Over and Over

Chapter Seven

Seven

“I’m just a sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania!” sang the guy in fishnet stockings up on the stage.  I sat there in my seat trying hard not to die of embarrassment.  Michelle had told me that she had a big part in the Rocky Horror Picture show, but I had had no idea what I was in for.  Michelle stood there as the lead female role ‘Janet’ with a shocked look on her face.  While the guy in ladies undies belted out his part of the song.

I squirmed in my seat and looked over at mum and dad who sat beside me with huge grins on their faces just lost in the music.  I couldn’t believe that I had invited my parents to this!  Even if they were enjoying it.

I tried to settle back into my seat when an odd calm came over me.  I ran an appraising eye over the guy drag.  The makeup artist had done a splendid job on him and the outfit he was wearing was quite attractive, if a little rakish.  And he wasn’t a bad singer either.  The song was syncopated and he was right in tune and on time, even though he was dancing about the stage amongst a whole heap of other actors.  Not a bad job at all.  I smiled and started to enjoy the show.  I wasn’t even embarrassed when Michelle stood up and sang:

“Now I’ve tasted blood and I want more!”

The show got a standing ovation and we waited in the lobby outside the theatre for Michelle to come out from backstage.  Mum and dad just stood there quietly talking about how wonderful the show was.  Then the crowd cheered as the actors came out into the lobby.

“Michelle!” I said with a squeal spotting her arm in arm with the guy who had played Frank N Furter.  She gave me a cheeky little grin and pecked me on the cheek.

“How much did I suck?” she asked with a huge grin on her face.

“Michelle you were amazing!”  I paused and eyed Frank N Furter.  “Going to introduce me to your new man?  Or is it Lady?”

Frank N Furter laughed out loud.

“It’s definitely man I can assure you,” he said in his rich baritone.  Then he adjusted the package at the front of his undies and winced painfully.  “Although wearing nickers like these might be trying to turn me into a lady.”  Everyone burst out laughing.  He extended his hand to me.  “Frank N Furter at your command my lady.”  He bowed low.  “Otherwise known as Jack Dimly.” 

He kissed my hand then stood back up.  I tilted my head towards him graciously.

“Well that’s the best version of The Rocky Horror I’ve ever seen, including the movie,” I said.

“I didn’t know you had seen the movie sweetheart,” said my Dad.

I hadn’t, but I knew that I had.  I could see myself sitting down in lounge room that I’d never seen before but knew well, watching the movie on VCR and laughing myself silly at it.  It was right there like a freshly stirred memory.  And what the hell was a VCR?  Everyone was looking at me.  I laughed to hide my discomfort.

“I haven’t,” I said.  “But yours would be better if I had.”

Michelle smiled wide then excused herself to go and parade around in front of some other guests.  Mum and Dad decided to get other drink from the bar and my two sisters were standing together and whispering to themselves.  I seized the moment and ducked away from the crowd out into the toilets.  I stopped and looked at myself in the mirror.

“You haven’t seen the movie in VCR,” I said to the girl in the mirror.  “So why do you think you have?”

I went to run my hands through my hair and spotted the dragon ring on my right hand.  I looked closely at it and another memory flashed in front of my eyes.  I saw that ring on my hand, but it wasn’t my hand.  At least not my hand as it looked now.  I saw my hand old and wrinkly, I saw it sun tanned, I saw it care worn and dirty, I saw it powdered and at the end of a lacy sleeve.  All the images of that hand as it had been whirled across my vision and blurred into one before settling on the image I had in front on me, my hand.  I went to tear the ring from my finger but another image stopped me.

I saw myself getting this ring on my sixteenth birthday.  But not the birthday I had just had.  The birthdays I saw were all the ones that had gone before.  I staggered as the memories hit me.  How many times had I worn this ring?

“You ok love?” said a kindly voice beside me.  I turned and looked blankly at the careworn face of the lady that spoke to me.

“Not really,” I said and looked back at the ring on my finger.  A fresh memory plunged into my mind.  Mr Morcomb.  He held the key.  He had the answers.  I knew it like I knew my own name.  I looked back at the lady and smiled.  “But I will be.”