Three Wise Men and Maggi
by Julie D Cole

Jesci has appeared in front of The Three Wise Men and they found their star at last. They hope. How to persuade her to go back to meet Maggi.

Posted on the day to celebrate the coming of the Three Wise Men.

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Jim stroked his beard as he looked at Jesci and shook his head. ‘Amazing.’ He turned to Kathy ‘Did you know?

‘Not exactly. ’
‘Did Len know? ‘

‘Well yes we both knew. But not at first Jesus turned up to a Karaoke night a few months ago and was introduced by a friend of his as a new student in town who had a unique singing style. Lots of students try out and think they can sing because they practised in the shower. Usually they are full of themselves but Jesus just turned up ordered a coke and then he walked up to the stage and just stood and sang. ‘

áou said he just stood and sang. Does that mean he sang in a normal voice or was he imitating somebody? ‘

‘Funny you say that. At first it was hard to tell if he was a boy or a girl and we came to the conclusion he was a boyish girl with a wonderful voice. We thought she may be embarrassed about her masculine features but her voice was that of an angel and when she sang it didn’t seem to matter if she was butch or lesbian or if she batted for the other side. ‘

‘So it sounds like you thought she was a girl and not a boy as she inferred tonight when she pulled off her wig. Tell me I wasn’t dreaming. She is a boy isn’t she?’

‘I’m still not sure but we are assured she is Jesus and not Jesci. She left us gob smacked though. She sang a Whitney Houston song so perfectly that nobody wanted her to stop and the usual practice of one night only and one song was quickly abandoned. What we saw later was that she, or he, can also sing with a deeper voice but she is at her best when Jesci is singing and as you saw she has all the feminine moves and mannerisms. If she is a boy I’ll eat Len’s hat.’

‘Do you think she’ll talk about it if we go inside since it’s important. I can hardly nominate a boy to take the lead role when the part requires such a demure and feminine character? ‘

‘Why not if she fits the part why not hire her?’

‘Well what if it came out and the audience felt duped? What if her voice breaks and she can’t reach the high notes? ‘

‘ Well life is full of if’s and buts but Jesci is a star so she wouldn’t let anybody down. ‘

‘How did you establish if it was Jesci like a boy or Jesus like a girl who was singing? ‘

‘We didn’t and even when Len finally established Jesus was his true identity and located his mother to verify it we were still uncertain. He seemed to have lots of female and male friends as Jesci but when he appeared one night as Jesus everybody thought it was some sort of drag act going on and word got around. I’ve never seen The Stables so full. The power of facebook I suppose. Suddenly Jesci was having to deny she was a drag act and her friends sorted her out. Jesci can put on quite a show when she is in full female attire and that night she was rigged out in a leotard, tights and man boobs were converted to fem boobs quicker than a sponge cake rises in the oven. ‘

‘So did that mean Jesci was the regular singer and Jesus took a back seat?’

፠guess so for a while until Jesci confided that she wanted to get into theatre but she didn’t want to be known as a drag act. We agreed to help through some of our contacts. We agreed to send Jesci to a leading agent we know in Manchester and she turned up as Jesus so the audition fell a bit flat. The agent offered to sign him up but because of his shyness he wanted to put Jesus in a boy band that he’d formed. Jesus didn’t really fit so he gave a flat no. We found out later that one of the group didn’t like him and we concluded it was someone who used to bully him at school. ‘

‘So what happened?’

‘Nothing much , for a while at least. He just walked away from us and didn’t come back to The Stables. He was upset that he couldn’t get praise as himself and Jesci was so successful. I guess he was trying to fight off the jealousy so to make it easier he decided to focus on his education. The trouble is he was in the music and arts section so not much chance to avoid singing or performing and especially not with his tutor who encouraged his students to express themselves and be more extrovert. ‘

‘So why did you or Len invite him tonight? Why were you so sure he would turn up? ‘

‘Because even though he never sang he still came regularly to our place and Len was always trying to tempt him by playing his favourite numbers. We almost got him on stage last week so it was just a matter of time before he stepped out again and we saw Jesci back on stage. Well our little stage for what it is. It’s hardly the London Palladium is it? ‘

‘Well he certainly looks the part when he is in costume as we saw tonight. Why the dress and the make-up? ‘

‘Truth is he arrived in drag so to speak so I took him upstairs. The dress and the wig are mine and it didn’t take long to apply make up. She doesn’t need much. Anyway I did tempt her by saying I’d treat her to a Spa day if Jesci turned up but really it was the chance to show her skills in front of 3 professionals like you that clinched it. You don’t know what it’s like to be a girl but Jesus does and she likes it. ‘

‘ Whilst he wasn’t singing here it didn’t stop Jesci having her play time. Jesus started to buy his own girl clothes and behave differently that was noticed. Even though he turns up as Jesus sometimes people take him as female. As far as our regulars are concerned Jesci is a young girl looking for a break. He still studies as Jesus, but, with his mothers blessing Jesci appears as well. Sometimes even at college and especially if there is chance to perform in front of class. Jesus has also been working part time as Jesci at a hair salon where he can earn more money in tips than Jesus can earn filling up shelves at Tesco. Jesci is a natural and became very popular in the salon with customers and the owner too who is called Philip. I did wonder if something was going on and feared we had caused this. Although to be fair Jesci has a few close girlfriends and I know she has spent a few nights with Amanda who first brought her here. They seem well suited and Amanda watches out for her.

‘Does Jesci’s mother really accept Jesci then? Doesn’t she object to him living as female ? ‘

‘ Yes and no. As far as I am aware. His mother is keen for him to complete his studies and get qualified. He’s now in sixth form college, where as I said, he focuses on music and arts. We helped Jesus to persuade his mother to move here and she took a job locally at a travel agents. I understand she was a pretty good dancer and worked professionally before Jesus came along. Split up from Jesus’dad by all accounts and then got married to some brute of a man who used to beat Jesus until he drove him out. They lost contact till Len found her and when we told her that he’d been a sensation at ‘The Stables’she upped and within 24 hrs she was on our doorstep bag in hand determined to support Jesus and also to find a new life. So please help because they need a break even if it is a female part Jesci can do it. She is so keen to get a chance whatever she said earlier.’

ፒll do my best but it’s not all down to me. I’m just one of three wise men sent to find a star. Funny we were sent by Maggi. Maybe Jesus is our star after all and so rest assured if Maggi sees anything to develop Jesus or Jesci will be pushed all the way. So what about mum was she pleased with Jesci or sad to lose her so”?’

‘Look she’s been smitten ever since she saw him sing and when she realised she had a daughter as well as a son she was over the moon. She soon saw how happy it made him to be Jesci and that not only was he talented but he was very beautiful. If anything the make-up and wig make Jesci look a little too old and she doesn’t need props. Except for the bust of course that any girl would be proud of.’

‘Would she agree to Jesci coming for an audition? What if Maggi likes him and offers him a part?’

‘Well looking at her she seems quite relaxed about the situation and I know she worries for his future as Jesus because he’s too shy. She feels he is a different person and much more confident as Jesci. We talked about it a lot and she said it made him happy. I don’t think it was much of a surprise to see him dressed as a girl. ‘

Jim looked across at Jesci and her mother. They could have been sisters because his mother wasn’t so old. They both had the legs for show business and maybe Jesci had inherited this feature from mum. Looking at Jesus even without the wig he was as feminine as any other girl who’d auditioned. Whilst Jesus did look like his mother he also reminded him of someone else but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. If he could persuade her to audition maybe Maggi would know who it was. He just had to persuade Jesci to come with them and also the other two wise men for that matter.

By now Jesci seemed more relaxed and Jim smiled across at the pair of them and then stepped forward and took her hand. It was soft and slim. Dare he tell Maggi he’d found a potential lead who was a boy? Should he tell her up front Jesci was a boy or tell her after the audition? Maggi ought to understand more than anybody. But she might not accept it anyway since this was a big venture for Maggi and all her savings had been ploughed into it. Still first step was to talk with Jescis and his mum and to consult with his two partners. In the end he decided it was better for this to be a committee decision than to risk taking all the flack himself.

The music room was now half empty as it was mid-week and the stragglers were younger students. Len had announced two of the singers had been selected for auditions and said a third was checking availability. Jescis seemed to be his protégé so he wasn’t going to see him shy away from this opportunity even if the role was intended for a young woman or teenage girl.

Jack and Johnnie took all the contact details and the two girls selected went away very happy. They’d already called Maggi so it was out of Jims hands. They told Maggi they had 3 options for her and that one was very special and would be a sensation. Maggi was excited at last so she urged them to hurry back. Jack assured Jim that there had been no mention of Jescis being Jesus and as luck would have it they too felt was better left until she saw Jesci and the other two candidates. Johnnie knew Maggi had had some tough times and he felt she might not agree with them so chances were that this would be a failed mission. Jack was neutral but Jim was far more optimistic.

Whilst it was tempting to try they all concluded it was a bit much to expose Jescis to a lot of questions at such an hour but at least she’d accepted and it was agreed Kathy would go with them to help with dress and make up as Jesci’s mum was working. So another call to Maggi and everything was fixed for the morrow.

Jesci tossed and turned all night worrying about the audition and trying to decide if this was a wise course or a foolish one and wondering how she might improve her appearance and remove any male features. She didn’t want anybody to ridicule her and this was a chance to spend more time as Jesci and let Jesus be the one who only comes out now and again. She soon fell asleep trying to remember all the songs she’d heard when she saw the stage production of the Wizard of Oz. Her last thoughts were of what she might wear and if she had time to borrow something more appropriate from one of the girls.

To be continued ………………………………