Dear Jo -
My partner and I have recently decided to split up, so I'm looking for a place to live a bit closer to Ipswich. I'm on the mailing lists of a number of estate agents, and if I see something which I think I might like, I check it out on my own first, then perhaps follow it up with a guided tour later. Tuesday morning's post brought some preliminary details on several properties; I quite liked the look of one particular bungalow on the western outskirts of Ipswich, so I had the agents fax the full details to work. The following day was the FXG summer barbecue at the Fox and Hounds; I took the day off to get ready at leisure, then left home in the mid-afternoon to check out the bungalow and a couple of other properties on the way to the barbecue. Although I had no intention of knocking on any doors at this stage, it was quite possible that I'd be seen wandering around the neighbourhoods, so I'd dressed sensibly - my blonde wig, white sleeveless teeshirt, long black skirt and black chunky-heeled strappy sandals.
Arriving at the bungalow, I scribbled a few preliminary notes while sitting in the car; then, as it was partly invisible from the road, I got out to have a better look. Meanwhile, I noticed a young girl of about seven years of age riding up and down the road on her bike. When she saw me, she stopped and stared, looking a little bewildered. I smiled, and she rode away. "Hell", I thought. "What if she's my next-door neighbour? Nah, couldn't be ......"
Well, I liked the look of the bungalow, so Thursday morning I called the estate agent from work, and booked an appointment for 6.30 that evening to have a guided tour. I arrived at 6.25, got out the car ...... and there was the girl again. Although I was in male mode now, she appeared to recognise me, so I said a polite "hello". Then, leaning on my car waiting for the agent to arrive, I watched in disbelief as she promptly ran into the bungalow I was about to look around! I could hear her voice in my mind: "Mummy, that man who was dressed in women's clothes is back. Is he coming in here?" Oh shit!
Ten minutes passed. The agent hadn't arrived, so I cautiously walked up the path on my own and rang the bell. A woman answered. "Hello", I said. "I've arranged to have a look around the house. The agent isn't here yet, but I'm on a bit of a tight schedule - could I come in on my own?" "You're Mr ...... ?" She waited for me to give my name, then smiled, and invited me in. The agent had rung her earlier, so she was expecting me, but apparently agents don't always accompany prospective buyers nowadays, preferring to let them talk directly to the vendors if possible. So I stepped in, and caught sight of an older girl, whom I immediately recognised from my amateur music group! After we'd exchanged pleasantries, I began to wonder - everyone in the music group knows that I crossdress, and if the younger girl had said anything about the blonde lady she'd seen on Wednesday afternoon ......
Meanwhile, the woman was showing me around the bungalow. It's an attractive place, and is ideally suited to my needs: it has plenty of wardrobe space (perfect for all my dresses and skirts!) with a built-in vanity table and mirror in the main bedroom, and there's a small secluded south-facing garden out the back. And the garage? Down the bottom of the front path! "Hmmm - not much chance of getting out dressed without being noticed", I thought. But I'm about to start living a new life on my own so I can go where I want and do what I want, dressed if I wish, without having to think about the effects on a partner. So why try to hide? Nevertheless, I mentioned privacy, and asked about the neighbours - she said they were OK. Then: "I ask because ...... well, has your younger daughter mentioned seeing me yesterday? Maybe something about a man wearing a skirt, high heels and a wig?" "No!" she smiled. "Was it you?" "Yes, I'm a crossdresser," - I looked at the older girl - "but you already know that, don't you?" The girl nodded and grinned. We all laughed as I recounted the previous day's events, and described my horror at seeing the younger daughter running into the house I was about to look around! "She never mentioned seeing you," was the reply," but I'll ask her and see what she says." So in the light of these new facts, we talked about how the neighbours and the local community might react to having an 'out' tranny living in their midst, and the conclusion was that it'll probably be a big non-issue - and if I'm completely honest about things up front, no-one should fear me. I remembered reading just this on a newsgroup earlier in the day: people generally don't get pissed off with crossdressers per se - but they do get pissed off at being deceived by us.
Well, I liked the property generally, and I said so - however, I wasn't sure whether I was comfortable with the idea of living in a bungalow as opposed to a house, so I went home to sleep on it. Unfortunately, Friday morning found me just as undecided, so I arranged to go back there for a second time that evening. But one look at the place on my return visit was enough to win me over, and I made an offer there and then. How could I refuse? Especially when I learnt that the husband's ex-wife is the very same lady who's agreed to make me a fairy outfit for my Christmas party! The purchase is currently being progressed through our solicitors.
So had the young girl on the bike recognised me? Apparently not. She'd remembered seeing the blonde lady on Wednesday, but hadn't realised that it was the same person as the balding man who'd come round on Thursday. And this was despite me wearing an over-the-top hairstyle, too much make-up, and no boobs! The story goes that, when she was told, she shrugged her shoulders and ran off to play.
Adapted from a personal letter.