss, thank you Miss.”
Helen said nothing because she still couldn’t believe that someone else could have picked up on what was bothering her child when she missed it completely.
“Now Albert take your time and tell me what's been going on.”
Alice looked at her mother for support, Helen just nodded and said, “Go ahead Alice tell Miss Bellinger what's been going on in that head of yours.”
“Yes Mummy, well Miss it's like this, I’m not a boy and I don't want live as a boy any more, and if I’m made to I will run away and never come back.”
“Well you're certainly strong willed enough to be who you are, Alb---lice."
“My name is Alice, Miss and I’m definitely a girl, it's just that God has made a terrible mistake and given me the wrong body.”
“Alright Alice, I'll see if I can sort something out for you. Helen, there are two other students at this school that I have arranged for an outside tutor at a place just down the road from her. These kids are in the same situation as Alice, and I have my own child who is in a wheelchair being looked after there as well, and yes I am a single mum just like yourself.”
After an hour of discussing what would be done to help Alice to continue her education, Helen and Alice walked back to where the car was parked. The only thing was that school was starting to be let ou,t and Jane the girl that lived next door to Alice saw them and came running over to them all excited and said, “Hello Alice OOPS!!! sorry Albert.”
Alice replied, “Jane it's ok, I’m allowed to be called Alice, the doctor says so.”
“Oh wow that’s great news; hello Mrs Jenson”
“Hello Jane dear, would you like a ride home from school?”
“Yes alright thanks, but I had better phone Mummy and tell her not to wait at the bus stop for me.”
Jane phoned her Mum and made sure it was aright to accept a ride home with the Jensons and then climbed in the back seat with Alice.
Jane said, “We are going to have so much fun getting you set up with a wardrobe, girl!”
“Well Mummy has already bought me some things. I’ll show you when we get to my place.”
“Ooh it's Friday so I haven’t any homework, so I can stay at your place this afternoon.”
At this Helen interjected and said, "Jane, I think I had better have a little discussion with your mum so she knows what is happening with Alice.”
"That's alright Mrs Jenson, Mummy already knows about Alice.”
Now it was Alice's turn to interject and she said, "Mummy I really didn't know how to tell you that every time I went over to Jane’s place I was letting her dress me up as a girl.”
Helen didn't say anything but thought, “How on earth can a mother miss something as important as her child wanting to be another gender?”
The two excited girls chatted away in the back of the car and when Helen drove up into her driveway Jane's mum Betty Elliston was waiting by the garage door. The girls got out of the car, Alice holding the bags with her new clothes.
Jane said, “Hi Mum” and grabbed Alice by the hand and pulled her along to her house so she didn't have to answer any awkward questions.
Helen and Betty had got to know each other quite well over the last twelve months but obviously Betty didn't quite know whether to tell Helen about the two kids playing dress up.
“Betty you're going to have to fill me in on what's been going on behind my back for quite some time it seems.”
“Well Helen, I wasn't sure whether you were aware of Albert getting dressed up as a girl or not, so I let it ride. I guess I should have spoken to you when it first started.”
"Well yes that would have been handy, and I would not have felt like someone hit me over the head with a baseball bat. Betty you had better come in and we'll have a coffee while the girls are trying on clothes over at your house.”
“Helen you said girls!!!”
"Yes Betty, girls. I have spent most of the day with Alice at the doctors and at the school trying to find out where to go from here.”
“So you're ok with your son wanting to be a girl?”
“It was hard to get my head around it when Alice said that she was not going to answer to the name Albert any more, and said she is a girl and that is all there is to it.”
“Helen, Jane has always got on well with Albert, oh sorry this is going to be hard for a while, Alice. I thought that they were just doing the dress up stuff for a bit of fun.”
“Believe me Betty it's a bit more serous than that. Alice has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria which means she thinks like a girl but has a boy body.”
“Oh Helen I knew there was something amiss but didn't want to say anything. Jane and Alice get on so well I suppose I sort of didn't want to spoil their fun.”
“So you're going to be ok with it?”
“Yes of course I'm ok with it. I have a brother who is transitioning so I know all about what goes on, but I thought you knew by the way that you let Alice come over to be with Jane.”
“God I wish I’d known sooner, Alice kept it from me until she couldn't live like a boy any longer.”
“Look Helen I’ll give you all the help and information you want.”
“Thanks Betty I think I might need it in the coming weeks”
Jane and Alice finally came out all dressed up and were ready to go into Alice’s house to have a look at what was bought at the dress shop. Helen and Betty were sitting in the kitchen when the girls almost walked straight passed before they stopped and Alice said, “Mummy I’m going to show Jane what you bought for me today.”
“Ok dear.”
Helen and Betty just sat there with a smile on their face that said 'Kids'.
To be continued.
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Author's note: I will be taking a short break from writing due to medical reasons, but I will continue writing my stories as soon as I am able.
Carla Bay