Dedication:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real world persons or events is unintentional. However, one of my long-time online friends recently received successful gender surgery, and knowing of her upcoming experience gave me a beginning idea for this story.

So, this story is dedicated to my friend Jane.

Wishing you all the best!

[Prologue]

The woman sat near the corner table in the hospital surgery waiting room. She ignored the news show running on the wall TV, although she was glad at least it wasn’t Fox. Instead she read a book on her iPad Mini. It was an old favorite, but its protagonist was about to undergo the same surgery as her friend in one of the operating rooms. She had hoped it would reassure her or divert her, but she found even that fictional description too distressing. So, she closed the iPad, slipped it into her bag on the table, and moved the crocheted shawl over her shoulders up around her head to provide a little padding. Then she leaned back against the wall, closed her eyes and remembered.

Actually, she had met her friend twice, although it took a while to realize that.

[Two years before]

The walk signal at the corner turned on and the man trotted across the street and waved as he passed a car waiting to make a right turn behind him. Then he continued running as he approached a bridge over the arroyo. He slowed to a walk, but he stretched his pace a little to catch up with a younger man he recognized walking a little bit ahead of him. There were many regulars he occasionally encountered on the 5k course around the Academy, but the encounters were usually just a smile and a wave. And they were often going the opposite direction. So, he matched pace, pulled down one of his earbuds, and said what he hoped was a cheerful “good morning!”

“Good morning” the other man replied and continued walking for a couple minutes. They shared a few comments about the weather. Then he said “time to pick it up. Have a nice day!” and switched to a slow run.

“I like to do intervals too” the first man said and picked up his pace. They ran together for a couple minutes, then dropped back to a walk. For the next mile they exchanged a few comments about their exercise habits and their jobs. Then they turned and headed uphill and the conversation stalled. At the top though, they recovered their breaths and resumed their chat as they skirted the edge of a gated community across the street.

“You set a good pace!” the first man said. “It encourages me to keep going.”

“You do pretty good yourself,” the younger said. “I’m Jose.”

“I’m James. This is where I try to pick it up a bit. Might as well take advantage of the down slope!” and he grinned a bit. “And maybe there’ll be some cheerleaders waiting when we turn the corner!”

“Fat chance of that!”

“You never know. There were some waiting a couple months ago, but that was an organized event.” And they continued their jogging.

At the bottom of the hill they paused to wait for the crossing signal.

“This was fun. Shall we do it again?” James asked.

“Good idea. How about tomorrow morning?”

“Sure. How about 7:30?” And it was set. After that, they met and jogged together once or twice a week for several months. After a couple weeks they swapped phone numbers and email addresses to coordinate. Occasionally they would have a quick breakfast at the McDonald’s across the street or meet somewhere else later when they were cleaned up. And so it continued, for a while…

The second time they met took a while to realize.

When he returned to his house, James went into the garage and got a pair of work gloves and some tools. He started working on the front yard, pulling a few weeds, trimming the unruly branches of the elm shrub in the corner, checking on the flower box. ‘One of these days I should think about a real landscaping,’ he thought. But then he went inside and cleaned up.

He took a thorough shower, shampooing what remained of his hair, using his favorite vanilla-scented moisturizing body wash. Then he got some shaving cream and a razor from a little bag hanging in the shower and started on his body. He carefully shaved his underarms, the front of his body and his legs. Then he rinsed off, dried with a towel and applied moisturizer everywhere he could reach. He carefully shaved his face and used an old pair of barber shears to trim stray hairs from his nose, ears and eyebrows. Setting them aside, he took a tight blue gaff from the top drawer, pulled it up and tucked himself away. As he did this, the woman began to emerge.

Morgan, as she called herself, put on a slightly larger pair of light blue nylon panties and a matching bra with a little bit of padding. Then she reached into the second drawer and pulled out a pair of breast forms which she inserted. She took an auburn wig down from its holder on top of the chest of drawers, shook it out and placed it over her head. She looked towards the mirror, adjusted it a little and some of the tension inside began to relax. Then she pulled on a short skirt, stepped into a pair of ballerina flats, and returned to the mirror.

She combed out her hair, clipped the sides in place, and applied a little makeup. Some concealer for the dark patches under her eyes, a little eyeliner and mascara, a couple touches of gloss and a rosy lipstick were enough for today, she thought. Then she took out a sleeveless top and pulled it on and walked to the dresser to pick out a small pair of clip-on studs. She added a fine silver chain around her neck and then walked out to the kitchen table and sat down to plan her day.

She boiled some water and brewed up some black tea, then set it aside to cool. She made a tuna sandwich for lunch with a little cole slaw on the side. When the tea had cooled, she stirred in a can of peach nectar with some honey for extra sweetness, then transferred it to a pitcher. She poured some into a glass with ice and put the pitcher in the refrigerator.

Then she went to her computer and worked for a while, reviewing email, discarding most of it but noted a couple recipes and crochet patterns to try. She reviewed several things her friends had shared online, smiled and commented on a few, and shared one article of interest that had popped up on her news feed. Then she got up, took her iPad and went to the bedroom to kick back and read for a while. Eventually she napped.

When she woke, she did a few chores and got out a frozen fish filet to cook with some rice and a light salad for supper. She felt lazy, but it wasn’t as much fun cooking for just herself. After cleaning up, she went back to the computer and looked for the local transgender chat site. It was Saturday night and more people showed up to chat this night. It was the highlight of each week and yet it was difficult. Each week seemed to drift through a sort of grey funk, not really bad, but not really good either. When the man’s wife had died, he mourned for a while, then sort of coped, then decided to accept grief counselling. That had led to a recognition that he was somewhat depressed, which led to discussing his awkward feelings that sometimes (a lot) he felt more like a woman, and she needed to express herself. They had talked about letting her attend group meetings or even go on short outings, but she had never felt up to it. But the chat sessions seemed to let her be a bit more real. And she missed them when something interrupted.

The evening chat started with typical news.

“Did you read about the lady who had her surgery at age 60?”
“Yes, that’s amazing! It’s a wonder what they can do now.”

“I saw that one school in Oklahoma shut down for two days because some kid’s mother got in a huff when she learned about a transgender girl using the restroom on the first day!”
“Word must travel fast in a small town like that!”
“At least the administration and teachers are supporting her!”
“unlike our president!”
“That twat! I told you he didn’t mean it when he made that campaign promise.”
“yes, but things are looking up. Vermont may have a transgender governor next year.”
“I know but she is already getting death threats. Some people just can’t stand change.”

“I hope they learn to face up to it. They can’t just go back to the middle ages.”
“Do you think Alexandra can win in Massachusetts? It would be amazing to have one of us in the House!”
“Add a couple Muslim ladies and that would really put Donald’s pants in a twist!”

Then things drifted over to more personal matters. One girl, Carolina, thought she would be able to join some of them for their monthly dinner outing.
“You should join us too, Morgan! “
“Yes, please!” said Lisa. “It’s very low key and the servers are nice.”
“We do it on Thursday night. The men will be in the bar watching football and we can just relax and enjoy ourselves.”
“If you don’t drink too many $5 margaritas!”
“You know that was only once !!!!”
“Please Morgan. I know it’s a big step, but you’ve talked about wanting to do more and this is an easy way to do it.”
Morgan replied that she would definitely think about it.

Then the chat shifted to lighter subjects, a nail salon visit, shopping end of season sales, a sewing project.

One by one, they signed off and ended their evenings.

The next morning James met Jose and they did their circuit together. They talked about local news: another crazy shooting in the southeast heights; sports: the Dodgers had looked great earlier in the year but were losing out to the Cardinals who were on fire at the moment. Whether the local college would continue their soccer team. They planned to meet up for a cancer run fundraiser at the college football stadium. And of course, the weather. The mornings were finally getting a little cooler as the monsoon rains kept up, but it made the days very sticky.

They shared coffee and McMuffins and departed.

James showered, dressed, and made a run to the farmers market. He got some tomatoes to make salsa, blueberries and oats for his breakfasts, a couple sausages and a salmon filet from the butcher counter and some peaches just because they were on sale.

He put them away, then read and napped for a bit. When he awoke, he changed again and Morgan emerged. It was another relaxed day, unlike weekdays when James waited tables at a small local restaurant. She spread some potting soil along the back wall and planted seeds for pansies and forget-me-not’s. She cleaned up and cooked and canned a small batch of salsa. Then she took another shower and gave herself a thorough shave. She played with makeup colors, trying to figure out what she liked with a purple scarf.

But mostly she wondered if she would actually go to the dinner on Thursday. She could avoid it again. But somehow it seemed as if she really ought to try. So, she resolved to give herself a shopping outing and take the big step. First, she went back and forth trying to decide which of her newest scarves she should wear. Morgan liked purple, but she wasn’t sure she liked it with her favorite auburn wig. Perhaps she should wear the short black wig? But she really thought she should stick with the longer hair for a first impression. So, she decided on the red scarf. It seemed to bring out some of the highlights in her wig too.

On Monday after work, James went to Kohl’s to shop. He poked around in the men’s section and found a sweater he liked. Then he diverted to the sale racks in the back of the women’s section. He had gotten casual about this after several years. There weren’t all that many customers at this time of day. And the clerks were happy to just cash him out. He poked around, sifting through dresses till he eventually found three he thought Morgan would like. Then he slipped into the changing room and she tried them on. One just didn’t quite fit, but she went back and forth on the other two. She finally settled on a black and white patterned dress with short sleeves.

On Tuesday, he found a BOGO sale at a discount shoe store and tried some choices in a back aisle. He found a pair of ballet flats that seemed a better fit than her old ones and some medium heel pumps in black patent leather.

Wednesday was another shopping day at the farmers market. But he lingered at a rack of hats, checking out a couple but deciding to skip them.

On Thursday, James headed out for his usual walk/run and was glad to see Jose crossing on the other side of the intersection. They chatted about how their weeks were going and prospects for the upcoming football season. The Cowboys seemed set to go and rested their offensive starters for a game while the Chiefs were still struggling with their defense. Jose told about a software project that was nearing completion. He was coding the GUI objects for an application that used AI to integrate infrared imaging with radio and cell signals to better describe activity at a scanned location and even identify some of the people. The Air Force Laboratory people managing the research were getting eager to see the results. Then they set out on the trail.

The late August weather was turning cooler, but it was a bit muggy. And there were the usual fall events coming up. Jose suggested checking out a new Italian restaurant near the interstate that was supposed to be quite good. James suggested Friday, but Jose had plans so they settled on Saturday. Neither mentioned plans for that night.

After they separated, James showered and changed and left for work. He was retired and didn’t really need the money. But he enjoyed meeting people and helping make their day just a little better. And it was good to have some extra money to spend!

When he returned home, he showered again to wash off the food smells. He patted dry, applied the moisturizer and Morgan took over. She started by working on her nails. She trimmed and filed them, taking care to shape them into rounded ovals. Then she applied the red nail polish selected to match the scarf. She let a first coat dry while she watched a mystery show on Netflix. She paused it to apply a second coat and watched the rest of the show. It was still a bit early, so she made herself lie down, do a meditation exercise and relax. After about 10 minutes, she got up, went to the mirror and began. After at least a couple retries, she was satisfied. Then she carefully slipped on the new dress and shoes, added a necklace and some clip earrings, picked up a purse and went to the door. And she paused.

In the waiting room, the woman set her stuff aside and stood up. There was no news yet, but she walked over to the desk and asked anyway. Then she went down the hall, took a drink of water and used the restroom. Returning to her place, she sat down and remembered. It had taken so much effort just to get to that point and she had no idea what was ahead of her. The same was true of her friend in the OR.

She sat down and thought, remembering how she gathered her nerve.

Morgan opened the door, stepped out and locked it and walked quickly to her car. She fastened the seat belt, started the car, checked herself in the mirror, looked around and carefully backed the car out of the driveway. Then she drove to the restaurant and found a parking place.

When she walked inside, she asked for the Cholla group. That was what Lisa had called their little dinner get togethers. She said they were prickly but succulent and sometimes they would actually blossom! The greeter directed her to a large table in one corner, where she saw 4 or 5 ladies seated. When she got close, the greeter waved to the table, “here is the Cholla group, what would you like to drink?”
“Ice tea, thanks.” She said and then looked at a blonde lady who looked to be in her late 20’s and seemed to be the lookout. “I’m Morgan, is Lisa here?”
“Yes! I’m Lisa,” the blonde replied. “We’re so glad you could join us.” Then she made introductions. “This is Dorothy, Stefanie, Amari, and Carolina.” She said and they each turned to face her. They each welcomed her but when Carolina turned towards her, they both stared at each other for moment and laughed.
“Fancy meeting you here!” Morgan said as Carolina exclaimed “we have to stop meeting like this!” For some reason it just felt right for Morgan to lean over and hug Carolina. Carolina hugged her back and they both laughed.

Lisa asked, “do you two know each other? I thought you had never been on an outing before?”

And Carolina replied, “sort of but not entirely it seems! We’ve been having some drab get togethers for a while. But I’m sure this will be much more fun!”

Then the tea arrived, Morgan took a drink and explained how they met and went running together but neither had realized their shared secret. The ice was broken, she forgot her fears and joined in the general conversation about stuff. The food was good, but she hardly noticed as she just enjoyed the evening. When it was time to leave, she and Carolina spoke for a moment. “This was fun. Shall we do it again, just the two of us?”
“Sounds like a great idea. Do you like Italian?” Morgan asked. “How about Saturday?” and she chuckled as Carolina replied, “but of course!”

“Arrivaderci!” Morgan called, and they departed the restaurant. As she sat down in her car, Morgan realized she felt more relaxed than she had in a very long while.

And thus their friendship began. The next few months were a whirlwind as they helped each other come out of their shell and discover a new self. There were shared bonding experiences. Getting their ears pierced together. Makeup lessons at a mall store. The pain of body waxing. A salon makeover.

Sundays became little girl day as they watched classic girl movies, tried to learn how to sew doll clothes and gave each other crazy makeovers. Giving each other nicknames. Morgan became Morg and Caroline became just ‘Lina.

James had a long discussion with his therapist and decided it was time for Morgan to go full time and start her real-life test. And then she had to do the nervous explanations. Her parents were deceased, but her son and daughter proved to be easy and supportive. They even tried to talk Morgan into joining them for a drag show in the downtown club district one Saturday.

James explained the situation to the owners at the restaurant. It was a new situation for them, but they sometimes watched the Kardashians on the TV when business was slow in the afternoons. It helped that they knew he was reliable and good with the customers. They decided that Morgan would start waiting tables the following Monday.

And mostly it went well. Her previous regular customers were a bit surprised but happy to have the same great food. And Morgan put extra effort into serving them. A couple of them wanted to chat at length about Caitlynn Jenner and Orange is the New Black and favorite places to go shopping. But one customer was upset about getting green chile instead of red and yelled, “If you can’t even figure out who you are, I’m not surprised you can’t get my order right either!” and stomped out of the restaurant. But most customers hardly noticed, and life went on.

After a couple months, Carolina also made the jump to full time as well. Appearance didn’t matter as much for her programming work. But she had to visit the organization offices on base for progress meetings and presentations. So, she had to jump through a lot of hoops to get state and base contractor ID’s corrected. And there was one old school colonel in an adjoining office who always glared at her and muttered when she walked by. Fortunately, the contract was already established, that officer wasn’t directly involved anyway, and her state had a strong law protecting LGBT’s against discrimination. So ‘Lina’s life eventually settled down as well.

They had great fun shopping for Halloween costumes and Lina greeted trick-or-treaters as Captain Marvel with Morg beside her as Black Widow.

When basketball season kicked off, they bought matching “Strength in Numbers” T-shirts and enjoyed weekly outings at a local sports bar to cheer on the Dubs. There was always a bet on whether Lina’s favorite, Steph, or Morg’s favorite, Klay, would get more splashes. And they had fun squealing at each successful shot and occasionally flirting with some of the bar-goers. All seemed well and good, but that was where the big change started.

Lina’s software program was delivered to the Air Force and she was tasked with training the drone operators and airborne command staff on how to use the program, access various levels of information, and avoid a lot of common mistakes. Training week was very busy with a lot of time spent in long days on base. Because of this, Lina decided to meet Morg at a location closer to the base for the Thursday night basketball game. They were enjoying some Asian barbecued wings and nervously watching the Dubs work to catch up with the Lakers when the waitress brought over two more of their drinks.

“The gentlemen at the next table appreciate your enthusiasm for the game and hope you enjoy the drinks!” she said.
“Tell them thanks,” Lina replied and glanced at the table and froze for a moment. One of the two men smiling at them had been in her class just that afternoon. Then she smiled and nodded to him and the men both smiled back. Lina took a sip of her apple margarita and then turned to watch the game.

“What’s up with the men?” Morg asked. “Although he is good looking!”
“He was in my class just this afternoon. What are we going to do?”
“Enjoy the game and we’ll see. Was he a good student?”
“I think so. He was watching the screen, not just my hemline. And he had one good question about the program.”
“Go, Klay!” Morg screamed and their attention returned to the game.

At the end of the quarter, their two admirers approached the table. The student introduced them, “I’m Gary and this is my friend Harold. It’s good to see you’re interested in goals besides identifying terrorists. May we join you?” Lina and Morg exchanged eye gestures, then Lina accepted.

“We’ve both been Spurs fans since we went through training at Lackland. But I have to admit the Warriors are amazing.” Gary said, and the conversation took off from there. At least it did for Gary and Lina. Morg and Harold exchanged some talk about their jobs, favorite dining places, and current NBA players and then focused mainly on the game. But Gary and Lina were focused mainly on each other.

Midway through the 4th quarter, the Klay and Steph hit back to back 3 pointers and the Warriors were on a run to take a 12 point lead which held up for the win. Morg and Lina thanked Harold and Gary as they left. Morg went home with a dozen wings that Lina was too busy to eat, and Lina went home with Gary’s phone number. A couple days later, she accepted an invitation for a date.

The first date was a success, so Lina decided she needed to explain her status on the next date. And the week leading up to that was nervous for both Lina and Morg. Lina was hot and cold on her decision to tell, her therapist explained that there was no absolute best way to do it, and Morg wondered if she would run out of ways to calm Lina down and yet encourage and support her. But somehow when Friday night arrived, Lina was ready and Gary, it seemed, was ready as well. He had thought there might be something special about her but couldn’t help liking her a lot. And he explained that one of his fellow drone operators at his last assignment had been a TG in transition and she regularly aced her qualification tests. But mostly he just wanted to get to know Lina.

And she got to know a lot about him over the next several months. And Morg just saw Lina on their morning runs and an occasional Sunday.

So the months went by and Morgan became more comfortable and relaxed as a woman, even though she couldn’t see herself as complete. And she was considered too old for the surgery.

But Carolina was younger. And after a very successful year in real life, she was approved. And she asked both Gary and Morgan to be there for her.

But life, or the world, intervened. There was another outbreak of violence in the Middle East. And Gary’s unit was deployed to help fight it. And now Morgan sat by herself in the waiting room, thinking of what had been, and what was happening now with both her friends, and what might soon happen.

It had been a long wait, and she dozed.

James had been worried about his wife for a while. She hadn’t been in particularly good health since a stroke a few years before, but she seemed to be having more trouble than usual just walking around. So, when she started running out of breath just walking down the hall, he took her to the local urgent care. They gave an exam, diagnosed a heart attack and sent her by ambulance to the hospital. After some more tests, the cardiologist confirmed that she needed bypass surgery. But there was a problem. She had a fungal infection on her skin that needed to be cleared up before they could take out the veins for the bypass.

A dermatologist prescribed an antifungal cream and three times each day James rubbed it over her skin. After a couple days the dark spots lightened and receded. But on the fourth day when he was applying the cream, she gave a jerk and went limp. He felt for a pulse, couldn’t find it, called 911 and started CPR. About 10 minutes later the ambulance arrived with the emergency techs. They took over and hauled the couple to the hospital in the ambulance.

And there James sat in the waiting room. And wondered what the doctors were doing to try to revive his wife. And wondered if it would work? And how would she be? He waited and his mind drifted.

The view below showed the surgical team at work. The doctor’s back blocked a clear view of the body. The assistants were using some equipment while a monitor on the table beeped and signals flowed across the screen. It was hard to see but she knew one was the pulse of life. The beeps were steady but occasionally one seemed to skip. She strained to see better, but her point of view was fixed for some reason.

The doctor made some adjustment and leaned over the body. Then an alarm went off. The beeps stopped. The squiggly line on the monitor went flat. The doctor called a command to the assistants and they placed a couple pads on the chest. The body shook and rose, but there was no signal. They applied the shock again. But still no signal. No beeps.

“No!!! No!!! Please no!!!” the woman cried out.

Someone was shaking her shoulder. “Wake up, Ma’am. Are you all right? Were you having a bad dream?”

What was happening? The woman opened her eyes and looked around. There was no view of the operating room. She was in the waiting room as before.
“I don’t know.” Morgan said. “How is Carolina? Is her surgery over? I think I had a dream. I’m afraid something might have happened to her.”

The receptionist gave her a glass of water and said “please drink this. I’ll check right away.” And she walked back to the counter.

Morgan watched her nervously and her heart seemed to pound. She was still upset. Was it just a dream? Or had she seen something?

“Thank you. That’s very good news. I’ll tell her.” The receptionist said and gave Morgan a big smile and a thumbs up signal. Morgan relaxed but her body felt cold now. She pulled her shawl up over her shoulders and waited.

A few minutes later a man in a colorful scrub uniform came into the waiting room and called her name. “Please come with me, Morgan. Your friend is doing very well, and they’ve taken her to a recovery room. I’ll take you there and you can wait with her.”

They walked down the hall and around a couple turns and into a large room with a bed behind some curtains. Her friend was lying on it, still asleep from the anesthesia.

Morgan walked over and carefully gripped Lina’s hand. She held it and relaxed. They had finished this stage. Soon it would be time for life to take a new course.

 
 

A slender figure walked out onto the wide bridge. The sun descending in the western sky cast a wide shadow from the west side of the canyon and bathed the east side in a reddish glow.

The figure walked past the first overlook platform but stepped onto the second platform to gaze southward into the gorge. It had taken a couple hours to walk the distance to the bridge from the airport. The ride they had hitched out from the city could have taken them all the way. But their intention was private and they wanted to avoid distraction and interference.

They thought of what was behind. The parents applauding the speeches and election of a criminal and rapist. The months of ads proclaiming that people like them were a perversion and a threat to the innocent. The muttered or even loud slurs in the hallways, scary notes in the locker and occasional shoves. They had asked their parents to let them transfer to the more friendly charter school. But there were still fees involved, pay was low and rent was high. It was a no-go, like so much of their life.

They scanned the canyon wall looking for a bighorn sheep or any other sign of life. But all they saw was red.

Rose stopped her little Prius at the highway intersection, then turned left to drive west across the bridge. It was the only practical way to her destination. And sometimes the view could be beautiful. But the groceries in the trunk needed to get home. And it was quite a drive. She slowed down as she drove onto the bridge because there was a single person standing on one of the platforms. She saw them pull their hoodie tighter around the slender body as a likely gust of wind emphasized the scanty protection.

Something about them piqued her curiosity. So she turned into the visitor parking on the west side of the bridge. There were no other cars at the moment. A cold Christmas eve wasn’t a great time for viewing the gorge. She zipped up her puffer jacket, pulled on her gloves. On a hunch, she reached in back and grabbed a Mexican blanket, then left the car to walk onto the bridge. She stopped at the first overlook to discreetly observe. The figure was clearly shivering. The cold breeze even chilled Rose a bit.

She proceeded on, slowing a bit as she got close to the person. They seemed oblivious until she held out the blanket and said, “you look a little cold. Why don’t you wrap up in this?”

The person jerked and looked at her, then shook their head left to right. No.

“I’ve been bitten a few times myself. I promise I won’t bite. Why not enjoy the view in a little more comfort?”

This time the person reached out a hand and Rose gave them one end of the blanket, then stepped past them to wrap the other end around the back and over the other shoulder.

“Good evening. I’m Rose.” She said.

“OK” the person responded in a light thin voice.

“So it’s the Man with No Name,” Rose joked. “That’s not quite a serape, but it’s close enough.”

“Did you see anything interesting?”

“No.”

Rose scanned the east wall of the gorge, watching for any flicker of movement. Any animals seemed to have already found a cozy spot for the night.

“It’s a long walk back to Taos. Would you like a ride?” she offered.

“No.”

“Then I’ll make you an offer. First, I absolutely promise to bring you back here in a day or two and you can do whatever you had planned for today Second, until then let me take you someplace warm and get us both some food to eat. I know we can find a place for you to sleep. How about that?”

“OK.”

Rose gently grasped the person’s right hand, then they both walked over the bridge and back to the Prius.

Rose helped them into the passenger seat, then walked around, climbed in and started the engine. She also turned on the headlights as the stereo resumed her playlist of Madonna.

“The Material Girl may be a bit dated for you. Would you like something different?”

“No”

“That’s fine then.”

Rose drove for a couple miles with only the music playing, then turned onto a side road. Then she immediately turned right. “You’re already buckled up, but I’ll warn you, it’s going to be a bumpy ride. The Prius can take it though.”

They drove for several miles past a junk yard of dozens of rusting auto and truck bodies. After navigating a couple doglegs, Rose turned right onto a northward road that led straight to a medium hill in the distance with two small peaks.

“We’re getting close now,” she said.

They drove past various cabins, trailers and other structures. Most of them seemed to have solar panels on top or nearby. Eventually they reached a cross road and Rose turned right. They drove past more buildings, up a slight hill and then Rose turned the Prius into a dirt track leading to some trailers.

There were a couple Airstream trailers, a Coleman camper and even an old VW microbus.

“Welcome to our little abode,” Rose commented.

Then she turned to the other person. “I hope you’re OK with the queer community because we’re all a little queer out here. But like I said, we don’t bite.”

Then she got out, walked around the car and led her guest to the door of the longer one of the Airstream trailers. She opened the door and called out, “Sunny, Gloria, I’m home. And I have a guest.” Then she ushered the other person up the stairs and into the trailer. My friend here is the Man with No Name.”

A short person with long blonde hair waved and said, “Hi, I’m Sunny.” The taller person dressed in almost Goth attire with black shirt and pants and stocky boots said,” and I’m Gloria. The stew is about ready, but the rolls need a few more minutes. Sunny, can you find one of your sweat outfits? I think they’ll fit our guest. Come on, hun,” she said and led the way to a small restroom. Step in here and take off your shoes. We don’t have hot and cold running water. But you can use the toilet. I’ll bring you a basin of warm water to wipe off with. Oh, and do you prefer boys or girls undies?”

“I wear boys.” The person said.

“I think I have some old boy stuff that might fit. I’ll be right back.”

Sunny handed her a pullover sweat top and some sweat pants, then reached into another drawer and pulled out what looked like boys underwear as well as a pair of socks.

Gloria handed them through the door, then went to the kitchen. Rose had already drawn a basin of water, so Gloria took it back to the little restroom.

Several minutes later a skinny figure emerged, cleaner but with shoulder length brown hair in need of a good brush or comb.
Rose waved them to the small table, where Sunny was dishing up the stew. Gloria handed them a platter of rolls wrapped in a dish towel and a tub of soft margarine. Then they all settled into the task of eating.

After two bowls apiece of stew had vanished along with all the rolls, Gloria started clearing the dishes and Sunny wiped off the table.
Rose set a small bowl of snack-sized candies on the table and pulled a deck of cards out of a small box in the living area.

“Now that we’ve got four people, we can play some serious card games!” she announced.

“Euchre is a serious card game,” Sunny responded.

“I know, but it’s so much work sorting the cards just to play it. Do you know how to play Hearts hun?”

“I don’t think so,” the guest replied.

“That’s all right,” Rose stated. “We’ll explain the rules.”

“But first we should do another round of introductions. I am Rose (she/her) and I am Trans.”

“And I am Gloria (she/her) also Trans.”

“And I am Sunny (she/her). I’m cis but I happened to like girls so we get along.”

“What shall we call you?”

“Jess, I guess." The guest stated, then frowned a bit and paused.

Sunny leaned in and looked in their eyes. “It’s all right, Jess. We try to keep this a safe place. It’s part of why we live all the way out here. You don’t have to tell us anything you don’t feel comfortable talking about. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Jess said.

“Good,” Sunny said. “Rose, deal the cards.”

About an hour later, Rose added up the scores. “Gloria, you have the lowest score. You get three pieces of candy!”

“And Jess, you really surprised us. You get two pieces of candy!”

“Close game, Sunny, but you edged me out. You get one piece of candy!”

“What about you, Rose?” asked Jess.

“Loser doesn’t get candy,” Rose stated.

“Except she sneaks one whenever she wants,” Gloria and Sunny called out in unison.

“All right you two. It’s Christmas in the morning. So off to your beds,” Rose answered. Then she turned to Jess as Sunny and Gloria pulled on long coats. “Those two sleep in the other Airstream. Are you OK sharing this trailer with me?”

“I think so” Jess replied.

“That’s fine,” Rose stated. “Like I said, I don’t bite. We have the propane heater, but propane costs money so we turn it down at night. If you’re OK sleeping on the couch, I’ll get you a sleeping bag and a robe to help stay warm.”

“That will be all right,” Jess replied.

“Good.” She went into the back room and returned with the sleeping bag and robe. She set them on the couch then knelt a bit and looked into Jess’ face. “Sweetie, listen to me. You are real. You are beautiful. And you are loved. Always remember that. Knock on the door if you need anything. I’ll see you in the morning.” Oh, and may I give you a hug?”

Jess nodded and Rose gave them a gentle squeeze.

“Night night!” she said and went into the bedroom. She changed into cozy pajamas, pulled on another robe and climbed into the bed. After a while, she heard some quiet sobbing. Then it died out and they both slept.
…
The smell of something baking woke Jess up. “Good morning, sleepy head!” Rose called out. “Pull on those slippers and come join me for breakfast. Sunny and Gloria will be here soon.”

Jess looked down and saw a pair of pink fluffy slippers on the floor by the couch. She unzipped the sleeping bag, squirmed out of it, put on the slippers and walked over to the table.

A bowl of blueberry muffins sat in the middle of the table. The soft margarine was right beside it. “Would you like orange juice or milk?” Rose asked.

“Orange juice is fine,” Jess replied. Rose poured two glasses and joined her at the table.

“I forgot to ask. You ate beef last night, but are you OK with eating pork?” Rose said to Jess.

“Oh yes,” Jess replied.

“That’s good because we’ve got a little ham for lunch. I could scrounge something else up, but this lets us dine as planned. Now enjoy your muffins.”

They were both working on a second muffin when the door opened and Sunny and Gloria climbed in. “I told you they’d cheat” Sunny said to Gloria.

“Hey,” Rose replied. “There are still lots of muffins. And I think we’ve got another box if you’re that hungry.” Gloria gave Rose an elbow in the ribs and served up a couple muffins.

After cleaning up the table, Rose led Jess back to the couch and said, “Sunny, will you do the honors?”

Sunny walked over to a small lighted tree in a corner of the living area. There were a number of packages scattered around it.

“Are you handing out presents?”, Jess asked. “I didn’t even know about this. I don’t have anything to give.”

Rose reached around and gave Jess a hug. “You’ve given us a new friend. That’s the best gift of all. So just relax.”

Sunny handed Rose a soft wrapped package and gave a similar one to Gloria. Then she handed one like it to Jess. “It looks like Santa Claus found you after all, Jess!” she said with a smile.

Jess took the package, then huddled over and fought back tears.

Rose wrapped an arm around her, gave Jess a hug and gently rocked them. “It’s all right, sweetie. Today is Christmas. You have nothing to worry about. You are safe with us. Now open your present and let’s see what Santa brought you.”

Rose open the wrappings and found a red turtle-necked sweater. She just squeezed it in awe. Rose opened a green V-neck while Gloria had a black V-neck. Sunny had a pink cardigan.

“But how?” Jess asked.

“Someone found something to share,” Rose replied. “Now just relax and enjoy the moment.”

Sunny handed out the next round of presents. There were board games for Rose, Sunny and Gloria. And a chess set for Jess.

“I don’t know how to play,” Jess protested.

That’s quite all right. We have plenty of time out here and we’ll be glad to teach you. It’s a skill you can take with you wherever you go.”

Then Sunny pulled out four more presents. There were scarves for the three adults. And Jess opened another soft package to find a soft plush brown bear.

“That’s Boo Boo,” Gloria said. “He was my best friend when I was growing up. I know he’ll be a good friend to you too.”

Jess broke down crying and fell onto Rose’s shoulder. Rose just hugged her and waited. After about half an hour, the tears subsided. Jess looked up at Rose and asked, “How? Why?”

“It’s all right. You are all right. Love is not a tit for tat game. The well refills itself. We just have to share it wherever we can. Now come to the table and let’s start teaching you about chess.”

Then she looked at Sunny and Gloria. “And you two, get working on lunch!”

A couple hours later, after Rose had led Jess through a couple easy games, Sunny nodded at Rose. “All right, Jess. Let’s clear this off so we can have some lunch!”

The table was quickly set with sliced ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and some prebaked rolls. Everyone passed around the food and ate up.

When they had cleared the table again, Gloria asked, “Now for the big question. Which movie first, Home Alone or Die Hard?”

“Home Alone!” Sunny and Rose both called out. So Gloria set up a small laptop on the table, Sunny served up some glasses of a fruity punch, and they all watched Macauley Culkin pull his tricks.

When the closing credits were rolling, Jess squeezed Rose’s hand and asked, “Rose, may I talk to you?”

“Sure, Hun. Would you like to do it on the couch or back in the bedroom?”

“I think I’d feel happier with just the two of us, so maybe the bedroom?”

“That’s fine, Jess. Bring Boo Boo along. He should be in on this too.” Then Rose led the way back to the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

She sat on the bed and patted a space beside her. “Hop up here.”

Jess climbed on the bed and sat down. They looked up at Rose.

“What would you like to talk about?” Rose asked.

“Well, I’m not sure how to say it. I’ve never felt safe talking about it with anybody before. But maybe with you, would it be all right? Would it be safe?”

Rose turned a bit and looked at Jess. “Hun, I’m not a boy anymore. But I used to be a Boy Scout. And a Boy Scout is supposed to be Trustworthy. It’s number 1 on the list. So I still try to honor that trust. If you want to keep it private, I try to do that. If you need help, remember that a scout is helpful too.”

“OK. I think I understand. I think I may be transgender too.”

“That’s fine.” Rose replied. “I don’t prejudge and I don’t do physicals. So what does that make you?”

“I was born a boy. My parents named me Jesse. But I’ve been feeling different from the other boys ever since I started school.“

“And when did it really hit you?”

“I think in middle school. I saw the boys and girls changing and I felt like I wanted to change like the girls. But my body seemed to be stuck in neutral.”

“Then we probably need to get you to see both a therapist and an MD. We have to visit the bridge again tomorrow. But I’ll call my doc’s and see if we can get you in for a quick visit and make appointments for serious follow-up. How does that sound?"

“I guess I think it will be OK.” Jess replied.

“I’ll do my best to make it OK, hun.” Rose answered.

“Now what about Sunny and Gloria?”

“I think it will be all right to tell them too.”

“Good. Let’s let you tell them and then we’ll watch Die Hard!”

They walked out to the table. Jess looked at the other two adults and said, “My name is Jessica but I prefer just Jess. My pronouns are she/her.”

Three adults gave her a big hug. There was a lot of sobbing. But finally they all relaxed and watched the movie.
….
The next morning after breakfast, Rose and Jess bundled up and climbed into the Prius. After another long, bumpy drive, they emerged onto the highway and approached the bridge.

“Shall we stop for a view?” Rose asked.

“I don’t think we need to,” Jess answered.

And Rose drove the car across the bridge and into the town.

Disclaimer note. This is a work of fiction. The people in this story are fictional. The location is real. AFAIK, nobody lives in the group of trailers in one picture.

Enigma

Dedicated to the memory of Nex Benedict (Jan 11, 2008-Feb 8, 2024)

R.I.P. Nex

I heard you talk across the room
You spoke your personal kind of tune
You and your friend were sitting paired
But other students simply stared
They stood apart and uttered jibes
You simply weren’t part of their tribe.
The teacher saw you from the front
But was too frozen to confront
…

You looked so happy when you ate
You hugged your friend, your latest date
They said you liked to cook them wings
I didn’t see you wearing rings
The chicken tenders didn’t rate
I’ll bet that you’d have made them great
The students at your table laughed
They didn’t seem to be that daft
...

You rose and walked into the room
Your body called, you answered soon
They told you go there with the girls
Your boyish clothes, your swept back curls
I heard the shouts, the sound of scuffle
Were they trying to cause some kind of trouble?
I heard a thunk. Did you go ker-plunk?
The faculty rose, began their jump.
….

You walked out proud, I couldn’t tell
If you were hurt or not so well
They took you to the office up in front.
What did they ask? Who’d they confront?
Grandmother took you into the sun
You walked out tall, you didn’t run
I didn’t know what happened then
Would you be back tomorrow or never again?
...

You weren’t in school the following day
I hugged a friend and tried to pray
The news that night told of your death
I wondered how, I caught my breath
You were so alive with energy
Was this some deadly synergy?
I touched the floor, down on my knee
My soul awash with agony
…

We held a vigil in the park
We sang a song until the dark
We shared your loss, we felt your pain
The clouds were soft, it didn’t rain
We told about how you were brave
The things you stood for, things you gave.
I saw a bird, was it a dove?
We need to turn their hate with love.

It was about 5 o’clock on New Year's Eve. Jerry was eating an easy dinner, poached fish filet, frozen spinach, microwave mac and cheese. He could have cooked something much nicer, much better. But why bother. There was no one to share it with this year. He didn’t really have any friends to invite over. His son was working, making food so others could celebrate. But most importantly, his wife was dead.

The year before wasn’t that good. A stroke had put her in nursing care. And Covid closed the doors so all he could do was talk to her over the phone while they looked at each other through the window. But she was alive. There was hope. Yet by the time she could come home, her health had declined. He cared for her night and day with some help from his son and daughter. But he didn’t have the gift of healing. She died a couple months later. And now he was alone.

He finished his dinner, put the dishes in the washer, washed his hands, and decided to go to the piano. She had bought it for both of them so many years ago. He was never very good at it. But years of playing other instruments had given him at least a feel for the music. And she was so much better. He remembered listening to her work on Scott Joplin while he sat at the couch and read the newspaper. Her playing wasn’t great either. But it was beautiful.

And now he looked at the box on top of the piano, in front of the pictures of her, next to the stuffed bunny that had been with her in the hospital. He took a moment to sigh and pray and gather his thoughts. She had known of his secret desire for things feminine for three decades. It was a surprise and a shock, but they had talked through it and decided to keep it a private matter. Sometimes she had encouraged him to open up about it. Sometimes they had fun with it. But other times she had pulled back. And for so many years, life had been too busy even to allow brief respite. And it was hard to open up after those periods.

They had a good life together. They enjoyed the same restaurants and shows and movies and TV (mostly). They both loved music, both serious and humorous. They tried playing various instruments. But the piano sat unused, out of tune and stacked with stuff. As part of preparing for her to come home, he had cleaned it up, gotten it repaired and tuned. But she never got the chance to try it again. So perhaps he could at least continue that for her.

He sat down on the bench, opened the cover and set out a book of easy arrangements. He turned to Claire de Lune and checked the key. D flat major. It was one of the trickiest keys he had played in school band, with five flats. Lots of little changes to remember. Would there be changes in his future? That was the question.

He stretched his fingers, adjusted them over the keys and carefully ran up and down the scale. A couple times in the bass, a couple more in the treble. Then he started to pick out the tune. There were a few miscues, but he worked his way through to the end. Then he went to the beginning and started again. There wasn’t much confidence yet, but he tried to adjust his playing to the sound and the feeling in his head. He remembered a video. Three beautiful women swimming through the water in a grotto, illuminated by the moon overhead. Their hair trailed behind them and the kicking of their legs gently swished the diaphanous skirts of their gowns in the water. They sat together playing a single Steinway as their arms intertwined and the tune pulsed up and down the keyboard.

He could never be that beautiful or play so elegantly. But what could he be? What could she be? And would She approve now? The loneliness, the sadness arose within him. He let it wash into him, through him and gradually ebb. He turned to the Samuel Barber Adagio. Same five flats but a different key, a different scale. His fingers ran up and down the keyboard. He worked through this piece three times. It fit his mourning and there was a lot of mourning to express, perhaps to expiate? He closed his eyes and bent his head. He felt the sadness rise into his brain and forward into the eyes. But the tears would not quite come. Something was blocking them, keeping them inside.

Begin at the beginning. He turned to the start of the book and opened it to Fur Elise. It was one of the first songs he had learned. It was in A minor, but much simpler. No flats or sharps. Just the white keys. He went through this one 3, 4, 5 times. Each time with a little more confidence, a bit more feeling. When he had first learned it, there had been hope for a much better performance in the future. Could there be such hope again?

There had been no conversations about such a future. When she came home, the stroke had left her barely able to talk. A few weeks of therapy had enabled her to say one last time, “I love you.” But an infection had cut that off. And after a brief recovery, she had died. No chance of discussing what if scenarios for the future that was now his alone. And now the pressure was still inside him. But he had made a promise. What resolution could there be?

He bent his head again and contemplated a silent prayer, a prayer for guidance, a prayer for healing, a prayer for hope. He opened a different book and turned to the Doxology. This one was short and he quickly played it once. Could there be a hope for some blessing in the future? He didn’t know, so he closed the keyboard, stood up and went to bed.

He changed into a long animal print nightgown and went to the sink, where he brushed his teeth, washed his face and applied some moisturizer. Then he slipped under the covers and eventually drifted to sleep. Sometime in the night, he became aware of a dream. Two children were running onto a playground followed by an older woman. The girl dashed ahead. “You can’t catch me, Jerry!” she called out. “Wait and see, Judy” the boy yelled back and raced after her. They ran to the apparatus and scampered up the stairs, then slid down a slide and went up again. Each hustled to catch the other. After several rounds of that, the girl headed for the swings and the boy followed.

After a few swings, Jerry called out “How do you like to go up in a swing?”
And Judy replied, “Up in the air so blue”
“Oh I do think it the pleasantest thing”
“Ever a child can do.”
As each spoke, his view and focus shifted as he looked and spoke to the other.

At the end of the verse, Judy jumped down from the swing and walked over to the woman. “May we please have some ice cream, Mommy?” she asked. The woman looked down with a familiar face, a wide smile and dark hair turning to grey. “I love you" was all she said.
The focus of the dream shifted. The children were running a circuitous path following arroyos and jogging paths through the neighborhood. But each time they changed direction to head back to the park, something had shifted and they had to go farther and take a different route. Eventually they drifted off into a deeper sleep.

The room was a little cooler and a faint glimmer of light shown through the window curtains. She woke up and went to the restroom and then the sink. She washed her hands and face and brushed her teeth. Then she picked up a brush and worked it around through her hair. It had been about a year since the last haircut. It still wasn’t very long, but it showed promise. Looking in the mirror, the face was still that of a man, but she thought she saw a bit of a girl in the smile there.

She pulled on a robe, went to the kitchen and ate a bowl of cereal. She opened her journal and wrote
“This year I resolve to be a better person, to be the best woman that I can be.”
She opened her computer and started scanning for various resources.

A Year Later

She put a pan with the lobster souffle into the oven and set the timer. Then she washed her hands and went to the piano to play while she waited. She worked through some scales, then turned to “Gentle On My Mind”. It was one of the songs she had sung during their final weeks together. Her voice still couldn’t reach the high notes where the melody was written. But she didn’t think Glen Campbell sang it up there either. And after four months of training and practice, it was getting easier. She could hear a lilt, a kind of smile in the words as she sang them. She remembered the last time she had sung it for her wife. It was a kind of private mourning. She had sung it many times along with other songs to fill the time and perhaps relieve some of the pain. And then she sat beside the body and sang it to herself.

She switched to Claire de Lune. There were still miscues, but perhaps not as many? And she played it with more feeling that came from deep inside her. Was there a light above for her? She thought of older memories and wept with actual tears on her cheeks. And then she thought of newer memories.

In January she came out to her doctor and talked about her situation. The doctor switched her blood pressure medicine to one which also blocked her testosterone. And they referred her to a counselor. Grief was a convenient excuse, but it was really about her gender. After a few sessions the psychologist had referred her to a gender counselor.

In February, she had gotten her ears pierced and bought a set of birthstone earrings and a necklace. And she started attending a support group.

In March, she got her first appointment to start the long slow process of electrolysis to clean up her scratchy face. And she came out to her daughter.

In April, her daughter had referred her to a Trans support picnic sponsored by her medical group. And she learned about a local group that organized queer friendly campouts. Her doctor consulted an endocrinologist and got her a prescription for estradiol patches.

In May, she bought gear to go camping for the first time in years. She camped with a couple friends from the support group. But she met lots of people from all parts of the LGBT spectrum. There was no need to categorize or label. They just enjoyed doing things together, hiking, cooking, singing.

In June she invited a few friends over for a dinner at her house.

In July she helped set up a large picnic to support LGBT students. She invited a few more people and her dinner became a regular thing.

In August, she made a costume and attended her first convention in many years.

In September the group had a second campout and she helped organize music for the camp.

In October, she met a woman running for the city council, put a sign in her yard, and joined the weekly canvasing to encourage the voters.

In November, she joined the election night excitement and celebrated when her candidate was elected. Her daughter invited her over for Thanksgiving and she met her daughter’s friends. A close friend whom she had known for many years greeted her as herself and they chatted about clothes and makeup and schools and the national problems for girls like her.

In December, she helped a group of her friends hold a special In Between Party for those who weren’t comfortable or even had been rejected by their families.

The alarm went off and she took the souffle out and set it on a rack to rest a few minutes. She pulled a bottle of champagne out of the refrigerator she had been saving for too many years. She transferred the souffle onto a plate and drizzled a cream sauce over it. She carefully opened the champagne and poured some into a fluted glass. She took a bite of the souffle. The lobster taste was delicious. The champagne gave a sweet tingle in her mouth.

It had been a very good year!

Clair de Lune for 3 pianists- The 5 Browns
https://youtu.be/uVzr-6_BVEs?si=yIpf8wnwKJ4T192W

Adagio - Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
https://youtu.be/cdAAeCcY9lA?si=2_e85LqGQT1c2PgI

"Für Elise" Performed by Lang Lang
https://youtu.be/s71I_EWJk7I?si=sHpayYbaXkOwpTqT

The Doxology (CU Wisconsin)
https://youtu.be/RB7WZxR-xGY?si=NHZeO2_z3q0jpsX6

Ashley Campbell - Gentle On My Mind (98.7 THE BULL)
https://youtu.be/Rb_rQ5D9_z8?si=jc8xsQnMsfGAfCS4

TG Limerick Day

May 12 was National Limerick Day because it is the birthday of Edward Lear, who is credited with popularizing that poetic form in his Book of Nonsense, published in 1846.

So I decided to compose a few TG limericks for today.

1. There once was a boy from Purdue,
Who thought he was really a Sue.
She put on a skirt, turned into a flirt,
And sings in a café near you.

2. Have you heard of the town of Colcannon,
Where once lived a boy named O’Bannon?
He gave a quick twirl, saw she was a girl,
And now she is known as Rhiannon.

3. I knew a quite handsome podiatrist,
Who marvelously healed my arthri-itis.
He bent o’er too far, revealing a bra,
She said she was feeling androgynous!

4. I climbed up the Mountain Sandia,
With a bottle of frosty Sangria.
A quick drink at the peak brought a blush to my cheek,
And I prayed I would soon be a she-a.

5. I sat near a tree with a verse
That I pulled from the depths of my purse.
Oh Edward and Alfred, I pouted,
And hoped I would never be outed.

I hope you enjoy these.
Feel free to vote for your favorite or offer a limerick of your own, if the muse inspires you.
All the best!

The Princess of Venda
Part I of III

Chapter 1

I’ve long had a love affair with trains. When I was growing up with my cousin in Dublin, the capital of New Venda, we would often climb to a high tower and stare out over the countryside counting the cars on a long train that wound its way up the valley to Adelaide or down to the east toward Sydney. Many times when we went on horse rides in the country, we would divert from the horse trail that ran through the vineyards to climb a hill and look for passing trains. Of course we had to watch out for rabbit holes on the hillside, as well as snakes. But we would always get to see a mob of red roos bouncing around the bushland.

So when my cousin invited me to attend her wedding in Dublin, I skipped the air service and decided to catch the passenger train that still ran from Adelaide to Dublin and on to Canberra. It allowed me to enjoy a bottle of shiraz as I watched the country rolling by. It gave me time to recall special memories from my younger years. And it let me take along Mister Bollocks, my favorite buloke walking stick, which would never have been allowed on a plane.

I left Adelaide on Monday afternoon, checked my suitcase and garment bag with the porter, and took my messenger bag and walking stick up to the passenger compartment. Once the train left Adelaide and gained speed up through the Eden Valley, I opened the bottle of shiraz I had brought and let it breathe for a bit while my mind drifted.
…
“Beat you to the top of the stairs, Shelley!” Bridget called out and dashed down the second story hallway of the castle, her long hair swinging around her shoulders as her skirt bounced off her legs. My hair swung almost as much as hers and my skirt probably bounced more as I tried to catch up to her. At least she had the sense to pick Keds for our after class play time. As we chased through the castle, we looked like twin sisters and we got a mixture of chuckles and frowns from the castle staff as we dodged around them. I had been trying since the age of five to grow my hair as long as hers. But she had the lead in that as well as in our race because although she was a girl, I had been born a boy.

I pulled my hair through the long low ponytail that hung down my back and wondered how we would compare now? But I sipped a final glass of shiraz and watched the vineyards roll by on the right as the train climbed up the valley towards the east. Later I rested my head on a small pillow against the window and listened to Sara Davis Buechner’s fingers dance over the piano as I drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 2

A glorious sunrise aroused me from my overnight slumber, and I walked up the train to the dining car for some toast with avocado and a bowl of coconut yogurt. I usually skipped the traditional fry-up to help maintain my trim body and a train was not a good place to enjoy that anyway. Besides, I was sure there would be several abundant dinners in the coming days leading up to the wedding on Saturday, the 15th of January.

When I climbed down from the train, I was greeted by a chauffeur and footman in the castle livery, who took my baggage and escorted me out to a Rolls Royce with the New Venda crest on the door. I had been told to expect the car, but I hadn’t expected someone to be waiting in the back seat to accompany me to the castle. And I really hadn’t thought that person would be the Lady Matilda Duchovny, Duchess of Southland.
“Welcome to New Venda, Shelley!” she said. “Bridget would have met you herself, but she has so many meetings to get organized for the wedding and the extra security would have been horrid. How was your train ride?”

I hesitated, probably just because I was surprised, and then answered carefully, “Pleasant enough, your Highness. The track is not as smooth as the bullet service along the coastland, but I love the scenery and the wildlife.”

“Oh please, Shelley, just call me Matilda. I know you’re just a commoner, but my research shows you’ve been an outstanding citizen of our Duchy. Your research in the department of mines has done so much to help keep the water clean for our citizens. And after the big to-do on Saturday, we’ll be cousins too!”

I looked out the window to see where we were going. The chauffeur was taking a circuitous route through a more residential part of the city and we passed an athletic field where an open air market was giving visitors a chance to shop for local produce, trinkets and other memorabilia. I suppose I should have expected something like this. While my father was an ordinary sub-minister in the trade ministry of the Principality of New Venda, my mother was the cousin of Harold Warwick, now the reigning prince of New Venda. And my second cousin, Bridget Warwick, was the darling of the gossip press, the Anti-Kardashian from down under, and his daughter the Princess of New Venda. And on Saturday, Bridget was scheduled to marry Rupert Duchovny, Matilda’s brother and the heir to the Duchy of Southland where my home of Adelaide was the capital.

Chapter 3.

The Rolls didn’t seem to attract much attention as it pulled though a side gate and drove around behind the castle before a garage door swung open allowing it to pull inside.

“Come on, Shelley, let’s get you to your room,” Matilda said as she swung her door open. I waved the footman to go by and then opened my door and stepped out of the Rolls with Mister Bollocks and my messenger bag.

“OK, I’m coming,” I called as I walked around the front of the car and followed her through a door and into a hallway behind the garages. This building seemed to have been built from the new-style semi-industrial architectural model with sealed concrete floors and steel doors. But after crossing a covered walkway, we opened an elegantly carved wooden door and stepped onto the waxed wooden floors of the castle itself. A locked door on the left led to the public areas of the first floor of the castle. But we turned the corner and Matilda waved an ID badge with an NFC chip over a detector by the elevator and the door swung open. The elevator took us up to the fourth floor of the castle, where the royal family and senior officials resided.

We walked down a high-ceiling hallway lined with rows of paintings and occasional benches or chairs for those in need of rest or just a quiet place to chat. At the corner we faced the portrait of an older woman, elegant but with a dour look on her face. She seemed to be frowning at me, in admonition for the sins of my youth.

Matilda paused and looked up. “Dear old Lady Warwick! Have you seen anyone running down the halls lately?” she commented. “Doesn’t this place bring back memories, Shelley? I didn’t get over here to visit nearly as often as I would have liked, but I understand you and Bridget had a lot of fun together when you were younger.”

“Oh yes,” I said. “I don’t know if we drove the staff crazy or just brightened their day a little.”

“Probably both,” she said. We started down the next hall along the eastern side of the castle. The doors were further apart, as this section was laid out into extended suites for the royal family and special guests. “The first suite here is Bridget’s, I am staying in the second suite, and they have you set up for the third suite.”

The footman led us to the third door, opened it and let us into a large day room that was almost as large as my whole apartment.
Matilda waved at the footman and said, “Charles will be taking care of you while you’re here, Shelley. Won’t you, Charles?”

“Yes ma’am,” Charles replied and started putting my clothes away. I moved to interrupt but Matilda grabbed my arm.

“Let him go ahead. The staff take pride in giving you good service. When he’s finished, why don’t you catch a nap. Bridget will join us for lunch in my suite. We can catch up on old times and let you know what is coming up then.”

She left with Charles and I decided to take her suggestion.

A knock on the door woke me from my nap and I called out, “Yes, who is it?”

“Almost time for lunch, sir. Miss Bridget asked me to wake you.” Charles called out.

“Thanks, Charles,” I replied and dragged myself awake. After a shower, shave and change of clothes, I opened the door and stepped out. Charles gave me a quick look and a smile of approval, then waved me to a girl standing in front of Matilda’s suite. “This is Tina. She is looking after Miss Matilda.”

Tina smiled and gave me a short curtsey, then opened the door. “Come on in, sir. Miss Matilda is waiting for you.”

I stepped into the room as Matilda rose from her chair and welcomed me. “The sleeper awakes! Have you recovered from your trip?”

“I think so. I enjoy the trip, but you don’t really rest unless you pony up for a sleeping car.”

“Well, please sit down.” She waved to an oval table at one end of the room. “Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, please. That would really hit the spot.”

She poured me a cup of tea, then added some fresh tea to her cup and offered me a plate of shortbread cookies. I took one, sat down and sipped my tea.

“This tea is excellent!” I said and it was. It was better than even my best effort at brewing my own and much better than the bottled stuff I usually put up with. “Where is Bridget? I thought she would be meeting us too.”

Just then the door opened, and Bridget stepped into the room, then dashed over to my chair and engulfed me in a hug. “You came, Shelley! I’m so glad to see you. It’s been so long.”

“Of course I came. I couldn’t miss my favorite cousin’s wedding, could I?”

“I know, but it’s a long trip and you can’t just write it off as a business expense, can you?”

Then she turned to Tina standing at the door. “Tina, please tell the kitchen to bring up our lunch now, won’t you?”

“Yes, miss.” Tina said and closed the door.

“Did you catch him up on the schedule, Tillie?” Bridget asked Matilda.

“No. We were just chatting and waiting for you.”

“That’s fine. Let me tell you what is going on this week, Shelley, I usually have a mid-morning meeting for one of my responsibilities, but today was the last for a while. I’m on the board of the Warwick Women’s Fund, which provides support for victims of domestic abuse as well as adoption and foster services. It’s always tough to find enough foster support for children who need it, but fortunately the Council have been generous in funding these services and the WWF helps fill in the gaps and support people who are leery of the official programs.
I have one more meeting this afternoon to review the wedding plans, then we’re relatively free for the rest of the day. We can have fun catching up! But there’s a small family dinner downstairs this evening at 7.

Tomorrow morning the bridesmaids will arrive, and we’ll have a brunch when they’re all here. Then in the afternoon, we have a final dress fitting. And in the evening will be our princess party.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

Matilda answered. “I guess you are out of the loop, Shelley. A lot of weddings these days have a special night for all the women involved. It’s their equivalent of the men taking the groom out for a final fling. Some of them do really weird stuff to embarrass the bride, but the Princess has her reputation to protect. So we’re having a little sleepover party for the bridal party and six little girls who get to join us. Maybe we should sneak you in, Shelley? The girls would have loads of fun playing with your gorgeous hair!”

“No way!” I said and was rescued when Tina and a couple other servants from the kitchen brought in our lunch. They served us each a luncheon of bacon-wrapped prawns, steamed broccoli and a small salad with a bottle of Silkman Blackberry Semillon. We paused the discussion and nibbled on the food, which was delicious although the portions were obviously sized to protect the waistline.

Matilda resumed the discussion after we poured another glass of Semillon. “Rupert and Daddy fly in Thursday afternoon, the lazy sods, and we have the first big photo-op. Half the paparazzi in Australia will be there to catch the Princess welcoming her fiancée. That night there’s a big dinner with both families.

“There’s a party in the castle garden at 11 on Friday. Then we skip that at 2 to go to the cathedral for the rehearsal. And, of course, there’s the rehearsal dinner on Friday night. Then all the ladies start getting prepped on Saturday morning, we adjourn to the cathedral at 1 and start the show at 2. And Saturday night at 7, there will be a ball here at the palace. Sometime later that night, Rupert and Bridget will disappear and the rest of us can relax a little.”

Bridget commented. “I tried to talk Rupert into letting you be one of the groomsmen, but he was already having trouble choosing among his friends. But would you please be my special assistant on Saturday? There’s bound to be something come up that needs a reliable person to sort out.”

“Of course,” I replied. “Anything I can do to help.”

“For a start,” said Matilda, “both of you take off your shoes, stand up side by side, and let me get a good look at you. Bridget, would you brush out his hair?” So I sat at the table while Bridget sprayed something on my hair and brushed it for a few minutes. Then we stood up by the wall.
“Amazing! Bridget told me you two looked a lot alike, but you could almost be twins. Come over and look in the mirror.” So we walked across the room and looked at each other. I was about a centimeter taller than Bridget and an extra kilo or two, but we had somehow inherited the same slightly long nose, oval face and a soft chin with a dimple. Having my hair brushed out like Bridget’s enhanced the resemblance. We just stood and stared at the mirror for a minute. Then the mood was broken by a knock on the door.

“Miss Bridget, it’s almost time for your afternoon meeting.” Tina called from the hallway.

So Bridget and Tina gathered a few things and departed for the elevator while I returned to my suite.

“Charles,” I asked. “Could you please find me an exercise mat? I’m going to walk around the hall for a bit and I’d like to do some exercises when I get back.”

“I’m sure I can do that. Where will you be walking?”

“I’ll just stay on this floor and not bother anyone. You won’t need to tag along.”

“Very good, sir. I’ll see you when you finish.”

So Charles left and I changed into a t-shirt and shorts with some running shoes and started walking around the hall. I took it easy for the first couple of trips, then picked up the pace as the hall seemed to be clear of traffic. After a dozen circuits, I returned to the suite where Charles had arranged the mat in front of a large screen television.

“Thank you, Charles. Please stay back. I’ll be moving around quite a bit.”

I picked up Mister Bollocks, walked to one end of the mat, and grasped the walking stick in a two-handed sword hold. Then I moved through a series of katas, advancing in cuts and thrusts mixed with possible parries. I worked back and forth, sometimes attacking, sometimes retreating and parrying for about half an hour. Then I stepped to one end of the mat, spread my hands on the walking stick, and gave a medium bow to my imagined opponent.

Charles took that moment to give a brief applause. “That was excellent, sir. “Where did you learn that?”

“Thanks, Charles. I got involved when we moved to Southland and kept it up through high school. I also took a couple classes at the university, but mostly just do it for exercise now.”

“Well, I would not want to cause you any trouble on an outing with that walking stick around!”

“You’re right, Charles! But I need to clean up and get some rest before dinner.”

Chapter 4

Charles woke me at about 6:00, and helped me prepare for dinner. We joined Bridget and Matilda and Charles and Tina accompanied us down in the elevator. We went into a medium sized dining room where we were greeted by two men and a woman. I immediately recognized the woman and she reached out her arms.

“Come give me a hug, Shelley. You’ve grown a bit.” I immediately did so and with much affection because she was Mildred Stone, who had practically raised both Bridget and me after both our mothers had died when we were just starting school.

One of the men, of course, was Prince Harold and Mildred released me to greet him.

“Welcome back, Shelley,” he said. “The castle hasn’t been quite the same without you. Let me introduce my executive assistant, Peter Robinson. He hasn’t had to take a bullet yet, but he does practically everything else for me.” Peter and I shook hands, then the Prince led us to one of the two tables. Peter joined Mildred, Charles and Tina at the other.

Dinner was lemon poached sea bass with a Tamburlaine Riesling. We chatted about my work in Adelaide, problems with invasive species, and prospects for the Southland and New Venda teams in the Greater Australian Economic Union (GAEU) rugby and basketball leagues. After about an hour of very pleasant company, Bridget interrupted.

“Daddy, would you please excuse us? I want to take Shelley upstairs to catch the sunset.”

Prince Harold stood up and gave her a hug. “OK, kiddo. Go upstairs and have your fun.”

So Bridget, Matilda and I excused ourselves and headed for the elevator with Charles and Tina in tow. We went past our rooms and about halfway down the hallway where Bridget waved her badge over a small panel and pushed a button. A staircase folded down out of the loft area and the five of us carefully climbed up into the loft. Looking around, it was mostly industrial with HVAC ducting and cables running all around the castle above insulation that had been laid down between the boards that supported and reinforced the ceiling below us. But there was a central walkway where plywood panels had been placed over the studs to allow easier passage for workers. And above our rooms in the southeast corner, where the light from an east-facing window would shine in, were two more paneled areas with a low plywood wall on three sides.

“No stopping to check out your old toys, Shelley!” Bridget admonished. We need to hurry or we’ll miss the sunset.” We turned the corner and walked toward the southwest corner of the castle where a west-facing window showed a glowing red sun in the distance. When we got to the window, we could see to the south and north as well. The extra story of height gave us a wider view around the city and out into the countryside. A shallow river, barely more than a stream at its mid-summer low, flowed south of us through the middle of town. And we could see two railroads. One headed upward to the west to go back to Adelaide. The other ran north towards Brisbane, the capital of Norstrilia.

‘It’s a beautiful sunset’ I signed to Bridget.

‘I love the view from up here’ she signed back.

“What are you two doing,” asked Matilda.

“It’s sign language, Tillie. Shelley and I used it when were kids and didn’t want the staff to know what we were up to.”

“And what were you two up to then?”

“Oh nothing much. Sometimes sneaking out of the library to try to get an extra horseback ride, or slipping into the kitchen to steal some cookies.”

“I’ll bet!” Matilda snorted. But she grinned at us both.

We relaxed and enjoyed the view, watching children riding bikes on some of the residential streets or playing football in a park. Eventually the sun dropped below the horizon and we let the twilight illuminate the walkway back to the staircase.

We hugged each other good night outside Bridget’s suite, then Matilda and I returned to our rooms for the night.

As I settled into bed, I thought about how much I had missed Bridget over the years, and how being back in the castle felt like a true homecoming.

Sometime during the night I dreamed. I was playing in a field and my mother walked over to me. Two lambs were following her. “Shelley, these lambs have been bad and gotten into the stickers. Take this comb and pick the burrs out of their wool.” She told me. I took a steel comb and wrapped my arm around one lamb and started to comb out a few of the burrs that were stuck to it. But I drifted off before I could make much progress.

Later I woke up. I wondered if something had disturbed me, so I relaxed in bed and listened carefully. But I didn’t hear any sounds except my own breathing. Eventually I heard the long whistle of a train on one of the rail lines. I relaxed and drifted off to sleep.

I heard a loud knocking on the door. “Mister Shelley, wake up, wake up!” Charles called.

“OK, OK, I’m getting up,” I replied. I grabbed a robe and walked to the door to let him in.

Charles wrapped the robe around me and led me next door to Matilda’s suite. Tina gave me a tight hug and opened the door. “Go on in,” she said. “They are waiting for you.”

I entered the room and saw Prince Harold and Peter sitting at the table with Matilda. Tina closed the door behind me and stayed in the hall with Charles.

“Please sit down, Shelley. We have an emergency and I need to ask for your help.”

“Whatever you wish, your highness.” I said as I pulled out a chair.

“It’s not quite that simple,” he replied then gave me a long and thorough look. Then he turned towards Matilda and told her, “you were right, Matilda, this might just work.”

Then he faced me and I could see deep concern and even a smudge on his face.

“I remember you and Bridget playing together as children here in the castle. I miss those days, especially at times like this. I need your help and New Venda needs your help. Sometime last night, Princess Bridget was abducted from her bedroom.

Footnote:
The idea for this story came to me when I was researching the geography and wine regions of Australia. I saw a region(?) labeled Venda and started thinking of a plot. So, of course, when I dug into Google to check the geography, I couldn't find anything about Venda in Australia!

I borrowed the name Norstrilia from Cordwainer Smith, but otherwise this story has no connection to his wonderful stories.

Chapter 1. Lawyer by day.

Louie Laporte turned the page of the Harvard Law Review and wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead. Then he picked up a fan from the desk and waved it as he continued reading. The history of seisin and disseisin made for rather dry reading although some of the people living and working in the Greenwood District north of his office had been born as chattels. But the details of contract law could be critical to his work as a lawyer, and he read that article carefully.

A bell jingled as the office door opened and three people walked in. Louis closed the magazine and looked up to see a tall colored man, an Indian woman, and a young girl.

“How can I help you?” he asked them.

“I need to make a will for myself and my wife,” the man replied.

“I can certainly help you take care of that. But I’m curious. There are good lawyers in Greenwood. Why not have one of them do it?”

“I know. But these are difficult times. People are still getting lynched. And one of Lucy’s cousins was killed last year up in Osage County. I want to make sure our wishes get taken care of good and proper if it comes to that. And Mister Williams said you are a good man and trustworthy.”

“Well thank you. I am honored. Please sit down and I’ll help you both.” Then he looked at the little girl who had glanced at the water cooler.

“Would you like a drink, sweetie?” The girl gave a cautious nod and he walked around, pulled out one of the paper cones, filled it about half full and handed it to the little girl.

Then he returned to his desk and faced the couple. “May I have your names please?”

“Yes,” the man replied. “I am Joseph Frederick Douglas. My wife is Lucy Whiteflower Douglas. And our daughter is Molly Cornflower Douglas.”

“Very good,” Louie stated. He then asked a series of questions, took notes, and turned to the typewriter on lower shelf to his side where he inserted three sheets of paper with two carbon pages in between and carefully typed out he will. Afterwards, he escorted them across the street to the bank where Joseph and Lucy signed the will and had it notarized. He gave them the second copy and explained, “I’ll keep one copy in my safe and take the original to the courthouse to get registered next week. I hope you all have a good weekend.” He glanced down at little Molly, gave her a wink, and left the family to return to his office.

Chapter 2. Dancer By Night

Louie locked his office and walked down the street to the barbershop a couple blocks away.

“Give me your best shave, Marvin!” he called and sat in one of the chairs. A few minutes later he checked the work in the mirror and carefully felt his face and under the chin.

“Excellent work as always!” He paid the barber and walked back to the little yellow Stutz parked in front of the office. He bent over and cranked up the engine, then climbed in the seat and drove off to his bungalow about a mile away.

Once inside he carefully hung up his coat on a hat tree by the door and took off his collar and placed it on top of the chest of drawers in his bedroom. Then he returned to the kitchen where he made a quick sandwich with some ham and cheese. Next he went to the bathroom and started drawing a hot bath adding bath powder as it filled up. He took off his clothes and eased himself into the foamy water. He ducked his head completely under water then eased back up, smoothed his hair back and used a cloth and a bar of Ivory soap to clean off the stink of the day. He pulled the plunger to empty the tub and rinsed the remains of the soap from his body with a small bowl and fresh water from the tap. He used a large towel to dry off and a smaller one for his hair after he climbed out of the tub.

Then he turned to the small mirror over the sink, tilted his head and gave a smile, “Hello Winnie. Are you ready for some fun tonight?”

Louie took out a safety razor, mixed up some shaving cream and very carefully shaved off the hairs on his arms and underneath. Then he adjoined to the bedroom, opened the small dresser and took out some lacy panties and a white brassiere. After putting those on, he pulled on a pair of silk stockings and slipped a black dress over his shoulders, reaching behind to pull up the zipper. Then he reached into the top drawer and took out a short golden blonde wig with a curly flip. He placed that on his head, carefully adjusted it and pinned it to his own hair with a couple bobbie pins. He returned to the bathroom and smiled at the mirror again. “Looking good, Winnie! Just a little more work.”

Winnie opened a container of cold cream and gently spread a dab over her face. She let it rest a bit, then applied light powder to cover it, taking extra care with the nose and around the mouth. She brushed a little circle of rouge on each cheek and gently brushed some kohl powder above her eyes. She opened a tube of dark red lipstick, puckered her lips and delicately applied it. She pursed a sheet of tissue between her lips to set that, then discarded it and added a second coating. She stepped back, looked in the mirror and grinned.

“We’re going to turn some heads tonight, aren’t we?”

She pulled on her overcoat, locked the door, started up the Stutz and drove off to the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Winnie found a space in the large parking lot beside the ballroom and walked to the front door. A colored man in a red uniform stood in front.

“Good evening, Miss Winnie,” he said and smiled at her. “Your friends are already here. Enjoy your evening.” He opened the door and Winnie walked inside. She paid the cover charge, checked her coat at the cloakroom and walked into the main ballroom. As she glanced around she heard the band playing ‘Whispering’ as several couples did a foxtrot around the central dance floor. She spotted a table with three men and two women on the right side of the ballroom and saw them waving at her. She waved back, smiled and started in that direction.
When she got closer, the two women rose and the three of them joined in a group hug.

“Suzy, Lilly, it’s great to see you tonight! Who’s the band?” she asked.

“We’re in luck,” one of the men said. “Billy King’s group is up here from Oklahoma City for the weekend.”

“They’re great!” Suzy added. The three men stood up and carefully seated the ladies, then returned to the other side of the table. A waiter came over and took orders for drinks. The men ordered Doctor Pepper while the girls chose ginger ales. Winnie gazed around the table and gave an inner chuckle. The gentlemen were obviously shorter than the ladies. Their white shirts, bow ties and black coats were immaculate but their smooth faces gave a hint of their secrets. Across from her was George who was really Joanne, a nurse at the hospital. Walter was actually Nettie who worked in the lady’s department at Vandever’s Department Store. And Robert was Gladys, a legal secretary at the courthouse. While Suzy and Lilly were Robert, a doctor at the hospital, and Lucious, an accountant.

Their group had formed up the previous year after Louie passed his bar exam and moved to Tulsa. They met at church and soon started gathering at everything from rodeos and motor boating to dances like tonight. When they realized that many of those out for dancing were enjoying the pansy craze from back east, they decided to give it a try. Nettie helped them all get suitably accoutred. It was a great treat and with the stress of the war and the flu epidemic winding down and liquor a bit dicy to obtain, why not unwind a little bit more?

The band switched to a waltz and Walter offered Winnie his hand. They stepped out with the others following and quickly danced around the floor. A few dances later after a Texas Tommy had left them each a bit winded, they returned to their table and sipped their drinks.

Three men from across the hall came over and invited Winnie, Suzy and Lilly for a dance. George, Robert and Walter sought out new partners and the fun continued until about 11 pm when the group departed to beat the curfew and return to Tulsa.

Chapter 3. In Memoriam

It was Monday morning, May 31. Louis stood in front of his bathroom mirror, checking out the fit of his pilot’s dress uniform. The waist was a little tight, but it still fit. He thought back over the last three years. Three years ago his squadron had arrived in France and were still training to handle the new Spad XIII fighters they would be taking to the air. He wondered if he could get out to the aerodrome the next weekend and get up in his DeHavilland DH-4. Perhaps Joanne would enjoy a flight?

He closed his eyes and gave a silent prayer for Robert Converse, the first of his squadron to die in combat. Too many of his friends had lost to the Germans in the next few months before the war ended. But they had learned to stay alive in the air and protect the doughboys on the ground who were gradually driving the Bosche back from their trenches. He was very glad that was ended.

He drove the Stutz down near Main Street and walked to a shoe shine parlor to give his boots an extra sparkle. Then he headed to the reviewing stand further up the street where he could enjoy the parade with his fellow veterans. The first group by was a local high school band playing the Double Eagle March. They were followed by the Grand Army of the Republic with about 20 veterans of the Union Army. A few minutes later the United Confederate Veterans marched past with at least 30 in their butternut uniforms. They were succeeded by the Ku Klux Klan. He wondered what trouble they might be causing. Segregation and Jim Crow were the law here in Oklahoma. But some people didn’t seem satisfied with just enforcing those laws. Finally the National Guard Band came by performing Hands Across the Sea.

After the parade ended and the group broke up, Louie drove to a flower shop and bought a bunch of red poppies. He then drove out to the cemetery and walked through the rows of graves, looking for one of his deceased comrades. He only had two left when he finished his tour, so he tucked one through his collar and found the grave of a young girl who had died the year before and left her a flower and a silent prayer.

After driving home, he changed out of his uniform and into cooler clothes, mixed up a pitcher of lemonade and moved his Victrola out to a table in the back yard where he could relax, sip lemonade and listen to Paul Whiteman. Some time later he glimpsed the paper boy going by and went in front of his house to pick up the Tulsa Tribune. He sat down in the back yard to read the news and cringed when he read the cover story. Dick Rowland, a shoeshiner at the same parlor where he had his shoes done just that morning, had been arrested for assaulting a white girl who operated an elevator at the Drexel Building just across the street. He didn’t know what would come of this, but it wasn’t likely to be good.

A few hours later he saw flames rising from the Greenwood District. He wondered where Joseph, Lucy and Molly were and if they were safe. He gave another silent prayer.

Chapter 4. Louie Drives Up

Louis arose early on Tuesday morning after a fitful night. It reminded him too much of nights hearing the distant cannons and preparing for an early patrol. He juiced an orange and carried the drink out front to scan the sky. He was watching two airplanes flying to the north when he heard his phone ring.

“Hello,” he answered.

“Mister Louie, this is Joseph. We need some help. Our house is burning. I’m calling from the neighbor’s. Could you come get little Molly and keep her safe?”

“Certainly, Joseph. Where shall we meet?” They picked an intersection a few blocks east of the Greenwood and Louie headed for the Stutz. He drove north past Admiral Street and then followed the street to the west and looking for Joseph. Fires were everywhere ahead and shots continually sounded. He couldn’t track the airplanes while driving but he thought he might have heard the whistling sound of a bomb.
As he got closer, he saw a black man and a young girl running up the street. They were followed by several white men carrying guns. He sped up and spun into a side street just ahead of the couple. Joseph opened the door and lifted Molly into the seat. He then closed the door, stepped onto the running board and grabbed the door while Louis took off in the car with several men following. A few blocks and a couple turns later they had lost their pursuit and stopped along the street.

“What do you want to do?” Louie asked Joseph.

“Can you take Molly someplace safe?”

“I could take her to my house, but she can’t stay there.”

“I have a sister, Lettie Douglas. She lives in Langston. It’s a couple hours drive west of here. Could you drive her over there?”

“Certainly,” Louie stated. Then he saw a few men to the west running up the street.

“Please, Mister Louie. Keep her safe. I’ll find someplace to hide until I can see a doctor. You’d better get going.” Joseph gave Molly a kiss and took off running. The pursuing men shouted and ran faster. Louie sped up in the Stutz and soon lost them.

Chapter 5. Winnie Takes Off

Louie pulled up in front of his house and scanned the neighborhood. Despite all the excitement, he didn’t see anyone out looking around. So he opened the door and quickly ushered Molly inside. By now there were undoubtedly people on the lookout for a white man with a little colored girl and he didn’t want to leave any clues.

He led her to the kitchen table and helped her onto a chair. “Do you like oranges?” He asked and she nodded. So he took out an orange, cut it into slices and set it in front of her. “Help yourself, sweetie.”

He took out a bottle of milk, opened the cap and gave it a sniff. It smelled funny so he poured it down the drain. Instead he picked some ice from the cube in the ice box, put it in a glass and added water from the tap. “Have a drink. Molly. Do you like chocolate?” She gave him another nod. He opened the cabinet above the counter and took out a Hershey bar.

He sat down across the table from her, bent down a bit and looked straight at her.

“Molly, can you say yes?” He asked and she said “yes”.

“Very good. Now listen. You are going to be all right. I’m going to take you to stay with your aunt until your father can come get you. Do you understand?”

Another “yes”.

“But people are going to be looking for a white man with a little black girl so we’re going to have to play disguise, all right?”

“Very good!” He bent his head a little and gave her a big smile. She gave him a little smile in response.

“Now you stay here and after you finish the orange you can eat the Hershey bar, all right?”

“Yes”

“I’m going to get a special friend who will help us. Just wait here.”

He went to the bedroom and started digging out clothes. He took off his shirt and undershirt, went into the bathroom and used a wash rag to wipe off his body. He quickly dried it and returned to the bedroom. Then he continued changing. In a few minutes, Winnie Winkle emerged wearing a red blouse and some tan pants as well as the heavy boots.

“Who are you? Where is Mister Louie?” Molly asked.

Winnie sat down at the table. She leaned toward Molly and spoke. “This is Mister Louie. Most of the time I am Mister Louie, but sometimes I need to be Miss Winnie instead. And right now is one of those times, all right?”

“Yes”

“Wonderful! Now wrap up the rest of the candy bar and let’s go make you look like a big girl!”

They walked down to the bathroom and Winnie went to work. She washed Molly’s rather dusty face, then applied cold cream to both their faces. She patted powder over that and added just a touch of rouge for both of them. She applied lipstick to her lips and put it in a purse. “You’re not quite old enough for lipstick yet, Molly, but it won’t be long, will it?” Molly grinned and nodded.

“Have you ever been up in an airplane?”

“No”

“Well today is going to be special then!”

Winnie packed a few clothing items and a change of shoes into a small case and closed it. She took a cloth shopping bag and put a small sweater into it. Then she took Molly’s hand and led her to the kitchen. She added the leftover Hershey bar, another Hershey bar and an apple to the bag. Then she took a bag with her flying kit out of the closet and went to the phone on the wall.

She turned the ringer and waited for the operator. Then she asked to place a call to the hanger at the aerodrome. It rang for a long time, but eventually someone picked it up. “Hey Jim, this is Louie,” she said. “I need to go on a flight this morning. Can you get the DeHavilland ready for me?”

After getting a confirmation, she hung up, locked the front door and led Molly to the car. They loaded up and drove off to the north.

When they got to the aerodrome, the DH-4 was parked in front of the hanger. Winnie drove into the hanger and parked next to the wall. When she got out, Jim smiled an laughed. “Well Miss Winnie. I wasn’t expecting you today!”

“I know Jim. But I needed to make a quick trip and keep this one a secret, understand?”

“Oh yes, Miss Winnie!”

They fitted Molly with a small helmet and goggles. Then Winnie put on her own flying jacket, helmet and goggles. They escorted the girl to the plane and helped her climb into the rear seat. They fastened the seat belt and placed the luggage in the compartment with her. Winnie leaned in.

“Molly, listen. It will be noisy and windy in the compartment, so don’t try to talk to me. I’ll peak around once in a while. If you need something, make a fist with your hand and I’ll try to find some place to land. Do you understand?”

“Yes”

“Great! You’re too short to see much, but if we pass something interesting I may roll the plane a little so you can see, all right?”
Molly nodded.

“Great! Let’s get going, Jim.”

Winnie climbed into the front seat, strapped in and waved. Jim cranked the propeller and after a couple tries the engine fired up. Winnie gave him the signal wave and Jim stepped out of the way. She sped up the engine slightly and the plane rolled forward. She used the rudder to guide the plane onto the runway, then gave it full throttle. The DH-4 picked up speed, rolled down the runway and she gave it full throttle. It speeded up more and shortly later she pulled back on the stick and the plane rose into the air. She circled over the runway, gave the wings a wiggle and headed to the west.

She rose to about 1000 feet and flew on. When they crossed the Arkansas River, she rolled the plane slightly and looked back. She could see Molly looking out at the river below. She waved one hand, then turned the plane west and a bit south till they found the highway to Langston and Guthrie. With that in sight, she climbed the plane to 5000 feet and flew on.

About an hour later they spotted the smaller town of Langston with Guthrie in the distance to the west. She reduced altitude to 1000 feet again, flew over Langston and looked for a suitable field to land in. When she landed in an empty pasture near the road, a gaggle of cars loaded with people drove up to see the visitor. Winnie climbed down and called out, “does anyone know Lettie Douglas?”

A woman answered, “that’s my cousin.”

“Great! This is her niece, Molly. We need to take her to stay with her aunt.”

Winnie paid a man to bring some more gas for the airplane. Then she helped Molly get into a car and catch a ride into the town. Lettie Douglas waved them down as they were driving into town and suggested they go to the church to tell people the news about what had happened in Tulsa. Several people rushed around town gathering people to meet there After about half an hour the preacher took the podium addressed the crowd and introduced Winnie. She told them what she knew from the newspaper and what she had seen that morning. She expressed her deep regrets at this horrible treatment of their friends and family and vowed to return to Tulsa to find Joseph and Lucy. The preacher gave a prayer for their safety and led a song of mourning for all those killed.

The people had also brought food for a cold luncheon. So, Winnie accepted a few bites and hugged more people than she could keep track of. Finally, she excused herself and accepted a ride back to her plane. The DH-4 took off again and headed east to Tulsa.

Epilogue Winnie Flies Again

Louie was sitting in his office when the phone rang on Friday.

“Mister Louis, this is Joseph.”

“Oh Joseph. I’m so glad you’re all right. How is Lucy?”

“She didn’t survive, Mister Louie.”

Louie heard a controlled crying. Joseph was obviously still upset.

“I’m very sorry. How can I help you? Molly is safe with Lettie. Would you like me to take you to them?”

“Please, Mister Louie.”

“Of course, Joseph.”

They chose a convenient place to meet up and Louie headed to the bedroom to change. It was time for Winnie Winkle to fly again!

Some notes
1. Winnie Winkle was one of the first working girl comic strips. It was published from 1920 -1996. For over 40 years the artwork and stories were done by Martin Branner. At its peak, it was syndicated in more than 140 newspapers and translated and published in Europe as Branner had a short-lived strip before that called Looie the Lawyer, so I decided to merge the two characters.

2. The “pansy craze” was real. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/in-the-early-20th-cent...

from the 1920s until 1933, people in the lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer (LGBTQ) community were performing on stages in cities around the world, and New York City’s Greenwich Village, Times Square and Harlem held some of the most world-renowned drag performances of the time. While dominant American society disapproved of LGBTQ people, they were very fond of their parties. “It’s pretty amazing just how widespread these balls were,” says Chad Heap, a professor at George Washington University and author of Slumming, about the era. “Almost every newspaper article about them has a list of 20 to 30 well known people of the day who were in attendance as spectators. It was just a widely integrated part of life in the 1920s and 30s.”

3. Billy King’s Road Show was one of the best territorial bands of the 20s. They toured across the Midwest and regularly won battles with other bands. The group featured Jimmy Rushing on vocals and Lester Young on saxophone. It broke up and reformed in 1925 as Walter Page and his Blue Devils. A few years later the group added Count Basie on piano. Walter Page went on to play bass in Count Basie’s orchestra.

4. The DeHavilland DH.4 was one of the few World War I aircraft to be manufactured in the U.S. during the war. It was a copy of a British design but used the American built Liberty engine. It was a two seat aircraft for observation and day bombing missions. The Army continued using it after the war and many were sold for civilian service as mail carriers, crop dusters and other uses.

5. Langston Oklahoma was one of several historically black communities that were settled in the west after the end of the Civil War. It was originally founded as Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University and is the only historically black college in Oklahoma. One of the notable alumni is Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman pilot and the first American woman to obtain an International Pilot’s license. Another was Marques Haynes, who went on to captain the Harlem Globetrotters.