Julie examined herself in the mirror. For a pre-op
transexual she didn't consider herself bad looking.
Her shoulder length hair was tied back in a ponytail.
She wore a minimal amount of makeup and dressed in a
low key style. Her outfit today consisted of cotton
khaki slacks and a white long sleeve blouse. Her
casual style couldn't belie a well-turned, trim and
toned figure that she had worked on meticulously for
the last two years. Since she had no plans to go
anywhere at the moment she wore brown loafers, no
jewelry save her gold studded earrings, and a small
locket which she wore around her neck.
She had awakened feeling anxious. This was the day
that both terrified and excited her, a day which she
knew would come and yet felt a dread that things may
go badly. This was the day that she would finally tell
her parents that she was going to get a sex change and
live the rest of her life as a woman.
She had left home 3 years earlier, finally on her
own and in college at USC leaving her family on
the east coast. Those three years had been a watershed
period for her as she came to accept herself as a
transsexual and begin hormone replacement therapy along
with psychotherapy to prepare her for sexual
reassignment. All through her transition she had
kept her plans from her parents. Partly because she
feared being rejected by the people she loved most and
partly because she thought that they would try, and
maybe succeed, in talking her out of it.
This would strike them right out of the blue. Over
the years, as a male, he had hidden his transgender
feelings well. No one, not his friends or family, knew
of his overwhelming desire to be female. He exhibited
no overtly gay tendencies so this revelation to his
parents would be a total surprise.
Julie wondered how she would break the news. Her
parents would be arriving soon and would be calling
as soon as they were settled in their hotel. She had
offered to put them up for the week but they wouldn't
hear of it. She decided that she would tell them over
the phone in order to blunt the shock of them seeing
her en femme for the first time. She began to feel
her stomach churn as she thought of the possibility
that they would not accept her. They had never been
particularly progressive or open-minded where
alternative lifestyles were concerned. She had once
heard her father snort in derision when they had seen
a documentary on transgenderism. Her mother was less
obviously unappreciative of the plight of the
transsexual but Julie felt a tacit disapproval
nonetheless. She could only hope that they would see
beyond her gender identity and embrace her as their
beloved offspring be her a male or female.
She contemplated meeting them at their hotel
in her old male garb. But that was impossible. She was
much too feminine to pass as a male at this point
and it only delayed the inevitable. It was settled.
They would have a long talk over the phone and then,
if all went well, they would meet their new daughter
in person.
It was still early as Julie fixed her breakfast.
She turned on the TV. Good Morning America was on.
Just a few more hours and they would be landing in
L.A. and her moment of truth would at last be confronted,
she thought. As she poured herself a cup of coffee the
phone rang.
"Hello," Julie said as she picked up the receiver.
"Jim... it's Mom." her voice sounded funny.
"Mom? What's going on? I thought you were on your
way."
"I'm calling from the plane..." Mom said quietly.
"Oh, showing off your new cell phone you jetsetter
you..."
"Jim listen to me. We're in trouble. Some men have
taken over the plane and I think they killed the
pilots." Mom was unusually quiet and it was completely
out of her character to make sick jokes.
"Mom don't joke like that. I think it's against
the law." Julie's heart was starting to beat like a
jackhammer.
"I'm not joking Jim! God I wish I was joking but
it's true. These men are crazy and they stabbed a
bunch of people," Mom voice began to raise in pitch.
"My God!! Oh my God!! You've got to call someone!
Call the FBI! Call 911!! My God! Mom?!"
"I'm here. Other people have called the
authorities. There's nothing more we can do. These
hijackers are letting us make calls. I don't know
what's going to happen."
"Mom!" Julie felt herself begin to sob, "Mom what
are we going to do?"
"Jim you must listen to me. Calm down and listen.
We may not have much time. Things look bad and I don't
think we're going to make it. I need to tell you
something."
"Mom... don't worry... It'll be alright." Julie
couldn't keep from crying. Hot tears began to fill her
eyes and she was feeling faint.
"Just listen. I want you to know something if we
don't see you again. I... we want you to know that we
know about you. We know that you are a woman at heart
and we want you to know that we love you no matter...
Julie heard the line go dead. "Mom! MOM!" she
screamed through her tears.
"Jim this is your father. Your Mom can't talk now
but I want to tell you that we've always been proud of
you and we know you'll continue to make us proud."
"Dad... I..." but the words couldn't come out.
Julie was choking on panic and grief.
"Your Mom was telling you that we know about you
wanting to be a woman. We have actually known about
you for quite some time." Dad seemed unusually calm.
"But... But how?" Julie sobbed.
"Don't you know? Parents know things about the
children they've raised for 20 years. You never gave
us enough credit. Why you never told us... I guess you
thought that I'd disown you."
"I was going to tell you today... Oh, that doesn't
matter now. WE have to do something!"
"Jim... Is that still your name?" Dad remained calm
in a way that she had rarely experienced.
"I actually am called Julie at school." Julie said
shyly. She had opened herself up like this to her
father as a male or female. She began to blush
furiously even through her burning tears.
"Julie... I'll call you Julie then... I want you to
know that I love you and always will. We're very proud
of you. You've been a good son. You will be a great
daughter. If we make it through...."
"DAD! DAD.... "
"I love you Julie." she heard her moms voice in the
static background.
"MOM! DAD! I LOVE YOU!! TALK TO ME!" Julie was
screaming into the phone. But all that answered her
was static.
"Mom? Oh god..." Julie could barely choke out the words.
She looked at the phone. As the shock
was setting in she could scarcely register the sounds
around her. The TV had cut away from the program.
Julie barely noticed as the announcement came on.
"We Interrupt this program to bring you a special
news bulletin..."
***
Dedicated to all those who lost their lives on
September 11, 2001, the day America awakened to evil.
