Joanie Come Lately

by Josephine Gonsalves

Part III

 

I awoke, to the gently shaking of my shoulder. Anita was already dressed and she wanted me to get dressed. I needed no help with my feminine dressing now, and was transformed into comely Joannie, in a few minutes. While I had slept Anita and Theresa had made plans for my getaway and temporary stay away from the little trouble, of the afternoon. Theresa had gone to my home and asked my mother to pack some of my clothes and school books. These were now packed in the traveling bag, along with some of the toilet articles and a small make up kit, consisting of a lipstick, eyeliner and other things that I might need to help me change into Joannie. The sarees and other female clothes were now piled in one corner of the bed. If all turned out well, I could return back within one or two weeks. In the meanwhile, I was to live with Anita's cousin, in Bassein. Once in Bassien, I could live quietly and spend the days studying for my final exams. Anita said she would, with the help of my Mom, collect all the school work from my friends, which I was going to miss, while I was away. If my Mum took it well and everything worked well I could visit my Mum as Joannie, every once in a while. She expected everything to quiet down and return to normal in a month or two. Anita and I sat holding hands, like girlfriends. Theresa returned at 7.p.m. and after I kissed Anita, one last time we left for the railway station.

Anita carried my bag, so I could walk down the stairs more comfortably. Although I had been out, this afternoon with Anita, I was still nervous and my whole body was trembling, under the saree. I held on to Anita's hand for support. We passed some suspicious looking men, probably some of the "Wahid dada's" men looking out for me. She knew I was nervous, going out with Theresa, who I was not acquainted with. At the railway, station she purchased my ticket and after reminding me to be a good "girl", bid me farewell. Theresa held a small cloth bag in which she had folded the larger empty bags, and walked slightly ahead. I held the traveling bag, with one hand and lifted the saree pleats slightly, with the other hand so that I could manage climbing the stairs of the rail overbridge. Theresa's pace was fast and I had trouble keeping up with her. She noticed my predicament and took the traveling bag from me. I was surprised, as usually I was the one helping out women, carrying their bags and parcels etc. Well I was dressed as a woman, and Theresa was used to lifting much heavier things than my traveling bag. We walked to the end of the platform, where the ladies compartment usually stopped. By now I was getting used to being a 'woman" and my nervousness was subsiding. The platform was packed and I was surrounded by a sea of females. I would have to be careful while boarding the train. But my worries were baseless, as Theresa helped me board the train. She guided me to a corner and quickly moved further inside, so that she was able to transfer my bag and her's, on to the luggage rack. She then made her way thru the crowd of women commuters, back to where I stood by the door and held on to the strap near my head, for support. I checked my saree to see, if it was still tucked in place and wrapped my pallu, around my right hip, a little tighter. Theresa's body was slowly getting pressed against mine. She placed her other hand between me and the woman at my side. I realized she was shielding me from the nudges and shoves from the other woman as they got in and off at the many stops.

By now my nerves, and trembling had completely subsided, so that I took in the scene around me. I was standing a little away from the door, my back resting against the sitting area partition, with Theresa's breast pressed against mine and other arm encasing my right side in a protective manner. I started relaxing and slowly my body started reacting to the soft pressure of Theresa's and other women bodies. I was getting aroused so I put my hand in front of me so that it was in between our bodies. We traveled like this for about 35 minutes, till the train started getting less crowded and there was more room. When our stop approached, Theresa collected the bags and we got off. From the railway station we walked one and half kilometer, to Theresa's home. On the way she briefed me about her family set up. I had to spend the night with her and tomorrow she would reach me to Anita's cousin's place. She told me that since the setting was kind of joint family type it was better that I stayed in her part of the house for the night, as a woman. It would be difficult explaining the presence of a young boyfriend of Anita's, to her Mother in law, husband, Brother in law etc. Her husband and his brother worked six days a week, as carpenters in the small fishing boat building, industry in the next village. They left early, in the morning, by cycle and returned about 5 in the afternoon, if there was no overtime. They were hardworking men who did not talk too much. The men would not bother me. I was to be careful with her MiL and behave correctly with and around her.

The house was a big one. It was shared by her Mother in law, her brother in law, his wife and two small sons, her husband and small daughter. The house was kind of partitioned off, to provide privacy, leaving the big front and back verandahs, the sitting room and kitchen as common portion. They cooking was mostly done by her Mil & SiL, Maria, She told me how to address her Mil ( Mother in law), BiL, SiL and her husband and what her little girl and nephews were called at home. In short she gave me the complete picture, so that I would not give myself away.

While we walked, she noticed how I was struggling to keep up with her pace, dressed in the saree. She showed me how to tuck my pleats to one side, so my hands were free and I could walk more freely. She said that if I had to dress up as a woman to visit my Mum ,then dressing me in an East Indian woman's saree, would be more practical, as it would attract less attention. I smiled back, thinking how from a boy I had turned into a young urban woman, and now I was going to be transformed into a village woman. She added that I looked quite pretty in a saree and if I behaved myself she would arrange to dress me in a fisherwoman's saree too, as a reward, just for fun.

We reached her home at 8.30p.m, where her husband and daughter were waiting for her. She introduced me, saying I was a friend of Anita's, who was going to stay with Anita's cousin, for a while. I was given a small unused room with a bed and table, and after changing into slippers, she led me to the outhouse, which was some distance from the house. It was a 20X30 feet walled area. The commode was secluded in a corner stall. The bathing area was also a stall on the other side. There was a washing stone and clothes lines, where sarees and other wash were hung for drying. The men's toilet and bathroom was adjacent and separated by a low wall, with an opening, for entering it. The outhouse was lit up by a single large electric bulb and smaller ones for the toilet and bathroom. Water for bathing and washing was drawn from a well close to the house and carried to the outhouse by buckets.

Theresa showed me how tuck in my pallu and saree and draw water from the well. When we had filled some vessels she asked me to give her a hand, with the vessels. She carried two vessels on her head and one on her hip while I struggled to carry one. Once in the outhouse she led me to a corner where a small "chulla" on which a blackened pot lay. This pot was for heating water. Nearby were large ladles for pouring out the heated water. Since I was new she showed me how to stoke up the fire, add wood to it, pour out the heated water etc. where to wash the clothes and on which lines to hang them. I followed her instruction and did as she bid me. She was happy with my behavior and patted my bottom, in appreciation.

We joined the rest of the household in the hall, where the evening prayers were said. The children had already eaten at 7.30 pm. Theresa and Maria, her SiL, quickly rolled out a few 'Rice chapattis" which were served piping hot to the two husbands, along with fried fish and vegetables. When the men had eaten the women sat at the table and ate their supper. I joined the women and ate quietly. After the meal, the Mother in law, joined her two sons, who were sitting out on the verandah. I helped clear the table and clean the dishes. When the washing up was done, Theresa's invited me to join Maria on the back porch(verandah). I was made to sit in between them, on the large swing, which was rocked gently. Theresa and Maria, were very good to each other and showed no signs of jealousy or misunderstanding between them. Maria also wore an East Indian saree, with a brown background. After a little while of making small talk, and sharing village gossip, Theresa revealed to Maria, that I was a boy, hiding from certain "bad people". Maria, like Theresa was quite ordinary and plain looking, was caught off guard. She could not believe that the pretty woman in front of her was a boy, under the saree. When she had regained her composure, she said that is why I did not talk much, as my voice, though soft now, would give me away. She inspected me more closely in the dim light and shook her head. She asked me how I was able to walk and behave so like a woman. I told her how I had to act for the school play as a woman and how Anita had trained me. I kept out the other details, about Anita and me. Maria said that Anita was good at all these activities, and even helped out in the village school and church feast gatherings, before her marriage. Theresa warned about telling anyone else in the house or the village. Maria winked at her and said that after a long time she was part of some "mischief", maybe she could help transform me into an East Indian beauty. There was a wedding to be attended and Baptism function, coming up later. Maybe she would dress me in one of her sarees, just for the fun of it. Theresa told her that she had already promised me that she would dress me up as a fisher woman (Koli), if I agreed to it. All this talk of dressing me up in different sarees was exciting me and both of them noticed it. They asked me if I was a "chakka" or a eunuch, or did I just enjoy being dressed as a woman, so I could get close to women. I told them that after my first time, I realized that I liked dressing up in women clothes, especially the saree, and when I realized that I looked pretty, it made me want to dress up all the more. Anita had helped me dress in her clothes. Otherwise I was a typical naught teenage boy. I then told them that I was tired and wanted to rest. Theresa told me to lock the door and undress. She helped me fold the saree and other female things and keep everything packed and ready as we were to leave early the next morning. I was to travel, as my normal boy self, since there was no need for any disguise in the village.

The next morning Theresa and I set out for Anita's cousin's home. We left early, avoiding her other family members, so I was now in my boy clothes and we walked fast. We reached Anita's cousin Martha's house in twenty minutes. Martha's house was a typical East Indian village house, with a large front and back verandah. It stood a little way off from the village, secluded with tall mango trees surrounding it. It had a garden in front and a large vegetable patch behind. It was surrounded by rice fields. The path to the house was a broad elevated hard packed mud path. In the early morning light it looked beautiful. Theresa led him to the back porch where she was greeted by a tall, comely woman, in her early thirties, wearing a cotton wrap over her night dress and an older woman sitting in an old armchair. Martha and her mother were having their morning tea. Theresa introduced me and told them the reason I was there.

Martha quickly made me feel at home. She seemed to be a very easy going woman. Theresa left in a little while to go about her business. Once Theresa left she showed me to to a room on the second floor and left me to unpack and settle. Later I came down and found another woman in the kitchen, busy preparing chappatis for the morning breakfast. Marta told me the woman's name was Julie and she came in every morning to prepare their food and help in the cleaning and household chores. The old woman in the armchair was Martha's mother. She mostly sat there the entire day and only retired to her room in the evenings. Martha's husband was an offshore worker, in the Bombay High oilfields. His work schedule was 56 days on and 28 days off. At present he had just started his "56 days tour of duty", so I did not have to worry about him for now. Martha was a school teacher in the local village school. Since it was the Diwali, mid term holidays, she was relaxing at home.

Martha had been given a note by Theresa, written by Anita. After reading it she looked at me and smiled saying that I need not worry for the time being. She decided to draw up a time table for me saying that it would help me in my way around the house, and also keep me busy. Anita would come tomorrow, with some of my school books. Martha said that she would instruct Julie to prepare some extra meat or fish dish everyday, for her and me as her mother ate mostly vegetables, for medical reasons. She told me that Anita would make a plan for me to visit my Mum every week. She told me that I could help in the household chores, if I was up to it. In the meantime I could just enjoy the quiet village life.

Anita came to visit me that Sunday. She had met my mother outside church, and told her where I was. She brought my school books and said that sheI would come again next Saturday and I could go along with her to visit my Mum. I was to travel back home as Joanie to visit my Mum. At home I was to copy my school work which my Mum would arrange to get from my friends. I was to return back to the village on Sunday night as Joanie. Once I was back at Martha's house I would spend the week as Jonny, studying and making up for the school classes I was going to miss during the coming weeks.

And so it was that I spent the next week at Martha's, keeping mostly to myself and studying most of the time. I was waiting for my visit to my Mum and wanted to see her reaction to "Joanie". I was going to visit her as a woman, for my safety. My Mum had often complained about my irresponsible behavior, saying that if I was a girl at least she would expect me to clean and help in the cooking. Well she was getting 'a little of her complaint' addressed by fate. I knew that she was a practical woman and I was expecting a good reception from her. She loved me very much.

  

  

  

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