Daddy’s Little Girl… a story of betrayal, love and resolution. by Kyle Katz. I’d been trapped in this body, a body that wasn’t mine. I tried to tell my parents, but I knew it would break their hearts. My name was Denise McAllister. I had a lavish amount of subdued red hair with subtle streaks of blonde, mapping the front of my perfect face -so I’ve been told. I was eighteen months old when I won my first beauty pageant. I knew then…something was deadly wrong. I loved my parents. They spoiled me with cute dresses… mostly pink with lace trimming; shiny shoes, adorning bows and pretty clips with designs of unicorns, kittens and anything that would display to the world-my adorableness. My father thought my long silences were because I was mesmerized by my many imported dollhouses; my first edition collection of stuffed animals that wore fluffy tutus and ballet slippers, with real jewelry. Then the news came. My parents first discovered I was legally deaf on my second birthday. They tried to compensate my unfortunate diagnosis with more stuff; it took up most of the estate. My parents sent me away every summer to stay with Aunt Sophia on her sprawling ranch. Aunt Sophia was my favorite. She taught me how to sign. She taught me all about horses. I was overjoyed when she took me out to ride, Clara, my palomino horse. I won the highest covenant equestrian award at the age of seven because of Aunt Sophia. After my win, I stood in front of the mirror changing into my play clothes. Holding my trophy close to my chest. My rage untied its pretty bows. I heaved another meaningless brass sculpture toward my reflection, silencing its lies. “I’m not supposed to look like this!” I signed to Aunt Sophia. ”I’m a mistake!” These thoughts were not just in my head. These cries of injustice screamed through the richness of my identity. “God does not make mistakes. You are not a mistake.” Aunt Sophia signed back, leaning down and hugging me. I melted into her love as she stroked my freshly cut short cropped hair. “There, there…things are not always as they appear Denise.” “I hate that name.” My tears snuggled in the security of her bosom. “I love my new haircut. And I love you Aunt Sophia.” The jasmine perfumed clung to her long chestnut tresses that tickled my forehead, creased with rings of anger. Aunt Sophia selected a pressed pair of trousers, an unadorned shirt and comfortable brown lace shoes. I looked in the mirror and even though the glass was shattered, for the first time I saw a reflection of the truth. Aunt Sophia tussled my locks and kissed my cheek. I kicked up my heels and pushed my hair back behind my rather large ears. Aunt Sophia smiled. “ We are packing everything that is no longer YOU and never was YOU in a trunk. It goes to the church bizarre. What to you think?” This magnificent outer shell of beauty that everyone wanted to gloat over was sliding away. My own reality lifted one eyelid. Thank God for Aunt Sophia. Now, at the age of thirty-two. I am Dan McAllister, the strikingly handsome man and youngest CEO of McAllister Enterprises. Know one would have ever found out who I really was, if it wasn’t for Aunt Sophia, my Dad’s favorite sister whose birth name was… Samuel R. McAllister.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 05:48:43 +0000
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