As soon as they stepped back into the dining room the young couple were quickly noticed. Bill didn’t get the opportunity to just sneak back to his/her seat. Someone in a voice he didn’t recognise called out ‘Welcome to the family Bill’ It looked like one of Clover’s aunts but she was sitting in the seat formerly occupied by Michelle. Half of her table had apparently changed. One of Clover’s female cousins was sitting where Charlie had been sitting earlier.
Bill took her seat. And looked up to the tree. One of the gay guys, Drew if she recalled correctly was unwrapping a present. He whooped when he unwrapped a purple dress.
Jim who had not yet changed greeted Bill ‘Hi, feeling better now?’
‘Barely’ Once more Bill was shocked to hear Clover’s voice come out. ‘Clover said it was some sort of test to see if I’m suitable for the family. I gather they did the same to you?’
‘Yep. And I’m grateful that they did. It’s some experience. I’ll never forget my week as Clare. You will come to appreciate your spouse like you never have imagined’
‘Who have you been in other years?’
‘This is only my third Christmas. Last year I was Andrew’
‘The guy getting changed now?’
‘Yep’
‘He’s gay isn’t he’
‘Yep. But it was actually quite suitable. As Clare was Uncle Rex. You will find this family is pretty progressive when it comes to attitudes towards sexuality’
‘It didn’t seem that way when all the girls had to cook and serve us dinner’
‘Mm yeah that’s just for Christmas. It’s a tradition the girls instituted. I think more for the benefit of guys who get to be female for the week. You will be expected to help clear the dishes when we have a break. I’m afraid your in for a week of having a girl’s role while Clover goes fishing. Oh look Drew has got Rose’
Bill looked up to the front of the room. It looked like Rose was now wearing the purple dress Drew had unwrapped earlier. However her twin, the real Rose was still sitting across the table.
Meanwhile Oscar the tattooed Hispanic was at the tree unwrapping a gift. He held up a pale blue dress. It looked like he too was going to become female.
The next person to exit “The bathroom” was Clover’s father, Dad/Mr Wilson/Richard. Bill realised inside that body was Drew’s partner Arthur.
Oscar entered the bathroom and Rose went to the tree and selected a present. She revealed a pair of board shorts. Jim nudged Bill ‘They are mine. Rose will be me for the week’ Bill could see Jim was excited. She looked to Clover on her left. Clover would be “Bill” for the week. It was a funny feeling that someone else had your identity.
Oscar was a long time in the bathroom. When the door opened there was a hush when everyone noticed “Ma”, Clover’s grandmother shuffling out. She was wearing the pale blue dress Oscar had just unpacked. Oscar was going to have a week as an eighty year old woman. However she didn’t seem too concerned. She actually had a beaming smile on her face.
‘Oh wow’ Bill couldn’t help but to iterate her thoughts. She couldn’t image being that old. If she had to be female for a week she was glad she was young and beautiful. ‘I didn’t think the oldies would swap’
‘Why not?’ asked Clover in her deep voice.
‘Well they might get sick or have a heart attack. What would Oscar do then?’
‘If she gets sick we can change her back to being Oscar or into someone else. In the meantime Oscar can appreciate the joys of being old’
‘What’s there to appreciate about being old?’
‘Maybe one day your will find out. I can tell you now that last year I was Uncle Eric and everyone was polite to me and… well it was good how everyone respected my opinions. It wasn’t too bad at all’
‘What? You spent Christmas last year as an 80 year old man?’
‘I was 91 actually. Uncle Eric and Pop would both be 92 now’
‘And how old is Oscar currently’
‘She’s only a spring chicken. Ma is 84’
Meanwhile the twin of Mr Wilson had sat down across the table from Bill and the new “Rose” was sitting on his lap and giving him a kiss. This was happening as the old Rose now in Jim’s form was escorting his elderly spouse “Ma” back to their seats.
Bill took a moment to look around at the changes that must have taken place while he was in the room with baby Jack. She asked Clover ‘How do you remember who is who?’
‘That’s half the fun of it. You don’t even try. Call everyone by the name they appear to be and treat them as you would treat that person. ‘I’ll be calling Oscar “Ma” for the week and help her negotiate stairs etc. Also if someone calls out “Clover” it’s you they are after, I’ll answer to Bill’
‘You will have to remind me who Charlie and Michelle are now in that case’. And can I assume the two people next to them are Simon and Melinda?'
Yep. That’s Aunt Linda and Stacey, further down are Terry and Robert and yes they formerly were Simon and Melinda’
So what happens to families and sleeping arrangements? I mean do Oscar and Rose still look after their twins?’
‘Yes. It’s really up to the individuals what they do but mostly couples will stay together. I imagine Ma and Jim will share a bed and they will look after the twins. However the twins are too young to know what is happening and they will pine for their real Mum and Dad so Arthur and whoever gets Oscars body may be required to help out’
‘What about young Jack? He’s still being breastfed. He needs his Mum’
‘Oh I suspect that could well be another situation where the present selection is rigged. We'll see’
‘And what happens to older kids. Do they stay with their parents?’
‘They get to choose. I know until I was 10 I stayed with my real Mum and Dad no matter which bodies I or they were in. Later I had a few Christmas’s where I stayed with the parents of the body I occupied. When I was 17 I spent Christmas as a 5 year old Lori, spending the week living with Charlie and Michelle who just happened to be in the bodies of Lori’s real life parents, Kimberly and Robert. That was handy as I helped them look after Nicky who was still a toddler’
Bill admitted to Clover ‘I think I’m just getting myself more confused’