Sydney Moya

© 2015

Synopsis

A man left his home town years ago as a teenager. Now he returns but is very different from the person who left years ago.

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Part 3- New beginnings

Dinner that night was a pleasant affair. It was so nice to sit down as a complete family. The first meal in years where we didn't wonder where Des was or what he was doing with his life or if he'd ever come back home.

Mum started the meal by expressing her gratitude that her child had come home and that she’d brought an unexpected present too.

Belinda smiled and announced that Bonnie wasn’t the only gift she’d brought. She then gave my parents gifts as well. Mum received a pair of diamond earrings, pearl necklace and a Cartier tennis watch.

She was overcome with emotion.

"Their beautiful thank you," she said softly, squeezing Belinda's hand.

"Don't mention it," Belinda replied giving our mother a warm smile

Bonnie clapped as she followed proceedings. Bel also had something for Dad.

"I know you always wished to travel but you never had the chance. This will remedy that," my sister announced before passing Dad a glossy folder.

"You didn't have to," he said opening it.

He gasped at the contents.

"What is it?" Mum asked.

"An all expenses paid trip to New Zealand for two," Dad said clearly dazed.

"Oh my goodness," murmured Mum.

This time Mum came round and gave my sister a hug.

“Thank you,” said Dad quietly

“It’s nothing don’t mention it,” said Belinda softly.

“You didn’t have to do this, you being here is enough,” Dad told her a smile on his face.

“Okay but please tell me you’ll go?”

“We will," Mum and Dad chorused.

Bonnie was properly introduced to her grandparents who promptly fell in love with her. As usual the meal was delicious as my mother outdid herself.

“Mum this is amazing. I missed your cooking,” Belinda remarked after taking a couple of bites into the tarragon chicken and sauce much to Mum’s pleasure and Dad's amusement.

Dad volunteered to feed Bonnie which was interesting to watch. Bonnie seemed fascinated by Dad, perhaps it had something to do with him being the only male around but I like think it was how he fed her. He pretended every spoon was an aeroplane and he’d buzz while the spoon hovered while telling Bonnie that a plane with supplies was coming in for a landing. Bonnie was hooked and ate every spoonful much to her mother’s amazement.

“How are you doing that? She usually hates veggies, it’s a mission to get her to eat them,’ said Belinda with a shake of the head.

Dad laughed, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree it seems,” he said.

“You hated your vegetables too,” Mum pointed out.

“I did not,” Belinda replied.

“You did, when we started feeding you solids like Bonnie here you’d have a hissy fit but your Dad would play this game with you and you’d eat,” Mum answered.

“Really,” said Belinda in amazement, “I had no idea,” she said looking at Dad and Bonnie.

We all talked a bit about our lives. Dad still worked at the local auto plant as he done for the last twenty nine years. Mum was still a house wife who worked part time at the same plants day care centre. I also worked in the same company doing logistics. It was an okay job and it kept me close to my parents as I didn’t want to compound their hurt by going away like Des had. Of course I didn’t tell my family that as they’d all have felt awful that I’d curtailed my ambitions because of them. I hadn’t of course as I also enjoyed living in my hometown.

After the meal Belinda and I did the dishes together chatting about everything while Mum and Dad played with Bonnie. When we were done we took the baby upstairs so she could go to bed and carried on our conversation for hours in Bel’s room.

I was so happy to have her home I didn’t want to leave her side. We both fell asleep on her bed in the early hours of the morning.

The next morning Mum chased my sister and I out of the house, giving us a shopping list of items we were to return with while she cleaned the place. Mum insisted we leave Bonnie with her while the two of us went on our trip. Belinda smiled and happily acquiesced; quite happy our mother was developing a bond with her daughter. Mum gave us a list of groceries to get before reminding my sister to get more diapers for the baby just as we were getting out of the house.

“And some formula too,” Mum added.

“Sure thing,” said Belinda, before rolling her eyes. I could get the sentiment; she was the mother after all and was doing a great job with Bonnie.

“I missed her nagging,” she said once we were out of earshot.

I giggled as she unlocked her car. She then walked to the passenger door tossing me the smart key.

‘You want me to drive?”

“You got a license?”

“Yeah,”

“So let’s go,”

I was stunned; she was going to let me drive her expensive, new car. I wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth though so I hopped in before she had second thoughts. She showed me how the controls worked and off we went.

It handled like a dream.

“This car is amazing,” I told her, it was so smooth and just a touch of the accelerator produced a smorgasbord of power. I loved it.

"Yeah,"

“I saw the ad with that Swedish DJ and I figured it looked nice but this is just wow,” I told her.

Belinda shrugged, “its okay. I liked the safety record of Volvo and I may be a soccer mom in a few years so I thought I’d get ready."

I giggled, “You have everything planned out for her don’t you.”

“Just a bit,” she smiled.

I raised my eyebrows.

"Can't a mother dream?"

"Of course you can but don't get disappointed if she's got her own ideas," I warned her.

"’Course not, I'm not going to be a pushy Mom,' Belinda replied.

I just rolled my eyes earning me a swat on my legs from my sister.

We arrived at our destination in good time. After a powwow, we decided we’d just go around the huge mall until we ended up at a supermarket where we’d get Mum’s groceries before heading back.

The mall had changed a lot in ten years and I showed Belinda the new stores. We checked out the clothing stores first as I’d discovered that my sister was a bit of a clothes horse which was fun as I’d always envied other girls who had sister’s to shop with and steal clothes from. We went into a couple of shops and tried out a few things and in the process I accidentally got to see Belinda in nothing but her underwear and was once again struck by her gorgeous figure.

How could someone so female ever have been a boy? I wondered. There was nothing to indicate her past from her slight shoulders and generous bust to her heart shaped behind and flat crotch. Belinda's body all but shouted woman. I briefly wondered if I would have found it harder to accept her change had she been less good looking and more masculine.

I stared for too long but she didn’t mind, she looked at me nonchalantly and casually asked me to pass her another dress and I did. She put it on and asked me to zip her up.

“How do I look?”

“Fantastic,” I said truthfully.

She was a knockout and I wondered why she was still single.

“Thanks but I’ll leave it,” she said, ‘’I don’t really like it.”

“Okay,” I said my mind still on how gorgeous she was.

Once again I couldn’t believe she’d ever been male and I was her sister.

“Why are you still single?” I blurted out.

Her face fell a bit as she took off the dress.

“What do you mean?”

“Belinda, do you have any idea what a great bod you have? I’m sure the guys must be falling all over themselves for you.” I told her.

She sighed, “There is the small matter of me having been a boy. It tends to be a deal breaker,’ she murmured as she left the dressing room.

I followed her out as she left the store. She found a café across from it and we sat down. We ordered some coffee. When it arrived she explained what she'd said in the dressing room.

“It didn’t take too long for me to start getting hit on by guys when I transitioned. I was lucky in that I was young so the hormones worked really well so after a few months I passed okay. I wasn’t prepared for it even though it comes with the territory. There was one man who was quite charming. He lived in a neighbouring apartment complex. We met at a laundromat and he started flirting. I liked it as it validated my identity as a woman. If a man found me good looking enough to flirt with then it meant I was attractive and that means a lot to someone just beginning to transition you know what I mean?"

"Yeah I think nearly every girl goes through that," I replied remembering how much fun it had been for me when I discovered boys found me attractive. It was empowering in a way.

“He wooed me for ages until I agreed to go for a date with him. We had a nice time and after the date I decided to tell him I’m trans. He flew into a rage and punched me and would have beaten me to a pulp if a cop hadn’t been down the road. I didn’t press charges because I was scared I’d be a laughing stock. I was so scared I had to find a new place to stay so I wouldn't run into him," Belinda explained.

I felt awful for her, "I'm sorry," I murmured, "he didn't stalk you did he?"

Belinda shook her head and carried on. I hated that she'd had to live in fear after experiencing violence from someone she thought liked her. Life could be so cruel at times.

"After that I didn’t dare date anyone until I had my surgery. Six months after the surgery I met Ross at a party. He was tall, good looking and he was different from any man I’d met before. He didn’t talk bullshit and seemed interested in me as a person not just as a hot woman. We danced; I fell head over heels for him. He was the first man to make love to me," she wistfully told me.

“After a couple of months we moved in together. I still hadn’t told him I used to be a boy as I was so scared he wouldn’t want me and I was hopelessly in love with him. I met his family and I liked them. I felt welcome among them. He wanted to meet you guys but I kept fobbing him off. After two years together he asked me to marry him. I knew I had to tell him the truth. He was shocked. I told him everything. He was in a daze and slept on the couch for some days afterwards. He was barely talking to me. Then after a week or so he started talking again. Both of us wanted it to work and we talked it out. I told him I hadn't told him because I was afraid of his reaction. I also said I couldn't marry someone while keeping a secret. He said he loved me and wanted me in his life. So we carried on and I thought we still had that spark. Imagine my surprise when he moved out at the end of the month."

Her voice was tinged with sadness.

"He said he couldn't see me as a woman anymore and that it was best if we ended it," Belinda finished.

Her eyes glistened with tears. I felt my heart break for her. I scooted over to her side and embraced her.

"I'm sorry," I told her, "I'm so stupid and shouldn't have made you relive that."

"'s Kay sis," Belinda told me, "I'm not gonna hold it against you."

"You know he was a jerk right?" I told her.

"I know but I shouldn't have hid it from him," Belinda remarked.

"You're falling into the trap all good women find themselves in. You can't blame yourself for his bad behaviour. How could he suddenly say he didn't see you as a woman? He had issues and you're better off shot of him,” I answered.

Belinda sighed, "I don't deserve to be with anyone,"

I looked at her open mouthed. I felt the tears form in my eyes.

"It's true. I'm just too weird,"

"Don't say that. Heck hon, don't think that. You are as deserving of love as the next girl. You are absolutely not weird sis," I gently told her.

Belinda nodded at me and I held her a bit tighter.

After a cup of coffee we continued our walkabout but didn’t see anything that caught our eye for us.

We saw a couple of nice outfits that might fit Bonnie and Belinda didn’t think twice before buying them.

"She's growing so fast," my sister told me, "you won't believe how tiny she was when she was born."

Naturally she had the pictures on her phone.

"Aw, she's so cute!" I exclaimed.

Belinda opened her bag, digging out a card to pay for her purchases.

Shit was that a black card? The clerk also seemed to perk up at the sight of it or maybe it just my imagination. My sister paid up and we were on our way. We spotted a supermarket at the far end of the walkway.

"Was that a black card? What do you do for a living?" I asked her.

After seeing her nice clothes, expensive car and incredible gifts I knew she was loaded and I was curious about it.

She smiled, "I like that you're still so curious."

It was true Dad liked to say I asked more questions than the IRS. As a child I was always asking questions about everything.

"I want to know all I can about my sister. That can't be a crime," I added.

"You'd be an accessory if I told you," said Belinda, "I'm a high class escort." She said all serious.

I stared at her stunned and she burst out laughing.

"Gotcha!" She exclaimed, "The look on your face," she said giggling, "it was so precious."

I had to smile; some things never change as she'd always loved teasing me. She'd never been mean but she'd loved playing around with my head. I gave her a little push to reassert my dignity just like old times too.

"You got me now level with me," I requested.

"I am a partner in an equity firm. We specialize in angel investments in software startups," she told me.

"A partner, huh. So you must be rich," I answered.

"I don't want for much," she told me.

"How much?" I insisted.

"You do know that's an inappropriate question right?" Belinda countered.

"I heard sisters don't have secrets between them," I said, smiling at her.

She sighed theatrically, "So is that emotional blackmail?"

"I'm sure it’s in the rule-book," I remarked.

"My assets are worth about 30 million," she said in a long suffering tone.

I ignored her and stopped while staring at her.

"What?" Belinda asked wondering why I'd stopped walking.

I scanned her from head to toe twice before settling on her bust.

"Which assets?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

Belinda burst out laughing. I loved the sound of her laughter. It was wholesome and came from her soul.

"You're so bad Mags," she told me before wrapping an arm around me.

Belinda and I ambled our way to the supermarket where we purchased our groceries before heading to the checkout. After paying we walked out of the store and headed back to the car.

"Megan,"

I turned around already knowing who it was. I just hoped Belinda wouldn't be too surprised.

"Hi Jack," I said before giving my boyfriend a kiss on the cheek.

“Hey sweetie," he said before kissing me full on the lips.

He turned to look at my sister, "Who is your friend?"

Belinda had a neutral expression on her face which I couldn't decipher as she watched her former best friend after kissing her little sister. I looked at her for a cue not wanting to out her and unsure what to say.

"Hi," Belinda said with a smile.

"Um this is Belinda," I said to Jack.

"It's okay Mags," said my sister before I could finish the introductions.

"Are you alright Wacko?" Belinda said.

I swear Jack's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"No," he said shaking his head, "who told you that name? Only one person called me that and I haven't seen him in 10 years."

"Yeah because I once walked in on you dancing to MJ's 'I'm bad' in your room when we were 16," Belinda remarked.

Black people can blush and my boyfriend proved it just then.

"Des?" Jack said in a whisper.

TO BE CONTINUED