RANSVESTIA

The next stop was the chemist's where quite a number of people, mostly women, were being waited on by the two or three assistants. I stood pondering by one of the racks of cosmetics and soon a smartly dressed lady of about 40 came to my assistance. I said I wanted some eyebrow pencil that would match my hair, pointing, and she quickly brought out a shade which she said was appropriate. Next I asked for some green eye-shadow, choosing a shade and asking her if that was suitable for me and "not too old-fashioned"? She assured me it wasn't, and I completed my purchases with a box of tissues, as I had suddenly become aware of a sensation of a runny nose starting. Whether this was because of the heat indoors, the excitement suppressed, or any other factors, I don't know. All the time, of course, I was testing the atmosphere for her demeanour, alert (are we oversensitive about this?) for an indication of a jarring note, and "playing my part" to the hilt. I paid for my purchases and left, heaving a sigh of relief as I became aware of the tension under which I had been acting. Trying not to laugh in hysterical triumph I started making my way back to the car. I was just about to turn the corner at the main intersection again when I realized I was out- side the hotel door.

In country towns and villages frequented by tourists particularly, there is no opprobrium attached to a solo female entering a "pub," and I felt rather in need of a sit down and a little drinkie, so I en- tered and made my way to the rather sleazy lounge, where the sole occupants were two GG's seated at a small round table. The duo, in their early 20's, were having a liquid lunch and hardly glanced at me as I entered and sat at a table across the room from them, after depositing all my things on a nearby chair.

At the bar I obtained a long, weak, refreshing drink. The barman paid no more than the usual attention to me as he served me un- hurriedly, at "country pace." When I sat down again, I found that the two had gone, and in their place sat a small, middle-aged woman, plainly dressed, who had come through from the public bar with her glass of beer before her.

Fingers shaking ever so slightly, I took a gulp and put a cigar- ette in my mouth, then found that my lighter didn't work. I crossed and bent over by the woman and asked her for a light. Cheerfully she passed me a box of matches, along with some innocuous com- ment, about the rain I think. Then, having lit up, I paused and asked if she'd mind if I joined her. This I did, dumping my things nearby

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