It's Never Too Late

“Daddy, I want this one. Can I have it?” asked little Adam to his father, staring at him with hopeful eyes as he held Midnight Tuxedo Barbie in his tiny hand.

“Son, why do you want that? That’s a girl’s toy. The next aisle is for the boys.” Sammy responded strongly, as he tried to usher his little boy out of the Barbie aisle.

“NO! I want this toy! This one looks just like Mummy. Look, look! Her eyes are the same, her hair is the same… Mummy wore a pretty suit too! Please, oh please Daddy? Can I take her home?” Adam begged, holding the toy he had fallen in love with.

Sammy took a deep breath in and closed his eyes, trying to hold back his frustration and embarrassment.

Exhaling, he massaged his nose where he suddenly felt his glasses digging into him and opened his eyes. Time for tough love.

“Adam! Put down that Barbie now! Barbies are for girls. If you ask me one more time, we’re leaving.” he sternly commanded his son.

Adam viciously shook his head and retreated away from his angry father, he protected the doll like it really was a miniature version of his mother. Tears were welling up in his innocent eyes as confusion agonizingly spread across his face. A soft whimper began in his throat, morphing into an urgent wailing as the heads of the mothers in the aisle swung their way. They sensed an emotional storm was coming.

“NO! I want it! I WANT it! If Mummy was here, she would buy it!” Adam raged, and Sammy had enough of his tantrum.

“That’s it, we are leaving! Boys don’t play with dolls. If you can’t be a good boy, you get nothing”. Sammy snatched the beautiful toy away from his son’s hands. Forcefully shoving the box back in its spot while knocking some duplicates on the floor, he roughly took his son’s arm and dragged him out of the aisle. Adam tried to stand his ground, but it was no use against his father. The automatic doors opened to bid farewell as they exited, then quickly slapped together behind them.

“Wasn’t Laffy McTaffy just fab-u-lous?” Midnite Eve shouted in the mic. The club roared with screams and cheers as the drinks were hoisted in the air. The drag queen flipped her long and wavy cararmel-coloured wig side to side, giving the audience some impression of Beyonce. She cradled the microphone in one hand, raising the other hand as if to conduct the show’s encore and announced: “That is the end of our humble little show. Thank you, everyone, for coming to B.Iconic! Tip your the bartenders, the servers and most of all… your performers! Your support gives us support… to look this cheap! Enjoy the night!”. Elegantly blowing multiple kisses, the public went ballistic one last time before as the DJ switched gears to clubbing hits. Midnite waved regally, smiling proudly as she walked offstage, then started picking up her pace down the backstage hallway. A pink haired glam-azon walked towards her and tapped her on the shoulder.

“Great show, girl! You were fierce as hell. Thanks again for lending me your corset last minute. You're a lifesaver!”

“Anytime, Sis. Have a good time!” acknowledged Midnite, as the bubblegum queen passed her. Another tall, gorgeous vision on legs approached her.

“Hey, girl. Loved your number tonight! Thanks for the eyelash help again. Now I don’t have to perform half blind anymore! You are so sweet”.

“Not a problem, Phenomenon. Be more careful on those splits, you hear? Don’t want anything splitting in two”. The two queens kissed each other's cheeks before Phenomenon strutted to the dressing room, filled with performers changing. Midnite got closer to the club’s backdoor exit, almost free of the EDM tornado and wave of musky body heat, until Laffy McTaffy caught her before she pressed the handles.

“Honey, leaving so soon?”

“Yeah, leaving the party early. I’ve got to de-drag before the hot flashes kick in” teased Midnite, releasing a little tender giggle.

“Alright, Sis, but you're missing out. Fabulous hosting tonight, the baby queens just love seeing a legend showing them how it's done”.

“My pleasure, but next time it’s extra for child-care!”

“Ha ha, alright alright. Oh! Before you go, some fan left this for you” then Laffy handed her a package wrapped in a dull, cardboard brown paper. No card or writing on the box showing what or who it was from.

“A fan? How cute. Do you know who it was?” questioned Midnite as she examined the boring wrapped gift.

“Don’t know. The bartender passed it on to me while you were performing to give it to you. But the bartender did say that he has been coming to the club, watching you perform all week. Sitting alone in the back seats, but really enjoying the show”. Midnite gracefully accepted the package, gave it a gentle shake and grinned with curiosity.

“Oo~I just love presents! Hope they’re diamonds. Thanks Laffy. Nighty-Nite” Midnite bid. Laffy waved a quick “Bye” and trotted down the hallway towards the dancefloor. The drag queen exited the club, with the unknown package in one hand, and the other hand stuffed in her sweetheart neckline to find her car keys. Quickly reaching her parked car, she found her keys and unlocked it. When the car door popped open, Midnite fanned herself a little bit before she removed her thick wig off her sweaty, bald head. Finally, sitting down in the driver seat, she let out a tired and exhausted sigh. Setting the package down in the passenger seat beside her drag bag, she threw her wig on top of it. Midnite swiftly removed her stiletto shoes off her brutalized sore feet, threw it in the backseat like a sack of potatoes and reached down to the pedals for her pink rhinestone Crocs. The sensible shoes welcomed her feet with the promise of sweet comfort as she slid them on and turned the keys in the ignition, ready to journey home.

The front door of a modest apartment opened, and Midnite burst through the door like a tired nurse coming home from her shift. Juggling her drag, heels, takeout and the new, mysterious package, she hooked her keys on the side peg and took a couple steps inside, closing the door with her foot. She knelt down to the ground on one knee, stuff starting to slip out of her hands, and gently let them scatter to the floor. Standing up, she started to strip her glitzy guardian alter ego off her body.

Unzipping the indigo rhinestone bodysuit, peeling the costume like a banana. Unhooking and freeing her bra, where bunched up old stockings in a ball fell and bounced on the carpet. Then she unleashed her cincher using both hands to split the two halves in opposite directions, like a sexy Moses parting the Red Sea. When the beige cincher dropped to the floor Midnite unstuffed her thighs and butt of padding, pulling out giant foam cutlets held in her layers of pantyhose. Barbarically throwing them down, her hands dived again into all five layers of the pecan tone tights. Like an olympian in one move, all the tights rolled down into a hot nylon mess when the drag queen guided them down to the floor. Rising back up to the ceiling, twiggy arms in the air as if the queen stuck the landing of de-dragging.

The skin of Midnite Eve was shed and piled on the ground. What was only left was a tall, slender, bald black man with glamorous makeup and tucking panties.

It’s past midnight, and the fairy godmother’s magic is broken.

Adam stroked his hands on his bald head, wiping the sweat off on the outline of the wig tape as he sat down in front of his vanity with the gifted package on the desk. When he had finished airing himself, he picked up the package. Holding it between his hands, he rotated the package from side to side to try to find any clues from the gifter. More and more curious, Adam dug through his memories of fans and admirers as he tried to guess. With no leads of who the gifter to be, Adam lovelingly set down on the desk and started to unwrap it like a child on Christmas. As the ugly brown paper split into small pieces what unfolded was a long-time love that Adam hasn’t seen for more than 20 years: Midnight Tuxedo Barbie.

Rendered into a silent shock, the nearly mint condition doll was revealed to be the miracle he had been waiting for.

Caressing the box with his dainty, effeminate hand, he was in awe of the beauty of the doll within. He cracked the box open where a folded letter fell on his lap and was greeted by the doll. Still perfect in her haute couture dress with her luxurious black faux fur shawl, the striking resemblance of his mother. He felt tightness in his chest as bittersweet feelings started to resurface, his body shaking with past trauma as he laid the beautiful boxed doll upon his lap. His fingers picked up the folded letter into his hands, he opened the letter.

Adam read the handwritten letter, slowly processing each word, a flurry of emotions flooding his mind in wild surges, making it difficult to finish. He looked upon himself in the vanity mirror and set the letter and boxed doll aside. His mind was wondering how to filter the content of the letter.

Then, Adam starts to cry, letting his heart be submerged of every thought and every emotion he had been holding for so long. His tears ran down like a waterfall, washing away his paint, revealing the hurt little boy he still was at heart. Eventually, he allowed himself to finally see through the fog of torment.

He stares adoringly at the Barbie to his side, hoping for some sign, some spark of courage from the lifeless doll, to help him through this trying moment. But it wasn’t the Barbie he saw looking back at him, it was his mother.

He imagined what his mother would say or how she would guide him, then he looked deeper into the doll's face for answers. A glimmer of bravery kissed his mind and heart, he quickly searched his phone until he finally found the one number he never had the guts to call. Taking the plunge, he anxiously pressed the faceless number and waited for a response

“Hello?” answered a withered man on the other line.

“Dad? It’s… it’s Adam’’.