CHAPTER 35 - REALISATION AND ACCEPTANCE
TED
I wipe my eyes and take a gulp of tea but am comforted that Marilyn looks determined. “So first things first is that you file papers, then let the courts do their thing. I think because of this…” I tap the papers in front of her. “...they will expedite it.”
The knocking of the door stops my next sentence, and a blonde haired man pokes his head in. On seeing her tearful face he is quickly at her side. “You okay, Marilyn? Who are these guys?”
“I’m fine. Honestly, don’t worry. These are friends of…”
“Michael Novotny?!” He snarls having looked at the paper. “Are you guys here to plead his case?! Well you can fuck off with that, I am helping a friend to see that he gets what he deserves; and what he didn’t deserve was…”
“Brandon, stop! This is Ted Schmidt and his partner Blake Wyzecki. They are here to help me get justice for Jerry.”
“Brandon, as in friend of Alexi, that Brandon?” Blake asks and he nods warily.
“We’re his friends too.” Blake puts out his hand and after a couple of beats he takes it and then shakes hands with me. “We’ve just convinced Marilyn to sue Michael for culpability in Jerry’s death.”
“Culpability how?” He sits down and we repeat what we said to her. When we are finished he is silent for a few minutes. “I will pay for it, the lawyer I mean. Not up for discussion. Get the papers filed tomorrow first thing.”
“Uncle Ted!” Dylan shouts as he comes in and flies into my arms. “When did you get here?!”
“Dylan! Look at you! Earlier this morning, how are you?! Oh wait this is my partner Blake. Blake, this is Dylan.”
“Great thanks! Nice to meet you!” Dylan shakes his hand. “Came in for water! Shame you couldn’t be here yesterday, I surprised mom with a party celebrating dad. I know he would liked you to have been here. Are you staying for dinner, Uncle Ted? Uncle Blake?” He asks reaching for the glass.
“We’d love to, if that’s okay with your mom and Brandon.” Blake smiles but I can see tears glistening and they both nod.
“Neat! When is that Mom?”
“In a couple of hours. Let Ted and Blake get freshened up or maybe catch a nap?”
“Oh that would be great.” I smile at her and Brandon and am relieved when he smiles back.
“Come on, let me show you to your room. None of this hotel nonsense.”
TED AND BLAKE’S ROOM
BLAKE
I wipe my eyes and settle back against Ted’s chest. “Such a sweet boy. He must pay.”
“And he will. The papers should be with him by now. I know what you said, but I would’ve loved to have seen his…” He is stopped by his phone ringing, and on checking rejects the call. “...that was him. Let the battle commence.”
MICHAEL’S HOUSE - TEN MINUTES LATER
KITCHEN
MICHAEL
I hang up once again, having left a stinging message on that dullard’s voicemail.
“Any luck?” Ethan asks as he comes in wearing his gym kit and I frown. “Going for a jog. Got to keep fit especially now we have that plan in place. And speaking of plans, if he doesn’t reply to your calls what are you going to do?”
“Not sure, but…” I am interrupted by the door knocking and he waves me back. I hear a voice I recognise and head towards it. “Uncle Vic, Ma, you guys are finally here!” I exclaim and open the door wider for them to come in but they don’t. “Aren’t you coming in?”
“No. I, well your mother thought it was best that you found out from us as opposed to the grapevine. We will be testifying…”
“In this bogus bullshit case from the Big Q? Can you believe that? I knew I could count on…”
“For the Big Q.” Ma interrupts, and it takes a minute or so for it to register. “We are testifying against you, Michael.”
“But...but why?!” I exclaim. “I am family! I am your son, your nephew, why the hell are you doing this?!”
“Because you committed fraud. You had someone fired from his job. Need I go on?” Uncle Vic looks at me like I am vermin.
“I didn’t get him fired from his job. He got himself fired from his job by creating an unsafe area where I injured myself!”
“Of course you did. Of course he did. And, of course, you weren’t rubbernecking them fucking at all either were you!” Ma sneers.
“For God sake come inside if you are going to ream me out! I have just moved here!”
“You think everyone on the Avenue and beyond doesn’t know what you did?!” She laughs bitterly. “Why do you think you were investigated in the first place!”
“Sis! Come on, we’ve already given him an unnecessary heads up, let’s go.”
“Wait! I have some things I need to collect! It’s one comic in particular and...”
“You can’t, it is called evidence!” Ma snickers. “Oh you are so screwed! And if you’re very lucky there will be someone in jail that will be desperate enough to do the same!”
“Ready, Sis?”
“Oh, so ready! I have an auction to do. This online bidding thing is so exciting!”
As they walk down the path, I take heart in four things...well five...one, I will be vindicated. Two, I will get my comics including that one back. Three, that tick-roach will be gone through abject humiliation. Fourthly, Ted will be fired because I will lodge a complaint about harassment to Brian and Brian, wanting me like he does, will pick me and reputation over vicious and boring! But fifthly, Ma has no idea what she is doing with comics and has the attention span of a gnat!
BYHAM THEATRE - TWO DAYS LATER
CHYNA
This place is absolutely gorgeous! I look around. “Do you think we will fill it?”
“Darling, we will fill it to the rafters!” Naomi exclaims as she walks around, but there is just something a little off about the way she is walking.
“How long?” I ask her quietly and she turns to me in surprise, and then she...or should I say, he, sighs.
“About a year. Just started on my journey, but have been dressing for years.” He replies in his male voice. “My real name is Noel.”
Everyone goes quiet.
“You’re a guy?!” Justin exclaims. “How didn’t I notice that?!”
“I am excellent at being Naomi. But when Brent started making nasty remarks and just being a toad, I had to find a way out but I couldn’t. Then when I watched how he treated gay clients differently than...well.”
“Jesus. I never. I mean, wow!” Justin is plain gawking now.
“So, what do you look like? I mean as Noel?” Sade asks, taking his hand.
“You want me to take off my armour?” He sighs. “She’s what makes me, well, me.”
“Will you let me help you?” I smile encouragingly and he nods. I look around at the stunned manager and he just points the way we need to go.
DRESSING ROOM
NOEL/NAOMI
I wait for her condemnation or something but she gently peels off my wig, making sure that no hair was caught. She then points to the bathroom and with a heavy heart I walk in. Ten minutes later, Noel is back.
“Jesus, you are a handsome devil!” She smiles, and that surprises me.
“Handsome? I’ve always been told I am a pansy ass. A cissy pretty boy. A fairy.” I sigh. “I was told that since I looked like one, I might as well be one.”
She stares and then frowns. “Hang on, Are you gay?”
“No. I’m...I’m bisexual.” I reply, and again I feel that familiar feeling of shame.
“I see. And I am going to take a punt that you don’t actually want to be a woman?”
“Not in full sense.” I mutter and it hits me like an avalanche. I don’t want to be a woman at all not even a little bit! I love dressing up as Naomi and being strong as her but the idea of going through what my folks, for folks read stepfather, want me to go through for his acceptance of me, is just terrifying. But I love my mom...and the tears start to flow.
“Oh honey!” Chyna exclaims, and pulls me into her arms. “Sade! Clean up on Aisle Honesty and Realisation!!”
Ten minutes later, I feel like a million tons have been lifted off my shoulders. “Oh thank you for that!” I sniff, and wipe my eyes again.
“There is only one person that needs to accept you.” Brian says from the doorway. “And that’s you. Fuck anyone else. If you change for them, then you are a fool! And I don’t support fools!”
“Support?” I look at him.
“Yes. I need a PR rep and, not that she realises it yet, but once this plays out, so will Chyna.” We both look at him in confusion. “You really think that once this is done that it’s going to be a one off?”
“It can’t get big, can it?” Sade asks.
“I think an Annual Studs and Staffs Bash to raise money for the LGBT Community, sponsored by the multi-million dollar company, Kinnetic, at the Byham Theatre in…”
“...co-sponsorship with the Drew Boyd Foundation, might cause a blip or two on the media radar.” Drew joins us.
“So that’s at least three clients you have. Now, go get Naomi and let’s go celebrate!” Chyna orders grinning.
When I get to the bathroom in floods of tears, again, it takes a few minutes for me to calm down, and then when I look up I am surprised to see Justin in the mirror.
“Hi.” He smiles, and then sits on the counter.
“Hi.” I reply, not altogether sure why he’s here.
“If you don’t mind, can I watch how you become her?”
“Um. I don’t have anything but…” I point at my wig.
“Car will be here in 10 minutes!” Emmett kisses my cheek as he finishes talking. “Now, where are you staying?”
“The Liberty…”
“Not anymore. You are at mine, and we are having a girlie night! Cyn and Daph will meet us there and you will, I cannot emphasise this enough, you will be telling me where you got those fabulous lashes from!”
“Brian!” Justin hollers from the doorway. “I’m staying at Ems’s tonight!”
“Come back anything but blonde, tattoo and piercing free and bubble butted, then sitting down will be a problem for you!” He shouts back.
“Can I paint my nails?” He yells.
“Toenails only!”
“Okay!” Justin turns back to us. “You gals ready?”
And for the first time in years I feel like I am home.