Triad Tourists

Prologue

I remember first seeing my Dad for what he was.

"Daddy!" You yell in an empty house. You're young, your brother was just born only a year ago, so mommy is a flower.

"Daddy! The baby cries!" You yell, opening the bathroom door. Interrupting his poop is a normal thing for you. You no longer mind the smell. With one parent, dad is always in your face. It's comforting. "I can't reach his-"

You gasp, finally finding him. He's in the middle with bubblegum pink lipstick and a clubbing dress mommy used to wear. His long brown hair is wrapped around a curling iron.

He looks at you in horror. "Lu!" He waits for your reaction. "Baby, it's not what you think it is. I'm playing dress up, just like when I did those outfit switches with mommy." He refers to the lovely days where they would switch clothes head to toe and pretend to be whacky people they saw on the streets. It was rarely that they did it, and it was funny to scare you when you were little. "Don't tell anyone I still do this."

You look at his muscular body head to toe. He's hairless, another thing you aren't used to seeing. "Kelan is crying." You brush off the questions, as if they clicked off. Now isn't the time to be confused, you'll have the rest of your life to think about it. "And daddy, YOU LOOK SO UGLY IN THAT LIPSTICK!" You slam the door and run away, more concerned that you called Dad ugly.

I had no idea I saw a monster

"Tallulah Oliver!" The judge says.

I go to the stand and wait to tell my story.

"Begin." She says.

I take a deep breath, preparing my side of the story. "My brother -Kelan- caught Covid a while ago and he's been put in a coma. Despite Kelan dying once or twice, my so called Father still decided to take $45,000 out of my savings and spend it and a PPP loan on getting his gender switched. He did it without my knowing, and with no regard for his own son's life."

His defendant speaks to me. "He says you held him at gunpoint, is that correct?"

"I took a trip to Shanghai, yes. I had to come back using the last of my savings and I did purchase a gun when I got back. An airsoft gun, all it would do is give him a bruise, I bought it to scare him off. After I found out what he did, Roland was no longer my father. He's just someone names Zestra now. He'd been hiding it from my mother- I assume. Since her death he's been letting a little more of it out. He even went as far as sleeping with my ex fiance."

"Ma'am, we have footage and bank statements right here." My attorney presents the evidence to the court.

The judge watches the video in shock.

I storm into the house. "ROLAND! GIVE IT BACK!" I kick off my shoes. "You took my money Dad?"

He comes into the living room with a pair of high heels and his best wig. He has on (well done) makeup, and his dress is sparkly pink. "Yes, daughter!"

"Roland where my money at?!" I don't usually speak Ebonics, but I can explode.

"It's Zestra." He flaunts his new name.

"You took my savings? Do you know how much debt I have? I'm a Doctor, your son is in the hospital fighting for his life and you take my money for a few accessories?!"

He lifts his dress, showing his best up vagina. "It heals in a few months! I'm a woman now!" He smiles.