This chapter simply carries the story along as the friends work out their lives back in the UK before returning to India to forward Pauls ambitions to help Hijras in India.

The Rescue 4.

Characters.
Beverly Taff. Transvestite
James or Jamie Transgendered kid.
Candice Jamie’s Younger Sister.
Sergeant Williams Hate crime police officer
David Evans Knife-boy. (Son of Dewi Evans.)
Margaret Beckinsale. Jamie and Candice’s mum. (AKA Madge.)
Sandie Beverly’s best Transvestite friend.
Elizabeth Todd Beverly’s next door neighbour.
Jennifer Todd Elizabeth Todd’s daughter. A barrister. (QC.) Beverly’s best female friend & ‘girl next door’ through childhood.
Rastus Elizabeth Todd’s cat (Now owned by Beverly.)
Dewi Evans Bent politician and criminal.
Paul. Beverly’s transvestite Boss.
Calista Paul’s Transgendered girlfriend.
Stephanie Jenny and Beverly’s daughter.
Phoebe Paul’s Sister.
Rachel. Jennifer’s new girlfriend. (After Stephanie was born.)
Jalina Sha. Indian Engineering graduate (Now Hijra.)

Three days before the end of the holiday in Kolkata, the monsoon broke. There is no word to describe the amount of water that falls. It’s impossible to believe that much water can be held in the clouds. Virtually all activity ceases for the first couple of days as the subcontinent adapts to the onslaught. Then, slowly, after the first ecstatic raptures of relief and anticipation fade, India settles down to face the ensuing months of rain, and floods and downright torment. We arrived at the airport to have our homeward flight delayed for over an hour as the water just dumped on us. For us the three day introduction had proven to be breathtakingly invigorating as the heat was washed out of the ground and the sky. The second morning of the monsoon proved to unbelievably clear and refreshing before the next onslaught overtook us. Between the deluges the air was as clear as crystal and the country was already growing greener. Indeed, during the calms between the onslaughts we felt we didn’t want to leave; only to have our euphoria smashed again as the next water-war arrived.

As our plane sat like a waterlogged albatross on the tarmac, the pilot could only give us a running commentary as to the nature and disposition of the clouds that would be fatal to any plane daring to enter them.

The tropical cumulo-nimbus clouds scale to 20,000 metres and the forces within them would rip any plane stupid enough to enter them into aluminium shards and the human cargo into ‘jelly’. Finally that particular wall of clouds moved on towards the Himalayas and we took off for home. The pilot picked his way between the clouds until we were finally free of the titanic forces that were the Indian Monsoon. It was a sobering experience.

Once we were home, Paul wasted no time in processing the plans for his expansion into India. Like every other manufacturing business, Paul had to take advantage of the lower labour costs of the emerging nations to compete amongst those emerging nations.
For several weeks Paul’s life ran smoothly except for his mother constantly nagging him about providing a ‘male heir’ and his ‘disgusting relationship’ with that ‘pervert’ Calista.

“She’s just a sterile pervert boy. Surely you can find a real woman or something. Or is this something to do with your own perverted little peccadillo?”

“Listen mother. I suffer your constant sniping and I only stay in this house because you would be lonely and bitter if I went to live permanently with Calista. You’ve tried to come between me and Phoebe with your shares card and that back-fired.

Calista simply proved to Phoebe what a wonderful girl she is and that actually brought Phoebe and me closer together. You’ve lost the battle mother. Phoebe and I run the company now. You’ve shot your bolt so give it a rest!”
“She’s not a girl though, she, - she’s, - she’s something in-between, some sort of half thing. Something ungodly! It’s disgusting!”

“Oh fuck it,” Paul cursed as he’d never done before in front of his mother. “That’s it, I’ve had enough. I’m sick of your bloody bigotry and cruelty. I’m off out!”

And in a furious rage he stormed out of the door. Something else he had never done before.

When he arrived at Calista’s flat she was surprised and excited to see him.

“So what brings you here darling?”

“I’ve just had an almighty row with that bloody mother of mine.”

“Give her time Paul. She’s that age group.”

“Oh I know what age group she belongs to, the Spanish inquisitors.”

“Come to bed. I know it’s not much compensation but we can cuddle.”

Paul smiled at his stunning girlfriend.

“How much longer is it?”

“Only a month now. Be patient.”

“It’s still a stupid rule. Anybody can see you’re a girl and beautiful one at that. Why do these fucking doctors have to make such stupid rules?”

“Just promise me you won’t try and you know. I want it to be virginal when we do it. I want it to be the right way.”

Paul pulled Calista into his embrace and squeezed her tight. She just melted into his ‘wrap-around’ and savoured the sense of protection. Calista just couldn’t believe her good fortune. They fell across the bed and started slowly undressing each other until she lay in her matching lingerie while Paul sat with just his pants and trousers. It was a tacit way of declaring there would be no intimacy yet. Even Paul was excited at the prospect of a ‘virgin bride’. The idea gave their relationship an extra dimension, a target and a goal to achieve. Calista slipped under the sheets while Paul stepped out of his pants and trousers then reached into his own wardrobe and slipped on a pair of panties and tights. The tights had a double function.

They acted as a sort of chastity device to reassure Calista while at the same time satisfying Paul’s transvestite needs. Thus their relationship held together. Under the sheets Calista whispered.

“When we get married, you won’t be able to wear tights; they’ll stop us consummating our union.”

Paul grinned. He had already anticipated that issue and he slid his silky leg over Calista’s slender thighs.

“On our honeymoon night I’ll be wearing suspenders and stockings as I do when we go out clubbing. Then it’s just off with my panties girl. Don’t you worry about consummation darling. It’ll be a very special night. I can wait!”

Calista squeezed up to Paul and savoured a long passionate kiss before they eventually fell into a spooned cuddle and sleep overtook them.

Paul never slept over at his mother’s again until after he and Calista were wed. She was dying to be the one to break the news about Paul and Jennifer’s baby to Paul’s mum. That was a treat that Paul and Jenny had promised Calista. She would be the primary carer of the baby.

For that month, the relationship between Paul and his mother was to say the least strained. He only went around on the Friday mornings to hand over a cheque and even then they hardly spoke. His mother tried inveigling her way between her daughter and her ‘perverted’ son but Phoebe had at last recognised where her issues had been born. Phoebe also agreed that her mother was a bigot. Phoebe’s friendship with Calista had become set in stone and she flew into a rage with her mother one afternoon in Swansea when her mother had suggested that it wasn’t safe to leave the little girls with Calista.

“For God’s sake mother. Calista’s got both Jenny’s little daughter Stephanie and my two down at Scamps as we speak, just so that you can indulge in some uninterrupted shopping. Even the kids love Calista more than they love you and you’re their Nan. You should be ashamed of yourself. Calista’s a lovely girl!”

“Huh I don’t believe it. You're lying.”

“I’m not mummy. They were dreading coming out with us shopping today because you’re always scolding them. When I told them
Calista was coming over they screeched with joy. It’s you mother, your attitude is the problem. Now loosen up or lose your grandchildren altogether.”

The familiar red spots appeared on her mother’s cheeks but Phoebe couldn’t care less. The war between her mother and Paul was also getting Phoebe down but she remained firmly on Paul’s side. She couldn’t wait to see if Jenny was having a baby boy and they could shut her mother up once and for all.

They shopped in a few more stores and then her mother finally opened up.

“When are you meeting this so called girl?”

“After I’ve driven you home and I pick the girls up.”

“Can I have a look at her? Without her knowing that is.”

“Why? Why on earth do you want to spy on her, she’s not some sort of circus freak show. She just a perfectly ordinary but very attractive woman.”

“She’s not a woman, she’s a man, she’s got, -“

“Stoppit right there mother. Calista’s a girl. Inside her head she’s a girl and we are what’s inside our heads, all of us!”

“Well can I see her?”

“If you see her, she and the girls will see the car.” The girls will want to know why you drove past instead of stopping to pick them up. Calista will realise what’s going on and she won’t be pleased. It’s a very threatening sensation for a girl to feel she’s being stalked!”

Phoebe’s mother frowned.

“So it’s meet her or nothing at all.”

“She’s not some sort of ogre Mummy! She a perfectly sweet girl. How can you even think evil of her when you’ve never met her? D’you know, I’m sorry I ever told you about her. Paul was furious with me when he found out.”

“Well why didn’t he introduce her to me?”

“Because he knew you’d react exactly as you have reacted. Like a true bigot. You go to Church every Sunday but Godly you ain’t. You’re not even Christian.”

“The bible says, -“

Phoebe almost spat out the next words.

“Mother. You can stuff your bible where the sun doesn’t shine.”

“That’s a wicked thing to say. You’ll rot in hell for that. It says in Leviticus, -“

“Bugger Leviticus. It’s nothing but a bunch of Jewish lawyers on the make. Just stick with Moses and the ten. That’s a good enough code for any bugger to live by. Jew, Christian or Muslim. Everything else is just the nodding and the bobbing. Now that’s enough, I’m tired of this argument, you go over the same ground every flipping week.”

Phoebe’s mother sniffed angrily while Phoebe sighed and flung the car door open for her mother.

“What’s it to be then. Straight home or meet Calista with your grand-daughters?”

“I’ll go home. I’m not going to be bullied into doing something I hold evil.”

Phoebe bit her tongue. If the argument got any worse she could see a schism opening up that would be impossible to heal and despite hating her mother’s bigotry she did not want her girls to miss out on having a Nan. What angered her most was that she recently found herself liking her ex mother-in-law more than her own mother. The divorce had been cruel and messy but at least her ex mother-in-law loved the girls and was kind to them. Although her ex husband had little to do with his daughters, his mother doted on them and Phoebe was determined she wouldn’t suffer for her son’s waywardness.

Even Calista had met their ‘other Nan’ once when she dropped the girls off because of a timing hiccup. She had found her to be a kind compassionate woman and Calista told Phoebe so that same evening.

“She knows I’m a Tee-Gee girl but it doesn’t even seem to bother her. We went to the leisure park and she shared in most of the rides. The girls dote on her. It’s such a pity about your mum.”

Phoebe gave Calista a hug as she reassured her.

“Don’t worry about it Cally. When the day comes that you present Paul’s baby to her, she’ll change her tune.”

“To tell the truth I’m not that bothered. I’ve got Paul, - and you.”

Phoebe filled up at Calista’s words. During Phoebe's marriage most of her local friends had been her husband’s golfing mate’s wives and when they had divorced the women had stuck with him. Phoebe hadn’t liked them anyway. Most of them were social climbers and snobs.

Calista was the only true local friend she had. Phoebe had gone to a private school away from Wales so she had no local school friends. All her other friends were college friends and living away. She saw them quite often but except for Calista she had nobody to call upon locally at the drop of a hat. Calista had become Phoebe’s lifeline to escape from the drudgery of single motherhood and domestic life. Since Calista and Phoebe had got to know each other, Phoebe had blossomed, recovered from her divorce and learned to stand up to her domineering mother.

Paul watched the metamorphosis and smiled with affection. He had got his sister back as well as a girlfriend. Calista had found a new family, a loving, caring, soon-to-be husband and sister-in-law not to mention a circle of affectionate, supportive friends amongst our local Tee-gee community.

As Calista entered upon the final step towards transition she reflected upon the friends she had back in London who had faced such an ordeal with little or no support. Even on the morning she went under the anaesthetic she went with a smile despite her nerves. Outside the theatre a veritable circle of friends stayed with Paul to await the outcome and it was a desperately relieved man who finally smiled upon his beloved girlfriend as she slowly emerged from the anaesthetic. Even Jennifer and Rachel took time out to be there for Calista when she emerged. Jennifer had a rare day between court cases and Rachel was always able to rearrange her diary.

As Calista slowly came round she was relieved and delighted to find such a large circle of friends and supporters. Then, after all the congratulations and expressions of love and support had been expressed a hundred times over; the nurse reluctantly shooed them away. Calista needed calm and rest before she started her exercises the very next day. Only Paul stayed with her overnight while Phoebe and the girls stayed at Jenny’s apartment. Madge, Candice, Jamie and I stayed at Rachel’s house out in Hampstead. Only twenty to thirty minutes away by tube.

The following morning the surgeon attended to the dressings but explained the dilation exercises would not start until later. As Calista hobbled painfully around the bed pushing her medication rack with the catheter bags and intravenous medications suspended from it; Paul lovingly supported her. The nurse remarked.

“You’re a lucky girl Calista; many girls come in here totally alone.”

“Don’t I know it nurse,” Calista replied as a single tear of joy preceded the flood of relief moments later.

Paul helped her back into bed and spooned her first ‘solid’ food before Calista returned to a drowsy state of Euphoria. She settled sleepily despite the pains beginning to grow in area that had been her ‘battlefield’ for nearly her whole lifetime save for the four earliest years before she had become aware of the differences between boys and girls.

Paul let her sleep as the nurse adjusted the pain-killing medications then turned to Paul as they left for the nursing station to share a cup of tea.

“D’you know this girl is just so lucky to have you here. These girls are normally so lonely. Usually, if it’s anybody at all, it’s a transgendered friend who has been through it or yet to transition. She’s really lucky to have a real man and a loving one.”

Paul smiled as added the milk to the large mug of tea. He glanced over the rim of the mug and gave the nurse a knowing look. The nurse, long accustomed to the varied and often desperate lifestyles of her transgendered patients stopped writing and met his gaze with curiosity escaping her normally professional mask. She asked him softly.

“D’you want to tell?”

Paul took a sip, hesitated then explained.

“There’s not much to tell really. I love her, I’ve always loved her since we met, she accepts my transvestism and I understand her transsexualism. Inside our heads, - and our hearts,” he added hastily, “we’re a perfect match. She’s a fabulous girl and I love her, totally and utterly.”
The nurse couldn’t restrain her smile as a tear escaped her hard-bitten demeanour.

“Well’ that’s just about one of the most beautiful ways I’ve ever heard it put. Here have a biscuit to help with that tea.”

Paul took the proffered titbit and relaxed as the nurse sat back with her hands behind her head. The notes could wait. Her posture invited Paul to open up and slowly he told the story. Finally the nurse expressed her feelings.

“So you’re a transvestite; that explains your honesty with Calista; that explains your understanding of her condition. You will be patient with her now won’t you? Don’t start anything physical too soon. She’ll be at least six to eight weeks before she can try anything.”

“Yes, don’t worry. Doctor Cottee’s told us. We won’t be doing anything like that until we’re married. I’ve already started the legal stuff to sort out her registration as a woman. Tomorrow I’m bringing the forms around and the registrar is a friend of Jenny’s, you know the Barrister who was here yesterday. So the registrar will be attending personally. Doctor Cottee has already confirmed he’ll be here with the necessary medical confirmations.”

The nurse’s eyes widened with acknowledgement.

“Oh yes, Jennifer, now there’s a formidable lady. She struck me as very forthright and very combative. It wouldn’t surprise me if she bullied the registrar into attending personally instead of Calista having to hobble to the registry office.”
Paul smiled apologetically.

“Yes. Jenny does come across as combative but if she’s your friend you couldn’t wish for a more supportive or sweeter person. I count her as more than my friend now.”

“Is there something I’m missing?” The nurse asked.

Paul nodded then shrugged.

“There’s more to the story but it’s not my part to reveal it. That’s up to others and it would be indiscreet of me to reveal stuff prematurely. It’s nothing serious anyway. More of a ‘love story’ if the truth be told.”

The nurse smiled and Paul returned to his cot beside Calista’s hospital bed.

A few days later she was discharged and they returned home to South Wales. For five weeks Calista was accorded all the privileges of an invalid. She stayed with Madge and we all danced attendance upon her as she patiently exercised and dilated daily.

Sometimes she looked quite wan and on a couple of occasions she was about to give up altogether on achieving the right dimensions to please Paul as she desperately wished to do. Then on the sixth week she finally achieved the aimed for dilator size. She let out a squeal of joy on that auspicious evening when she was sitting in the warm bath gently working the instrument of what had been torture to that date.

With a whoop of delight she demanded that we call Paul immediately as she inserted the next grade of keeper painlessly into her new sex and tears of joy ran down her cheeks. Carefully she slipped on her control panties and waited for Paul to dash over from Swansea. He was originally set to come over anyway but when I told him the news it seemed as though the growl of the Aston appeared on Madge’s forecourt even before I’d put the phone down.

Paul dashed up stairs whilst flinging the keys to Jamie with instructions to ‘park it straight’ on the forecourt. Then he hammered on the bathroom door and Calista flung it open with a shriek of joy as she announced for the whole house to hear.

“It’s in! It’s all in, - and it doesn’t hurt. I’m whole! I’m a girl; a proper girl at last!”

Silence descended on the bathroom while Candice, Jamie, Madge and I exchanged beaming smiles. Then the bedroom door clicked shut softly.

We all smiled again as we sat expectantly sipping tea and trying to concentrate on the television soap. Calista had achieved her physical target two weeks before their scheduled wedding. An hour later the pair descended the stairs with beaming smiles and Calista looking rather flushed. Madge raised a questioning eyebrow and Calista smiled bashfully.

“Don’t worry, we didn’t ‘do it’, I’m still a virgin in that respect.”

“So?” I inquired curiously.

Calista blushed some more then murmured self consciously.

“I, - I’ve, - I’ve just had my first girly orgasm and mmm-mmmm!”

Madge and Candice blushed knowingly but Jamie frowned jealously. I smiled and my cheeks dimpled with amusement. Paul stared at the floor as Calista flung her arms around his neck and snogged him furiously before declaring.

“This guy’s tongue is fantastic. I’m going to give him the ride of his life two weeks tonight.”

“Will that be tonight here or tonight Kolkata?” I asked.

Calista grinned and shook her head.

“I’ll introduce Paul to the ‘five-mile-high’ club if that’s what it takes.

I giggled as I pointed out.

“Now that might be a first. The first post op TG girl to do it up there and genuinely lose her virginity on her honeymoon.”
Jamie sniggered and we turned questioningly to her.

“Alright, out with it. What’s so funny?” Madge demanded.

“You’d better watch out for the Himalayas,” Jamie continued, “the mountain turbulence might give you a bumpier ride than you expect.”

Paul and Calista burst out laughing

“I can promise him bumpy!” Calista cackled and we settled down to the meal Madge and I had been preparing.