Part 3
Bobs mother thought about it for a few minutes then said, "Okay, you want your ears pierced? If that’s the case lets go then. There is a hairdressers just down the road and they do it for £6."
Catriona said, "Give me the money and I’ll take Bob down and get his ears
done."
At this point Bob spoke up, "Emm, Mom? Catriona? Please call me Bobbie now. Bob
doesn’t quite fit this image."
Catriona laughed and said, "He has …. Oooops she has a point. Okay Bobbie,
lets go then. Mom can I have some money?"
Their mother passed Catriona the money. Bobbie quickly finished getting dressed and went
with his sister to the front door. Catriona grabbed her hand bag as they went out the
front door. Then she looked at Bob and asked if he had one . He said no and so Catriona
ran back into the house and got one of her old hand bags and said , "This will do you
for right now." It was only a ten minute walk to the hairdressers but Bobbie was
nervous in case someone saw them who knew Bob. Catriona just walked on not thinking about
it at all then she realised that Bobbie was falling behind. She told him to hurry up but
when she realised that he was hanging back again she asked what was wrong. Then Bobbie
told her about his fears.
Catriona just said, "Don’t worry NOBODY will recognise you. I mean if someone
sees you right now they will see me and one of my friends out walking down the
street."
Bobbie quickly caught up with Catriona walked on down the street with her to the hair
dressers. When they got their Catriona imediatley went up to the counter and said,
"My sister would like to get her ears pierced. Is someone available who could do them
right now?"
The girl at the counter just glanced at Bobbie and said, "Sure, I’ll just call Janet through. She can do them for her."
When Janet walked through to from the back room Bobbie started to shake.
Catriona asked, "What’s wrong?"
Bobbie whispered, "She is in my classes at school. She will recognise me!"
"Don’t worry."
Janet said, "Hi Bobbie, come on through to the back room and we’ll get your
ears done."
Bobbie nervously got up and slowly followed her through to the back room.
"Don’t worry Bobbie. I know that your are Bob." she smiled., "I
won’t say anything. Okay, sit here and we’ll get your ears done for you."
Bobbie sat on the chair whilst Janet went over to a shelf on the wall and got an ear
piercing gun.
She came over and said, "Is it both ears?"
"Yes." Bobbie replied.
With that Janet promptly cleaned and marked both his ear lobes, then she took the piercing
gun and carefully placed it over the marks that she had made . Bobbie heard a pop then
felt a sting in his ear. He knew at this point he had an earring in his ear but before he
could consider the consequences he heard another pop and felt the sting of his other ear
being pierced.
"Ok Bobbie, you need to keep these in for six weeks and turn then twice a day and
keep them clean. Your sister can tell you how to do it."
Janet then asked if she could come round later but Bobbie said no as his aunt was coming
over but she could come round on Sunday but to call him just in case his mother had
something else arranged.
Bobbie went to find Catriona and she paid for his ears being pierced. Then when they got
back to his house his mom gushed about how pretty he looked. Bobbie went to look in the
mirror. What he saw surprised him, the earrings looked so big in his ears.
Catriona saw him looking in the mirror and asked, "Do you like what you see?"
"The earrings look huge in my ears."
Catriona just laughed and said, "At first they seem big but soon they will not look
so big."
Their mother was yelling at Bobbie and Catriona to get downstairs and to help with the
cleaning so that the house would be tidy for Aunt Ruth. Bobbie took the hoover round the
living room whilst Catriona tidied up in the living room. Once they had done that their
mother asked them to do the dishes that were lying in the sink. Bobbie said that she would
wash if Catriona dried. Catriona agreed and so Bobbie started to fill the sink.
When she started to wash the dishes Catriona stopped her and said; "Bobbie, put on
rubber gloves."
Bobbie asked, "Why?"
"Because I didn’t do your nails for nothing and I want them to look nice for
Aunt Ruth. You don’t see me or mom wash the dishes without wearing gloves."
Bobbie put the rubber gloves on. They felt weird as he couldn’t hold the dishes like
he nornamly could. They kept slipping out of his hands in the water. Catriona laughed, she
thought it was funny. They soon got the dishes washed and dried and then they put them
away. Just when they had finished the door bell went. Catriona asked Bobbie to get the
door and she would finish up in the kitchen. Bobbie went to get the door. When he got
there he remembered just what he was wearing and hung back. His mother was just coming
down the stairs and she got the door, it was Aunt Ruth. Bobbies mother welcomed Aunt Ruth
in to the house.
It was then that she saw Bobbie. "OH MY GOD." she said, "Why are you
dressed as a girl Bob?"
Bobbie wanted to curl up and die.
Bobbies mother looked at her and said, "Bobbie, take those gloves off and put them
back in the kitchen-"
Bobbie had forgotten that she was still wearing the rubber gloves. She ran back to the
kitchen pulling the gloves off as she ran. She was in tears when she got to the kitchen.
Catriona immediately knew something was wrong and asked, "Bobbie, what is
wrong?"
Bobbie told her what Aunt Ruth had said to her.
Catriona only said, "Well, if the situation was reversed how would you react?"
Bobbie thought about it and realised that Catriona was right. Their mother was calling
them both through to the living room. Catriona took Bobbies hand and pulled her through.
Bobbie didn’t want to go but Catriona was bigger and stronger than her. Aunt Ruth
apologised to Bobbie for her reaction and told her to go over to her. Bobbie nervously
went over, Aunt Ruth pulled Bobbie on to her lap and gave her a big hug and a kiss.
She said, "I’m really sorry about that. Can you forgive me?"
Bobbie sniffled, "Yes."
"Good." Aunt Ruth said, "Now stand up and give me a twirl and let me see my
newest niece."
Bobbie stood up and twirled for her.
Aunt Ruth looked closely at her and said to Bobbies mother, "You know, if I
didn’t know better I would swear that she is a girl."
Bobbies mother just laughed and said, "I know. We went to the fair the other night
and she was a big hit with the local boys."
Catriona said, "She even got herself a boyfriend and gave him her number."
Bobbie blushed at that.
"My you have been busy." Aunt Ruth said, "Any way we are all going out for
lunch and its my treat."
Bobbie would normally have been excited but she was subdued at the idea of going out in
the daylight to a public place.
Aunt Ruth saw her look down and said, "Don’t worry. If I thought that some one
would see anything other than a girl I would not have said that I was going to take us all
out."
Bobbie slowly looked at Aunt Ruth and said, "Do you mean that?"
"BOBBIE; have I ever lied to you?"
Bobbie thought about just what Aunt Ruth said and then he replied, "No. I don’t
think that you ever have, but what if we see someone from my school?"
"But…… THAT’S ENOUGH YOUNG LADY!" Aunt Ruth yelled, "I
don’t want to hear any more!!"
Bobbie looked at Aunt Ruth shocked. This was the first time that she had ever heard Aunt
Ruth raise her voice.
Aunt Ruth said, "We are going out for lunch and that’s final. Bobbie and
Catriona, go and get your bags and jackets."
Bobbie walked through to the hallway and picked up her jacket and handbag turning to
Catriona she asked, "Is Aunt Ruth right?"
Catriona took Bobbies hands in hers and said, "Look in the mirror and tell me what
you see."
Bobbie looked in the mirror.
Catriona said, "Tell me that you can’t see a pretty girl there?"
Bobbie just looked at her reflection in the mirror and thought to herself, "Yes I am
pretty, I am a girl."
Catriona was watching Bobbies face as she was thinking. Catriona saw the emotions cross
her face then they settled to one of confidence as if she could take on the world and win.
Catriona said; "Well? I take it that you agree with Aunt Ruth and I?"
Bobbie nodded her head and said, "Lets go."
When they went back through to the living room Aunt Ruth and there mother were both
ready to go. Aunt Ruth looked at Bobbie and just nodded her head, There mother asked Aunt
Ruth what it was.
Aunt Ruth pulled her to the side and said, "Look at Bobbie’s face."
She turned and looked at Bobbie and gasped.
"Bobbie has made her decision. I doubt very much if Robert will ever be back!"
When they arrived at the restaurant the waiter greeted them and asked Aunt Ruth where
she would like to be seated. When they had been seated and the menus had been passed out
he asked the adults what they would like to drink. Both, Aunt Ruth and their mother said
that they would have a glass of white wine. The waiter turned to Bobbie and Catriona and
asked, "And what will you young ladies have?" Catriona and Bobbie both ordered a
glass of coke. The waiter returned with the drinks and asked if they were ready to order.
Aunt Ruth asked everyone if they had decided what they would like and everyone said yes.
Catriona and Bobbie both said that they would like the lasagne with a jacket potato whilst
there mother and Aunt Ruth said that they would like the lemon sole with a salad. Whilst
they were waiting for there meal to arrive Aunt Ruth asked Bobbie what she was intending
to do come Monday. Bobbie replied that she didn’t know.
Aunt Ruth said, "But you have to go back to school on Monday."
Bobbie looked crestfallen and just about ready to burst into tears.
Aunt Ruth said, "Don’t worry. I may have an idea."
To be continued
© 2000 by Debra
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