A panel truck pulls up. A handsome, clean cut young man gets out, walks beside the girl and begins talking to her. The girl obviously uneasy starts walking faster trying hard not to pay attention. The man follows and just as she starts to hurry he grabs her, covers her mouth and pulls her into the truck the back doors of which now stand open. Books and purse scatter.

Part 22 - Leticia.2

Darlene wakes to see a low cloud cover through his window which is wafting in from the Pacific which lies fifteen miles due west of the house. Oak trees visible through the glass are twisting a bit in the wind. Dry leaves swirl around the house unchecked. Since José stopped coming no one has raked them. The squirrels are not around. At least none can be seen near this window.

The overcast means it’s chilly outside though the sun will burn through by noon. Summer in Northern California is by no means consistently warm and bears absolutely no resemblance to the sunny beach climate around Los Angeles. The weather around Nicasio is usually best in late Fall right up to Thanksgiving in November.

“What a funny dream,” he thinks smiling to himself, him and Marlene meeting this funny-looking lady among those trees. “Oh, yes, Jenny was here too.” Everything seems muddled but he feels good and energized. He stretches knocking over Growl and Susie. “Oops, I’m sorry,” he says, cuddles both dolls in his arms, then sets them upright. Swinging his legs together over the edge of the bed he flips his hair back with both hands. His legs and arms look smooth and white and he feels pleased. He poses his hands in different graceful positions and peers closely at his manicure.

In the vanity mirror his complexion is clear and even, lips full, eyes tilted slightly, sparkly even though just out of bed. He rubs moisturizer over his face, neck, hands and arms and drops his nightie in front of the mirror. “What a skinny body.” He sees the little thingie between his legs and frowns.

He pulls bikinis out of the drawer and a long floral shift from the closet, steps into a pair of sandals and goes downstairs to breakfast. No corset this time. He realizes he’s getting tired of it. At the last minute he grabs a yellow cardigan because it will be cool at least for awhile.

“Hi, mom.” He crosses over to kiss Linda who gapes at his fluid, delicate movements, arms swinging at his sides as he heads to the kitchen. He seems to float as he sits down to a small bowl of breakfast cereal and slices from an orange.

Putting the clean dishes in the drying rack Linda says “The doctor says you have to get out and be with people so I want you to come with me today while I visit customers.”

Darlene nods and no doubts about being “seen” cross his mind. Back upstairs he dresses to go out. Putting on his bra he noticed that his nipples are erect and very sensitive. He changes his mind in favor of the corset and for outer wear selects a pale blue twinset and blue/gray tartan above the knee pleated wool skirt complete with knee socks and t-strap black flats.

He lets his hair hang down, now longer than shoulder length and uses matching blue barrettes to keep it away from his face. For jewelry he picks small pearl earrings and a pearl solitaire on a gold chain. A light lipstick, a swipe with the eyelash brush and he’s ready. He looks around, straightens Marlene’s bed, the furniture and dolls and tosses the dirty clothes in a hamper. “No not Marlene’s, my bed!” he corrects himself. A last look in the mirror, a tug at his skirt and he goes into the sewing room.

“Mom, are you going out like that?” Linda was in her really grungy jeans and sweatshirt. He won’t let her go out until she changes. “I don’t want my mom looking like a yucky stable hand.” Linda gets annoyed and then smiles. It’s nice to have a girl around.

Their first stop is Della Newman’s house. Della is Bert’s mother, Bert of party fame. She looks oddly at Darlene. “Is that you, Marlene?” Linda looks like she is about to cry so Darlene takes Linda’s hand and stands close.

He speaks first, “No, Della, I’m her cousin, Darlene. I’m living with Aunt Linda now. Did you go to the party a few years ago. I was there then.”

Della looks embarrassed and mumbles “I’m so sorry.” Linda continues looking a bit disconnected so Darlene begins to noisily open boxes in an attempt to divert everyone’s attention from Linda’s discomfort. And it works.

Della holds two blouses to her chest at the mirror. “They’re really perfect, Linda. I don’t know how you do it all by yourself.”

Linda smiles and looks down at her adopted son. “Darlene does a lot of it now, so I’m not completely alone.” She gives the boy a big squeeze.

A tall, muscular, clean cut lad comes through curious about the conversation which he couldn’t help hearing from the back room. “Bert, you remember Linda and Darlene.” Della was speaking again.

Bert looks dumbfounded. “Not Marlene?”

“No, it’s Darlene,” the feminized boy says in a softly flirtatious voice. “I live with Linda now. Remember, you danced with me at Marlene’s party.” Darlene is now all smiles as he sits there knees together, feet tucked under the chair. “You kissed me,” he giggles in a pitch higher than usual and Bert turns several shades of red. Linda looks at Darlene somewhat surprised at his different tone of his voice.

“Bert’s on the sophomore football team in high school,” Della says.

“I bet you’re good,” Darlene teases. Bert continues to redden and then excuses himself.

“You certainly handled that well, young lady,” Linda says as they drive off.

The next house is Laura’s. Linda has kept Laura up on their visit to the doctor and Darlene’s contacts with Jenny. “Why don’t you take things in by yourself, honey. I’ll wait out here.”

“Darlene you look very sweet today,” Laura says as she takes the box he’s carrying. Laura’s daughter Ellen walks by at the same time and looking surprised says “Marlene?”

Laura corrects her “No, honey, I want you to meet Marlene’s cousin, Darlene. You saw her at the party a few years ago.”

Darlene holds out his hand and says “Nice to see you again, Ellen.”

Ellen ignores the gesture. “Oh, yeah, I remember.“ She flops on the couch flicking the television remote to a girls’ basketball game. Ellen is overweight, wears an oversize sweatshirt, dirty bright pink leggings and beach thongs all of which emphasize her “slob” demeanor. Her hair is tied back with a rubber band. If she hadn’t been wearing pink she might have been mistaken for a boy.

Ellen’s unshaven, potbellied father walks in wearing a dirty sweatshirt with torn off sleeves. In both hands he carries a quart-size beer bottle and bowl of chips. “What’s on TV?” he asks.

Laura rolls her eyes and thanks Darlene. As Linda and Darlene drive off Laura thinks. “Why is the sweetest girl in the valley a boy?” and ponders the ironies of life.

The last visit on their itinerary is Leticia’s’ house, a half mile north of the square in the middle of a large pasture. Linda and Darlene turn off the main road where the sign reads “Fernandez Dairy Properties, Caution: Cattle Crossing.” A half dozen outbuildings are visible, two of them very large barns. From a distance they can hear the animals lowing. Farther up the hillside part of a herd is still grazing.

Manuel “Manny” Fernandez, Leticia’s father, is an immigrant from Chihuahua where his family owns several large cattle spreads. He got a green card, wired his family’s money over the border and bought the dairy in Nicasio Valley. Addie comes from Modesto, the child of farm workers and is a distant relative of Manny’s. Her real name is Adela.

The Fernandez’ have three sons, Manuel Jr., Leo and Mark. Junior and Leo are in their twenties and work on the dairy. Mark is just finishing high school. Leticia, the youngest, makes their fourth child. Her brothers keep teasing her with the name “Tish” whenever they can, but the girl steadfastly refuses to anglicize her name and insists on using the Spanish Leticia. Manny Sr. and Leo sit at the kitchen table with coffee cups as Linda and Darlene walk in. Addie is taking a pan of her enchiladas out of the oven. They smell heavenly.

Manny is gray haired and tall with a slight pot belly. He wears a thin Latin mustache and Stetson. His clothes are barn dirty and his hands callused with broken fingernails. Leo is a younger version of his father in fit condition making an obvious effort to be non-Latino. When Darlene sees Leo something jumps inside, something scary. Leo nods in their direction, shifts his eyes in an embarrassed way and excuses himself to work outside.

“ ¡Marlena, qué muá±equita bonita!” Manny says as he sees Darlene. “Creá­a que tu te fueras. Ven acá¡ mi lindita.” Darlene realizes he can understand Manny and automatically thinks of a reply but nothing comes out.

Addie rolls her eyes and translates “Marlene, you beautiful little doll. I thought you went away. Come here, my pretty one.” Then she says something in Spanish to Manny. She and Leticia have not mentioned Darlene’s birth gender to the men.

He smiles again. “So you Marlena's leetle prima,” he says. “You look laik her muy mucho! Venga, sat on my lap, por favor. Now I have two preety girls otra vez.”

Darlene looks uncertain but having perched on Bill’s lap he is getting accustomed to randy older men. As his skirt slides up over his knees he struggles to keep it down.

At that moment Leticia bursts in and drags him away. “Papa does that with me all the time so I had to rescue you. Come on up.” Leticia’s room is a mixture of rock posters, school pennants and pictures of Latin stars like Carlos Santana, Fabian, Gloria Trevi and others Darlene has never seen before. Odds and ends of Mexican souvenir pots and table cloths hang on the wall and serve as catchalls for girlie things. Then the usual array of teddy bears, baby dolls and Barbie's.

“You’ve never been here, have you.” He shakes his head. “Marlene always came here. We traded clothes and dolls and talked about boys.” Darlene blushes.

“I’m a lot bigger now and there’s things I can’t get into. Maybe you could use some of my old stuff.” She starts rummaging in her closet. “Here’s an old miniskirt and one of my tank tops. Take your clothes off!” she commands and proceeded to undress the boy.

“Just like Marlene,” he thinks but chooses to go along with the imposition.

Getting down to the underwear Leticia exclaims “A corset! I’ve never seen one. I wanna try it.” After a struggle Darlene wraps it around her middle and pulls the stays as hard as he can just to get even. It’s his turn to smile devilishly.

“Oof, ow. That hurts! How can you wear it?” Leticia says.

“It gives me a better figure and posture, don’t you think?”She looks at Darlene ’s waist without the corset.

“Yes, but you need titties. (a pause) Are those your nipples?” She squints and points to Darlene’s training bra and peers closely. The cups aren’t flat. They have obvious little points. “Yes, they are.” She claps her hands with a perverted glee.

Leticia then takes off her blouse and bra and displays her own budding bosom. Darlene blushes and looks away.

“Yours are just like mine were a couple of months ago. You’re starting to develop. Ho, what fun! You’re going to be a real girl. And I’m going to help.” She reaches in a drawer. “Mom gave me this. It’s called a Wonder Bra. It puts tits on a board. And papa likes it when I wear it.”

She yanks off Darlene’s bra and tightens the other in place. Pulling up on his pectorals she says “Hey, a pair of A- cups. Oh man, I wanna see you in a month. I wonder if you’re going to have really big ones. Guys are going to chase you all over school, unless you go to a girls’ school. Now, wouldn’t that be something.” She stifles a laugh.

Darlene sighs and looks his new pal in the face. “Leticia, if you and I are going to be friends, you’ve got to lighten up. I’m having a hard enough time with this girl stuff and I’m really, really tired of your teasing. If you can help me, that’s fine. If you just want somebody to shove around, then I’m leaving.” His voice has risen almost an octave and he starts to gather his clothes in preparation for going back downstairs.

Leticia’s face actually falls in apology. “Darlene, I’m sorry. It’s just so much fun knowing a boy who likes girls’ things that I get carried away. I’m always freaking out when my brothers treat me and mom like slaves that I keep wanting to take it out on someone. I’ll try to do better so we can be friends.” She looks genuinely repentant.

Darlene stares in the mirror at the Wonder Bra that actually gives him some cleavage. Otherwise he’s wearing only panties. Leticia watches with grinning interest, then turns away in an attempt to be less annoying.

Changing the subject she sits him down and says “I know what we can do.” With that she locks the door, pulls out a video tape, sticks it in the slot and turns on the TV. “I found this hidden in one of the sheds under some empty feed sacks. I think it’s Leo’s. He doesn’t know I have it. I’ve watched a little but there’s a whole lot more.”

A warning notice comes on: “XXX- rated. Not suitable for persons under 21 years of age.”

The first clip shows a nude man and woman having standard sex, making lots of breathy noises, each pretending to reach climax several times with unbelievably wooden expressions and jerky movements. The acting is bad and the man has difficulty maintaining an erection. Any adult not morally offended by the subject matter would split a gut. Darlene sits there open mouthed while Leticia giggles.

The scene changes to a teenage girl in school uniform walking along an unknown street, books and purse cradled in her arms.

“I haven’t seen this one.”

A panel truck pulls up. A handsome, clean cut young man gets out, walks beside the girl and begins talking to her. The girl obviously uneasy starts walking faster trying hard not to pay attention. The man follows and just as she starts to hurry he grabs her, covers her mouth and pulls her into the truck the back doors of which now stand open. Books and purse scatter.

The scene shifts to the inside of the van. Her mouth, wrists and feet are taped as she struggles and attempts to scream. She is not acting.

Next the camera shows a cabin in the woods. The girl is carried out of the truck like a sack of potatoes and dumped on a bed. Her clothes are cut away one by one with a large hunting knife leaving her nude. The camera focusses in obscenely as each garment is shredded. There is a close up of her frightened expression while the tape on her mouth is pulled away without concern for how it might feel. She cries out and the shriek is nervewrackingly audible on the soundtrack.

One of the men talks to her up close in sickeningly mocking tones, “Hey, little bitch, scream as much as you want. Nobody hears you out here.” which she proceeds to do. The men laugh. another holds the knife up to her face and makes slicing movements. She cries and wets the bed. The first one says “Oh, shit,” and smacks the girl on the side of the head. The second one reminds him “Remember what Smith said, no marks!” She is carried into another room and dumped on a dry bed.

By this time there are three men and one looks familiar to Leticia. Each of them has sex with the girl as she sobs. From the mess left it’s obvious she was a virgin. The men tire and move into the kitchen. On the table are several bottles, munchies and small plastic bags filled with white pills. The camera focusses back on the weeping girl. Her mouth is bleeding. Hands and feet are bound again.

The scene changes. This time it’s early evening and the men step back into the lens. They’ve had a few drinks and probably something else. There’s more but Leticia stops the tape.

Both children are stunned. “The poor girl,” Leticia says. Then adds “I’m scared.”

Something in Darlene is twisting big, more than when he saw Leo downstairs, and it’s painful.

Leticia rewinds the tape, stuffs it into the box and hides it under her mattress. “I’m going to put it back. Don’t tell anybody.” Darlene nods. He’s just as frightened.

“Darlene, honey. We have to go!” He feels relieved hearing Linda’s voice.

“Just a minute, mom. We’ve been trading clothes.” His voice quavers as he fumbles back into his corset and dress, checks his hair and makeup at Leticia’s vanity and pulls his hem down. Both walk downstairs as calmly as they can. Inside Darlene is shaking.

They say their goodbyes to Manny, Addie and Leticia. Leticia bites her fingernails as Linda drives away.