RANSVESTIA

ahead where I normally stop for a salad and coffee, shall we? As we stopped and parked, Tony jumped out, ran around the truck and opened my door. My, I thought, such a courteous young man! This re- peated as we entered the cafe. He went first, help open the door and waited for me to enter. I was elated to be treated as such a lady.

Due to an urge that results from many miles, I excused myself with the usual, "I have to go and powder my nose. Would you please find us a table?" Tony's reply was a short, "I had better make a little trip, too." As I entered the powder room, I noticed that he was right on my heels and even held the door for me again. Since I try so hard to real- ly "be" completely Beverly, I could not help sincerely blushing and stammering, "But, this is the ladies room!" "I know," said Tony, and followed me right on in. Silently we each performed our toilet and ad- journed quickly to the lunch room.

Seated at a table and still blushing a bit, I ventured, "Tony, what is this? You have the appearance of a young, clean-cut and well- mannered man and yet you followed me right into the powder room as if it were second nature." The chuckling, low reply was, "When I travel as a hitch hiker, I find that I have better luck dressed as I am now dressed. My real name is Barbara, but all my friends call me Tony."

I must admit to being terrifically surprised and a little chagrined in my "being" Beverly so sincerely all this time, and still be so wholely taken in and, pure and simple, fooled completely. After the initial shock wore off, I was overjoyed that it had happened to me. Our lunch and the discussion of his/her confession was strictly out of this world. As we resumed our journey, Tony/Barbara was still glancing at me and smiling.

For many long years it has been my firm resolve never to reveal my born self to anyone unless that person is one of us or is acceptable to me and knows what this thing really is. This incident and its sur- prises was just too much for me, though, so as we were entering the freeway again, I turned to Tony/Barbara and said, "In the cafe you really shocked me with your disclosure so I feel a confession is in order. Very frankly, I am not what I appear to be, either!" My state- ment was followed by a short silence and a searching look from my companion. "My God," he/she stated, "I would never have thought otherwise if you hadn't told me." My stupidity of a few moments before was now neatly salved by this nice compliment.

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