Trisha's flickered open at the unearthly hour of six-thirty in the morning but it wasn't the early sunlight or the relentless perfectionism of the alarm clock that did it. It was a subconscious sense of duty and the realisation that this was the day on which her energies and Sally-Anne's had been focussed for the last few months. An incoherent murmur from behind her head and an affectionate squeeze to her stomach announced that her partner had also come to life.
"It's time to make a move darling. You know we've got so much to do," Sally Anne murmured into her ear. Trisha groaned softly but she was mollified by a soft kiss on the back of her neck and a loving caress. The fair-haired woman knew that duty called so she turned over a corner of the duvet and led the way to the shower for both of them to freshen themselves up. Thanks to their hard work over the last few days, their outfits were all ready for them to step into.
At this time, Rose's eyes blinked wide awake and she bounded out of bed in a state of great excitement. An irresistable impulse sparked in her mind to share her joy of the special, special day with her mummies who obviously felt the same. She ran into their bedroom and jumped on their bed, only realising too late that they were still in bed asleep.
Helen was in a deep and dreamless sleep when suddenly out of nowhere a weight descended on her from out of nowhere. Her first thought was to be blisteringly angry and remind their daughter that she wasn't to disturb them when she and Nikki were opened yes with difficulty when Nikki was mumbling incoherently as her own sleep was disturbed when she saw Rose's contrite expression on her face.
"I'm really sorry mummies for disturbing you but this is such an exciting day. I've been looking forward to it for weeks."
Nikki laughed ruefully as she realised they were hoist with their own petard and Helen's anger dissipated.
"All right Rose, we aren't going to Kill you. Just this one time."
"We really are sleepy Rose and grownups need their rest," explained Nikki as she tried to ensure her tongue separated itself from her mouth as she spoke."We're really glad you're enthusiastic but we don't really have to wake up at this hour."
"Yes but we have to get ready," Rose said, her natural enthusiasm leaking through to the surface now she knew she was forgiven.
"Our outfits are ready and all we need is something to eat and there are hours before we need to head off to Chix," replied Nikki more firmly."Give us half an hour and lie down on the bed with us."
"Just this one time. Any other time, you'd be in deep trouble," Helen warned Rose with a parental note in her voice not to push her luck. Reluctantly, Rose complied but the two women weren't much better off as their daughter was such a wriggler.
Roisin and Cassie were no better off as two children bounded excitedly into their bedroom. Both women accepted this with great forbearance as it was not so long ago that the moody adolescent Michael couldn't be moved from his bed at weekends and his bedroom was a dump.
At a more civilised hour, George and Alice got themselves up and dressed in a leisurely fashion and the dark-haired woman was being treated to an unusual sight, the vision of her lover in her best dark suit, white shirt and her barrister's gown which clung elegantly to her figure. Her elegant facial profile and flowing blonde hair as she looked at herself in the mitrror caught the sunlight and completed the picture to perfection.
"They say that women have a weakness for a uniform but I'm one step better off," she said in a desirous tone of voice.
"You can look but not touch, at least not till tonight," she teased gently. George was of the school of thought that a bit of narcissism didn't do any lady any harm."You've kept very quiet about your outfit. I know you have a very attractive fixation for black and white."
"You can now look round," Alice said a little shyly. George opened her eyes wide as she saw a wondrous vision of alice is a swirly multicoloured flowing dress of various lengths which was perfectly contoured to fit her figure. It was a revelation to the fair haired woman who wore her sophistication like a fashion garment.
"Did anyone tell you that you've got great legs? I mean I know it but I haven't seen them like this. I mean you look fabulous," George said with wide-eyed wonder.
"You like it? I thought I was going out on a limb for my taste," Alice said bashfully, visibly glowing like a birthday girl.
"Wait till the others get an eyeful of you. Mind you, they can't touch either," joked George in a reassuring fashion as she put on her white boa with a quick swirl of her hand.
Jane had a similar reaction when she beheld Jo resplendent in her immaculate court outfit complete with her black gown.
"And it's said that there's such a weakness for nurses in their outfits. I could ravish you right now," Jane said with a meaning look at the hem of her lover's knee length black skirt.
Jo was equally smitten my her partner's pink dress which, with her freeflowing blonde hair and strawberry coloured lipstick made her look so delectable.
"You really are putting temptation in my way. You are so delectable that I might get to you first. Let's leave it tonight and we can ravish away," Jo said, appearing to look as cool as a cucumber but feeling a maelstrom of heightened anticipation for the day in hand and unashamed lust. She knew she had to put the dampers on things as she felt duty bound to get them to the celebrations on time.
"I know it might not be politically correct but I love my black dress," Karen said almost defiantly as she put the finishing touches to her makeup while Beth was occupied elsewhere..
"I'm not grumbling. You look gorgeous anyway. I'm the one who's going to miss some of the fun. I'm more worried about my outfit," Beth said as she put final adjustments to her red dress.
"What's the problem darling?" Karen said with a melting tenderness in her voice which she didn't care to deploy too much in public. In her mind, Beth looked slightly formal but looked as gorgeous as ever with her bark bob cut and large eyes. She laid a hand on her lover's shapely hand.
"This is a compromise as I'm doing press coverage for the Independent. This dress isn't as short as I like it but it does for work. There's still an expectation that female journalists can dress glamorous but are still expected to look, well, professional. I know it's all bullshit but there's only so much I can push boundaries and believe me, I push plenty," Beth said in an irregular and uncertain flow of words mingling reluctant acceptance and defiance in turn.
"I know how it goes and so do the others. We all have to work out how far we can push it and not get fired for no good reason. The gang needs you-and others on the Pride march - need you to get word out to the public. The truth is that you feel you're really missing out on the party," Karen said, looking at her lover with her big blue eyes.
"Something like it," Beth conceded, sticking out her bottom lip. Karen knew Beth of old.
"Well, after you've done your bit and typed up your report, I'll phone you to meet us wherever the rest of the gang end up and if all else fails, we'll have an extra special party of our own in our bed tonight and celebrate our pride in being lesbians," Karen replied, twining her arms round her lover's shoulders. Beth brightened up at these alluring promises. At the back of her mind, she knew that Karen's talk of duty was nothing she wouldn't live up to personally.
When Helen and Nikki decided to get up much to Rose's delight, they had a shower and were about to get into their makeup and into their green dress and trouser suit respectively when Helen took a call. She listened attentively and after she was done, called out to herr partner.
"Hang on Nikki, we'll need to take our outfits with us and get on our jeans and T-shirts. It might be an idea to tip off Cassie and Roisin to do the same."
Nikki raised her eyebrows and once Helen had explained, she went and fished out a couple of smart carrier bags from the their favourite clothes shop.
Half an hour earlier, Trisha was deploying her best businesswoman's manner in the oil laden no frills reception area of the lorry hire depot. The man alongside the battered looking computer glanced curiously at the blonde who was dressed in a multi-coloured trouser suit but reckoned that her friend's driving licence and all the paperwork was in order. He was all businees as he showed the ropes to the dark-haired bird in the fancy black suit but looked disapprovingly at her high heels.
"You can't drive one of our lorries with heels like that. You're asking for trouble and wrap it round a lamp post."
"You didn't think I'd use these to drive this truck. My friend has my trainers. On a job like this, fashion comes second ," Sally-Anne replied in polite tones, suppressing her natural fire. She realised she'd got out of practice in dealing with men but she didn't tell him that Trisha had made this very point the evening before much against her will.
"Right you are fhen. Anyway, here are the keys," came the neutral reply.
Ten minutes later, Sally-Anne was cónscious of being perched on high, conscious of the front wheels far below her and the much heavier feel of the controls. She'd just about avoided splitting her skirt getting up to the driver's seat and Trisha was beside her, having had an easier job in her ascent. She was conscious of being part of the biggest thing on the road and could look down on all the four by four cars who needed to keep out of her path. She could see how truck drivers had their machismo though she was L-plateish as she struggled to haul the truch round corners. Pretty soon, she was bowling down the road and reached the Chix club. When she and Trisha had met up with the club staff who were helping with the sound system, she looked at the big open platform, the framework for the big bold white shaped lettering of the club, the contrasting shades and areas of pink with orange and green and the PA system and they realised that they were going to need more help with setting everything up than they'd banked on. Not least were the packets of coloured baloons that needed blowing up and bluetacking . It was at this point that Trisha phoned up Helen out of sheer desperation.
"You hang on Trisha and we'll all be round to help out," Helen said reassuringly to Trisha whose panic level thankfully subsided.
"Bless you, you guys. We'll be forever in your debt for this," Trisha exclaimed with a huge breath of relief. She knew how competent and businesslike their friends were.
As Cassie steered their big family Rover car, Michael and Niamh were in the back in holiday spirit and the change of clothing were in the large boot. Cassie turned her head briefly while keeping her eyes skinned on the red Peugeot going like a bat out of hell and zeroing them all along the line to Chix.
"How much work do you reckon needs doing Roashe?"
"There's quite a lot of furniture shifting from what Nikki was telling me. Blowing up balloons to decorate the truck may have to take a back seat," observed the dark-haired woman cautiously.
Michael nudged Niamh. The answer was obvious and they were sure Rose would be up for it even if she hadn't worked it out already.
When the two cars arrived outside the club, the float was half ready. The club staff had their hands full in setting up the sound system so a rather harrassed Trisha and Sally -Anne, dressed now in the nearest casual clothes that came to hand were on the first stages of fastening the letters of the club sign to the side of the trailer furthest away from them and had more work to do. They'd worked hard in draping pink and purple coverings on the sides and floor of the truck's main structure.
"Hey Trisha, the rescue team are at the ready," Nikki called out cheerfully. Trisha and Sally-Anne had been conscious of working against the clock in getting readty and broke into relieved smiles as the two cars rapidly disgorged their contents. Helen had the presence of mind to introduce Michael to the others who hadn't seen him before. After a rapid discussion took place, the three children got the feeling that they were being overlooked in the bustle to get ready so Michael stepped up to the mark.
"Do you want us to blow up the balloons Trisha? We're used to it from birthday parties," Michael offered in a curiously adult fashion and breaking into the discussion at just the right time.
"You're a star Michael. You all are," Trisha said with a heart warming smile that touched the lad. It made them feel a part of things. She fished out the packets which had been carelessly stashed among the pile of assorted objects and explained the colour pattern along the side of the truck and elsewhere.
"I've got enormous lungs.I can do this even though I'm the littleist," Rose exclaimed to appreciative grins. This was so like her.
"We can bluetack them to the truch we're not tall enough to go up very far," Michael intervened politely.
"I'll help you out children. I'm tall enough. We'll manage between us," Roisin said decisively, winning an admiring look from Cassie . Michael in particular greeted his mother's description of them as children tolerantly. A few months ago, it would have set him off at the deep end but he knew that they were treated as useful and a bit grown were dressed in their specially prepared T-shirts and jeans so they were well away. In the silence of the early morning, the whole crowd set to work with a will.
George and Alice were really excited as they drove off to Chix at high speed. They'd been on previous Pride carnivals and the big 2004 antiwar march but this was the first time that their club was high profile and it was special. They could feel it in their guts, the way that intensity of feeling flowed through their senses and Alice started them off singing some crazy song or other. Finally, the sight of a large truck, all decorated with pink and purple drapings, multicoloured balloons and stagings announced they were there. Michael, Niamh and Rose comprised the welcoming committee. All the two women could think of saying was "wow."
"We didn't do this all by ourselves George," Rose said gravely in a curious adult fashion."This is Michael and Niamh, my best friends." Michael remained open-mouthed as George in particular as she looked so stunning in her barrister get up. He was happy to let their friends do the talking.
"Our mums are having a quick wash and change along with Trisha and Sally-Anne. They won't be long," Niamh added helpfully.
After Jo and Jane's car swung to a halt and Karen's green MG sports car shortly followed, they claimed the last available car parking spaces as the lorry, now transformed into the Chix Pride float, occupied the bulk of the spare space. At that moment, the front doors of the club opened and Trisha led the group of women after her, coming to greet the rapidly expanding crowd. the children felt a little overawed at the crowd of confident women, dressed up to the nines as only Rose had seen them in pairs before as they'd childminded her. She hadn't seen them as a whole nor as flamboyantly dressed and as excitable.
"This looks so great," Jo found herself saying without thinking and didn't mind how obvious sher sounded.
"You're sure you're up to driving something this size?" Karen asked sally-Anne in concerned tones.
"Well, I drove it here at normal speed. It's a lot bigger than I'm used to but once we get to the assembly point, it'll be dead slow all the wayu and follow the crowd," Sally-Anne said, trying to sound positive to herself and the others. Though her trainers detracted from the glamour of the rest of the outfit, they made her feel grounded and that's what she needed right now.
"Time to get going you guys," Trisha declared while checking her watch."We've got three miles to go to the assembly point fairly slowly and we'll travel on top. I've got a portable ladder so we cal all get up comfortably."
"We'll be all right," volunteered Michael as he sensed the others needed encouraging at the thought of getting up on the platform which seemed formidably high up. He wanted their mums in particularly not to worry. Trisha took grateful advantage of this moment and flashed him a grateful smile.
As the crowd climbed up onto the platform and the stepladders brought up after them, Sally-Anne was already at the wheel. She turned the ignition and gently eased the truck into motion and everyone momentarily clutched onto each other as this novel way of transport took a little time to get used to. Trisha saw that Nikki was looking at the Chix club as they started to move and knew that both women perceived this as a landmark from when they'd set up the club together all those years ago. This was a tangible fruit of their labours.
"We're off you guys," called out Helen cheerily as she got used to the sense of movement. Someone had to step up to call for this crowd to move onwards and upwards on a day like this and it might as well be Helen as anyone.