Emily's Easter Sunday
A “How I Spent My Summer Vacation: I Became a Girl” Gaiden
By
Rebecca Anna Coleman
-1-
Easter Morning Breakfast
I took a deep breath as I walked into the kitchen. According to the calendar that was pinned to the wall in the hallway, today was 'Easter Sunday' not that it meant anything to me. I don't really consider myself a 'Christian'. True, I'm enrolled in a semi-private Roman Catholic Academy, but that was Aunt Flora's decision not mine. Plus she often boasted that she had the headmaster under her thumb.
But besides that, this morning was just another morning for me. Aunt Flora would be home soon from her job as a night nurse at the local hospital. And I knew she would want her morning cup of coffee as soon as she walked through the door. She'll want breakfast as soon as she has taken her morning shower.
And so I started the morning ritual of filling the old coffee pot with water from the fridge, putting a paper filter into the basket and filling the basket with ground coffee grinds that never failed to remind me of ground-up charcoal. Once the basket was filled I closed the lid, pressed the button and the thing sprung into action and soon the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air.
I felt a little fancy that morning, so instead of the usual bacon, eggs, toast. I decided to make some muffins, fry some smoked sausage, and scramble some eggs. Thank goodness for premeasured baking mixes. Premeasured and premixed mixes are blessings to novice bakers and junior chiefs.
And well, most of them are fool proof. If you follow the instructions written on the back of the box. And the instructions were simple. And so soon I had six, large blueberry muffins baking in the oven along with six large chocolate chip muffins. And on top of the stove I had about a pound of conecuh smoked sausage sizzling in a skillet and in a second skillet I had around a half dozen eggs, scrambling of course I'd seasoned the eggs with fresh ground black pepper and fresh cracked sea salt.
Now does that seem like a lot of food? Yes, it's a lot of food for two people. But normally I cook a big breakfast so we can snack for lunch and go well go hog wild for dinner. With it being Easter, I was sure Aunt Flora would cook a joint of mutton.
Now, mutton is not unheard of here down in the Yazoo-Delta Region of Mississippi, it's just rare. The only time you'll see it in the meat counter at Sunflower Food Store or Sack-n-Saver or heck even the newly built Wal-Mart is around Christmas or Easter. Aunt Flora had brought a joint of mutton because it was on sale, some poor meat market manager had gotten stuck with it. And well, the first rule of the grocery business according to my uncle was, 'Once you sign for it. It's your job to sell it. No matter what.' so with that in mind the poor man had to mark it down dirt cheap. We're talking about a dollar and a half a pound. Instead of you know twelve dollars ninety nine cents a pound.
Cause let's be real, nobody really eats mutton down here beside the Episcopal's and the Catholics. Maybe you included the Methodist, but the Baptist. And you could count the Pentecostals completely out.
I looked up at the clock and noticed Aunt Flora was around ten minutes late, her shift ended at five o' clock this morning and here it was going on five ten. Sighing walked over to check my phone to see if she had texted me or anything. One quick flick of the finger showed me I had no new text.. so I guess she was just held up in traffic. Which would have been odd..
Then the door to our cottage opened and in the doorway stood a tired, haggard looking aunt Flora. She gently closed the door behind her and walked into the living room where she dropped her purse down upon the sofa and then she walked into the kitchen, she brushed right passed me and went straight for the coffee pot. She picked the pot up by the plastic handle and reached for a mug. She poured herself a cup and took a long drink.
“Emily.” She said as she eased her mug down upon the kitchen counter. “You brew the best coffee around girl.” She said as she lifted the mug to her lips and took another long drink. “The stuff from Double-Quick tastes like coffee flavored water. And the stuff from McDonald's tastes like dirt flavored water that has been filtered through my dirty panties. But your stuff taste like real coffee.”
I blushed.
“What about the coffee that the hospital coffee shop serves?” I inquired.
“It tastes like brown river water.” Aunt Flora said, smiling sweetly.
I rolled my eyes a little as I bent down and picked up the old as hell slow cooker. The Slow cooker had come with the house, the old owners had just left it here. Nothing was wrong with it, it just looked as old as Aunt Flora. And one rolled the dice every time you plugged the thing up. Once the thing was plugged up I reached into the fridge and pulled out the shallow baking pan that held the joint of mutton.
At this point the joint of mutton had been marinating in a mixture of worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, and black pepper for at least twelve maybe thirteen hours. And well without much thought I just dropped the meat into the pot along with the marinate. I then added about two cups of water and three packets of brown gravy. I gave it a quick stir, turned it on high and dropped the top.
“Thanks..” Aunt Flora said as she watched me. “You know Emily, you're going to make somebody a really good wife one day, you're already a really good cook, and you keep house. And you do a pretty good job of balancing your bank account.”
I blushed again.
“Still too young to think about settling down and getting married? I mean of course your still too young, your like fifteen or so?” Aunt Flora said, smiling sweetly.
“Fifteen and a half..” I gently correct her.
“I knew a girl who got married at sixteen. Some people get married young, some wait till their mid twenties, others don't get married at all. But at fourteen you're just now starting to figure yourself out. I mean you've only been Emily now for like.. twenty months I think? I think it's been about a half of a year since I came home to discover my nephew had turned into my niece.” Aunt Flora said as she sipped her coffee.
“Sounds about a right.” I said blushing as I reached for a oven mitt. I took a deep breath and opened the oven and pulled out the oven pan.
“Before we eat the breakfast you were so thoughtful to cook. Have you checked the dining room? I think the Easter Bunny might have left you something while you bing watching late night anime.” Aunt Flora said refilling her mug for more coffee.
“Really?” I said blinking. “Aunt Flora, stop fooling around.”
“What, you don't believe in the Easter Bunny?” Aunt Flora said in mock horror.
“The Easter Bunny is not real, just like Santa Clause is not real, just like Tooth-Fairy.” I said, rolling my eyes.
“I guess I'll just have to give the Easter Bunny a call on my phone and tell the Easter Bunny he'll have to come pick up the basket he left you.” Aunt Flora with a sigh.
“Wait? Is there a really an Easter Basket waiting for me in the dinning room?”
“Go see for yourself. Oh I did promise the Easter Bunny I'll have to blindfold you.” Aunt Flora said reaching down to pick up a bar mop rag, quickly she folded it to make a make-shift blind fold. “There is something special in the Easter Basket.”
I blushed and just stood there rooted in my spot.
“Also did I mention you look adorable this morning?” Aunt Flora said, smirking a little.
I blushed and looked down at my flannel nightgown I was wearing. I was barefooted because I wanted to show off to the world how much better I'd gotten painting my toes nails. Also I'd taken the effort to brush my hair out before leaving the room. I'd even gone through the trouble of pulling it back in two braided pigtails and tying a cord of matching red ribbon to the ends of the pigtails.
“Thanks.. I decided to go for something beside 'Princess bedhair'” I said as Aunt Flora then stepped behind me and placed the blindfold over my eyes she then gently tied it.
“Can you see anything?” She asked.
I shook my head.
“Good.” Aunt Flora said as she then reached down and took me by the hand. And then well I followed behind her.
End of Chapter One.
Emily's Easter Sunday
A “How I Spent my Summer Vacation: I Became a Girl” Gaiden
by
Rebecca Anna Coleman
-2-
A Basket of Joy
I hated being blindfolded. I hated the fact I was totally at the mercy of Aunt Flora. But I could feel her gentleness flowing through me. Like a small child I moved in a little closer so I could feel the warmth of her body beside me. After what seemed like forever and a day I heard Aunt Flora stop mid stride. She then let go of the palm of my hand. I could tell because I felt her warmth leaving me. At that moment I really did feel like a little girl because I did not want her warmth, that gave me a sense of safety to leave me.
Going on the sounds of her footsteps that echoed loudly in the room I could tell well that she was starting to walk from beside me to behind me. A moment later I took a deep breath as the blindfold came off. And much to my amazement there sitting upon the waxed surface of the perfectly square formal dining room table with four wooden chairs seated around it was a woven straw basket.
The bottom of the women basket was linned with thin, plastic strips of fake grass. I could tell it was fake grass because of the color, a crayon lime green. Nestled in the fake green, plastic grass was a box that held a large, chocolate rabbit that according to the package weighed close to a pound and was filled with Reese's brand peanut butter. Surrounding the large was about half a dozen fist size Reese's chocolate eggs.
Beside the rabbit, the eggs was a bag that was filled with Mar's famous M&M's. The M&M characters, the bright yellow one and the small red one, were wearing rabbit ear headbands and had small dots of pink in the center of their faces. Behind the candy was the first and second volume of 'Rain' a web-comic that followed the misadventures of a transgender girl.. I saw a lot of myself in 'Rain'.
And in front was a tall yellow bottle made of yellow plastic with a white screw on cap. I slowly picked up the bottle and my whole body started to tremble as I silently read the label that had been glued to the front.
“Estrogen?” I said blinking as I spun around and peered into Aunt Flora loving eyes. “Estrogen tablets?” I said, feeling my mouth opening a little I quickly closed it.
“Your doctor approved your script at the last moment. The Easter Bunny and I had to sit down and give him a firm talking too about how Easter was the perfect time of the year for you to start on Estrogen. Since it's the season of new beginnings and stuff. I mean everything is coming to life again after the harsh winter we've had.” Aunt Flora smiled. “Also I'm glad the Easter Bunny could get a hold of Santa Clause and have him threaten to put certain pharmacy workers on the 'Naughty' list if they did not hurry up and fill your script.”
“Does that mean?”
“You're going to be a real girl very soon, my sweet little Pinocchio.” Aunt Flora said as she gently poked me on the nose.
I felt the tears starting to build up in my eyes as I peered toward Aunt Flora. I took a deep breath and slowly I eased the bottle down, I then reached out and threw my arms around her. My arms are like bands of rope wrapped around her waist.
“Do you think mom would approve?” I said placing my face into her chest.
“Emily Hannah Anderson.” My Aunt Flora said as she reached up and placed her hands behind me back. She then pressed me into her chest a little. I was surrounded by her warmth and I could feel her love swirling around me. It made me feel safe, secure, loved, and best of all I felt like I could feel her heart beating.
“Your mother loved you, she never stopped loving you. She loved all of her children. She would approve of you striving to live as your true self. You started this journey. I just decided to tag along to see what kind of misadventures you'll get yourself into. Because my life is boring.” Aunt Flora said smiling.
“We're not going to tell Helen or George are we?”
“That's up to you, but my advice is to keep it off social media. Helen needs to come to terms that her younger brother is now her younger sister in her own time. She has your dad's hot temper. Your older brother George needs to stop drinking that MAGA kool-aid and get his head screwed on tight. But then again the priesthood is filled with nuts like him. So no, don't tell anybody.”
“Should I tell Andy?” I inquired.
“He's your boyfriend. I mean yes, I guess you can tell him. I mean he knows you're transgender and is fine with that. His sisters might want to know, they kind of think of you as a sister-in-law already. Seems you're the first girl Andy brought home that both his mother and father approve of. Thank God they overlook the fact that you go to a Catholic School.”
“Okay,” Aunt Flora said, smiling. “Get your pills and follow me back into the kitchen. I know you love chocolate and sweets, but you just cooked an amazing breakfast and I don't want you to spoil your appetite.”
I curled the small bottle of pills and folded them close to my chest. I blushed a little as I slowly walked behind Aunt Flora like a lost little puppy. Soon we reached the kitchen. Aunt Flora smiled and unscrewed the cap of the bottle and counted out on a large blue tablet.
“Now it is going to take time for these to work okay? I mean months. You're not going to see results overnight or in the blink of an eye. But by the start of summer you should see your chest starting to develop a little. Now, this part is important, you gotta follow the directions to the letter. Don't double up or anything okay?”
“Yes ma'am.” I said, nodding my head.
“Okay open your hand and give it to me.” Aunt Flora said in a firm, commanding tone of voice.
I nodded my head and opened the palm of my hand and slowly I thrusted it toward Aunt Flora.
Aunt Flora nodded her headhead and placed a big, blue pill into my trembling hand. She then reached into the fridge and pulled out a half gallon of chocolate milk, she unscrewed the top and poured a goo eight ounces of milk into a glass she then handed me the glass.
I took a deep breath and placed the pill into my mouth, I then took a sip of chocolate milk. A second passed and then I drained the whole glass of chocolate milk.
“An adventure of a thousand miles starts with one small step. You've taken that very important step this morning Emily.” Aunt Flora said as she nodded her head. “I just wish I could have gotten a picture of you swallowing your first estrogen pill.”
I blinked.
“Oh well, it's just spring. A lot of stuff is going to come up soon. I'm sure I'll have chances to get a lot of pictures. Yep, the hospital owes me a full three weeks of PTO, that stands for Paid Time Off. And I'm going to take it. Gotta look at condo's though. A friend of mine said 'The Palms' are good. You can pretty much walk or bike toward this cute little shopping center that is only about two and a half miles from the condo. Plus their dolphin cruises, old spanish forts to explore, there is a pool for you to hang out in.”
I blinked.
“Are you going to use the full three weeks of PTO?” I inquired.
“Girl about time we get around to taking this beach trip they're going to owe me five weeks of PTO. And no, I'm thinking about maybe using only ten days or so. I mean as much as I love the beach, after ten days you're going to start running out of things to do. And trust me, you're going to get bored of looking at the sand and gulf. But knowing you, when you leave Orange Beach, you'll have the local's talking about you till we come back around next year.”
“But hey! You gotta take that stuff with food, and so let's eat! I'm starving!”
The End of a very important chapter in my life.
Emily's Easter Sunday
A “How I Spent my Summer Vacation: I Became a Girl” Gaiden
By
Rebecca Anna Coleman
-3-
Easter Dinner
Nothing really happen for the rest of he day. Despite going to a Catholic Private School, Aunt Flora and I decided to skip going to Easter Sunday Mass. After breakfast Aunt Flora went to get her morning shower and I cleaned the kitchen. The rest of the day was spent with Aut Flora napping and I reading. Dinner was of course the mutton joint that had been stewing away for a good seven and a half hours now.
Now, this was my first time every trying mutton and well, I found it dispointing, the meat was tough, it tasted greasy, and the sauce was lackluster. I expected that at any moment Chief Jordon Ramasy, a famous television chief who was now for his temper and calling everybody a 'Donkey' or a 'Clown' and for berating everybody's dish online would kick the front door down, come rushing into the kitchen.
Once in the kitchen he would take one look at the mutton join, reach down with his bare hands, pick up a piece of meat, then lift it to his mouth and then he would tear a piece of it off with his bare teeth, like some kind of caveman and then after chewing it for five secounds he would then spit it out and in a mock, scotttish, british accent he would shout.
'It fucking raw' followed by 'were the fucking mint sauce' and then Aunt Flora, offended and in raged, Because you never insult a Southern woman's cookin would then bounce Chief Jordon Ramasy off his feet, his shoes would come flying off and his head would pop right through the ceiling of the kitchen.
And then when the Manchester Police finally arrived cause they would be debating taking on Aunt Flora. They would find that she would have already pulled him down and gone full on wrestle-maina mode on his, they would see this huge, well toned Scot-Irish-British man begging for mercy while pulled over Aunt Flora lap, she would have ripped off his pants, and his boxer shorts would be tangled up around his ankles and she would going to town on his bottom with a wooden spoon.
Now, you think the Machester Police would have taken her in? Hell no, when Aunt Flora told them that he insulted her cooking, the police would have just nodded their heads and left withou a world being said. After she blistered Chief Jordon Ramasy bottomshe would have made him sit in the corner of the kitchen with his hands upon his head and his face planted in the corner.
I think God stayed in Heaven and the Devil in Hell because of Aunt Flora.
“Emily.” Aunt Flora said as she looked up from her plate. “There one more gift for you. When you finish your dinner, I want you to go get your evening shower and then meet me in you bedroom.” She paused and then I saw a playful twinkle in her eye.
“I had coffee with Mrs. Clause last week, and over cake and coffee we talked, woman to woman. I told her that I was a bit dispointed that her husband, Mr. Clause had skipped over my niece, when he was making his yearly present run last Christmas.”
Aunt Flora paused, and reached down and picked up her napkin, she then used her napkin to clean away a little bit of brown gravy that had found it's way to the corner of her lip.
“Mrs. Clause of course was confused. Since she the one in charge of keeping taps on who has been naughty and who has been nice. She she she had no ide I had a niece. I told her I did, and after a brief period of silence between us, she said she'll correct that at once.” Aunt Flora paused again and this time she used her fork to scoop up a fork full of black-peas. This being the South we had Black-eye peas and warm cornbread with every meal.
I blinked. I was confused but decided to let Aunt Flora go on with her story.
“I told her that I understand misakes are bound to happen from time to time. But I also told her that despite all the hardships life has been throwing at her, heardships that would break a normal a normal person. Yes despite everything she been through she kept her head held high and that she a really good girl. Though She can a bit of a handful at times, she is in all honesty a joy to around. She gets a little too eager sometimes and can throw a little too much pepper on her words though.”
I nodded my head.
“Anyway, I told her that since my lovely niece had been clearly broken hearted because she'd waken up Christmas morning with not a present under the tree, not a thing in her stocking that something should be done. And Mrs. Clause agreed! She said she'll make sure her husband adds a few more things into sack this coming Christmas to make up for the short fall.” Aunt Flora then took a sip of her wine glass. Aunt Flora had gone all out and brought a small bottle of wine for herself to enjoy with this meal.
Of course she offered to pour me a small glass of wine, I figured she wanted me to included, I politely declined though. The only time I'd had wine was durning Communion and that stuff tasted like soured grape juice. Instead I'd settled on a well chilled bottle of chilld french sparkling water with a wedge of fresh lemon. The bubbles in the sparking water tickled my tongue and made me feel fancy!
“I told her that that was nice of her, but something should be done sooner than later. So we agreed that you'll be given something on Easter. Now, while you were bing watching anime, I got a text from Mrs. Clause saying your gifts have been delievered. Now, of course Mrs. Clause handles all paperwork, accounting, and shops for all the good little girls. Cause let me be real Mr. Clause would lost as a goose when it came to matching a little girl with her first doll. And well, I gotta warn you, since 'Emily Hannah Anderson' is new to her data base she had nothing to on. So some of her gifts might be hit or miss.”
I blinked.
“Anyway, Emily while don't you go ahead and get your evening shower and I'll start cleaning away the dishes. I'll even wash them for you, but remember you got school tomorrow so after your shower I want you to head straight to bed okay?”
“Yes ma'am.”
I said climbing down from my chair.
“And I mean that young lady!” Aunt Flora called out. “I know you've been sneaking in a little video game time, I've seen the glow of your handheld from under your blanket. I've also seen you watching adult swim when you should be in bed. I've held off saying anything till now, but my little birdies say you've been sleeping in class when you should taking notes.”
I blushed. Of course leave it up to Aunt Flora to say something like that on a day last day of Easter break.
“You've gotten into the habit of keeping odd hours, of staying up at all hours of the night playing your video games about farming or trying to catch mystic beast that say their name over and over again. And that what your suppose to do on your Easter Holiday. But, tomorrow school takes in. And So I want you to get back into the habit of going to bed at a reasonable hour.”
“Yes ma'am.” I said blushing.
“Good.” Aunt Flora kissed me on top of my forehead. “Because remember, if I got a text from you saying that you missed the bus because you slept through your alarm because you were burning the late night oil watching anime or playing video games. I'm going to ground you. Now off to the shower with you.”
And that was that.
End of Chapter.
Emily's Easter Sunday
A “How I Spent My Summer Vacation: I became a Girl” Gaiden
By
Rebecca Anna Coleman
-4-
Advice?
I took a deep breath as I walked into the small bathroom, I was starting to think the wine was getting to Aunt Flora, first she was talking about the Easter Bunny, and now she was talking about Santa Clause. Did she think I was five or six or something? Bloody Hell, I was sixteen!
Then upon the counter I noticed a small basket. I drew a little closer to inspect the contents of the basket and much to my surprise I noticed the basket was filled with various types of lotions, shampoos, and body sprays! I'm talking about high end stuff here. Like stuff you could only find in malls. And then only certain shops in the mall carried these kinds of brands. This was not Wal-mart or Dollar General fare, this was Bath n' Body and Victorian Secrets fare!
Then I noticed that attached to the basket was a small folded note. I slowly started to unfold the note and then my eyes fell on the text.
Dear Ms. Anderson,
First allow me to apologize for the delay in delivering your stocking stuffers. Most stop believing in us when they turn twelve. So you could imagine my surprise when your aunt told me that you still believed in us along with the Easter Bunny? I was so shocked that I almost spilled my coffee!
Now, I've never really shopped for a teenage girl. I myself don't have children, and our internet connection is spotty at best here at the North Pole. And well teenagers seem to change their minds every other day. It's quite troublesome really to keep up with what's 'Cool' and 'Trending' . I don't even know if those words are still being used or not. Words like trends tend to go in and out of fashion.
But I know a few things don't change, and that is most teenage girls want to look and smell their best. You're at that age when boys have stopped becoming torments, where they use to chase you around the schoolyard with sticks with buggers attached to the end, dip your braided pigtails in inkwells, chase you with worms and toads. Now I'm sure they are offering to carry your school books for you, are holding open the doors for you and maybe even sending you little love notes.
I'm quite sure you've started to notice now that certain things are changing in your body, and I'm quite certain that those same boys who use to torment you by chasing you with sticks with buggers attached to the end, dip you braided pigtails in inkwells, case you worth worms and other nasty things are starting to notice the changes too.
It's called growing up dear. Soon I'm sure you will be going to dances, learning the newest dance steps, wearing sparkling gowns and soon, very soon the old church bell will chime and by the altar you will stand dressed in all white surrounded by women who lived out those stormy years of growing up with you.
Your aunt told me you lost your mother to cancer a year and so ago. And I know that must have been very hard on you, losing a mother is always hard, it is even harder on a girl because the mother in her teenage years becomes more than a mother.
She becomes a mentor, a teacher, a guide, and a steadfast friend. She is the one to hold you tightly through your first major break-up, to take pictures of your first formal. She is the one who prepares you for your wedding, and helps you adjust to the second stage in all women's life, motherhood.
I've only intended this letter to be a short letter, instead I fear I've gone off on a tangent. Emily Hannah Anderson, the few things I've heard about you tells me that one day you will make it. You just gotta believe in yourself as you believe in me and my husband. And one day, when you hold your own baby tightly in your arms you will understand all I've told you.
My final word of advice, don't rush into things. Father Time is an old friend of mine, and he has a funny way of making one day blend into the next, one day your playing with barbie dolls and the next your going to prom with your girlfriends and then your finishing highschool, and then before you know what going on your getting a college degree and then your getting married and then your cradling a babe in your arms.
Then your baby is either playing with barbie dolls, or action men figures, then she is either being chased by boys with sticks that have buggers attached to the end of them or is being chased with worms or toads or is having her pigtails dipped in inkwells. Or maybe it is the one chasing girls with sticks with buggers attached to them, or dipping the pigtails into inkwells.
Anyway you get the picture, live moves in cycles. So take my advice and relish and cherish each day, and remember those times when things got tough. Because it is those times that make the woman or the man and transform them from boys to gentlemen and from girls to ladies.
With love,
Mrs. Martha Clause.
“Wow..” I said folding the letter up. “This has been unreal..” I said looking at the basket. “I guess I should write her a thank you note.. but there is one problem.” I said musing a little outload. “There is no return address.. I mean It's not like I could hop on her Facebook account and send her a message or ping her on Discord, God I bet they're still using Skype..” I paused. “OMG Maybe they're still using American Online and MSN Chat?! No wonder nobody believes in them anymore, they're still in the digital stone age!
“Emily, I don't hear water running.” I heard Aunt Flora say through the closed door.
“Getting to it!” I called out.
“Five minutes, if I don't hear water running in five minutes, I'm going to come in and start your bath myself! And I'm going to wash you myself! You're sixteen years old, you're too old to have your auntie bath you!”
“OMG!” I said blushing, becauseif I knew Aunt Flora I knew that was no threat that was a promise.
“Five minutes Emily!” Aunt Flora added. “Well four and a half minutes, you just spent thirty seconds swapping words with me.”
“I'm going! I'm going!” I called out as I tucked the letter safety back into the basket. I don't know who wrote that letter, the hand writing was not Aunt Flora, and it looked like it was written with an old fashioned fountain pen. Like the ones you had to fill with ink. And the paper looked fancy, like it was not the standard paper you could buy in bundles of one hundred sheets down at the Dollar Tree, or Dollar General or Fred's Family Dollar or Wal-Mart or Office Supply it looked almost like parchment paper.
Like something you expected an owl to carry in its beak. An Easter Basket from the Easter Bunny, a gift basket from Mrs. Clause. What was next ? A snow white owl appearing in my bedroom window carrying a scroll saying I'd been accepted into Ilvermorny!
“Ms. Emily Hannah Anderson.” I heard Aunt Flora whisper through the door. “Two and a half minutes remain before you suffer a fate worse than death. If you don't want me to bathe you and put you in footie pajames I suggest you get in the shower before those two and half minutes expire.”
Well, that settled it, I could muse on that later, right now I needed to get into that shower!
End Chapter.
Emily Easter Sunday
A “How I Spent My Summer Vacation: I Became a Girl” Gaiden
By
Rebecca Anna Coleman
-5-
Wrapping Up.
Once I finished my shower, I wrapped myself in a towel and marched straight to my room. Aunt Flora was I'm sure was already asleep, the light was off in her bedroom and her door was tightly shut. Which made sense, she was due to be back at the hospital tomorrow at four in the morning. She was working the four in the morning till one in the afternoon shift tomorrow. I myself had to get up at five to get dressed to catch the school bus at seven. My school took in at eight and lasted till around two thirty or three.
Anyway I walked into my room and closed the door, I dropped the towel on the floor and walked over to my closet. I pushed open the doors to my closet and reached in to take down a nightgown from one one of the plastic hangers. It was then I noticed something laying on my bed. It was a plush doll.
I quickly slipped the thick, cotton nightgown over my head and walked over to were the doll was lying. Slowly I reached down to gently pick her up. I noticed she was hand sewn and a brunette. Well she had long strands of brown yarn for hair and two brown buttons for eyes. She was dressed in a miniature dress, sky blue with ruffles at the edges and the sleeves.
“Hello.” I said blushing a little.
“And how might you be?” I felt silly talking to a stuffed doll, but it felt right. Like she was listing to me. Now, I'd had stuffed animals growing up, what child does not? But many of them had been lost to time. My dad, before mom had divorced him had tossed them all in the trash as soon as I'd had turned eleven. I could still hear his cutting words echoing in my ears. 'Your eleven now son, It time you stop acting like a little boy and become a man, and that means stop playing with your stuffed toys.'
I don't remember if I'd cried when he said that or if I'd took it like a stoic he wanted me to be. But a little part of me had shut dow that day. I'm not going to say a part of me died that day, more like like a door in my soul had been closed and locked. And the key to unlock it had been thrown away, and well by chance I'd rediscovered the key, some five years later.
It was then I noticed another piece of paper, it was another letter. The letter read as follows.
'Hello Emily!' well that was pleasant and informal.
'My name is Emma! And I'm going to be your new best friend! Your aunt told me you took a big step today! And I just want you to know how proud I am of you. It takes a lot of courage for a person to become the person they always wanted to be. Anybody can dream, but it takes a lot of hard work to make your dreams a reality! That is why I'm here, to support you in everything you do! Don't hold anything back! Tell me everything, your hopes, you fears, your dreams, your weaknesses and your strengths! I want to know everything! After all their no secrets among best friends'
I felt my hands starting to tremble.
“Who wrote this?!” I said placing the small plush doll down upon my bed. “WHO!” I said turning around and looking around my room. “Who wrote the letter I found in the bathroom? Who are you people..” And then total silence. A peaceful silence. I felt tears starting to form in the corner of my eyes.
“... Mom... Did you write these things?” Those words got caught in my throat. Mom could not have written those letters, as far as I know she was entombed in All Saint's Faithful Rest. Maybe at this point her body had wilted away and the worms had had their fill of her and her bones were returning to the soil.. maybe flowers were growing above her? I don't know.
Again silence.
I Looked down and picked up Emma and then I brought her close to my chest, I placed my chin upon her head and peered out into the inky darkness.
“Hi,” I said pausing. “It nice to meet you Emma, I'm Emily, I'm sixteen years old and I'm a transgender girl. When God made me, he made a mistake and put my soul which was female I guess into a guys body. I've been struggling with that mistake for a long time. Today, I took the first step in correcting that. And soon I'm going to ask Father. O'Nell to confirmed me using my new name. So God can start my ledger over again.. Are you okay with this? Are you okay with being friends with a transgender girl? A lot of people who don't know me think I'm a freak, and a lot of people online say I'm just confused. But I'm not a freak and I'm not confused.”
More silence.
Then somewhere in the silence, maybe within the silence of my room a small, tiny voice answered. The voice was a resounding 'Yes'. And well.. I cried following that answer. I don't know how long I cried, I don't remember crawling into bed. But the next morning I found Emma laying beside be, covered up, I found the letter that was attached to her on my dresser. I found the letter attached to the gift basket next to it, along with the gift basket.
It was not the Easter Sunday I'd been expecting, but had been the one I needed.
The End.