I was happy to accept any distraction, plus I felt like I owed Colette for all her hospitality and kindness.
"Yes"
I answered simply in French and set to work.

Once I had a basin filled with warm water I began taking plates and cuterly, dipping them under the soapy water, scrubing them clean and the rising them off.
It was easy work... childs work you could even say... but there was plenty of it, enough to take my mind off things. Colette certainly seemed full of good ideas.

The only problem was I didn't know where everything was supposed to go so I just arranged everything I'd cleaned to my left beside the sink, leaving it to dry in the air.

There was a sharp knife at the bottom of the basin.
"Don't even think about it." I scornfully told myself. I didn't know quite how but I was going to get through this, Colette would help me.

I washed the knife and placed it with the other clean iteams.

Colette smiled, Jo looked much happier to be working, and the child was a pretty good washer. Only once had she had to stop the child and point out somthing she'd failed to clean. Colette got a cloth and began drying things and putting them away after Jo finished them. As they worked she hummed a tune her mother had hummed when they'd done chores toghether as a child.

After they were finished with all the items, she watched as Jo drained the sinks, and handed the child a towel to dry her hands. "Thank you very much Jo, you were a wonderful help." Colette thought for a minute. "The constable will be here soon, in the mean time do you want me to help you learn more French words?" She'd considered asking help with the laundry, but it occured to her that Jo probably would be distressed by the sight of her wet sheets. Besides, the machine did most of the work, help would probably just make the job harder. So instead she'd settled on this method of taking the childs mind off things. She was a teacher afterall, it made sense for her to teach.

It was pleasent to hear Colette's humming mix with the splashing water and the twittering of birds outside. I didn't recognise the tune, maybe it was French songm but I never I probably wouldn't forget it now.

Once everything was done I sighed and accepted the drying towel from Colette, my hands hand gone wrinkly and felt strange now. It was nice to have cleared up the kitchen but it was also over all too soon.

I listened as Colette tried to ask me something. The only words I really got from it were, 'thank you very much' and 'French'.

"Speak in French?" I asked. Really I would have liked to have asked if she wanted to teach me more French, but that phrase was the best I could do for now.
I nodded, some of my hair falling from where I had tucked it behind my ear earlier. Having long hair could be bothersome, I wondered if I should get it cut?

"Yes, teach you more French" Colette wasn't sure what to start with. She supposed asking the child what words she wanted to know was a good idea, but since she couldnt' do that they should start with household object. the girl seemed to know food well enough.

So for the next twenty minutes Colette tried to teach the girls the words for kitchen, sink, table (which she already knew) the other rooms of the house, lights. Then there was a knock at the door.

"The constable. Alright Jo, now just follow me out to the living room, and we'll talk to him and get you sorted out. " She gestured for Jo to follow.

(I'm turning in for the night, see you tommorow. Btw, do you want to play any other characters, or should I control the constable. I was thinking he could speak a little english, but not be very good at it)

I was supprised when the doorbell rang and wondered who it could be. Anyone really. However I did know one thing, I felt uncomfortable at the idea of other people seeing me as a girl. Yeah I know that's quite werid but it's because I felt like I could trust Colette. For some reason I was worried other people where going to see right through me and laugh at the man stuck in a girls body.

Fortunatly I wasn't expected to answer the door, I was lead to the living room again. I guessed Colette just wanted me out of the way while she answered the door for her guest.
Realising I had nothing to do but wait, I sat down on the seatte and started revising which Frech words I had learnt in my head.

"Good morning constable, thank you for coming over so quickly." Colette was relieved, hopefully now someone could finally help Jo.

"No trouble madam, I always try to get lost people home safely, I know what its like to be lost." The constable refered to the incident where he'd wondered off as a boy and had been stuck in the woods for three days. I thad been the talk of the town for over a month. "Now, I haven't gotten any reports of missing people, so I've no idea who she could be. Please tell me everything."

"Oh certainly, oh would you like a seat, and maybe somthing to drink sir?" Colette was eager to help Jo but that didn't excuse her from being a good hostess.

"The seat is appreciated, but no need for a drink. I'm on the job afterall." Anton smiled as he took a chair not quite opposite Jo. From here he could see the girl, but still face Colette. "Now, what happened?"

Colette told him everything, finding Jo, their communication problems, to Jo's strange phonecall. The only thing she left out was Jo's wetting, figuring the girl wouldn't want it spread over town. "Do you think you can help? I'm really worried about her"

Anton sat back for a moment, considering what he'd been told. "Sounds like there's reason to worry, finding a child drunk, the person she called not being willing to help her. This girl is probably mixed up in somthing unsavory, although I don't want to try and speculate as to what. Certainly she needs help. My English stinks to high heavan I'm afraid, but I'll try to talk to her. Maybe I can get some idea of what's going on, and then we'll decide what to do next. "

With that the constable turned his chair to face the girl and leaned forward. "Josephine. I am Anton, I am police. Tell me what happen please can you?" His accent was attrocious, but the words were understandable.

I could hear Colette and her guest speaking in the hall way. A man's voice, maybe she had a husband? I tried to remember if I had seen a ring upon her fingers at any stage but despite the fact she'd had her hands quite close and personal a few times now, I actually couldn't recall if they had been ringed or not.

While I wondered. Colette and her guest entered the room. I shrank alittle in my chair, I'd been hoping not to be seen, however the man didn't seem phased to see me sitting there as a cute well turned girl in pretty green dress rather than a young male student. Prohaps I had been wrong about people being able to see through me. Not that that really helped of course but it did save me embrassement.

Eventually the man turned his attenton to me fully... I'd had to endure concerned glances as he spoke to Colette... and spoke to me in English.
I sat bolt upright and betrayed myself with a girlish voice that squealed with excitement.
"You speak English!"
He was instantly my new best friend... but where did I even begin? I didn't want a repeat of what had occured with my mother... Still I could only tell the story as it happened, even if it was insane.

"My name isn't Josephine, It's Joseph. Joseph Kingston. I'm from England but I'm going to be studying at university in Leon after the Summer, so I came here to try and learn some French before I started but I met this old lady when I was on the mountain, and she tried to climb on my back so I accidently threw her in the water, then she started speaking in English and said something about 'needing time to learn'. And she spat water in my face but when I opened my eyes she was gone. Then tried to get back to my hostel before nightfall but I fainted or something. When I woke up I was in Colette's house but now I'm not me, I'm this girl. So I need help finding the old woman so she can change me back into a man!"
Maybe that was abit much?

Colette didn't know what Jo just said, and she pretty certain that constable Anton didn't either. By the look of him, his head was spinning.

"Did you understand that? Colette knew it was kind of a stupid question, but she felt compelled to ask it anyway.

".........no" replied Anton, it was true, he hadn't understood half the words the girl had used, she was speaking to fast. And what he did understand made no sense. He must have gotten somthing mixed up.

"Child, talk slow please. I no that good at english. Now, what happen?" Hopefully this time he would get some sense.

I frowned, my fine eyebrows knoting but I knew it was my own fault, too much information at once.
Sitting alittle forward on my chair so I was looking the policeman directly in the eye, I spoke slowly and clearly.

"My name is Joseph Kingston. I'm 20 years old. I'm from England but I'm going to be studying at the Univeristy of Leon after this Summer."

"What? the constable blinked a few times. This time he understood, but that still made no sense. "Why parents name you Joseph, boy name it is right?' Start there. He supposed the girl could be older than she looked, he'd met another girl like that once, although not to anywhere near this degree. He could have sworn she was 14 or so. Still if she was going to the university that could be useful, registered students were kept on record, and there would be emergency contact numbers and mailing addresses on file, make it easier to get the girl home.

Colette wasn't sure what was going on, but elected to remain silent and let the constable work.