Hi, this story is one where Beverly is twelve years old…several important things happen to her that year, one that directs her to her career path and as a budding young woman. Something all girls and women can relate to as they remember starting puberty.
I often imagine what Beverly was like as child…I bet she was so cute with her big serious eyes and all that straight red hair and one of those mature, quiet kids.
This story does have some puberty aspects, so those who are squeamish about these things are warned.
I'm still working on Through an Autumn; I just started chapter 7, but probably won't be able to get it up until after July 4 since I'll be out of town for that weekend.
Hope you all enjoy this short one-chapter story meanwhile!
Womanhood on the Way
By: CNJ
PG-13
Beverly:
"We'd still have the ancient system they used to have of huge private businesses basically owning medicine if socialism hadn't evolved," Julia Bryzbyk told me as she and I walked into the school auditorium that nippy night in mid-November.
"And they'd have spread to other planets," I nodded.
Julia and I had completed our project that fall of our third year of intermediate school. It covers medicine under the communist era on Earth during the twentieth century.
Communism was an extreme leftist form of socialism mixed in with a guard state. The guard state of communism became obsolete by the mid-twenty-first century.
Close to a three hundred other projects also filled the auditorium also…almost one thousand intermediate third years entered projects and only three hundred could be selected.
Our project was picked, which is lucky; it not only can educate others on a little-studied part of Earth history, but could enter both of us for several scholarships to universities and academies on several planets, including Lauber Science Academy on Delos.
My heart pounded as the audience came to our project…I'm often nervous about being the center of attention.
I looked over at my grandmother and younger sister, Enid in the audience every so often and also at Julia's mom to keep myself calm as Julia and I ran through the simulation part of our project.
As the simulation ran, I found myself being drawn more and more to the realization of how healers truly uplift the universe.
Even in the twentieth-century Earth when humans didn't even know that other solar systems and other life forms existed, I could see the good that most doctors did in healing that small world.
And back in the twentieth century, human knowledge of the body and of disease was very limited…but even then most doctors did the best with what they had.
Nana is a doctor and I often see the good she does in healing so many…helping others stay healthy, so they can lead better lives.
Now I was also seeing with this project that many Soviet and other Eastern European doctors had supply shortages, but struggled to make sure that all patients had equal access to medical care…it wasn't always the best, but it was medical care all the same and for everyone, not just those who had money. And back then, most of the Eastern European countries didn't have a lot of money.
I'm glad that today's medical care system with the Federation is shared by all Federation planets and their members. All information is shared back and forth so we don't have one planet hoarding all the best doctors and technology while leaving other planets scraping by with lousy or no care.
The applause was louder than I expected once Julia and I were done. Julia bowed and I felt myself redden. I then remembered to bow.
I also felt something a tad wet and sticky between my legs. At first, I didn't think much about it, but as all of us began circulating with the audience after the lights came back up, the wetness felt more and more slippery and kind of thick.
I was afraid my knickers would come down from under the dark blue skirt I was wearing, so I whispered to Nana and Julia that I had to head to the bathroom.
It was when I sat down on the toilet when I saw the dark red puddle in my knickers.
"Oh, my God…" I gasped. "It's my period!"
I stared down at the blood stain for few minutes, not quite believing that this first sign of puberty had sneaked up on me. I just turned twelve two and a half months ago, so I really wasn't surprised.
My breasts had actually started growing last summer, but they were still small little lumps…this first period was the most dramatic and obvious of my emerging womanhood.
My heart pounding in excitement, I took my stained knickers off and tried to wash them, then stuffed them into my pocketbook.
"Bev…?" Julia called. "Is everything all right…your face is red."
"Yes…and my under…" I started to laugh a little and pointed toward my legs. "I'm becoming a woman, Julia…"
Julia's face lit up. "Your period?"
I nodded, blushing even more. Julia shrieked and wrapped me in a huge hug. Julia had gotten her period last year, so she knows what it's all about and everything.
"I think there's tampaxes here someplace…" Julia muttered. "There…" she found one at the far corner behind the sinks.
"My God, I can't believe it…" I was growing excited. I was growing up! Finally after so many years of being a child…I'd grow and start planning my career…start secondary school next year…maybe overcoming some of the fears that I'd had for as long as I can remember.
Thinking about all these new paths opening up in my life now filled me with joy…now I could see that adulthood was not so far away.
"Need help with it?" Julia handed me the small stick.
"No…I've been studying these for the past year," I sat again, wiped myself and put it in.
Julia laughed. "I would have known…serious, studious Beverly." We laughed together, both of us celebrating my coming of age.
"Congratulations, darling!" Nana hugged me as Enid and I walked out of the building after the ceremony was over. I'd bid Julia goodnight as she headed home with her mum.
"Hey, look two full moons," Enid pointed out. Sure enough, both of Arvada's moons shone a fine mix of silver and gold light into the November evening. Clouds passing under the moons made the lovely light dance gracefully.
We watched it for a minute before continuing on our walk home. "On ancient Earth, humans used to measure the human cycle by the Earth moon month calendar," Nana told us.
"Just like they used to measure the waves and how the moon affected the water," I nodded. "No wonder we often connect water with womanhood."
"My oldest darling…growing up," Nana sighed. "And soon, it'll be your turn, Enid." Enid's nine.
"I think I'm going to wear tampax when I turn eleven, so my first period will be in there and won't go on my knicks."
"What if your period doesn't turn up for a few years?" I asked.
"I'll wear them for a few years," Enid shrugged. "Anyway, since you got yours now and you're twelve and those things run in families, I'll probably get mine by twelve also."
That's Enid, so sure of her plans and all…I wish I had her confidence. Speaking of plans, something about my first period and my body starting to grow and the fact that I've always had an interest in the human body…
"I think I'll be a doctor like you, Nana," I blurted out.
"That's wonderful, dear," Nana gave me another hug. "I'm so, so proud of you, darling…my granddaughter…growing up so fast…" she seemed to be in wonderment as I was.
We reached home and Nana made all of us tea. "To another healer and another woman in the Howard family…" Nana boomed proudly as we sat down to the tea and little cherry pies.
"Hear!" Enid held her cup above her head. Nana and I laughed and clicked ours above her.
"Mazel Tov in the coming years as you begin your journey into womanhood, Beverly." Nana added and we drank to another era in my life starting.
Storyline Copyright 2009 by CNJ