FICTION

Surprise Beauty Shop

in a

Rita - Brazil

It was a sunny afternoon, when Richard arrived in the big city. This was not his first visit, but never before had his business left him so much time on his hands as on this occasion. He did not have to attend all the sessions of the conference and thus, strolling through the streets and the precious little parks, he began to really "discover" the city. He also noticed what fascinating dresses they showed in these over-sized sales-windows! It was only last year in the carnival season that he had met for the first time in his life a charming young lady that later turned out to be a young man. From that very moment on there was a secret, unruly question in his mind: could he himself ever go through such a transformation? Was there any chance at all for him to become such an attractively dressed lady too?-Maybe at least for a few days of the carnival?

He had begun to think over, what such an experience would mean in terms of preparations. Well, one would have to have a good looking dress he thought, and certainly some make-up and definitely a wig. But all these thoughts were so vague that no def- inite plan of action or project had formed in his head, when his eyes now scanned the beautiful lay-out of dainty feminine things in these down-town shops. It has always been business first for him but now, in this city, he had a bit more time to think things

over...

In a very busy street close to the railroad station, his eyes caught the advertising of a small, newly opened beauty parlor. On one side of the showcase there was a whole collection of wigs Wigs in

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