Joanie Come Lately

by Josephine Gonsalves

Part 4

  

And so it was that I lived quietly the first few days. Martha was a kind woman and so was her Mum. They were always having a stream of visitors, neighbors and friends who came to visit her mother. I mostly kept to myself, as I did not want Martha, explaining why I was there and other queries the nosy older village women were bound to ask. But I found Julie quite outgoing and she kept me busy with helping her in the household chores. I learnt some basic cooking, like peeling potatoes, spices, cutting onions etc. I also learnt to prepare tea and cook rice. She instructed me on how to wash my clothes and press them. In short, I was like her helper.

On Saturday Anita arrived, late in the evening. I was glad to see her, but we behaved like an older sister with her younger brother. Martha was present so we had to put up the show. She said that "Wahid dada's" hoods were still looking out for me. But I was safe here with Martha. She told me that the next day I would have to attend early mass at the local church along with Martha and then transform into Joanie. She reminded me to press the saree and blouse I had worn while traveling with Theresa. I was to wear the same saree. She stayed that night at Martha's place, sharing the room with Martha. I slept alone, thinking of her and waiting for her to come to me at night. She did come to my room, but only to say good night.

I awoke the next morning early, dressed and waited on the porch for the women to get ready for church. I was surprised to see Martha dress for church. She wore a smart cream colored skirt suit, styled her hair, wore makeup and expensive adornments and really looked attractive. Her had a buxom, but shapely figure. She looked a far cry from the dowdy housecoat wearing woman, I had seen in the past few days. Anita was dressed in a rust colored Mysore silk saree. She too looked attractive as usual. Seeing her dressed like that brought back memories of how me and my friends used to ogle her earlier. They were really dressed in their Sunday best, whereas I had worn a simple T shirt and jeans. Martha asked me if this was the way I dressed every Sunday, to attend church. I told her that it was so. She said that her husband's clothes would be to big and loose for me or she would have loaned me some. Anita told her to stop fussing, she would arrange for a decent pair of trousers and shirt for the next Sunday.

After church, while Anita and Martha went to change their Sunday clothes, I went to my room and quickly undressed. I changed into the petticoat and saree and was trying to adjust the pleats, when Anita came in and helped me out. She combed my hair and fixed the false bun under it, like before and did my face up so I now looked like Joannie. Once transformed, I again felt the excitement that came with wearing a saree and dressing like a woman. We went to join Martha and Julie at the breakfast table and immediately I saw the look of surprise on Martha's face. Julie too was speechless for a minute. Anita seized the opportunity and asked Martha what she thought about my transformation. When Martha had composed herself she said "no one who has seen you earlier would believe that the woman standing here, and the boy are the same person. You do look better as a woman. The saree and bun makes you look older, though. You do know how to move about in a saree. Looks like you have a lot of practice. I can only wonder how you will look in one of my smart dresses or a skirt suit". Anita told her that she had the whole of next week to find out. The thought of wearing Martha's, started me thinking. Did these older women really want me to patronize and feminize me. Anita cut into my thoughts saying we should be leaving soon. With that we left them and started for my journey back home to visit my Mum.

Anita had already arranged with one of the village Auto rickshaw drivers to pick us up. He arrived promptly and transported us to the station. Anita reminded him to come at six o'clock to pick me up. At the station Anita purchased a return ticket for me saying I could use it to travel back. She was greeted by other fellow village acquaintances, who inquired politely after her well being, as they waited for the train. They made small talk till the train arrived. When the train arrived we got in and I made my way to a window seat. Anita followed me and sat next to me. Today being Sunday the train was quite empty. Once we were seated Anita discreetly put her hands around my waist and gently felt my bare midriff. Her touch made me feel very feminine and I felt the rush of excitement. She continued to hold me and I came, feeling the wetness in my underwear. I looked to see if the stain showed, but the petticoat and pleats had prevented the stain from showing thru. After this my nervousness started vanishing and I started enjoying the ride with my lover's arm around me holding me in such a possessive manner. Her arm never left my waist the entire train journey.

We reached my place and Anita motioned me to be calm and just follow her. My mother opened the door and greeted Anita softly, but she couldn't keep her surprise at see me from getting vocal and started babbling about my appearance. She kept saying "if I your mother cannot recognize you, how will those stupid hoods do so". My mother wanted to know whose idea it was to disguise and take me to safety. Anita explained how I had helped her one evening with her shopping bags, and from then on we had become friends. Anita explained that I had come to her place to hide, but she thought it was better I stayed away from this locality, for a few days. My mother agreed that it was a good idea for me to stay away, for some time more till everything settles down. My mother invited Anita to lunch. I instinctively offered to help and started to measure out the rice, wash it and place it on the gas stove to cook. My mother observed me and remarked "if you have become so domesticated and helpful in a few days, I can surely expect better behavior, after a few weeks. Is it because you are dressed like a woman, or is it because of the influence of Anita and her relatives". I just smiled back and continued to help her cook, serve and clean up after our lunch. During lunch, My mother told Anita, how everyone used to remark what a sweet looking child I was, and that I was often mistaken for a girl. After lunch Anita left saying she had some work to do. I decided to start on my pending school work. My mother went to have her Sunday afternoon nap. At 3.30, in the afternoon I said bye to my Mum and went to Anita's place. As soon as I was inside her home, we fell into each others arms, kissing and hugging passionately. Anita lifted me off my feet and carried me to the bedroom where she made love to me.

At 4.30, I was once again dressed and ready to go out as Joannie for my return journey to Bassein. Today I was dressed in the saree that Anita had worn earlier. Anita wanted me to feel her presence through her clothes and I too felt nice knowing and smelling her scent. My return journey was very quiet. I did not try to make eye contact with anybody, instead I read my English language novel. Martha was waiting for me, with the village auto rickshaw driver at Bassien station. The train was a few minutes late. She hugged me like I was her woman friend. I too hugged her back feeling her soft body against mine. The touch kindled something in me. We sat in the rickshaw and reached Martha's home. Martha's mother had already gone inside to her room. Martha asked me to sit out on the porch with her and asked me how my day went. In a little while we were discussing my school work and Martha agreed to help me. Of course, now a few people had seen a woman come to her home, not a boy. Already some of her mother's pesky friends were asking about me and how and why I was staying with them, with no other male members in the house. I told her that I could continue dressing and being a girl if it would help. She smiled and asked me if I enjoyed wearing female clothes. I told her that since I looked very womanly and passable, when dressed it seemed the best solution. Martha said that she herself wore only loose housedresses and shifts at home, but she had quite a lot of stylish skirts and blouses, that were in good condition and which would fit me well. My excitement must have show on my face, because she needed no further talk, she suddenly rose and asked me to follow her. She asked me to pull out from below her bed a suitcase. Inside it were some of her old clothes like dresses, skirts and blouses. She spread them out on the bed and said 'I cannot wear these anymore as they are too tight for me, but I think with the right amount of padding they will look very good on you. I think a little fashion show is in order". I blushed but needed little urging to start undressing the saree. She helped me with trying out her clothes. In spite, of the sparks that I felt each time her fingers touched me, still we continued our little fashion show. We just enjoyed selecting clothes like two women at a sale. Soon she had selected for me a few dresses, skirts and blouses. She went to her own closet and bought out a few petticoats, slips and bras that I would need. She was quite chirpy and happy and said "I did not know helping a boy hide and dress as a woman could be so exciting. You know Theresa and Maria were here this afternoon, and they know about your liking for female clothes. They also told me that they had planned to dress you in an East Indian and Koli saree, just for fun. At first I thought that they were simply bored. But I guess it must be a combination of boredom, secrecy, mischief, taboo etc that is making it exciting."

When we were finished with selecting the clothes, she asked me to close the suitcase and push it back to its place under the bed. I dressed once again in the saree waiting for her instructions. The nice smart dresses she put up, on hangers and asked me air out, while the casual ones she asked me to wash lightly and put out to dry. Now I had a full selection of girly clothes and was going to live as one. I was one lucky cross dresser, who till date had not spent a cent on any female clothes and had found women willing to dress and share their clothes with me. In my neighborhood, ever so often sisters would not share their clothes with one another and here I was a boy, sharing female clothes with women I knew for so short a time.

Julie too was taken into their group and soon I was behaving like a simple woman, only being reminded that I was a boy, when I was completely naked. Often older women would inquire about me. The good part was that Martha's, Theresa and Maria's family were a respected family in the village, so no young men tried to get to close. Anita came to visit me every Saturday and I visited my Mum every Sunday. On Saturday evening Maria came early and She and Martha dressed me up as an East Indian women, with all the adornments like bangles and necklace etc, When Anita saw me dressed up as an East Indian woman, she was really impressed. We had a good time talking till late in the evening. The East Indian saree is 9 yards long and no petticoat is required under it. The style is similar to Maharashtrian style, only the saree is worn longer and looser. The saree is tucked into a cloth band, tied tight at the waist. The middle pleat is kept about a meter longer than the other pleats. This extra length is neatly, taken thru the legs and tucked in the middle, at the back. The pallu is taken over the left shoulder, and tucked in the waist on the right side. The pallu is spread out to cover the breast. Since there is no petticoat, the saree was directly in contact with my body, giving me an exciting feeling, all the time I was in a saree. To match the village style, I had started tying my hair in a little bun, as it was not long enough to braid. I also started wearing small flowers from the garden in my hair, just like Maria. When Anita saw me with flowers in my head, she was very pleased. .

My chance to wear the Koli saree came, when Maria and I visited the next village, to visit her friend. Her friend had married a Koli (fisherman) and she wore her saree the koli way, which was a shorter and tighter version of the East Indian saree. I agreed to be dressed and quite enjoyed the sensation, especially the way the "casti" or dividing pleat was pulled tight, squeezing out the buttocks. But we had to leave and so I undressed and wore my East Indian saree, and returned back with Maria to Martha's place. The overwhelming smell of fish was the only drawback of wearing a fisherwoman's saree.

Anita and I finally got to spend some time together, when she and I both attended a wedding celebration in the village. A wedding in the village meant a big feast. Most of the village people were invited. The women started preparing for the feast from Saturday itself. On Saturday evening after the evening meal, a band consisting of mostly blowing (wind) instruments arrived and the guests danced their way to the village well, where the spinster sister of the groom to be, drew water, and carried it on her head, in a copper vessel, with mango leaves, back to the groom's house. This water was mixed with the groom's bathing water the next day. The marriage took place on a Sunday morning, with the groom being escorted by a band and his relatives to the church. Then the bride was escorted by the band and her relatives. After the church ceremony, crackers heralded the new couple as the groom's relatives were hosted a feast at the bride's place. At around five in the evening the bride changed into a red silk wedding saree, and the couple, were accompanied to the groom's place. The next day in the evening the bridal couple, were again hosted at the bride's place. For this part of the wedding celebrations, often a little fancy dress was dished out. Men dressed as Priest, jailbirds, drunks and as women too. The women also dressed up as Gypsies, actresses, nuns and men. Martha, Theresa and Maria dressed as gypsy women, wearing tight colored shirts tied at the navel, long colored scarves, loose, long flare skirts, hoped earrings and beaded necklaces. I had made friends with one of the bridesmaids, who was close in size to me. I asked her for her the dress, for evening festivities. She was from the city and agreed to exchange it for an East Indian saree. Anita took her opportunity and dressed in a grey, man's suit, with a hat, false moustache and beard. She looked handsome, with her padded shoulders and stood out among the crowd When I saw her dressed in a man's suit, I felt extremely shy and feminine. I wished that we were the ones getting married. I too had taken a lot of pain with my looks and outfit, and I could feel the stares of the young boys, dressed in the formal fitting, calf length, side slit, wine colored dress and high heels. I enjoyed the attention, but Anita, made sure that we were together most of the evening. We even danced as a couple and I was surprised at my response to her passes. Martha, Theresa and Maria looked at us dancing and smiled. They guessed now that Anita and I were more than just friends. With the blessing of the "wedding celebration" we were able to live out a role reversal in public for an evening.

That evening Anita invited me to spend the night with her at her mother's house. Martha, Theresa and Maria, were all caught up in the wedding mood, with their husbands a little drunk and happy. Anita had her camera and we clicked a lot of photographs and were enjoying ourselves. In one photograph she was posing with a cigarette in her mouth a glass in one hand and one arm possessively around my waist. There were also photographs of her with other women, like the bridesmaid etc. Everything was so lively and gay. I had worn a folded saree as a thick pad around my hips to enhance them. It was a good thing as my underwear was wet thru and thru and I would have stained the dress. Anita's Mother was still at the wedding, when we arrived at her place. She opened the door and seeing no one in sight lifted me off my feet and carried me across the room. I had been carried by Anita many times, this time however it was different. She looked so much like a man with the suit, beard and moustache; I just climaxed, crying silently in her arms. I was feeling so feminine and ladylike as she continued to carry me to her room. I had recovered and started kissing her bearded face passionately. She put me back on my feet and slowly started undressing me. She pulled off the dress and slip, and the hip padding. When I was down to only bra and underwear, she once again picked me up and carried me to the bed. From her closet she removed a soft full slip. I guessed she wanted me to wear it, so I did and enjoyed the feel of the soft material. She then started kissing and caressing me. I kissed her back and started to undressed her slowly, till she was down to only her shirt and shorts. After some more kissing her shorts and my underwear were off and we were making wild love, with her ending on top of me. I spread my legs and wrapped them around her hips, like a woman. I was back with my Love and once again a complete "woman".

Later, when I was about to dress again, to return to Martha's house, she told me that I had to return to my 'old life' now, as everything was back to normal at home. The little trouble I was in was all settled. Tomorrow she and I would return back, to my home. Tonight was going to be the last night, in a long time, for Joannie. Anita was to join her husband in the Middle East, next week and she had a lot of preparations to make. I had to return back to school and pick up from where I had left off. The next few months were going to be busy and hectic, if I was to do well. Tomorrow I would say goodbye to the folks at Martha's and Theresa's home.

The next day Anita arranged for me to change at her place, while her mother was at Church. I undressed and folded the saree and other female clothes and dressed as a boy, in male clothes. It felt funny wearing pants and a T shirt after such a long time. I did look a little girlish, but I was still only fifteen and had a lot of growing up to do. I had to constantly remind myself that I was a boy and walk and behave differently on the way back. I had lived as a woman full time for almost a month and had got used to behaving and thinking like one. It was going to take a lot of 'debriefing', but I realized that, all good things come to end. I had to grow up. The chance to wear women's clothes and live like one would come again. I had been able to live as a woman, at such short notice. I had a good mentor and I knew that when the opportunity came, I would be able to act and behave like a woman, if I felt like it, without undergoing any change to my male self. I was blessed with androgynous looks. Right now I had to concentrate and do well in my studies, if I was to make a good life for myself.

Anita would always be my first love.

I had good memories and I had met good people, like Martha, Julie, Theresa and Maria, who would always be in my memories.

  

  

  

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