Geraldine
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

She was a 1963 Cadillac Streetside, Model 7D, and I called her “Geraldine”. I knew from the moment that pulled away the rotting cover from her in that barn in rural Ohio and placed my hand upon her hood, that she had a soul. I could feel it. It was as if I could even hear her voice calling to me. I had to buy her. I had to bring her back.

Thankfully, the engine was in good order, as I am no mechanic. Like so many of those old motors, the parts were solid and heavy and only needed to be freed and cleaned, and then the machinery turned over. She came alive. I was free to go to work on the body and the interior, to dismantle and clean thoroughly, and to trawl the internet for chrome trim and fittings where replacement was needed.

All the way through, it seemed to me that she was talking to me, thanking me for my work, warmly encouraging me to polish her body, and to polish my own as well. It was as if we were both on a journey together – a journey in search of rebirth. We both had a new life to lead, and the road ahead seemed without end.

It was her idea that I wear gloves and take care of my hands. Cleaning and the use of chemical can be hard on the hands, and hands are not just for working – they have their own beauty. It was something that I had not appreciated before, but I guess it is just about how you use them, and how you move your arms. It was a new style, but she led me to it.

Geraldine was growing more beautiful every day, and she was carrying me with her. Grooming is not just for cars, and polished bodywork is just part of it. A car (and her owner) need those little tweaks, a little beading on the dash top, a stray hair or two plucked from the brow. And then the color scheme – blonde of course, and styled for the period – 1963, beautiful cars and beautiful women.

Then to fill the tank with a little added lead in the gas for her, and some estrogen for me, and we were ready to hit the road. Reborn. Two girls on a mission, headed who knows where.

The End
396

Author’s Note: I found this AI image prompted by Sashaopulence on Deviant Art and entitled “Along the Lonesome Highway”. I know that this is not a 1963 Cadillac Streetside – it is an AI automobile, but I think I am close. The important thing is that there had to be a story behind the image, even if the digital image never intended there to be one. This story was surprisingly short, but I think it is complete (?). Many of my stories I hope prompt readers to consider that road without end for Geraldine and her feminized driver.

© Maryanne Peters 2026