Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 136

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It happened again, I've disabled the touch pad in the hope that that was the problem.

Hard As Posting These Bloody Things!
by Angharad.
part 100 and three dozen.

The sun was shining and although cool, it was nice autumn afternoon, or it would have been had I been able to enjoy it. I felt like a wet blanket spoiling Simon's fun, but I really wasn't up to being the smiling fiancee. I wasn't even sure I was marriage material. In fact there was an awful lot I didn't seem to know about myself.

Just when I seem to be getting a handle on everything, something else happens and I'm completely flummoxed. I felt like the whole world was pressuring me to do it's bidding but no one was asking me what I wanted, which might have been just as well because I didn't know. Right now, I'd settle for just walking around a nature reserve birdwatching or sitting on a beach watching the waves break, but on my own. I was stuck with Simon for the afternoon because I chose to be, it was my own making. I had to cope with it and try and do so cheerfully.

"How ya doing?" I said to him noticing his walking was getting worse.

"A bit tired, is there anywhere to sit?" he asked and I led him over to a bench.

"Do you want me to go and get the car?"

"You haven't been in many shops," he said but tiredness was spreading across his face.

"It doesn't matter, we should have gone somewhere else, I'll go and get the car." I pointed to a road junction about a hundred yards away. "If you make your way there in about ten minutes, I'll pick you up, okay?"

He nodded looking exhausted. I kissed him and he smiled, then closed his eyes.

"Don't fall asleep Simon," I said to myself as I scampered back to the car park. It took me about seven minutes and I knew that it would take me as long to get back through the traffic to the junction I'd asked him to walk towards.

It took another ten minutes and I pulled up on the junction with the hazard lights flashing. He wasn't there. I locked the car and started running back to the bench, he was fast asleep!

I roused him and finally got him to stand, then led him towards the car, half way there, I spotted a traffic warden booking me for parking. I was so angry I felt like running after her and beating her to death. Instead I stayed with my charge and got him back to the car, snatching off the ticket before he spotted it.

I got him in the car and belted him in, then took him home, looking for traffic wardens to run down en route. I didn't see any.

I was so cross, I suppose with myself. If I hadn't made him walk so far he wouldn't have fallen asleep and I wouldn't have got booked. I had no one else to blame, except that bitch and her sticky bloody wrappers. Grrr!

He nodded off in the car and I became a little worried until I got home and Stella enlightened me. "Did he have anything to drink?"

"Yes but only a pint of Guinness."

"That and his medication, off he goes."

"Oh shit, I didn't realise. I'm a lousy nurse, sorry Stella, I wanted to give you some time to yourself."

"I had a couple of hours, and some nice lunch, that coq au vin was delicious, you must show me your recipe sometime Sis."

I enjoyed the epithet even though I didn't deserve it. "They thought he was a war hero in the pub."

"What? Do tell."

Simon was fast asleep in the other room while the conspirators were busy drinking cups of tea in the kitchen. "We wentinto this pub near the shopping centre, you know all plastic panelling and fake beams. Anyway, they saw me struggling with Simon and asked me what his problem was. Without thinking I told them he'd been shot and they assumed it was in Iraq. I tried to stop the barman from taking that idea, but each time he misunderstood me and decided that Simon was SAS and hit while on a covert operation. He wouldn't let me pay for the drinks. We were going to eat there but I couldn't stand the mistake any longer. We left as soon as Simon had supped his pint, the barman saluting him as we left. The look on Simon's face was priceless."

Stella put her hand over her mouth to stifle the laugh. She shook with laughter and tears ran down her face, "How do you manage it?"

I shook my head and laughed too, I was obviously one of those catalysts around which chaos happens. "I dunno," I shrugged and she laughed some more.

"He asked me to marry him," I said blushing.

"Oh how romantic, congratulations." Stella was jumping up and down.

"I said, No." I felt the temperature fall markedly.

"You said what?" her face bore an expression of total confusion.

"I said no." I shrugged again and we both sat down.

"Why?"

"For loads of reasons."

"Well come on girl, it's not everyday someone turns down a Cameron."

"I can't marry him until I've had surgery and got legal recognition as a female."

"Well I told you, we can sort out one of those quite quickly."

"Even if my shrink agreed to it, I would still have to go through the legal process. That could take some time."

"So why not a long engagement?"

"What happens if we break up before then?"

"You get to keep the ring, you can always pawn it."

"Stella, I'm trying to be sensible here."

"So am I girl, so am I."

"What are your parent's going to say?"

"What about?"

"My interim status?"

"What your transitional state?"

"Yes okay, my transistional state."

"They know."

"What?"

"They know, they knew before they met you."

"You told them?" I accused Stella and felt totally betrayed.

"No I didn't, nor did Simon. I only found out the other day when I called Daddy about something. He'd done a credit check and it showed up your previous name. It explains why Monica was trying to bed you."

"He knew, I don't believe it." I felt tears running down my face. "Why didn't he say something?"

"Like what?"

"How the fuck would I know?"

"Catherine, please don't swear it is very unbecoming in a pretty girl."

"You sounded like my mother then," I said and the tears really started to flow. Stella hugged me and held me and I cried away some of my grief.

"So much in such a short time, little girl," she cooed as she held me, "No wonder you saw Simon's proposal as such a huge threat."

"I feel so pressured, everybody wants me to do things for them, but no one asks me what I want." I sobbed again onto Stella's shoulder.

"Okay Sis, what do you want?"

"I don't know Stella, sometimes I just want to run away and hide."

"Is that part of the problem, not setting goals? If you don't you can't reach any of them."

"I suppose getting my degree and being included in the survey project, is one. Looking after Daddy is another, being with Simon is a third and doing some bike riding."

"Where does surgery feature in there?"

"Yeah, that as well."

"And the legal thing?"

"I suppose so," I sighed.

"Is this boring you?" she asked brusquely.

"No, I'm just exhausted."

"We'll be finished soon. What's the priority here?" She scribbled just one or two words for each. "Where does Simon and your dad come, before or after surgery?"

"I don't know, why can't they all be equal?"

"Because they aren't. Here's how I see it. The degree is a long term one and will take three or more years, yes?" I nodded. "Okay, so that's a big one but it doesn't necessarily stop any of the others?" Once more I nodded. "The surgery, where does that come?"

I went blank, "I don't know because it isn't in my hands, it involves others." I felt powerless.

"Right, no wonder you go round in circles. It is your decision and we can organise that in the next few months say."

"But I can't without the referrals."

"We'll get those, so just assume we get them, where does that put it in terms of priority?"

I shook my head unable to see how it could happen, I couldn't answer.

"Okay, we make that number one on the short term list." Stella looked me in the eye as she said it and I just gasped.

"Right Dad and Simon, who comes first?" She stared me down and I dissolved into tears.

"I know who I'd pick, but it's your choice we're dealing with."

I cried again and whimpered, "Simon."

"I'd have put my dad first but there ya go. Okay so Daddy comes last?"

I cried in shame and nodded.

"What about the bike rides?"

"I dunno?"

"Well unless you plan doing the Tour de France or something outlandish like that, let me know I'll get you some EPO." She winked at me.

"I hate you Stella Cameron." I said and poked out my tongue at her.

"So does most of the planet, but I get things done Little Sis, I get things done. Anyway back to the bike, you can ride that any time in between the others if you have time, might actually be good for you. Mind you I suspect surgery may prove to be the exception, I don't think you'll be on it for a week or two after surgery."

I laughed at her matter of fact manner and threw my arms around her, "I love you Stella, I hope we can be sisters in law." I kissed her on the cheek.

"Yeah so do I, just marry the old fart, it's easy enough."

"I'll make an appointment to see Dr Thomas as soon as I can."

"Now you're talking positive. Let's go see if laughing boy is awake."

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Comments

Relax

Sometimes it's easier to go with the flow. Cathy needs to let her "big sis" work on sorting things out long term and tend to her short term things. Yes, Stella is bossy and pushy; but Cathy is weak and wishy-washy. She needs a firm hand in the back from time to time, and both Stella and the Professor know it.

Karen J.

"Being a girl is wonderful and to torture someone into that would be like the exact opposite of what it's like. I don’t know how anyone could act that way."

College Girl - poetheather


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

Yes, lets get to the important things like ...

... when is Cathy going to get some miles in? I know the weather's crap right now (I've been reduced to 30 minutes torture on the turbo trainer for the last few mornings) but she's got that exotic bike just sitting there doing nowt. She really must get her priorities sorted out and number one is getting a few miles in ;) It IS the most important thing ... isn't it? :o)

Angharad, yes it IS a soap, but so is 'The Archers' and , for my sins, I listen to and enjoy it most days. AEAFOAB is just as enjoyable and improbable, but who cares?

Geoff

If it's as easy as falling off a bike

You must have a three wheeler.

I know they're harder (most of the time) to fall off of and the rest of what Cathy's doing is no mean feat, so how can it be as easy as?

You women astound me. Your sense of logic is not logical.

Yours in a totally bemused state of wonderment

Nick

I had just lost another

Angharad's picture

half an episode. Hence my opening comment. Since disabling the touch pad on the lappie, I seem to have managed to keep writing to site.
I am not very computer literate (or otherwise literate obvious from my stories).

hugs,

Angharad.

Angharad

False modesty...

I can't make any claims as to your computer-literateness. (Yeah, it's not a word, or at least, it wasn't. It is now, I just coined it.) However, you really must stop putting yourself down in the writing department, your stories are, in my humble opinion, some of the best on this site, and some of the best I've read period.

Abigail Drew.

Amen

So mote it be.

stand - up

Now that was a realistic situation for Cathy to deal with. Saw this last chapter, must be in your head, sorry I'll leave. On the racing front , Cathy needs to stand-up for her dreams, and to pedal. Just another male chauvinist pig

Cefin