Sandcastles, Boiled Shrimp, and Gentle Gulf Breezes
By
Rebecca Anna Coleman

-1-
The Open Highway
Somewhere Between New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobil, Alabama

A few weeks ago my life had flashed before my eyes. I'd been forced to cosplay as a Confederate Rifleman for a dumb Civil War reenactment by my tyrant father. In the course of the reenactment I'd developed a second degree sunburn, was bitten by a venomous snake, became dehydrated, and finally the cherry on the sundae was the fact that I had to spend three weeks in the hospital.

That was two weeks ago and in that time I've moved out of my father's house, and moved in with my two cousins Isabella and Jasmine. Both happen to transgender and well I think I might be transgender too. Can you picture that? Three transgender girls forming something of a found family. All of this seemed almost impossible five weeks ago.

Now, Jasmine, the oldest one, works with a big publishing company. One day, totally out of the blue she busted into the living room and told Isabella and I that we were all going to a group vacation. That she had used her connections with this big named publishing company to get us a two week stay at the Turquoise Place, one of the nicer condos on the strip.

Now, I mentioned before that both my cousins were transgender. And that I might be transgender too, I should tell you about that. After I was bitten by the venomous snake, I was forced to carry on with the 'Attack' that is to say I was forced to keep acting the part of a brave Confederate Rifleman who was doing his part to keep his hometown of Blue Bayou from being captured by the Federal Army. But I broke character at the last moment.

As soon as I drew nearer to the Federal lines, I dropped my musket on the ground and started screaming for help. When one of the Federal Rifleman came close and offered to help me asked me, 'Are you okay Johnny?' You know, because I was playing a Confederate Rifleman I was typecast as Johnny Reb and because he was playing as a Federal Rifleman he was typecast as Billy Yankee.

Putting all of that aside now.

What happened was as followed, I dropped my prop musket down upon the swampy ground, threw my hands up into the air and shouted for help and when I was addressed as Johnny I told them my name was Ashley Elizabeth Fisherman, after I had loudly proclaimed that, I started to break out in a ice, cold sweat, my head started to spin around like it was a spinning top, I turned my head over my left shoulder and then right in front of thousands of stunned onlookers I vomited a massive stream of yellow fluids, that had huge nickel size chunks of pink, salted pork and half moon shape pieces of half digested hardtack.

And that's how I cracked my egg.

Now, I'm sure you're asking yourself what does that have to do with this story? Well, I wanted you to understand the background of the story first. I mean context is everything right? I don't want to leave you guys with too many questions.

Anyway right now I was sitting in the backseat of a black Ford Taurus that was cruising down U.S. Route 90 with the windows rolled down. The cool breeze that was blowing off the Gulf of Mexico felt amazing and made me feel alive. There was something special about having the warm, salty smelling breeze blowing through my hair.

Up front, my cousin Isabella was handling the driving while my other cousin Jasmine was handling the navigation. And I was sitting in the back seat, taking in the beauty of the Gulf of Mexico. I was wearing for the first time in my life a dress, a simple baby powdered blue sundress with spaghetti straps. Perfect the sub-tropical climate of the Gulf.

Rounding out the outfit was a white Alice hairband, white sandals with straps, and a baby powdered blue canvas beach bag. The bag held a bottle of chilled San Pellegrino mineral water. What can I do, there is something of the bourgeoisie about me. I mean I am a Southern Belle in training after all, and you can't expect a Southern Belle in training to drink just plain bottle water can you. Beside a chilled bottle of San Pellegrino, there was a small bottle of cotton-candy scented body spray, a bottle of sunscreen, my phone, my phone charger and a small ladies wallet.

I'd also included a hairbrush, hair bands, band-aids, pads, hair ribbons in various colors, a small sewing kit and a bottle of nail polish and a small travel size make-up kit. The first lesson my cousin Isabella taught me, was no matter what a lady is always prepared. And sometimes the only person you can trust to come to your rescue is yourself so you always need to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

The last five pieces of kit I was told a lady should always have in her tote bag or purse was a tooth brush, tooth paste, mouthwash, deodorant, I was told you always wanted to use Secrete because it was a classic scent and it went on clear. And last but not least a small hand-held mirror.

Now I want to be clear, nobody forced me into a dress. I'd asked for a dress, in fact the dress, the bag, and all this kit had been brought this morning from a Target in Gulf Port.

Anyway, that brings you guys up for speed.

But one last thing before I bring this chapter to an end. I felt like my destiny was calling. At first it had been a tiny little voice but as we passed from Louisiana to Mississippi and and now as we neared the Alabama state line I felt it pull even greater now. Like these two weeks in Orange Beach will be the two weeks that will define the rest of my life. That adventure awaited and all I had to do was to be brave and step out and take hold of it.