I woke up trembling with Rita holding me. She shushed me and I went back to a dreamless sleep.

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Mum came into our room at six am. “Get up sleepyheads, we're going to church this morning.”

“What?” said Rita “we're not religious!”

“No we're not, but we're going to join your new uncle this morning.”

I was rubbing the sleep from my eyes and said “Who's this new uncle Mum?”

“Don't be a smarty-pants Carla, or I’ll get Bill to come in with a bucket of water to get you both out bed the quick way.”

I replied “Oh that uncle!” and quickly got out of bed and pulled the blankets off Rita. As I ran out of the room to go to the toilet before I peed myself, Mum started to chase me with a straw broom, so I ran into the toilet and locked the door.

“Cheeky little monkey!” she said.

I did my business and opened the door just a little bit in case Mum was still there waiting for me, it wasn't Mum, but Rita standing there crossing her legs.

“Hurry up or I'm gonna pee meself.”

“Alright, alright! I'm going, NO need to panic. Bloody hell! - why is everyone so cranky this morning?”

“Too friggin' early to be up on a Sunday morning, that's why!”

“At least the cockies weren't in the tree this morning, screaming their heads off.” I replied.

Mum said “Stop all that bla-- err swearing you two. Anybody would think we’re a mob of bushies.”

Rita and me said in unison “ Yeah we are”.

Mum poked her head around the corner of the verandah where the kitchen door was. “Hurry up, have a shower and get dressed into something nice for church”.

We went back to our bedroom and Rita pulled out clothes for both of us to wear to church and put them on the beds. We grabbed a couple of towels and went to the bathroom together still wearing our pink nighties.

“Hurry up and get in the shower Carla! I'll get in with you to save time.”

I didn't argue and she followed me in. I was looking at her breasts and then at her pubic hair.

“God! I wish I could look like that down there and have breasts.”

“Even if you were born a girl, you are too young to have breasts yet!”

“I don't want to go back to being a boy.”

I had tears in my eyes but the shower was wetting my face so it didn't look like I was crying, but Rita saw my shoulders shaking and gave me a hug.

There was no shame between us hugging while we were naked, as far as we were concerned we are sisters and I didn't think of myself as a boy.

We finished our shower and dried each other's hair. My hair was a lot longer now, still too short for my liking, but long enough to be girl length. Rita liked to braid hers, but I let mine loose, and wore a head band. It seemed more girly to me, probably because I had something to prove to myself.

As we were walking back to our bedroom with towels wrapped around us, Mum and Bill were both going to the bathroom to have a shower 'together'.

Bill looked over his shoulder and said “It's o.k. kids we're old enough to shower together!” Just as the door to the bathroom was closing, we saw Bill grabbing Mum's behind, and we could hear her squeal, as they got into the shower together.

We got back to our bedroom and Rita helped me dress. First I put on knickers and a vest shirt, and Rita said to take the vest off again because the summer dress that I was going to wear would not look good with a vest showing around the top.

“Put your arms up and I’ll slip this over your head.” Once the dress was pulled down into place, she said “Turn around so I can zip you up. Now go and put those sandals on while I get dressed”

Rita also put on a summer dress, but didn't wear a bra.

“Mum will make you wear a bra Rita! Your tits are too big now not to wear one.”

“Yeah, well I don't like the feel of the bra, it feels too tight and I can't breath properly when I have one on.”

“Yeah, well I don't have that problem do I, but I wish I did.”

Rita laughed and said “If we feed you the right pills you'll soon have some.”

“Will they make my willy drop off as well?”

Rita jiggled her breasts, then we both started to giggle like a pair of idiots,.

Just then, I heard Mum behind me laughing. ”Carla you will have to be patient like the rest of us, to be able to get the things we want in life.” and “Rita you are going to get measured for a new bra at Mary's shop tomorrow morning.”

“You'll drive that young Peter crazy if you don't hide those nipples under a bra.”

“Yes mum.” Rita said rolling her eyes.

Bill came in the room “Excuse me ladies, breakfast! In the kitchen now!”

“What's for brecky Uncle Bill?”

“Get in the kitchen and ya'll will see won't ya! Come on hurry up or we’ll be late for church.”

Rita asked,“Uncle Bill, what church are we going to?”

“The one down the road!”

“No, I mean what church, you know who are they?”

“Oh it’s the Catholic one Rita.”

“Uncle Bill,” I said, “Will Ricky Smith be there?”

“Sure will, so will his mum and dad.”

“Mum, do you think I should put on a bra?”

“Too late Rita. You'll just have to make sure to walk and not run, won't you!”

“And you want tits Carla! Ha!” said Rita.

Rita bounced her breasts again and we started giggling all over again. Well Rita and I thought it was funny.

Bill said “Lets go.” and started walking towards the gate. Mum, Rita and I stopped walking.

Mum said “Where are you going Bill?”

“I'm goin' to church. Are you lot comin' or not?'

“Uncle Bill how far is it to the church?”

“About a block down the road. We drive past it on the way to town, Carla.”

“Oh we'll walk then will we?”

“Look just get moving or I'll have to go by myself.”

We walked swiftly to the church, and it only took us five minutes. The service started at nine, but we were there at a quarter to, so we met the Smiths at the front gates of the church.

“Hello everyone,” said Mrs Smith “I'm Helen, Barry’s wife, welcome to Quilpie.”

“G'day, I'm Donna White and these are my kids Rita and Carla.”

The oldies started walking into the church, but the boys hung back a little bit, to talk with us before we went into the church.

“Rita you look really pretty in that dress.” Peter said, looking more at her breasts than her face.

Rita said “Thanks Pete, you scrub up well too,” blushing while she said it.

Rick said “Yeah you look o.k. too Carla.”

“Thanks Rick. We'd better go into the church and find where the oldies are sitting”.

We sat ourselves behind Mum, Bill, Peter, and Rick's parents. The service took an hour, and after it was over there were cakes and tea served in the hall which belonged to the church and was also used for Saturday night dances.

There were bottles of locally made soft drinks for the kids to drink, stacked in an old Charles Hope fridge painted in army green. There was a lot of army surplus stuff in western Queensland, The Government used to have auctions once a year in Brisbane, And outback towns would end up buying all sorts of things that were ex-army, from trucks to fridges, like the one at the church hall.

While the adults were have their tea and cakes and talking about 'adult things', us kids, got our soft drinks and some Anzac biscuits and went out to a shed which was set up with table tennis and dart boards. Rita and Pete played me and Rick in a game of darts. Rita and I were really good at darts, because we used to play with the shearers that came to River Downs to shear the sheep. Pete and Rick weren’t bad either, so it was a fairly even match. After about half an hour, we called it quits and went back to the main hall to see what the adults were doing.

“Ahh! There you are,” said Mrs Smith, “Did you all have fun out in the shed?”

“Yeah Mum, me and Pete beat the girls at darts!”

“Yeah! that's because we let you win, little boy.” said Rita.

“Bullsh-- err bugge err, no you didn't we won fair and square!”

“O.K. that's enough arguing you two.” said Mum and Barry at the same time. “It's time to go home so you two boys can get into your homework.”

Helen looked at me and said “What about you Carla? How's your schooling coming along?”

Mum quickly replied, ”Oh I’m home schooling Carla for the rest of this school year, Because we don’t know just how long we'll be staying in Quilpie yet, and Carla has a bit of a medical problem to deal with at the moment.”

'Uh Oh! First bit of trouble' I thought. 'Here come the awkward questions about what is wrong with me.'

“Oh nothing serious I hope?”

“Well, we don't now till I take her to a GP and get a referral to a specialist in Brisbane.”

“Donna let me know when you plan to go. I'll be happy to accompany you and your daughter,-- I wouldn't mind a trip to Brissi”

“Alright Helen it won't be for a couple weeks. I'll let you know when we get the appointment.”

“This is news to me, Rita did you know?” I whispered.

“Yeah, Mum mentioned it a few days ago, but told me not to say anything to you.”

“Why? That's not fair.” I said out loud enough to make everyone turn around and look at me.

“Carla, we'll talk about it when we get home,--alright sweetheart?”

We said our goodbyes to the Smiths, and started walking the short distance home. I was in tears,and Rita put her arm around my shoulder as we walked along. Mum and Uncle Bill were walking a bit in front of us, talking quietly so we couldn't hear what they were talking about.

“It's alright Sis, I think they're working out what to do about your little problem.”

“But it's a a bo u ut meee!”

“They didn't want to get get your hopes up, in case they can't get you an appointment in Brisbane. Now dry your eyes.”

When we got home Mum told us to change out of our church clothes into something more comfortable. I put on a pair of denim shorts, and the white blouse with the red roses sewn on the front. Rita looked through the suitcase that we hadn't unpacked yet and got out a pair of old jeans that she cut off and made shorts out of, and a pink T-shirt .

“Rita you gonna put on a bra?”

“Yeah, 'Spose so.”

She was about to jiggle her breasts again when Mum yelled out from the kitchen, “Hurry up you two.” We didn't look at each each other because we would not be able to stop ourselves from giggling.

We didn't wear shoes a lot until we had to go out into the yard, but we put on thongs (flip/flops) because the prickles were real bad in western Queensland. They were impossible to eradicate because when the lawns were mowed the seeds would spread and the growing cycle would start all over again.

Anyway we got dressed and went to the kitchen where Mum was preparing a lunch of salad and curried eggs, my favourite.

Mum said “Sit down at the table. We'll eat in here. It's easier to clean up later.”

Just as we sat down, Bill came in to the kitchen, “Gees that smells good. I’m really hungry after that walk this morning.”

Mum said “Come and sit down sweetheart and I’ll serve it up.”

“Your Mum's a great cook girls, she'll do real well in the restaurant when we re-open it “

“Yeah but she only calls family sweetheart”

“Rita don't be rude to Bill, and apologise now!”

“Sorry Uncle Bill. What I meant was that you are family. Oh forget it!”

“Rita, I know what you meant to say,darling, - and thanks.”

I said, “Gees will every one relax? We all love being here with you Uncle Bill.”

I went to where he was sitting and hugged him, and kissed him on the cheek.

Mum said “We don't have to have a love in. Carla sit down and have your lunch.”

“Yes mum sorry.”

Once we had finished lunch and cleared the table, and helped Mum wash and dry the dishes Bill said “Come out onto the verandah, we have some talking to do.”

Rita and I sat ourselves in the swinging love seat while Mum and Bill sat across from us in a couple of canvas squatters chairs (deck chairs).

Bill said, “Donna 'luv' do you want to start or will I?”

“Bill you can. After all, it will affect you as much as the rest of us.”

“Right,” said Bill, “Carla, Rita, me and your Mum have come to a decision, but we want to make sure that you two will be happy, to go along with what will happen in the future.

“It looks like, Donna-- err your Mum an me are gettin' along pretty well so you'll be staying here, -- any questions so far?”

I looked at Mum, “What about my 'little problem' Mum? What if I get found out?”

Before Mum could answer, Bill said, “We're going to sort that out in the next couple of weeks Carla; that is if you really want to stay being a girl?”

Rita looked at Uncle Bill, “What do you mean stay? She has always been a girl inside a boy's body; and she also has her twin sister Jean's spirit inside her.

“Look Rita, let Carla speak for herself for once, O.k?”

I had tears forming in my eyes and looked at Uncle Bill. “Uncle Bill, Mum,--I would rather let a 'black red belly snake' bite me and die than go back to pretend being a boy again.”

“O.k .than we'll see if we can make it happen. I don't want to lose another child because of my stupidity.”

“O.k. now dry those beautiful big brown eyes of yours, and we'll tell you what is going to happen tomorrow.”

The discussion went on for another half an hour,and I was told all about the doctors appointment in the morning, so we could get a referral to a special doctor in Brisbane and sort out my future. It was two o’clock on Sunday afternoon and Bill said it was too hot to work in the yard yet, so he went to take a nap. Mum gave me a couple of hours of school work to do, because of the appointment in the morning, and didn't want me falling behind in my lessons. I went to my bedroom and sat at the desk that Mum shifted from another room so I did all my school work without being disturbed, We'd also set up the two way radio so I could still talk to the School of the Air if I wanted to get extra help, which I used from time to time to help me along the way.

Rita went with Mum to the restaurant and started sorting things out so it could be opened up in the next couple of weeks, Mum brought home fish and chips for dinner because it was getting too late to cook anything. We had our meal and said goodnight, and retired to our bedrooms and went to sleep pretty well straight away.

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Jean was in my dream, calling to me to come and sit down in a field of lush green grass, but she seemed to be communicating with her mind. I asked her 'where am I?', but nothing was coming out of my mouth. This seemed too real to be a dream I thought. She was dressed in a beautiful blue and white gown. It was like looking into a mirror and seeing a double of myself, only I was still in my pink nightie.

I heard her in my mind when she spoke, “Carla, I will speak to you in your dreams to help you in your life.”

I thought back to her 'Jean is this real?' She smiled back and in my mind she said 'Carla we are as one and we are connected by our spirit, I love you.'

I woke up with a jolt. It was five o’clock in the morning and Rita was in my bed with her arm draped over my waist. “Good morning Sis, are you finished having your conversation now?“

“What! Am I awake or am I still dreaming?”

“Yeah you're awake now, but you were talking in your sleep and trembling, so I came and lay in bed with you.”

“Rita, Jean is talking to me in my dreams by being in my mind, not with her mouth.”

“Well you were saying something, but I couldn't make out what you were saying, and I guessed it was Jean you were communicating with.”

“Wow Rita. She said we are connected by our spirit and she will help me in my life.”

“Well you will probably need all the help you can get if you are going to be a girl.”

We both got up and showered together and got dressed before Mum and Bill got up. I knew I would be seeing the doctor later that morning and wanted to look as girly as possible, so Rita got out a pretty summer dress with floral print and and a thin red belt to go with it. My shoes were brown Mary Janes. They were all from the charity shop we went to last week. She brushed my hair till it was almost dry and put it in a high pony tail with a pink ribbon. I looked in the mirror and said “WOW!”

I looked more like a ten year old, which I thought was great. No sign of a boy anywhere to be seen. Rita dried her hair and got me to braid it into two pigtails. If she didn't get it wet for a couple of days it could stay like that. She than got dressed in jeans and a plain blouse and tennis shoes, because she was going to do some cleaning at the restaurant with Uncle Bill.

Uncle Bill usually ran the service station and caravan park, and his mechanic Henry ran the garage part of the business. Anyway it was still only six o'clock, and Mum and Bill were awake, because we heard them talking and laughing. Who knows what they were getting up to? We went to the kitchen and I helped cook eggs with bacon and made toast in the open fireplace in the stove, and Rita made a pot of tea. There was enough of everything for four people. Then we put Mum and Bill's breakfast on a tray, and we left ours on the table to come back to in a couple of minutes.

I knocked on their bedroom door and said “Room service are you both decent?”

Mum said “Cheeky monkey, yes come in.”

Rita said ”Breakfast in bed for Mum and Dad eer, um Uncle Bill, sorry!”

Uncle Bill said “That sounds pretty good to me luv. I rather like the sound of it.”

Mum said it was o.k. at home but not in public, not yet anyway.

“Thanks you two for breakfast in bed. I could get used to this real quick.” said Mum.

Bill said “I could get used to having two pretty daughters around to spoil me.”

Mum said “Settle down Bill Darling! All in good time.”

Mum and Bill got up and showered together, Saving water is their 'excuse'. Yeah right! Then they got dressed and ready for Monday morning work time.

My appointment with the doctor was at eight thirty, so Mum decided to do a bit of book work for the restaurant.

She said “Carla go do some reading for half an hour.”

Was she kidding? I couldn’t sit still let alone read. I am scared of doctors at the best of times.
Mum and I got in the Rover just after eight o'clock, Mum was dressed in what looked like a dark business suit. Her hair was put up in a large bun and it was the first time I had ever seen her wear heels. They were also red to match the suit, wow! She was beautiful. No wonder Bill had fallen for her in a big way.

We got to the doctor's surgery just before eight thirty, and went to the receptionist sitting at her desk. She was an older lady with a smiling sort of face.

Mum said “Hello, I'm Donna White, and I have an appointment to see doctor Ryan.”

“Yes Mrs White. He will see you and your son first up, is he still outside?

“No it is my youngest daughter I want him to examine.”

“Oh I'm sorry. It says you have a son by the name of Carl, on the register of the Flying Doctor Service which we keep for our records in case we have to use their services in an emergency”

“Well, that's the reason I'm here to get a referral to take Carla to a specialist in gender related problems.”

“Oh Carla. I'm sorry I didn't mean to call you a boy, You certainly don't look like a boy to me.”

“Mrs White, my name is Jan Ryan, I'm Jim's wife and receptionist, and we've been here in Quilpie for over twenty years.”

Mum said “Call me Donna, Jan. Me and my kids are staying with Bill Croft for a while till we work out what were going to do with our lives.”

“Yes I know Donna, I saw you at church yesterday and all I could see was two pretty girls with you”

Mum said “A small town has its advantages doesn’t it?” laughing as she said it.

There was the sound of a little buzzer on her desk.

Jan said “You can go in now, Carla.”

To be continued.

In the next chapter : referral for Brisbane.

The story will resume after a break for the Festive Season.