Chapter 1
1557 Words
“Charlotte, are you done with the pots to be delivered to Detroit tomorrow?” Savannah, my co-owner with this pottery shop, asked when she peeped into my office.
I looked at her and smiled. “Yes,” I replied. “I have placed all of them in the box with lots of bubble wraps.”
She smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Char!”
I chuckled and shook my head before going back to reading the emails on my computer. The LGBTQIA+ Community President in the Chicago Chapter sent me an email inviting me to become a guest speaker at their annual assembly at Hotel Douglas in three days.
I smiled and responded affirmatively. As a survivor of the cruel reality that the community is facing, I feel like it is only right and just for me to talk about my experience to my fellow members to empower and inspire them. I want to be a living example that no rocks can be thrown at a diamond.
A series of knocks came on my door.
“Just open it,” I uttered as I started listing all the orders of pots that we needed to cater to. Most of them are deliveries to the other nearby states so I needed to make sure that everything is perfect.
The door relented, revealing Myca, the manager of the shop. She was smiling as she walked to me with that clear folder.
I narrowed my eyes. “What’s that?” I asked.
“This is the list of the kids up for the pottery class, Charlotte,” she explained and I could palm my face because that totally slipped out of my mind.
“When is this again?” I asked as I started skimming through the pages.
“That won’t start until next week,” she replied. “We have agreed to allot Friday for the classes. We have two sessions every Friday for the whole month. The first session will be with kids ages two to five, while the next session would be kids with ages six to ten.”
I nodded. Now, it’s all slowly coming back to me. Since it is the kid’s month, we will hold pottery sessions for the kids ages two to ten. After that, all the profits of the sessions will be donated to the orphanage.
“Do we have teachers for the pottery class already?” I asked her.
She nodded. “Janna and I will teach simultaneously. We need some more people for crowd control, though. You know how rowdy kids could get.”
I chuckled, totally understanding what she meant by that. “I will then put up a sign and an ad to look for part-timers. It will only be six hours a day, right? Three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon?”
Myca nodded. “Yes, that is the original plan,” she replied.
“Okay,” I said. “Then I will put out the ad right now on the internet. We need at least three to be able to monitor all of the kids.”
“Thank you, Charlotte.”
“No worries.”
I did what I have to do and received a few applications in the first hour that the ad was posted on the internet. I began to forward them to Savannah for her to segregate the part-timers and schedule them for an interview.
It’s not that hard for this batch anyway because they only need to come by every Friday.
At lunch, I ate with everyone in the shop. It’s a tradition for all of us. During the lunch break, we have to eat together in a restaurant near the shop or bring our packed lunch so we can all have fun together. It’s also one way to bond with each other because I believe that a harmonious workplace is a way to lessen the stress of the employees.
I want them all to know that I am not just their boss. I am their friend, too.
“A letter came in the mail,” Savannah told me when we were back in the shop. “It seems like it’s from the LGBT association.” She handed me the envelope and I immediately opened it.
It’s was the same as the email that I read a while ago.
“Will you be attending?” she asked.
I nodded and smiled. “Of course,” I replied. “I love to talk about my past experiences to inspire other people who are currently struggling right now.”
Savannah smiled. “You’re a really good person, Charlotte. Your father and the people from your school are wrong to bully you like that.”
Savannah is one of the employees that I have known the longest. She’s my best friend.
When I left home at eighteen, I was lost and she was there. She was not yet Savannah at that time nor am I even called Charlotte yet. We were both still female souls caught in men’s bodies. We were not yet able to show the people who we really are but we were together when we showed the world what we are capable of.
“I have already put that behind me,” I told her with a small smile. I know that she wouldn’t buy it. I am fully aware that she knows that I still check on my parents from time to time. I still go and check their updates on the social media. And they seem happy without me. Which is good. Because even after everything that I have been through because of their lack of support, I still wish them genuine happiness.
After all, they are my parents. They were not supportive of me but they are still the reason why I saw the bright side of life. They are the reason why I am able to witness the beauty of this world.
Savannah chuckled and tapped my shoulder. “Well, if that’s the case then maybe we can have a few drinks tonight? You know, to celebrate my successful operation?”
My eyes widened. “Oh! Has it been three months since your gender reassignment surgery?” She underwent several operations for her s*x change surgery and she recently successfully completed it. She vowed to not drink and party for three months after just so she could heal well.
So, now that she’s already asking me to party, I guess, it has been three long months.
Savannah nodded and grinned. “You are so right, sissy…” she said as she hung her arm around my shoulders. “So, let us go and have fun. It has been ages since we had a drink. I miss the taste of alcohol already!”
I laughed and shook my head because I know that I don’t have any choice right now. For sure, she’s going to pester me all day just to say yes to her.
“Fine,” I uttered as I sighed, rolling my eyes. “It’s not like I have a choice, anyway…”
She giggled and nodded. “You’re right. You don’t have a choice. I am your best friend after all…” she sing-songed before suddenly giving me a look. “Oh! Dr. Sarosa is also asking me if you are interested in undergoing the same surgery,” she said.
I smiled and shook my head. “That’s not yet on my list, Sav,” I told her. “I have a lot of things I want to do for now.” I know that it would really make a difference since I have been working on my hormones a lot and I really think that they are working really well.
She rolled her eyes before shaking her head. “You are already looking like a woman, Charlotte. You still don’t want to go all the way?”
I gave her a skeptical look before shrugging. “I don’t know yet,” I replied. I have nothing against anyone opting to go for the surgery. It’s just that I couldn’t imagine it for me. I think the hormones I am taking are enough to make me feel like a woman. I didn’t want to mess up with my body’s physical appearance. Or at least not yet.
I do not think I am ready for that yet.
I touched my long blonde hair before smiling at Savannah. “When I have already achieved everything I want in my life, maybe that’s the time that it would be listed on my priority list.”
Savannah smiled and nodded. “Oh well, if that’s what you want, I will always be here for you.” She reached for my hand. “You’re still a he though,” she teased and I immediately playfully glared at her.
“I know, b***h,” I shot back and we both ended up laughing.
- Writer
