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Dear Lorraine,
Judith has suggested I tell you of my first meeting with her sister, Helen.
After the meeting with my mother, when Judith acted up a bit for her, Mum decided that this was the right sort of girl for me, and we continued to visit from time to time, though often a bit more conventionally dressed. We still wore our macs and scarves, but were not always muffled up to the eyes as on the first visit.
It was later that year when I met Helen. She had been living in the United States, but things had gone wrong for her and she needed to return to England in a bit of a hurry, so Judith arranged for Helen to stay with her for a while. She was due to arrive on a Saturday, in October, and we expected her in the late afternoon. I had been unwell that week, with a stomach bug, but I was feeling better, and I promised Judith I would go to her place on Saturday as usual, but I would wrap myself up warmly. I wore my usual waterproof trousers and my anorak, a heavy scarf over my face between my balaclava and anorak hood, and my gaberdine with my heavier waterproof nylon mac over it, and, for extra warmth, I wore my cycle cape with an extra scarf tied round the collar of it. When I arrived at Judith's, Helen had already arrived, several hours early, but she had to wait until Judith had helped me to unwrap myself before I could be introduced properly.
She was- still is - quite a forthright lady, and several times during the day she asked me if I was all right, was I warm enough, and did I dress like an eskimo all the time? I replied that it was unusual for me to be quite so well wrapped up, at this time of the year, but yes, I did wear my anorak and raincoat pretty much all the time for cycling, but just a trenchcoat for work with a waterproof over the top in wet weather. I overheard her remark to Judith that I seemed to be OK but weird, to which Judith replied that she often wrapped herself up in much the same way when she visited me, so Helen was duly silenced. During the day, we went out, and as usual I wore my anorak and scarf, with the overtrousers but shoes instead of wellingtons. Judith wore her trenchcoat and red mac and sou'wester, but Helen wore a simple jacket over her trousers and jumper, and spent most of the time looking embarrassed.
Later on, when it was time for me to go home, I went into the hallway with Judith to get dressed, and Helen came and stood watching. I explained that I would have to say goodbye before I was ready to go, as my scarf prevented me from speaking properly, so I kissed Judith, said goodbye to Helen, and then wrapped my face up, before putting on my hood and my gaberdine. Judith asked me if I was going to wear my overmac or cape, and I nodded yes to both, so I buttoned myself into the mac, and Judith helped me on with my cape and tied my extra scarf tightly round my collar. Helen's face was a picture, and, although I left off the cape when I saw her the next day, she still continued to look at me very strangely, and we still went for a walk in our usual outfits, with me in my waterproof mac over my anorak. That evening, when I went home, she actually stood in the hall with Judith, and handed me my various garments to put on. She even checked the top button and belt on each of my raincoats, and when she realised that my gaberdine had a buttoned collar fastening, she did it up for me. At the end, I still had the extra scarf which I had worn , and tied it firmly over my mouth and chin, tying it in a double knot behind my neck. then she told me she thought I looked hilarouus, and burst out laughing, and simply couldn't stop. Judith was, I think, upset, but I was mortified, as I had never thought anything of the way I dressed. Eventually she calmed down and apologised, but she has never really come to terms with our outdoor clothing habits.
John
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