The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3251 by Angharad Copyright© 2020 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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A while after we'd got back from the bike ride, the phone rang, it was the manager of the Scotland Ladies soccer team. Incredibly, he lived and worked in Scotland but spoke perfect English compared to daddy who lapsed into Lallans at the drop of a hat and he hasn't lived there for centuries - well a long time.

"Hello Lady Cameron, I've called to ask if your daughter has decided whether she'd like to play for us or not."

"I think she's concerned about the distance she'd have to travel, especially with all this Covid-19 business disrupting things."

"I can understand that but if she wants to keep her international career, she'll have to put up with some discomfort. We'd certainly like to see her train with the squad to consider how she might best fit into it."

"I'd like to see her play too, she's too talented to waste it just because some bigot at the FA decided they don't like transgender women, after she'd won a couple or more matches for them."

"We don't have that problem in Scotland and the government here is probably more free thinking about it than in London."

"I know she got tired of people asking very personal questions as if they had a right to...have you had the operation, are you on hormones, do you prefer boys or girls? I mean if you asked anyone else that sort of question you'd likely end up with a slap across the face, but for trans people it seems acceptable."

"Not here, Lady Cameron, if she qualified to play for the FA she'll qualify here and the only medical we're interested in is one which says she's fit enough to play."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"However, we can't wait forever, so she has to let us know in the next two weeks if she's available to train with us or not."

"I appreciate you have deadlines and commitments, so Mr Haldane, I promise I will get her to call you or do so myself within the next two weeks."

He rang off just as Trish walked in. "Brought you a cuppa, who was on the phone?"

"Thank you, sweetheart, it wasn't anyone for or about you, so I can't tell you."

"Oh okay, be like that, Dan, it was the Scots asking you to win the rerun of Bannockburn, you gonna go?" She shouted as she walked back from my study towards the kitchen.

How had she worked that out and when did she learn about Bannockburn? She is a peculiar child, but then you know that, who sometimes seems to almost read your mind and at others seems totally and utterly inept except with mathematical type puzzles of logic.

Danni strolled in, "Why are they still chasing me, I told them, no, a month ago?"

"I think they appreciate how much talent you have."

"Had, Mother, the word is had. I have retired from football or even fitba' so I'm not interested, and as for travelling up there so many times a year, it was bad enough going up for Ali's funeral. No thanks."

"They said you could have up to a fortnight to change your mind."

"I'm not going to change my mind, why can't you accept that?"

"I think it's a mistake and there's also a part of me would like to see humble the bigots at Wembley, by leading a rout by the Scots."

"But I'm not even Scottish."

"No but I am, so is you dad and your both grandpas."

"But I'm adopted."

"I know, darling, but the Scottish team said that counts for the same as a birth child. Wouldn't you like to show England where they went wrong?"

"If we won, which isn't certain. Besides it would just give the tabloids a chance to assassinate me all over again."

"Is that the only reason, the tabloids?"

She shrugged, "Isn't that enough, that and the wasted time travelling, it was bad enough going to Reading for training and that's only up the road. Scotland's three hundred miles away - c'mon, Mummy, it takes all day to get there."

"Not by air it doesn't."

"I thought you were an ecologist?" she said wryly.

"I know, carbon footprint and all that..."

"So how can you contemplate sending me to Scotland in a plane."

"The plane's are flying anyway, so one extra body won't make much difference to the pollution levels."

"But it does in principle, or doesn't it when it affects something you want to do or happen?"

I felt myself blush, this kid was growing up and some of it was not as nice as some other parts but she was showing that she could think on her feet and also had some scruples, which I knew anyway, but it's nice to see them all the same.

"Okay, so I'm a hypocrite, but I want to see you happy and playing footie is what makes you happy."

"It used to, Mum, but I'm learning to live without it. I just wanna live like an ordinary girl, well as ordinary as I can be going to uni and getting a job I like doing."

"What if they ask you about your soccer career at university?"

"What if they do? I'll tell them the truth."

"What that you're transsexual?"

"No I'm female, but that I upset someone in the hierarchy and it destroyed my career."

"What if they asked you if you fancied playing for the university?"

"I'd say no."

"Even if it meant getting a place you might not otherwise have got?"

"Yes, look, let this go will you. I am not playing football for anyone ever again, end of message."

"I think it's such a shame."

"Look, Mum, it's only a game, if it upsets you that badly, you go and play or send the brainiac, just leave me out of it, okay?"

"If that's how you feel?"

"It is," she swept out of the room and I felt very sad. I should be proud of her, that she had the strength to do something which I don't know if I could have done. Yet I feel there will be a regret some time later down the line and I don't want to see her in that situation.

For a young woman of only sixteen, she seems to have tremendous fortitude which was obvious on the soccer pitch but now in other things she does. She showed it when she realised that she had had gender reassignment surgery, which was a massive step to take and although she had the odd tremor, when it looked like it was going to be a problem, she transcended it. Perhaps the Shekinah is strong in her as well. In some ways I hope so because she deserves some reward from the universe for the way she has handled things.

"If Scotland are in that much trouble, do they want me to go and help them?" offered Trish who had slipped into the room while i was lost in my brown study.

"I think you're wee bit too young, but if you continue to practice, who knows what could happen."

"I'm only joking, Mummy, I'll never be as good as Danni, she is something special and I think you're right to try and talk her into playing for the Scots, but she seems determined not to do so."

"I hope she doesn't regret it." I sighed.

"Me too, she's a good sister."

"Hang on a minute, you're usually trying to character assassinate each other, why the change of heart?"

"She's my sister and I prefer to fight with Livvie or Hannah, more my size."

"They're your sisters too," somehow my logic wasn't the same as hers.

"Yeah but Danni's okay..."

"And the others aren't, is that what you're saying?"

"No, Mummy, just listen will you. If I have to fight anyone, I prefer to do so with Liv or Han, not Danni, who is bigger and stronger and just has to call for you and battle is over as you always take her part."

"I don't," do I? I asked myself silently.

"Yes you do, what about the yellow skirt, you took her side then."

"You dyed it blue except it went green and it was her skirt before you destroyed it."

"That's just hearsay evidence," she threw back at me, "her word against mine."

"I was with her when she bought it."

"I'm sure that's just a case of false memory syndrome, she told you that you were with her when she allegedly bought it, because it was actually my skirt."

"No it wasn't, Trish, I am not misremembering or creating false memories I was with her when she bought it at Gun Wharf."

"What about the Mamma Mia DVD then?"

"What about it?"

"She said it was hers and it wasn't."

"No it was your daddy's."

"See she lies about these things and you always take her side."

"She wasn't claiming it was hers."

"Yes she was, when me an' Han wanted to borrow it."

"She didn't say it was hers, but she was watching it when you wanted to borrow it."

"No she wasn't she was texting a friend, probably Pia and only noticed I'd taken it when she finished."

I began to think it was going to be a long day.

"P'raps I'll become a barrister..."

"What one who sells coffee?" called Livvie poking her head round the door, "Lunch is ready, Mummy."

"That's a barista, numpty," shouted Trish at her sister.

"Yeah, what's the difference?" was shouted back.

About a hundred thousand a year I suspect, flitted through my mind in answer to her question.