Welcome to Vogue

Lost in the City of Angels

"So mother, how was it? How did you open your house?" Asks me Dani, my transgender son, I look at him as I continue working on my chimichangas "well after I arrived in LA, I met with Elenor's friend...

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As I went down the electric stairs this black, tall man with an afro stands with a tank top, leather jeans, and aviator sunglasses, as he sees me coming down, with my natural shaved head he tilts his head "Marritza?" He asks, I let a deep breath out "no, today I was reminded I will always be Mario, at least for as long as I look like this" I pointed to my entire body.

He pulled me in for a hug "child shush, I don't know much of you or your story, but if there is anything Elenor told me about it was how powerful of a woman you are" he put a finger under my chin and made me look up to him "so, why don't we put off here, get you clean, fix your makeup and then put something on that stomach of yours because after that long as hell flight you must be hungry"

"I am" I replied, he smiled at me "great, but we need to get ready, cause no daughter of Elenor will go out into the streets of Los Angeles for the first time looking like this" as he said that I started crying, I was so emotional, so heartbroken "hey hey hey, sweetie, what is it? Did something happen to you on your way here?" I let out an angry grown "you know you can tell me anything, I mean, I know I am a stranger, but any child of Elenor is a child of mine"

I composed myself as we walked out of the airport and told him everything that happened. LuiG got us a cab and took me to his home. For the first time that day, I didn't feel like a stranger inside my own body. He allowed me the right I had to cry, to feel angry.

When I lived with Elenor, I never had to endure such things, but even if I went through something, everyone would tell me to keep those tears inside and use them as motivation, and I did, keeping things bottled up made me stronger, colder, but crying that day made freer.

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You see, I came from a very sexist house, my dad was very machista, he was the man of the house, he had to put the food on the table, and the roof over our heads, while my mother was the woman, the one who had to clean, raise the children, cook every day, all day so when he came home everything was ready and exactly how he liked it. My little brother Jorge and I had our roles to play, we were being shaped in his image.

We weren't allowed to cry, if we had an issue with something or didn't like something he would do or say and dare bring it up, he would reprehend us, he was the man of the house, the patriarch, so, when LuiG, a six feet, two inches tall, a black man allowed me to cry, I realized there were so many different ways to be a man, to he human.

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When we arrived at his house he had already prepared a bedroom for me, I got ready and we went out that day. We ate, we went sightseeing for a while and after that, he introduced me to a friend of his who owned a beauty salon and needed a hairstylist, so, I applied for the job and without even asking for any credentials or anything, I got it. Just like that, I had a job, on the day of my arrival.

Time began to run by us, two months later I was doing good at work, I found a new ballroom dance to be a part of, it wasn't going to start until October but, I had something to look forward, that and I also signed the lease for my first apartment ever. I packed all of my stuff from LuiG's and he helped me move, as we arrived at my new place I gave him a tight hug "thank you so much for everything you have done for me, I don't know how I will ever repay you" he looked at me "nonsense Marritza, like I told you the day you arrived, a child of Elenor is a child of mine, now, I have to get going, but don't you dare become a stranger" he walks out and I close the door.

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"Did you staid in contact with him? Wait, is he still alive, can we meet him?" Asks me, Sandro. I look at him "patience children, patience, nothing good has ever come to those who rush into things, now, why don't you all go and get the table ready so we can eat"

They all start putting the table together, I bring the chimichangas to the table and they all start going through them like a pack of hungry wolves. As we sit around the table eating dinner I continue telling my story.

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One night, as I walked home I heard a sound coming from one of the alleys, I took my flashlight out and held in one hand and the other my pepper spray. I approach carefully "is anyone there?" The sound stopped, I saw a leg swiftly dragged behind a dumpster "do you need help? Are you injured?" "Noo" replied someone with a soft, sweet yet scare voice.

"You can come out, I'm not going to hurt you" I went to the side of the dumpster and reached out my hand "my name is Marritza, what's your name?" I could see half a face, covered in dirt, with a broken lip and a black eye. The person said "leave me alone, I'm fine" but I did the opposite, I moved closer "are you hungry? We can go get something to eat if you like" I felt them moving, they came out from behind the dumpster "why would you help me?"

It all felt way too real, this was me a couple of years ago, had Elenor not found me, God knows I might not even be there, for this kid in need, so, that's exactly what I told him "you see, I too hid under dumpsters, I even slept on park benches in the cold nights of New York, I want to help you because I received help, and had the woman who helped not done so, I wouldn't be here today"

He came out, dust himself a little as I looked at him "I take it you don't have anywhere to go" he scoffed "of course I do, I just like to play hide and seek behind the trash" I giggled "what's so funny" he asked me. I gave a few steps back and turned around "nothing, you just remind me to my little brother. Now, what do you say we go get something to eat, and then we can go home"

He stopped in the middle of the alley "home? I'm not going anywhere with you, what kind of person offers up a place to a stranger. I mean, for all you know I planned all of this and now I'm going to kill you" I turned to him, with a mocking tone I replied, "well, did you?" "Did I what?" He said and I responded to him laughing "did you plan all of this so you could kill me?"

He started looking at the floor "no" I approached him and brought his face up so he could look at me "well then, you don't plan to kill me, and I don't plan to kill you. So it seems like all there is left to do is go get a bite of something, a shower, and a good night sleep" he smiled at me as he cleaned some snout off of his face "my name is Cole, and I'm out here, not because I'm a bad person, but because I'm gay"

When he said that to me, tears started to run that child's face, I couldn't help myself and I brought him closer to me and hugged him "Well Cole, I am Marritza, and if you like, you can come to stay with me, I have an apartment, is not that big, but it will do just fine for the two of us" I took a step back and looked at him "there will always be food on the table, a warm bed and a roof over your head, all you would have to do is go to school if you go to school, and I will help you from there forward, I have a friend who could help you get a job, does that sound like something you'd be interested?"

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As I stand from the dinner table Dani asks "where are you going?" I look at him "To take a shower" "but, you haven't finished the story of how Cole came home, hell, you never even told us he was your first son"

I look at all of my children "don't worry about it, Cole is coming over tomorrow, I'll let him tell you the rest of that part of the story. Now, clean the dishes, put everything in its place, and go to bed, you all have things to do tomorrow" I turn around and disappear into the darkness of the hall.

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Hey queendom, the seventh chapter of Welcome to Vogue comes out on Tuesday. I will be releasing two chapters per week for the entirety of PRIDE MONTH.

Remember to check up on yourself and those you love not just today or this month but always, but most importantly, remember to LOVE.

💜 HAPPY PRIDE MONTH 🤍