Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 303

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Easy As Bawling At A Wake!
by: Angharad
part:303.

I was glad for Simon's help in getting my purchases to and from the station. I hadn't realised how much I'd bought until I had to pick them all up again from Waterstone's cafeteria.

We grabbed a takeaway on the way home, Simon fancied a pizza. I don't really like them, but it made for an easy dinner.

The priest who was doing my father's funeral came about seven and stayed for an hour. He was the same guy who did my mother's service and of course he remembered me and we talked about my situation for some time.

"Catherine, I'm aware that your father had some issues with your life style, but I'm aware that once he got used to it and knew that it was a serious departure on your part, he set about getting to grips with it. I won't say he enjoyed it, but he did become very proud of you as his daughter. I saw him hosital once or twice and he'd saved bits from the local paper to show me, about your exploits."

"The crafty old sod, he didn't tell me," I gasped. Simon doubled up laughing, he thought it was hilarious.

"You didn't know he kept a scrap book about you."

"When?"

"All your life, he obviously had to change things when you made your change over."

"When I transitioned," I corrected him.

"Quite so, when you transitioned. I think he was horrified and then delighted to see what a pretty girl you actually made."

"Did you know that he beat me up when I told him I was transgendered."

"He told me he had beaten you, that he had lost his temper and that he regretted it, but that he couldn't undo the past."

"He nearly hospitalised me, I could hardly walk after it, and I tried to finish the job, I took an overdose."

The priest fidgeted, this was obviously uncomfortable territory for him. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that."

"It's old hat now, and I've forgiven him, so I'm not holding him back. I loved both my parents you know."

"I have no doubt about it."

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

"In what context?" he frowned wondering what I was going to say next.

"I had a visitation from my mother."

"Oh, what happened?"

"She came to seek my forgiveness, apparently it was stopping her from moving on. I thought it was an hallucination at first, but it wasn't because she gave me a message about something in the house I knew nothing about, and which we confirmed the next day. Didn't we Si?"

"Absolutely, made your hair curl when we found it." He laughed again.

"Goodness, and what did she say?"

"She told me about this secret place in her bedroom, which we looked for and found and she begged my forgiveness. I gave it and she thanked me and disappeared. She told me my father was with her but very tired after his illness."

"Fascinating."

"I hope tomorrow you'll avoid mention of my change and the conflict we had in the family. Some of those present like my aunt will be aware of it, but I think Daddy and I had truly buried the hatchet before he died."

"I shall be talking about his life, his successful marriage to your mother and his loving relationship with his daughter. It's a celebration of his life and a farewell to his body, you have enough to deal with without raking over the past. I shall see you tomorrow at the crematorium, did you have anything in mind for the reading?"

"I'd love to do it, but I don't think I could, I shall be too tearful, could Simon do it?"

"Of course, there are several which we recommend."

"I did a reading of St Paul for one of my student's funeral, I rather think Daddy would approve of it, seeing through the glass darkly and so on."

"And the greatest of these is love," he smiled at me.

"Yes, that's the one."

"Yes, it's rather good isn't it, all sorts of esoteric stuff in the symbolism too, some say he was a Kabbalist, I don't know."

"They say all sorts of things about him, but the language in the King James bible is so magical, I know that Daddy would like it and it may trigger thoughts for one or two others."

"I'll arrange for a King James Bible to be available."

"Don't worry, we have one here, that we'll bring with us."

"Oh, okay. I shall see you tomorrow."

"Yes, I'm hoping my aunt won't make a scene, she only found out about me when I called her to tell her Daddy had died. She called back and spoke to Simon. She's a terrible snob and Simon wound her up a bit."

"Oh? In what way?"

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Simon is an aristocrat, his dad is Viscount Stanebury."

"What? Good lord, no I didn't know."

"So he is Lord Simon Cameron."

"I see."

"We're engaged and as soon as my legal status is changed to female, we are going to marry. However, I have another nine or ten months to go."

"I see."

"Well, Aunt Do upset Simon enough with her snobbery, that he told her we were already married, and he referred to me as Lady Cameron."

The priest chuckled, "I see, so a case of the biter, bit!"

"Exactly!"

"I shall refer to you only as Catherine or Derek's daughter. Did your father approve of your forthcoming marriage?"

"I think he did, he liked Simon quite a lot, because Simon would push him down the pub in his wheelchair."

The priest laughed again, "A friend in need," he chortled to himself.

"Sort of."

"Don't worry, I'm glad that you have found happiness both in your own situation and also found happiness in a relationship. God works in mysterious ways, so who are we to question his decisions."

"Sadly, I'm a scientist, so it's my job to question everything until I understand it."

"As a mere priest, I am not burdened by such requirements and can accept things as acts of faith. But tell me, how did you 'process and integrate,'I think those are the appropriate words, the visitation of your mother? Can you explain that scientifically?"

"Not to my satisfaction. However, it wasn't related to my area of study, so I can let it pass until I have time to think about it."

"Are you sure you're not a politician?"

"Who me?" I almost squealed, "No way!"

He chortled and left.

"I'm glad you told me I was doing the reading before we got there," said Simon a little sarcastically.

"Yes, sorry about that, I meant to say something before, like asking you if you'd do it?"

"Woulda been nice."

"I shall make it up to you Simon," I said and winked at him.

"What about this 'ere outfit, I ain't seen it yet, 'owsabout you model it for me and I'll get us a glass of Merlot?"

"Okay with me," I said and trotted off to the bedroom to change.

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Comments

A good sort

The priest seems a good ol' stick, wonderfully accepting. He knew the words to ease Cathy's pain, and used them wisely and well. The fact that they are also likely the truth doesn't hurt either.

I agree about the King James version, I find a lot of it to be wonderfully well-translated/written, the Modern English version just doesn't do as well.

Time to go find the scrapbook, ought to be all sorts of opportunities for Simon to embarrass Cathy with it! ;-) If Stella gets hold of it, she won't need a knife next time, she can kill Cathy with selected stories no doubt, embarrass her to death.

Karen J.

* * * * * * * *
Change We Can Believe In - Barack Obama

Meet the new boss,
Same as the old boss

Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

It looks like Cathy has an

It looks like Cathy has an allie with the priest. He knows about her and can help her with the snobbish Aunt if she starts something at the Wake and funeral. I am sure Simon will be on her in an instant if she does anything/says anything to Cathy in front of him.
Perhaps the priest will marry them when they finally decide to go for it. This wonderful story just gets better and better. J-Lynn

I Can See That Priest

Helping to put that aunt in her place. I hope they find that scrapbook, it would show her Dad's love for Cathy. Only one thing is did he keep it up after the stroke?
May Your Light Forever Shine

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Resting in peace....or pieces?

I'm thinking that between Simon and that remarkable priest, Auntie Do will have her butt handed to her in a sling if she oversteps the bounds of propriety....

With the public nature of the event, especially with Cathy and Simon's names just recently being in the paper, I'm just hoping that the Russian mafia does not pay a visit & blow the whole thing... I meant that figuratively, but I guess literally could also be a possibility with those blokes....

YW

He conquers who endures. ~ Persius

To quote Simon...

I'll have our Russians talk to your Russians....

King James

Can an atheist enjoy the King James.
Religion & God I can't buy into, but that book.
The poetry, the allusions, the thoughts are beautiful - just take out the religion.

Won't argue that

I agree bahee. If you aren't interested in the religion, that's fine. The words themselves are so beautifully done.

Karen J.

* * * * * * * *
Change We Can Believe In - Barack Obama

Meet the new boss,
Same as the old boss

Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

What a nice Priest

And lovely dialogue s well. You do such a fun job on this area of your stories.

I DO wonder what will happen with the "aunt" on the morrow. But, I suspect we'll not find out in tomorrow'sw exciting episode... It'll probably be a few days.

Thanks,

Annette

Wonder woman.

I am amazed at her energy. Once again she becomes noted as a hero. At least this time Simon gets his share of notarity.
She was lucky she had not flaunted her title in the dress shop or milliner lest they double their charges to take advantage of the titled folk.
A dormouse adornment? How very clever and thoughtful of Simon. I hope she can display it at the funeral.
The funeral is as terrinle a torture as modern society can concieve. Relatives turn up from everywhere. They are supposed to help grieve but usually add to the tasks required of the one burdened with the funeral arrangements. To see strangers, to welcome them and to suffer their insults nerely adds to the sorrow but not the solemnity of the occasion.
As to the King James Bible, Wm. Shakespeares was a talented writer and was able to turn the twisted archaic grammar of almost unknown texts into delicate and meaningful prose ready for presentation to the English public not just the privileged.
One does not have to be a Christian or even a Deist to appreciate the beauty of these texts,

I Don't Know What to Say

that would be new and/or different. I just read #'s 301-303 and the story is still gripping!

I can't wait to see how the funeral goes and how Aunt Do gets her comeuppance.

Thanks again for sharing your talent, Ang!

Yours from the Great White North,

Jenny Grier (Mrs.)

x

Yours from the Great White North,

Jenny Grier (Mrs.)

I don't know if . . .

. . . I can comment on this one.

So I won't

Jessica
I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way.

The priest looks good

Don't you wish everyone with a turned around collar was like Cathy's pastor ?
Can't wait for the burial service.

Cefin

Noice. Really showing Cathy

Noice. Really showing Cathy at her best and, dare I say, wisest? She still has a way to go, personally, speaking as an athiest, the visitation episode gave me a 'meh' moment but I respect others beliefs and their right to have them.
But, maybe paradoxically, I am enjoying her exchanges with the religious people she meets.

Claire Stafford