Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 2555

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The Daily Dormouse.
(aka Bike, est. 2007)
Part 2555
by Angharad

Copyright© 2015 Angharad

  
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Julie had her down the salon the following evening, Danni caught the bus to the salon and big sister brought her home. Her normally mousey hair was now a deep auburn and changed her appearance significantly.

My day had been mainly meetings, tutorials and trying to stay awake while reading someone’s MSc dissertation. If you’ve never read one, lucky you. Unless you’re really into the subject, it’s drier than blotting paper, with no diversions or distractions. I spent two hours of my life trying to read it instead of my complying with my body’s desire to zonk.

I informed Delia that I was taking the afternoon off on Wednesday as I had to take one of the girls somewhere. Sister Marie texted me to say she was happy to let her off for the afternoon for the England trial. I’d wait for her and bring her home afterwards. I could take my iPad and do some work if I could get a signal. We were all excited for her and I hoped she’d get a cap just to prove she’d done something special. It might encourage Trish to try and follow in her footsteps, though I suspect Trish would rather win a Nobel prize for physics—discovering her brain was bigger than the universe or some such thing. Perhaps finding the latest equivalent of the Higgs boson, the Watts boson or whatever; whereas, Julie would rather discover a bosun called Higgs—hello sailor.

Collecting the girls at half past three proved to be the highlight of the day, though all four of them were as excitable as a box of baby frogs, I felt glad to be able to hide in my study on the pretext of working. Dinner was a nightmare and Simon lost his temper with them because they had a contagion of giggle fits. As always happens, the more giggly they got, the more angry he became and that increased the tension which made both even worse.

Finally, I made the girls leave the table and go upstairs. I had a cuppa before going to sort them out, it sort of eased my nerves slightly. “Look, we know that this might be the most important day in Danielle’s life short of actually being selected and we’re all excited for her, but we have to stay grounded.”

“Wassat mean, Mummy?” asked Mima.

“It means we have to try and stay calm. There is a strong possibility that she might not be selected, so we just have to try and be patient. If she is picked, then I’ll try and see if we can get tickets to go and see her play—provided you stay calm in the interim.”

They all confirmed they’d love to see her play, so while we were up in Reading, I would enquire where the game was likely to be and how we acquired tickets. I assumed Simon and Tom would want to go if they could, so I’d be looking to buy about a dozen tickets.

It was nearly eight so I organised them for bed and read them a chapter of a Gaby story. They preferred the earlier ones because the cycle races were easier to understand. So that was what I read to them, one of the earlier stories—or a chapter from it. They went off to sleep and I slipped down for a cuppa to find Simon and Danielle in deep discussion. Effectively, he was offering to buy her some new boots if she got selected. Apparently they were gold or red or orange. I suggested that such easily identified objects could be used to help opposition players mark her as a potential game winner. As the stakes are higher in that sort of game than a club match, it also meant that cynical opponents might take her out of the game by injury or frightening her by rough tackles. She would likely be one of the younger and smaller players so particularly vulnerable.

“Mum, I was playing boys soccer until last year, that is always rough. I’ll cope with bigger girls, like that Gaby character, if I look a bit girly I might get a chance to do something before they realise what I’m capable of.”

“I don’t know sweetheart, they’ll be aware that anyone who gets picked has got to be half decent in the first place.”

“I think I’ll be able to show ’em one or two things they wonta seen.”

“Perhaps, darling, why don’t you get an early night, you’re going to need all the energy you can find for the training session.”

She took my advice and after kissing everyone goodnight, she went off to bed. I checked an hour later, she was still awake, reading some football book. I glanced at her and noticed her eyelashes seemed thicker and darker than usual. “Um what exactly have you done to your eyelashes?” I asked.

“Oh, that was Julie’s idea, she dyed them and added some extra lashes to make me look different.”

“They do that all right, not sure what Sister Maria will say.”

“I told her I was having my hair done to try and disguise me a little. She said it was okay.”

I smiled as I kissed her goodnight, I suspect Sister Maria wouldn’t have considered having very thick, dark lashes in quite the same category as a hair do, but it could certainly make her look extra girly. Perhaps we should have gone for platinum blonde—duh.

“What was that about new boots?” I asked Simon as we snuggled in bed.

“I thought it might be nice to buy her some new ones if she gets selected.”

“Wouldn’t it be safer if she wore ones she’d already broken in?”

“Probably.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t offer her a hundred quid bonus for every goal she scored.”

“Fifty, remember I’m a big bad banker.”

“Since when?”

“Hush, you’ll blow my credibility.” I nearly joked about blowing something else, felt myself get all hot and bothered and started talking about the weather instead, hoping it wouldn’t affect her training session or our trips to and from Reading.

“They say it’s going to be pretty bad along the east coast of the States,” he offered obviously having watched the news. “Oh did you hear about the UKIP guy who was on about shemales, saying the NHS shouldn’t be paying for such things as gender surgery?”

“I heard about it. It didn’t really surprise me because anyone who thinks they represent anything but xenophobic bigots hasn’t read between the lines.”

“A bit harsh on them aren’t you?”

“No, they’re reactionaries looking to blame everyone but themselves for the country’s ills—but then it worked quite well for Hitler. He’d probably be rounding up transsexuals along with gays and gypsies and Jews for his extermination camps.”

“Ouch, you are anti UKIP aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but then if they have a right to criticise transsexual people don’t I have a right to do the same to them?”

“But you’re not transsexual, are you? You’re female.”

“There are quite a few vulnerable people who are still on the long road of self discovery and jumping through the hoops to get GRS. I’m angry on their behalf. The numbers of assaults on transgender people is rising, probably faster than the increase in numbers of trans people. The UKIP loony who made that statement, even though it was a few years ago, is the sort who gives credibility to such assaults. That’s why I despise him and his ilk.”

“Be careful, Cathy, leave the politics to the self seeking morons who run for office, don’t get involved, you have children to protect.”

“I won’t get involved, I don’t trust any of them, even someone from the Green party is supposed to have made some transphobic tweets.”

“Oh dear, I’d have thought you were a natural to support the Greens.”

“Yeah, cabbages, broccoli and celery. I’m going to sleep now, night.” I kissed him and turned over on my side.

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Comments

There are -

Bigots everywhere and they come in all political hues.

Interesting footnote though about the UKIP bigot and the Green bigot. The green one might just have been envious!
Thanks Ang. I can go to bed now after my daily dose.
x

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UKIP and the Greens....

Not sure why anyone would vote for either of those two parties other than as a protest vote, Not that the Coalition and Labour look any more appetizing either, .... Now if Angharad was running for parliament instead, It could get very interesting indeed, I wonder what laws she would want passed.....

Kirri

I would have to agree with

I would have to agree with Cathy regarding the boots. I don't think I would want to have any player, especially one that is really, really good to be singled out. As she pointed out there might and most likely would those who would go out of their way to hurt Danni or any other player believed to stand in the way of moving up.

We have an abundance of bigots here in the US

The religious radical right seems intent on beating the Taliban for intolerance of others and forcing their religious ideas on everyone.

Hope Danni enjoys her new look and definitely hope she does well in her trial. Suspect there will be a new level of brutality and back-stabbing in the high stakes game coming up.

Caps.

I've often wondered if sporting caps are literal or figurative. If someone gets a cap for playing in a national team (football, cricket, rugby or whatever) they actually get a piece of headgear. If they do what sort of cap is it? Is it a ratting/flat cap, a baseball style cap or one like I wore (or was supposed to) at school until I was 16 in the 1950s. An enquiring mind would like to know.

My partner has been a member of the Green Party since it was called the Ecology Party years ago so perhaps Cathy would be at least a sympathiser. UKIP? a party of xenophobic chancers lead by a former city gent? No thanks.

Robi

Weighty Matters

A Higgs boson floated into a Catholic church. When the priest saw it he raised his eyes to heaven.
"Thank you Lord," he said. "Now we can have mass."

I always like to focus on the weightier aspects of a story.

Ban nothing. Question everything.