ODDS OF LOVE

Episode Thirty Three

" Hey , Buis . my man , what you doing out this late ? , " Mark Mullins rumbled out in his big bellowing gravelly voice as he swept discarded hair from the floor off his and his brother's barber shop onto a dust pan. " It's seven PM. Thought old men like you went to bed early ! And who might you be ? "

The barber shop was nearly empty aside from the old Black man who was getting his weekly haircut from Mark's younger  taller and skinnier brother Scout. Scout's wide peaceful blue eyes were already cloudy with his usual daily " medicine " which was really the pot that he grew in his bedroom closet under a heat lamp. " Yo , yo , yo , what is upwards , D  ? ," Scout rang out in a sing song voice as the old man grumbled , " Make sure it's even , boy. I got to look my best for the church spaghetti fundraiser dinner. Got my eye on the pastor's sister. She a widow now. Glad you on that dope. You do your best work on that dope. "

DuBuis smiled wryly and laughed. His hand rested on the skinny shoulder of Luci who stood by his side taking in everything quietly. " Screw you , Mullins. We the same damn age , bro. I can still beat you at b ball , White boy. We were heading to Lucky's Pizza to grab a pie for dinner. I don't cook as good as Spencer. Thought I'd see what the good news is with ya'll. " He looked down at his nephew...... niece as she shuffled her sneakered feet absently. He was still trying to juggle this whole situation in his mind. Trying to reconcile the image of Eddie with his superhero tee shirts and backwards baseball hats with that of long haired Luci with her sheer pink lip glossed mouth and rainbow colored fingernails but damn it  he was going to do his best to try. Transgender or not this child was his family and he loved her no matter what. DuBuis Lane always took care of family. His Pop taught him that. " This is my niece Luci. " He looked at her and smiled. " Luci with a i not a y , " he said. Luci smiled back at him. 

" Niece ? , " Mark asked in confusion as he emptied the dust pan. " Only niece you got is that little girl of Sylvia's. Thought her name was Katrina and she was what , four , five. This little one must be in middle school. You member Katrina , Scout ? Last time they came visiting ? "

Scout nodded , mumbling , " Yeah. She had her son and that fat man with her. Eddie nice but Sylvia yells at him too much. About everything. Fat man had dandruff and didn't tip. "

" Mark..... " 

" That was me , Mr. Mullins , " Luci said softly. " I .... was Eddie. Least that's what they called me then.  I'm not Eddie anymore. I'm Luci now. I'm a girl. Call me Luci please. " Her big long lashed brown eyes almost begged for understanding and DuBuis put his arm protectively around her shoulders. His eyes met his friend Mark's and dared him to say something negative. He loved him and his brother like family but if they hurt this child there would be some sure enough fighting that night at the barber shop. Mark acknowledged his stare with a brisk nod. He looked at the child for a long time and nodded after a while. " Good to meet you again , Luci. " 

Scout said , " Hey , Luci ! Like your nails , gal. Rock them rainbows ! " 

Luci laughed. " Thanks. "

The old man lifted his bushy grey eyebrows at her. " Hmmm. You one them transvestites ? I saw a show about them on the television set. Might been Oprah. Not sure. Maybe that new show Rebel. Can't rightly member right now. Might not be. Don't matter none. I watch a lot of television since I retired from the post office. It all mixes up in my head. "

Luci said quietly , " We call ourselves transgender now , sir. Transvestite is kinda old now. "

" Well now , " he said with a light laugh , " so am I. So am I. I'll be seventy my next birthday in December if God willing. I don't care what you calling yourself now but you a pretty little girl. You got some delicate little features on you. Look like a girl to me. Ain't she , boys ? '

Scout nodded , his head bobbing in place like a bobble head doll , his eyes vacant and very relaxed. He gently dusted the fallen hair off the man's shirt. 

Mark nodded as well. " Yeah. And Miss Luci here just proves my earlier point , bro. Having a niece this old ? That makes you old , Gramps. Careful where you walk. I don't want you slipping in my shop and breaking a hip ! " 

Luci couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing and Mark smiled gently at her. 

DuBuis's phone went off with an incoming text  and he pulled it out. He hoped it was Spencer. He truly missed him. He missed him more than he thought he would. 

It wasn't though.

Joe Jacobs : Hello , sexy man. Heard you got rid of the strange hubby. I got tickets to a Beyonce concert at FedEx Field. Good seats. Hit me up , baby boy. 

DuBuis swallowed back a sudden curse. 

Luci was now entertaining the men with her adventures on the Greyhound bus. 

DuBuis texted back three words : "  FUCK OFF JOE ".