Myself and cousin Karen had been standing in the corridor, outside Mrs Hegiteys office for what seemed to be an eternity.
In reality, we had only been there fifteen or so minutes.
However, during that time both Karen and I had imagined what it would really be like if we were waiting outside the headmistress’s office.
Being very well behaved at school and more a less a top student, cousin Karen had little experience of this kind of procedure.
I on the other hand did.
Many a time had I been made to wait outside the headmistress’s office at school for various transgressions.
Many of these transgressions were possibly a cause of being easily led and wanting to fit in with others.
Others though were a little more serious, like sticking mud up a teacher’s car exhaust pipe.
That offense alone as well as a few others had earned me six of the very best.
Also where I had been bullied and still was being bullied, I was now starting to become a bully myself.
This in itself had not only been well and truly noticed, it had also been noted on my school report.
The office door opened and out came Nanny Mitchel.
“Patricia you are to come through to the office, Karen you are to wait here,” said Nanny Mitchel in a serious business-like tone, as if she had just been appointed Mrs Hegiteys secretary.
Cousin Karen looked at me as if to wish me good luck.
Being a little more astute than me she was starting to think to herself something was not right.
I on the other hand thought to myself I really have nothing to worry about.
I was to be proved wrong in due course.
On re-entering Mrs Hegiteys office the first thing I noticed was the cane and the slipper that was placed on the desk along with a book that was labeled punishment book.
With some apprehension and fear, I not only wondered to myself why they were there but just exactly where they had come from.
Why would a shop Manageress keep implements of chastisement in her place of work?
As Nanny Mitchel had wondered earlier on, I wondered as to whether she had used them on her staff at the shoe shop.
Whilst Nanny Mitchel stood by her side Mrs Hegitey proceeded to meet out a lecture.
Her mood had appeared to change from a kindly lady with slight severe overtones to a lady with very severe overtones.
“Patricia,” began Mrs Hegitey. “Your Grandmother has informed me that your work at school has been appalling beyond belief. Your work is shoddy, your attitude is abysmal and you are bottom of the class in every subject”
Whilst saying all this Mrs Hegitey was giving me a very cold frightening stare.
Standing in front of these two austere ladies was now starting to become a frightening experience.
“All in all,” continued Mrs Hegitey, “You have not been pulling your weight. It is little wonder that your mother does not want you at home as the poor lady can really not cope with you.”
This sentence in itself was quite a cruel blow however, I appeared to be resilient to it.
“It is also little wonder that your grandmother has decided that a gender change is in order, if only in a bid to make you change your awful ways,” Mrs Hegitey was now in full flow and had obviously resumed her role as a headmistress.
“Well change your ways you are going to do, my girl. You can either change your ways the easy way or the hard way” Continued Mrs Hegitey. “As you can see there are items on my desk, especially for you if you wish to have it the hard way, Patricia.
With these words, Mrs Hegitey picked up the cane and proceeded to swish it in the air and then point it at me.
Then came the dreaded words
“I will have no hesitation in using this cane if you do not mend your ways, Patricia.”
With this, she drew the cane back as far as she could and bought it down three times on a pillow that had also been placed on the desk.
Seeing Mrs Hegitey carry out this mock caning, even if it was on a pillow was very frightening for me.
This was so much so, that a little trickle of urine filled my undergarments at the sight of this.
Cousin Karen had heard the unmistakable sound of the cane from the adjoining corridor and wondered to herself just what was going on.
Was her cousin really being punished she thought to herself.
If so for what reason?
After all it was not as if I had done anything wrong.
Although in the past cousin Karen could herself be nasty and unkind to me personally if nothing else she was loyal to her own.
Bearing this in mind she really did not like the fact that I may be being chastised for no reason at all.
Nanny Mitchel on the other hand appeared to be lapping this all up.
“Good old-fashioned discipline was what I needed, and good old-fashioned discipline was now what I was going to get.”
It was at this time I began to wonder.
From now on it appeared that Mrs Hegitey was going to play some form of role in my life.
However, what role this was had still yet to be explained to me.
Nanny Mitchel was saying very little, preferring to let Mrs Hegitey take the lead.
“Patricia,” Mrs Hegitey started again, “You will not be going back to your current school.”
This news came to me as a relief, for no more would I have to put up with the cruel bullying or the taunts of not being manly enough that I had suffered over the years.
Having said that the alternative to my current school was going to be no teddy bears picnic.
“From now on you will be homeschooled by me,” announced Mrs Hegitey.
I looked to Nanny Mitchel for some reassurance, after all we had only just met Mrs Hegitey an hour or so previously.
Now it appeared she was to become my home tutor.
However, this reassurance was not forthcoming from Nanny Mitchel.
It was as if she had been put under a spell.
It also appeared that I was now being put under some form of a spell myself.
It had been less than a day since I arrived at Nanny Mitchels, yet already my life had changed so much.
During this time I had received a few smacks at the hands of Nanny Mitchel.
As well as this I had received a few smacks from Cousin Karen during a game of schools.
I had been made to carry out domestic duties something I had never done in my life.
I had been threatened with a meager diet.
I had then had my gender changed from a boy to a girl.
I had encountered the school bullies again whilst being paraded in the town as a girl.
Along with my cousin Karen I had been bought a new pair of t-bar shoes.
Now I was to be home-schooled by Mrs Hegitey.
Things were becoming very peculiar very fast.
The lecture I received from Mrs Hegitey was short but by no means sweet.
It was as if I had been read the riot act.
I was left in no mind as to who was now going to be taking charge of my education.
With all this done, I was told to go back outside the office and join cousin Karen.