TRANSVESTIA

and

He was one of the more colorful residents of our neighborhood that takes something, let me tell you. But in spite of his rather obnoxious preoccupation with the more widely diversified forms of sexual expres- sion, I liked Wendell personally. He was nuttier than a fruit cake, but when my father died unexpectedly, Wendell carefully washed off his mascara and spent the week of the funeral keeping me company without being obvious about it. I didn't even realize it at the time. Afterward- well, I'll always be grateful. My stepmother, during this period of time, was too busy with the accountants trying to figure out how much loot she had coming. Trust my old man to leave it all to her.

an ac-

As a matter of fact, it was Wendell who suggested that I hire a lawyer to make sure that I got my rightful share of my father's estate tion that was reasonably successful (stepmother got control of it — and me until age twenty-one, three years away) — but it sure didn't help re- lations with my remaining parent (step-parent), or her two fat daugh- ters. (Ermaline and Emmaline, twins, both sophomores at USC where I understand the line coach of the Trojan football team wept genuine tears when they wouldn't go out for the team. They were just a tad on the hefty side).

But to go back to the funeral for a minute; Wendell had shown a lot of understanding and sympathy. As he said, "I lost my only parent my- self, not so long ago so I know how you feel. Let me tell you

just whatever you want scream, yell, kick matter of fact, I asked Wendell about this

―

it all helps." It did. As a

his losing his parent, and

he spent one long afternoon telling me the whole story which took my mind off my own troubles. I suppose that was what he intended but the gist of his story helped me to understand our weird neighbor a little better.

Wendell's mother had owned a chain of beauty shops four I think - in Des Moines, Iowa. Rather successful, I gathered, and Wendell was just getting ready to step into his mother's shoes (all right, I know...) when she died unexpectedly. (Isn't it always? Then why do they say things like that?)

He sold the business and moved west to the land of the Sun-People or whatever it is they call the assorted fruits and nuts of California, where there were bushels of money to be made and where people wouldn't automatically laugh at him when he walked down the street. Happily Wendell was well-trained in his field, a field where a certain personal