Introduction: What is discovery? Perhaps it’s finding something that you didn’t know existed. Maybe it’s finding a hidden treasure. Maybe it’s finding out something about yourself that many were aware of but you just didn’t know it.

Manny heads south to San Antonio on what is basically a long and boring ride. His mother greets him with the news that she will be going in the hospital. She has to have gall bladder surgery. They have a long discussion about his gender issues. It seems everyone knew all about it but Manny. He learns a bit more about his uncle. It’s a bit surprising. Then it’s off to Arkansas

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Chapter 4

He picked up Interstate 35 at Wichita. The going had been pretty easy, so far. The summer storms had held off and the traffic hadn’t been too bad. He was eager to see his mother and get on with his life, whatever direction he decided to go. At first, he thought he would try to do the trip in two days; however, with a late start, he knew that was totally unrealistic. It probably would have been unrealistic even if he’d gotten an early start.

One of the many nice features of the bike was the security system. It was connected to an app on his phone and it enabled him to do many neat things, including his being able to keep a very close watch on the bike and trailer. Eschewing the big chain motels, he’d been choosing the more sprawling single story motels. They had worked out quite well.

Crossing the state line into Texas the I-35 speed limit bumped up to 75. That little boost might help over the remainder of the trip; however, the eternal construction from Waco to north of Austin was a constant bout of slowing down and speeding up. He stuck to right lanes, and no matter how many times he was passed, he seemed to be right next to them a few miles down the road when the traffic ground to a halt. A much scarier and dangerous situation was the truck traffic. They were constantly tailgating. Manny knew they could squash him like a bug if they were so inclined.

The traffic in Austin was bad during the quiet traffic periods. It was a no brainer: he took the tollway around to the east. With California plates, there was a good chance that the cameras would never get his plate number. If they found him he’d happily pay the bill. He picked up Loop 1604 outside of San Antonio, and 45 minutes later, he was home.

After they got over the mother-child greeting, his mother dropped a little bomb shell on him. “I have some good news and some bad news.”

“Oh?”

“The bad news is I have to go into the hospital tomorrow. The good news is that they know what my problem is. I don’t know why they couldn’t figure it out earlier. I have gall stones. I’ll go in tomorrow at eight. It’s a pretty simple operation and they said I could be home by afternoon. Of course, you’ll have to take me. I should be up and around the next day. I’ll just have to take it easy for a week or so. When do you have to be in Arkansas?”

“I told them I would be there a week from tomorrow.”

“Unless something goes wrong, that shouldn’t be a problem. We need to talk about some things. I know you’re an adult, but you’re still my child.”

“You, too?”

“Look, I’ve known for a long time that you were a very special person. Maria told me about your being two-spirited many years ago. It made a lot of sense to me at the time. We decided that you just needed to find yourself. I am certainly glad for any number of reasons that your father isn’t around. He would have made your life miserable.”

“Mom, I’ve always wondered about something. How did you get away? If my father was such a control freak, how did you get away from him?”

“It took quite a bit of work. He always had me watched very closely. I couldn’t go anywhere without a guard or a tail. I went shopping in downtown Santiago one day at a major department store. I told my ‘companion’ I needed to go to the restroom. I said it was my time of the month. No one knew I was pregnant. Spanish males won’t go anywhere near a ladies’ room. Inside, I switched clothes and a wig with a lady who was waiting for me. She left and immediately headed for the exit. She had about a 50 foot head start, walked straight out the door and hailed a cab.

“I went out the other side of the store and into a car that was waiting for me. They took me straight to the airport where a US Government plane brought me back here.

“Your uncle wanted me to tell you some other things. He thought it was time.”

“Such as?”

“I know we told you your grandparents were killed in a house invasion. In a way they were. They were tortured before they were brutally murdered. Your father sent some of his henchmen to find out where you and I were. They never talked. Two days later your father was found dead with a bullet hole between his eyes. All his fingers had been broken several times. Not only that, his two brothers found notes on their beds describing exactly what would happen to them if they tried anything. There was a similar note on their parents’ bed.”

“Jesus Christ!” Then the realization hit him. “Uncle Ben!”

“My brother is very protective of his family, and you and I are his only heirs. He will never have any children of his own, and he doesn’t want any. Ben is gay.”

“I had no idea.”

“Ben is very good at hiding many things. He’s never told me what he’s been doing all these years other than if he did “he’d have to kill” me. I don’t think I want to know, anyway.

As the doctors had said, the surgery was relatively simple and quick. His mother was awake and alert by 1:00 and after making sure everything was working properly, she was released with a list of precautions and a bottle of Percodan. By 3:30 she was sitting at her computer. The pain began to kick in about an hour later. After a meal of bouillon, she was in bed and out like a light.

Over the next few days they talked a lot. His uncle had bought the house and adjoining property many years before. He did it because he could and he loved his sister and nephew more than anything else.

Manny had trouble understanding how his mother and uncle, and Maria for that matter, knew so much about his hidden gender that he’d just begun to realize was there. However, now that it had been brought to his attention he was beginning to sort out some the reasons for his behavior. Maybe the bike didn’t quite fit the ideal female image; however, neither did most females.

Never once did his mother imply that he had to do anything. That was entirely up to him. Whatever he decided, she would support him 100 percent and so would his uncle. She just hoped he wouldn’t tread water – the same words Maria had left with him nearly two weeks before.

He’d called the folks at the winery and told them he might be delayed a bit because of his mother’s surgery. There wouldn’t be any problem. Besides, he’d programmed in a week to try to find a place to live. Assured after her one week follow-up that is mother was going to be fine, he departed early in the morning taking a similar route north that he’d taken south until he got to the split in I-35. From there it was I-35E to I-20 to I-635 to I-30E. By taking that route, he avoided much of the heavy traffic of the Metroplex. Just outside of Greenville, Texas he picked up Texas 50 and headed northeast to Paris, Texas and Oklahoma. Much of the journey through Oklahoma was on US 271 through the western Ouachita Mountains. He just cruised along at or below the speed limit while listening to his music and taking in the scenery. Too soon he was in Fort Smith with a bit more than 40 miles to his destination, The Ozark Inn.

“Hey Manny, glad to see you made it. I take it your Mom’s okay?” Mike Boyd, owner of Hogeye Winery asked.

“She’s doing great; meaner than a snake,” Manny said jokingly. Mike knew exactly how he felt about his mother.

“Any luck finding a place to live?”

“Not yet. I could go back to that place where I was last summer. I mean it was okay, but it was too close to Wal-Mart and the highway. I have an agent looking for me. I’d like a two bedroom place and at least a shelter for my bike. I was going to rent a ministorage unit for my trailer.”

“Hell, just bring it out here. We have plenty of room at the barn.

“Say did you give any thought to leasing a mobile home? I know they don’t have the best reputation, but John and Shirley liked the place where they were. They just built a nice place in Altus, I think you knew that, and were thinking about leasing their mobile home.”

Two days later Manny found himself moving his meager belongings into a nice partially furnished doublewide in a shaded and secure mobile home park. It wasn’t where he wanted to end up, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Manny finally seeks out the psychologist in Fort Smith. The meetings go very well. He also makes another discovery.