Nanny Mitchel and Aunty Shirley were chatting away happily as we all got off the bus.
Although myself and cousin Karen were starting to bond a little better, it appeared we were still in quite separate worlds.
After all, cousin Karen was genetically female and I, myself was in the process of being sissified.
Taking all this into consideration may of been the reason for our different mindsets.
Once again my sissification had started less than twenty-four hours ago.
Yesterday I had woken up as a boy in blue pajamas with racing cars on them.
This morning I had woken up as a girl in a pink nighty with flowers on the garment.
Bearing this in mind, there would always be a difference between myself and cousin Karen.
At least that is what I thought.
I was to be proved wrong at a later date.
I had kind of lost a little interest in what Nanny Mitchel and Aunty Shirley were waffling on about.
Most of the conversation appeared to revolve around Sunday School, The Church Jumble Sale and the good lord.
Although Nanny Mitchel was a strong stoic no-nonsense type of woman who took no prisoners, it appeared Aunty Shirley was in some ways a lot more dominant.
With Nanny Mitchel actions would be impulsive and immediate, with very little thinking.
This not only was a little like me, but like my family in general.
On the other hand, it appeared that Aunty Shirley would think deeply about things before she reacted.
Maybe her strong faith made her that way.
It appeared Aunty Shirley had had to be strong as she had lost her husband at a very young age, and had been left to bring up her sons alone.
During the bus journey to the town, I learned that Aunty Shirley had bought up Simon and George with petticoating and as well as other traditional punishments.
In due course, over the period of the next month, I would be learning to what extent Aunty Shirley had done this.
Little did I realize that Aunty Shirley was now to become an integral part of my life.
For the time being now though, this was all immaterial.
For I was getting used to my current situation, being paraded in the town as a girl in a green mint frilly dress.
Surprisingly enough I was not too uncomfortable with my current situation.
In a lot of ways, it felt liberating.
I felt very safe being guarded by two strong women who would undoubtedly see that no harm would come to me.
However as I said in the previous story, two of the school bullies had been on the bus within earshot of all that had been said.
As Nanny Mitchel and Aunty Shirley continued chatting I spotted Micheal Lee and Steven Harris across the road, both who were the worst bullies in the school.
Whereas before I had felt safe and secure in my situation I was currently now was anxious.
“You Woman Peter,” I heard Micheal Lee shout,
“Where did you get the dress from?”
“Was it the Reject shop or Oxfam?”
It always appeared that Micheal Lee was heading the bullying, with his counterparts following.
Although both Nanny Mitchel and Aunty Shirley had not heard the taunts from across the road, the ever observant Aunty Shirley noticed my Anxiety.
“What is the matter Patricia?” asked Aunty Shirley in a concerned voice.
My reaction was to put my head down whilst still shaking nervously and say nothing.
However, this reaction was not satisfactory to Nanny Mitchel.
Her attitude was a little harsher.
Her attitude was old-fashioned and traditional.
Suffice to say, If an Adult asked a question you jolly well answered it.
“Aunty Shirley asked you a question,” interjected Nanny Mitchel.
“You are to answer her this instant,” she continued.
Although slow my reply was quite instant.
“Nothing happened Aunty Shirley, ” I meekly replied.
“Are you sure?” Aunty Shirley responded.
“Do you need to go to the toilet?” Aunty Shirley continued.
Under other circumstances, this question alone would of humiliated me into an unsavory reaction.
However, at this moment in time, I was preoccupied with the taunts I had received from the school bullies.
Since my formative years, I had been taught not to tell tales and to man up and fight my own battles.
The problem was I could not fight myself out of a wet paper bag.
This in itself left me vulnerable.
Bearing in mind though that I was now being Paraded in the town, in a dress, by two older women along with my cousin Karen, my vulnerability now tripled.
Surprisingly it was cousin Karen who was to currently save my skin.
Whereas like I say, I was taught not to tell tales, cousin Karen on the other hand did.
” Nanny Mitchel,” said cousin Karen, as if asking permission to speak.
“Yes Karen,” Nanny Mitchel replied.
“Two boys were taunting Patricia from across the road calling her nasty names,” she continued.
“Were they now?” said Nanny Mitchel in a determined tone whilst containing her anger that one of her own had been insulted.
“We will soon see about that. Where are they now? asked Nanny Mitchel.
“They have gone Nanny Mitchel,” replied cousin Karen.
Nanny Mitchel now turned her full attention to me.
“Patricia.” Started Nanny in a lecture styled caring tone.
“In the future, if you are bullied or threatened in any way you are to tell someone.”
“Is that understood?”
“Yes Nanny Mitchel,” I once again meekly replied.
Though once again I remembered that I had always been taught not to tell tales, disagreeing with Nanny Mitchel would currently bring harsher consequences.
Telling tales on the other hand would get me duffed up at school, so I was in a no wins situation.
It was at this time Aunty Shirley interjected.
“The trouble is Dorothy is there is no discipline in the schools and homes, and I doubt even their parents know what they are up to. They should not be out in the town on their own Dorothy.” Said Aunty Shirley.
“If I get my hands on them Shirley they will certainly know about it,” responded Nanny Mitchel.
Nanny Mitchel and Aunty Shirley continued chatting for another five or so minutes, whilst I, along with some kind help from cousin Karen, calmed down a little.
If nothing else, the recent events had proved that I may be happier as a female away from all the stigma of being a male.
As a female, I would not have to adhere to the machoness that was expected of me as a male.
I felt that although I was under the stern control of Nanny Mitchel, I would at least be free to express myself the way I truly wanted to.
If I wanted to cry, I could cry, without being told to man up.
If I wanted to play with dolls instead of action men, I could play with dolls instead of action men.
If I wanted to skip down the road, instead of swinging my arms around like so many of the supposedly tough boys did, I could skip down the road.
If I wanted to watch girly things on television, I could watch girly things on television.
If I wanted to read comics such as Bunty or Girls Own, I could read comics like Bunty and Girls Own.
If I wanted to wear pretty dresses instead of bland male garb, I could wear pretty dresses instead of bland male garb.
If I did not want to Physically fight people, I did not have to Physically fight people.
This would be despite being called a Sissy Wuss.
That word alone bought a little thought.
If I was considered a sissy wuss.
So what?
I would be a sissy wuss.
I would not be harming anyone now, would I?
Would I?
At this point, I would like to take the opportunity to kindly ask the people who have been listening to this story.
Are you harming anyone by merely being yourself?
Are you harming anyone by being a sissy or being different?
Are you being true to yourself?
Please feel free to answer in the comment box below.
However please keep the answers respectable.
After all, you do not want to upset Nanny Mitchel.
Eventually, Nanny Mitchel, Cousin Karen, and myself said our goodbyes to Aunty Shirley.
Aunty Shirley had to go to the supermarket and do other grocery shopping.
Us three, on the other hand, needed to go to “Clarks”, in order to buy me a new pair of shoes.
Aunty Shirley Parting’s words to me were something along the lines of, bullies are weak people who lack virtues and will always get their comeuppance in the end.
Well, that certainly became true in life for Micheal Lee.
However, on this day, we were to encounter these bullies again later on during our shopping trip.