Today is one of my days off, and I was out buying some items at Kmart, so naturally, I stopped at womens clothing to rake through the racks of seasonal clearance for bargains. Just another day off, minding my own business, when *ring* goes the cell phone. It was Marcy. She had stayed home, not feeling well and was called by the school nurse to pick up our grandson, who had run a fever.
My daughter and son-in-law were out of town for the day, so I was elected to rescue our little grandson. Now, as I recalled, I was listed as an emergency contact at the school, and on the list of people allowed to take the children out if need be. Of course, they still have me listed as Michael Beverly ______, my given male birth name. Who knew several years ago that I would be here in Kmart, taking this call, dressed as usual, female casual, jeans, a nice top, dangles, bracelet, French-tip nails, light makeup. You get the idea......not someone looking anything remotely like a grandfather.
I sighed. "You know" I said, "you're going to have to let them know who's coming to pick him up..."
"Yes", she said. "I know. "I'm sorry, honey, but there's nothing we can do about it....sorry...."
So, Marcy called the school nurse, and told her that our grandchild's grandfather Michael would pick him up, and that Michael now goes by his middle name, Beverly.
A lovely set up. First, showing up en femme and then referenced as grandfather, and his
I showed up at the school office, and said I was there to pick up my grandson, Christopher. They showed me to the next room, to find the school nurse. She was there, with Christopher on the couch. She smiled warmly at me. "Oh, you're the grandma" she said, still smiling.
Christopher looked at me, and said immediately, "Hi Papa!"
"Oh, isn't that cute" the nurse said, "he likes to call you Papa". Then she stopped to think about who she was looking at, what she had just said, and the phone call from Marcy. She looked at me carefully for a while, and said finally, "Oh.....you must be Beverly.
"Yes, that's me" I said, brightly. She kept looking at me, disbelieving. She saw a woman, she heard a woman, but knew clearly I had been referenced as male.
I looked back, smiled, and said "some things change".
She handed me the sign-out sheet, and still smiling, said, "sign here, sir"
I signed my name (Beverly), handed it back, and said "sir no longer seems appropriate"
And so I took Christopher home. When my daughter came home, she said she would change the list at school to Mrs Beverly ______
'nuther day.
Bev
