Thanx Clarissa, thats very sweet of you
Its been a while since i came out to my family on Boxing day and although i have been to visit my parents a number of times since, i've always had my children with me, so we haven't been able to talk about it. On Thursday morning i was just thinking that i should perhaps go over to see them at the weekend as i was on one of my rare weekends alone, when all of a sudden Mum arrived at work to invite me over for Sunday lunch. How spooky was that?
When i said i would love to come to lunch, she immediately started on about inviting my elder brother and sister as well, then the three of us could have a night out on the Saturday and they could meet "Mandy"
Ooh err, now all of a sudden i was both excited and nervous. Excited because this would be the first time they had seen the real me, and nervous because, well, this would be the first time they had seen the real me.
For the rest of the day my thoughts were on Saturday night. How would they get from my parents house to my flat? would they want to stay the night with me? or get a taxi back to my parents? what was i going to wear? should i open the door to them as the brother they knew? then have to rush around getting ready, or should i take my time, get ready earlier, and then open the door as Mandy?
So many questions and not enough answers. Well not right then, but i did work it all out eventually. They arrived at our parents house, had a rest and something to eat, before driving over to my flat for seven in the evening. That meant i had to get ready and answer the door as Mandy, or half the night would be lost for sure.
Now there are as you know, two times in the UK. Greenwich Mean Time and British Summer Time, but my family seem to have a third time zone all their own, somewhere in between, so i knew full well that seven pm almost certainly meant seven thirty, so i wasn't in all that much of a hurry to be ready for seven.
As it happened i was all ready and waiting at about ten past seven, so i was passing the time chatting on messenger to my internet pal E-J. Although we chat most evenings, we haven't had our webcams turned on for a very long time, so when i asked if she wanted to see, i was glad she jumped at the chance. i was wearing my favourite black box pleated skirt, that comes down to just above my knee, and had decided on a plain black strappy summer top, that i wore beneath a very soft, off white lace top, which has short half puffy sleeves and a little frill round the neck. For jewellery i had settled on my new bangle watch and a silver ring on my left hand, with two other silver rings and three paste diamond bangles on my right hand. To cap it off, i had a lovely silver necklace with two pink flowers on the chain, either side of a larger pink flower dangling down in the middle. E-J said i looked lovely and has insisted that i have to wear the same outfit when i visit her in March.
Suddenly the doorbell was ringing and i had to say good bye to E-J. A quick check of the time showed it was just after half past seven. Right on cue i thought, so i went to the door, took a deep breath, and opened it up with a big welcoming smile. That was returned with two equally big and welcoming smiles from my big brother and my big sister. i offered them a drink, and they wasted no time in choosing a beer. Well we were going to the pub, so why wait any longer then necessary before getting stuck in? We sat and made small talk whilst we drank our beer, then i phoned for a taxi. So far so good i thought. i've not seen any sign of distain on their faces and they seem relaxed and comfortable enough to be able to hold good eye contact with me, so my nerves were beginning to settle down. There were still some nerves though because this was not just the first time they had openly met Mandy, but it was also going to be their first time out in a gay bar. Once the taxi arrived, we trouped down the stairs, out into the cold night and straight into a nice warm taxi. The driver spun round when i got in and said "Hi Mandy, how are you tonight?" well that put a huge smile on my face so i beamed back and said that i was feeling great, introduced my brother and my sister, then told him where we were going.
Wow, i couldn't have hoped it would go that well if I had planned it. i was on cloud nine already and we weren't even at the pub yet. Once we were, it was fairly quiet to begin with, so we got a chance to settle in before too many people arrived.
Throughout the night we stood and chatted as the bar filled up with people. Every now and then someone i knew came in and said hello with a kiss on the cheek, not just for me, but for my brother and my sister as well as i introduced them. And you know what, they told me later how nice it was that everyone was so friendly. "That would never happen in my local" my brother said, and he actually looked a little sad for it too i thought. All throughout the night this happened and everyone i knew said how very pleased they were to meet some of my family. They also said how fantastic it was that they were so supportive of me, and wished their own families had been half as supportive when they first came out.
There were two chaps that had come over and were determined to stay and chat half way through the evening. One called James i had met the night before, and the other called Martin i had met the weekend before. Both of them seemed to have taken a shine to me and were more than happy to join in with the conversation. At one point my sister asked one of them who he thought i looked like, her or my brother. When the answer came back as "your brother" she looked almost crushed. Then she jokingly replied "how can you say that with Mandy looking as good as she does?" "Dont worry" i said to my sister" i think for once that our brother is probably more upset by that revelation than you are" Which set every one off laughing so much, beer was almost spat across the bar.
my sister decided she wanted a photo of us all and got her phone out. Damn, i should have thought about that and bought my camera out with me. i knew the light was too low in the bar, and sure enough the picture came out totally black. My brother took charge and decided to send it to our younger brother anyway. i cant remember the whole message, but he did say "Mandy looks gorgeous and we are all having a great time." Now i knew that the night was going well and all my nerves were long gone. My sister offered her thoughts on the bar and said how nice it smelt with all the perfume mixing about. She also remarked on the distinct lack of testosterone too, so i told her that in this bar, everyone accepts everyone else for what they are, so there are no little groups of people all trying to establish themselves as the Alpha group, or whatever. And that is so very different from just about every other bar i have ever been into.
All too soon, the bar was emptying out and it was time for us to go home. James was very insistent that we all went clubbing, even if it was only for one dance. Five quid to go in to a club for just one dance didn't sound like a good deal to me, and as i had been on my feet in heals, all that night and the previous night as well, i wasn't really up for clubbing. Besides that, my brother and my sister were looking a little tired, so i politely declined his offer and went to leave. James was having none of it and said at the very least to let him buy me flowers and lunch the next day. Bugger, why don't people make that sort of offer when i'm in a position to accept it? Oh well, i again declined because of the family meal that was arranged days before, and promised to meet James again soon. Poor James looked so sad, but i was already promised to Sunday lunch, and that after all was one of the reasons why my sister and my brother were here.
We left the bar and walked round to the taxi base just around the corner. "Hi Mandy" the owner said. "You off home now?" "Yes please" i replied, and after a short wait, a taxi pulled up and off we went. i got out at my flat and the taxi then took my brother and my sister back to our parents house.
The next morning i got a call to say that my brother and my sister were on their way to collect my brothers car and did i want them to drop in. "Sure i said, i'll put the kettle on" With that the doorbell rang. “Mobile phones” i tutted as i let them in. Once the tea was brewed i jumped in with "So how was your first night out in a gay bar then?" "Great fun and everyone seemed so very pleasant and genuine" Said my sister. "i was expecting the place to be full of transvestites" Said my brother, "but you and the other one were the only two there and everyone was very accepting of you."
i explained that there were quite a few others that went in, but not every week, so it was a bit hit and miss most of the time. i then explained that that's what the gay community is like. We are all on the alternative side of mainstream and very much want society to accept us just the way we are, so it would be a little hypocritical if the gay and lesbians were themselves not accepting of transvestites, and if we were not accepting of them too. Then i asked the biggy. "Was it enjoyable enough for you to want to do it again? or was it all a bit to much to comprehend in one night?" i asked hesitantly. my sister was the first to reply with "Well i certainly do, next time i'm down at Easter i would love to go back there with you again." she replied. "i wouldn't mind doing it again either" replied my brother. "i really enjoyed it"