Lanterns on Lake Pontchartrain
An Acadiana Transgender Story

-7-
The Road to Baton Rouge

Do you ever wonder why, exactly it is that, even thought it was nice and warm and sunny just yesterday, suddenly it’s bitter cold and rainy today. Why sometimes there are sudden snowstorms in the middle of the Nevada dessert? Why lightning seems to be striking the houses of corrupt politicians far more often nowadays? Why did it rain fire on the wedding of a corrupt oil tycoon? And why has climate change suddenly reversed?

Well, that’s all thanks to me. I am the Weather Girl. I can manipulate the weather at will, and have been doing it for years now.

(Updated 1.6.24)

Rene Auclair stared at the card.

The last two years were difficult. The pandemic triggered a new business model for the company. Working from home, there is little work related human interaction. Some enjoy these changes. For me, having replaced Darren Rogers as Networking Director in the middle of the pandemic has been hard. I’ve never met in person with some of my subordinates.

Charlie

Late last year I was asked to interview a resident of a care home. I was told that he was over ninety but still very lucid. It was in the build-up to Christmas and I couldn’t see the point for a fashion magazine, but his daughters were insistent that he had a story to tell our readers. I had my misgivings, but went along anyway with only my phone to record the interview.

Charlie walked with a frame and guided me back to his room with the help of his daughter Claire. Once seated, he began his tale.

Jane, recently divorced, looks for a reconciliation with her daughter, Sarah.

This is a story I had given up on. It just seemed trite. Then I realized I was telling it from the wrong viewpoint. Mathew's viewpoint may may offend or trigger some people, but here it is.

It was the worst holiday I can remember. No, it was the worst day I can remember, period.

I was in the kitchen helping Mary cut up a pork loin for our traditional New Years day family dinner of shrimp cocktails followed by chop suey when Jeremy came down the stairs. I couldn’t take it all in at once. It was all just total perversion.

Lost and Found

“At your age how do you avoid the social services and the schools people?”

“Mostly by hanging with adults, like you. If they see me with a grown up they go to bother someone else. That woman over there is one of them. That’s why I decided to talk to you.”

“How did you know I was safe? I could have been a child molester or anything.”

“Naw. I’m good at weighing people up. You’re a veteran with PTSD. I’ve met hundreds like you on the streets. Nice men who gave everything they had to the government and then got threwn away on the garbage heap.”

Photo by Mikhail Nilov: https://www.pexels.

Remember back in middle school, when you had to take English? Maybe you don't, having mercifully forgotten the torture of middle school. Even though middle school was not something I really wanted to enshrine in my book of memories, I do remember Mrs Gore's English Class. A very appropriate name, Gore, as most of us felt we had been slashed to bloody ribbons by the end of the class.

"I can't believe we struck out again" Ezra said while keeping his eyes on the road.

"Speak for yourself dude, I wasn't searching" I replied before turning to look out the window.

It was dark out now so I couldn't see very far but there was nothing to see anyway. It would just be more empty fields on either side of the road. It had been empty fields for the past 20 minutes and so it would remain for the next half hour.

The new year comes with new resolutions. For Kenny, he wants to confess to his longtime crush, Jason. Of course, that's easier said than done. Kenny decides to clear his head with a night on the town crossdressing, but when he does, he meets an interesting girl who is more than meets the eyes.

A New Year's Promise

I promised her this year would be different from all the others. That this year would be the year she could finally come out from hiding in the shadows, up till now she had only been allowed to come out. This year I've finally worked up the courage to allow her to spread her wings and soar high into the heavens. To walk the freshly tilled earth, to feel the gentle breath of spring, the warm of summer sunshine, the cool crispy of autumn air and to feel the sting of winter's breath upon her rosy cheeks.

Dot and Sam3

Dorothy Philpot. Landlady of The Harbour Light pub
Sam Philpot. Drag-queen.
Billy Parkins Doorkeeper.
Jessica Merlot The town’ and county archaeologist.
Josephine MacDonald The town and county archivist
Richard Drummond Town planning inspector
Robert Vincent. Junior planning inspector.

Orphan Petal

September 2023 - Part 4

Just as Shirley is happy with who he is, things change

Patience, practice, perseverance……..That was my new years resolution this year. I didn’t come up with that on my own, though. It is what Mr. Jolden, my karate teacher, says whenever someone in the class is struggling. I’m not as good as some of the kids I started the class with but that’s not Mr. Jolden’s fault. Unlike some of them, I only take one class a week. I started going because dad said that spending all my free time practicing guitar and making videos wasn’t good for my health. He was right; I was looking kind of fat in the videos.

Dot and Sam 2

Dorothy Philpot. Landlady of The Harbour Light pub
Sam Philpot. Drag-queen.
Billy Parkins Doorkeeper.
Jessica Merlot The town’ and county archaeologist. (Jessie)
Josephine MacDonald The town and county archivist
(Joe)
Richard Drummond Town planning inspector
Robert Vincent. Junior planning inspector.

A High school child runs away from home to escape an abusive step father and step brother.

”My New Year Resolution is to the win the school beauty pageant this year!”

That came at the end of several days of not so subtle pressure on me. Not to participate in the pageant but to “man up” and be more assertive and competitive. My family is very competitive. No matter what, they always competed. Sports, academics, work … you name it. My big brother was the school quarterback, my big sister was the girls’ athletics team leader. Since they were twins and seniors they also competed to be the valedictorian. That fight was vicious.

Mark - recently widowed, must face his new life, can he find his joy?