[TG/RC] A Cautionary Tale - Part 3 (Patreon)

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~

“My name is Huong. I am from Vietnam. It is nice to meet you.”

He recited the words over and over under his breath. The language felt so strange rolling off his tongue now. It was odd, to know that it was his mother tongue, the thing he had spoken for most of his life and yet, as he stared down at the messy page of notes it still took him time to sound everything out and related it to the correct Vietnamese term in his head.

His progress was slow going at first he just found practising and studying so boring. All his new friends spoke Vietnamese so he had nobody to practise with except those who attended the informal classes with him down at the community centre once a week.

As time went on though he managed to dedicate more time to it. With his limited funds he couldn't afford to do much and there wasn't a lot of room for entertainment in his unit; he didn’t even have a television. At first practising the words was like pulling teeth but then gradually it just sort of became part of his daily routine.

As had many other things he never would have imagined; playing Mah-jong with some of the Chinese mothers down at the community centre, going out for drinks with Lan in the early hours of the morning, cooking and cleaning for himself. It wasn't the life of a college party boy, far from it but it wasn't the worst. He was making the best of a bad situation; there was no point in being miserable all the time after all.

Though every time he had to get down on his hands and knees to scrub his bathroom tiles just to get them looking even vaguely clean he would groan. This body just had aches he wasn't used to, even bending over to empty the bin, an action which have been simple before elicited a twinge from his spine. Two or three glasses of wine was enough to have his head pounding the next morning as well and Derek began to realise just how right Missy’s aunt had been about him taking his youth for granted. What he wouldn’t give to not have to deal with aching knees after nights of walking.

He was just starting to recite his numbers when a knock at the door broke his concentration. With a sigh he put down the notebook, secretly glad to have a reason to stop studying. Lan was there smiling.

“Hey, did you want to go shopping?” Lan asked eagerly, “we only have a few days before New Year, we’ll need a new outfit!”

“It was New Year three weeks ago.” Derek questioned in confusion.

He’d spent the night watching fireworks in the distance while he stood on his corner. It had been a very profitable night with all the men wrong too drunk to care about their wallets. Plenty of big spenders. He’d forlornly wondered what he would have been doing had he still been himself; going to a rager in all likelihood and enjoying the fact that he could get hammered and sleep off the hangover within half a day.

“Lunar New Year, dummy.” Lan rolled her eyes, “You’re becoming a westerner, eh? No Lunar New Year for you?”

She was teasing and he giggled along with her to pretend he’d been making a joke. He thought Chinese New year was…well, Chinese. Apparently it was a lot more complicated than that. When he’d seen all the shops putting up decorations he’d assumed it was just because this was Chinatown, not because all the other little groups were going to be joining in.

He glanced behind him at the boxes of neatly folded clothes; most of them were for work, the others he could take or leave, style wise. Perhaps it would be nice to get something new. He had a bit of fun money stashed away and it was going to be at least a few more weeks until his English was good enough to confront Missy and her aunt anyway.

“Alright, I’ll grab my things.”

Lan looped her arm through his and they walked down the street. Derek did his best to act as if he knew where they were headed; women’s clothing stores hadn't exactly been on his radar since arriving here several weeks ago. Lan led him to a small shop with a Vietnamese sign that simply said ‘Bian’s’. The shop was cramped, not because it was small but because there were simply so many shelves and racks. It looked like a forest; everything from casual wear to intricate embroidered dresses in several traditional styles.

Most people in Chinatown, from what he had seen, mostly wore western clothes but there were always exceptions. Especially on holidays and special occasions. Right now the shop was bursting with women trying on everything from cocktail gowns to hamboks.

“Let’s get in quick before all the good stuff is gone!” Lan smiled, dragging him into the forest of clothes.

Derek didn't know where to even start; he was used to jeans and shirts but something told him those were not going to be an option here. He looked at the western style dresses first, since they were what felt familiar but something kept niggling at the back of his mind. Buying one of them didn't feel right, not for Lunar New year.

He looked over his shoulder to where Lan was standing with several other women by a rack of long flowing tunics. A lot of the Vietnamese women he recognised who were in the store were standing around similar racks and as subtly as he could, he took a picture and searched it up. Ao dai, traditional Vietnamese dress. He bit his lip; the food had proven tasty and the culture and people quite interesting; who’s to say the clothing wouldn't have its appeal as well?

He joined the others, walking along the large rack and letting his fingers brush against the fabrics. A flash of colour caught his eye and he found himself pausing to pull one of the tunics out. It was a deep, rich blue with red embroidered fish swimming along the hem and cuffs. It was paired with a pair of white, loose pants and on close inspection, they too had matching red fish swimming around the heels.

He didn't have any particular fondness for fish or the colour blue but something about this outfit was calling him. He held the tunic up against his breasts, letting the fabric flow down his body and imagining what it would look like on him. The size seemed almost too perfect; like it was made for him.

He didn't hesitate further, paying for the garment without a second thought to the high price tag. It was simply too beautiful to pass up. When Lan appeared, holding her yellow and white garment she pouted.

“You would find the best one.” She sighed, “Ah well, do you have plans for New Year’s night?”

“No…” He admitted, somewhat embarrassed, “I suppose just…work. Like usual.”

“Bah! No way, you’re having a night off, we’ll walk the streets together, the street food is always cheap on New years and the party is sure to be fun.”

“Party?” He looked around, as if for the first time noticing the signs advertising the street party for a few days.

It may not have been the sort he was used to be, but Derek felt a burst of hope within him; perhaps he could capture some of his old self again. To go to a party was exactly what he needed.

~

He felt different, putting on the ao dai. The loose pants were so light compared to his usual night attire. They swished as he moved and he could feel them brush against his ankles and inner thighs as he walked. The tunic was much the same. As a man, whenever he’d worn anything with a high collar he’d chaffed, physically and mentally. He hated tight things at his throat but for some reason this dress didn’t make him feel uncomfortable. He looked in the mirror and smiled, slowly applying a thick coat of plum coloured lipstick.

He looked stunning; his eyelashes tinted black, his age hidden behind tasteful make up and his hair brushed to a glossy sheen. For once he didn’t feel awkward or overly done up in a sexual way. He just felt…pretty. It was a nice change of pace after nights of being preyed on by fetishists and perverts who couldn’t wait to get what little clothing he had off. For the first time since waking up in Huong's life he felt at peace. This life wasn’t all bad he supposed. If only he could dress like this all the time and earn money off his back, he might even be able to live with it then.

He looked over to his notebook where he’d been practising his English. Slowly, he was improving enough to start a letter. He wanted to have the perfect words to tell that witch exactly what she was and how to threaten her into changing him back. He was even working on a few comebacks just in case she refused.

He smiled; it was almost ready too, a few more weeks and this would all be over. So there was no harm in letting his hair down tonight in every sense of the word. He would have some fun before fully committing to perfecting his language skills enough to communicate what he wanted.

He quickly pushed two golden hoops through his ears to complete the look before stepping outside to meet Lan. There were sounds already echoing up from the busy street below. People had been rushing about all day and now that the sun had set the Lunar New year party was in full swing.

Lan greeted him on the landing in her yellow and white ao dai and Derek complimented her on it, even if secretly he thought the colour wasn’t the best on her. They stepped out into the street together and were met with a whirlwind of noise and activity as they made their way to the food stalls.

The parties Derek was used to attending were certainly different. There were no drunk college kids jumping in pools while spiking punch bowls and smoking. Instead there were drums and loud flutes as dragons and kites flew under lantern light. It was loud and crowded, so much so that Derek was sure he and Lan were going to be trampled as they squeezed through the crowd, clutching their bahn mi for dear life, lest they lose it.

His hopes of regaining a piece of his old life were dashed. Why he’d been imagining his old kind of party here he had no idea. Still, everywhere people were talking and laughing, enjoying one another’s company as a parade slowly moved through, complete with dragons and other fun little displays.

Lan was laughing, talking rapidly to him though he only caught every other word. It seemed like whoever was banging those drums was deliberately timing it so that he missed the most vital part of any sentence.

Still, as they finally found a spare set of steps to sit on by the side of the street to eat Derek found himself smiling. It wasn't the party he’d have chosen, but it was nice all the same. He bit into his bahn mi and sighed.

“Delicious!” He proclaimed clearly in English with a smile, Lan rolled her eyes.

“You think you’re so clever because you’re learning, why bother? It doesn't help our job.”

“I’m not going to be a lady of the night forever.” Derek argued, it wasn't technically a lie, “If I learn English, I’ll be out of here in no time.”

It was true, once he was good enough to speak to Missy’s Aunt he would be back in his dorm, with his rich father’s credit card and all his worries gone. He did feel a twinge of guilt for leaving Lan behind but what choice did he have? He couldn't stay here forever, even if the food was good. He could order Vietnamese food whenever he liked once he had access to his old bank account.

The only downside was losing this ao dai. It really was beautiful; flowing yet somehow form fitting in all the right places. He never thought he would feel beautiful in this middle aged body but this tunic and pants managed to do it. Fireworks exploded above them and Lan gasped happily. Pointing out the ones in various shapes.

“Time to make a resolution! That’s what those westerners do, right?” She teased, Derek laughed but secretly he did just that.

He resolved to make the best of this and then, when he was himself, never take his youth for granted again.

~

Derek clutched the letter he’d spent the last few weeks perfecting before his fingers. It had finally come, time to confront that witch and get her to turn him back. He held his head high as he walked down the street. He’d had months to come up with the perfect plan and now it was time to execute it.

Rather than ask Missy directly, he had found her social media pages and slowly begun trawling through her family members. Several, the older ones especially, did not have proper photos as their profile but when he saw one labelled Amanda Darnell, with a skull and rose as her picture he knew it had to be her. He spent quite some time eliminating all other aunts or female family members, even cousins, just to be safe before he settled on Amanda. Things would have been so much simpler if he had thought to ask his host's name at the time. But he had to be honest with himself, even if somebody had told him, he’d have forgotten it almost instantly as he had with any person who didn’t interest him.

After that it had taken some serious internet sleuthing to find the address of her house. He’d spent days on the local library's computer doing it after his phone plan had run out of data.

The work had been worth it though. As he rounded the corner of the upper class neighbourhood he began to see familiar buildings and then, at the end of a drive he saw it. The house where all this had happened. His heart beat fast as it zeroed in on the window of what had to be the bedroom where he was changed. How she had transported him all the way from here to the other side of the city he did not know, magic likely. If she could change his age, race and gender she could do anything.

For the first time he felt a nervous shiver work its way down his spine. This woman was powerful, he hoped his words would be enough to convince her that he’d learned his lesson and turned him back. He pressed a hand to the gate and with a deep breath pushed it open.

Only to find it was locked.

Obviously. He looked around for a doorbell or intercom of some description and what he found instead made his heart drop. A sign, slightly faded from being out in the sun for weeks.

‘FOR SALE’

The sound of blood rushing filled his ears for a moment. No, no she had to be here! His plan! He’d spent weeks working so hard; it couldn't be for nothing. Once more he looked up at the windows, each room with the curtains drawn. A layer of dust was visible on the glass and just to the side of the house he could see those hedges; so neatly trimmed last time he was here, now they were overgrown and slowly filling with weeds. He was so shocked and filled with horror he didn’t hear the approaching footsteps and almost jumped out of his skin when a voice appeared behind him.

“A shame, isn’t it?” A woman walked past with a poodle mused, “Such a pretty house, I do hope somebody buys it soon.”

“What happened to the woman who lived there?” He asked.

The woman just shrugged.

“Not sure, she moved out just before Christmas, odd time to move if you ask me.”

She’d already been gone for almost three months. His heart began to beat even louder in his ears. No, no nononononono! He grit his teeth; he’d only been enjoying himself the last few weeks because he’d told himself it was temporary. He didn't want to stay in this life! He wanted to be young and male again! Free of all these aches, pains and stresses. The woman with the poodle left and he followed.

That witch would not get the best of him. He could best her; he’d find her and then his plan would go exactly as he’d planned from that moment on. It just had to.

~

Except it didn’t.

Derek tried following up with the real estate agent but Amanda had left no forwarding address. He stalked her social media pages incessantly, waiting for any update but found nothing. Scrolling through her limited post history he found to his dismay that she rarely posted to begin with and had now seemingly stopped altogether.

He followed Missy on everything. Checking her accounts daily hoping for some sort of family reunion post. Every holiday he waited with baited breath for some sort of family dinner post but as the months began to drag on he began to realise it was hopeless. Missy never mentioned her aunt, not even when he scrolled back to the night of her party. If he hadn't been there, he would never have even known Amanda existed.

Eventually he bit the bullet and went to talk to Missy himself, claiming to be an old friend of her Aunts who wanted to meet her. Unfortunately, she remembered him from the first visit and refused to speak to him, or Lan when he asked for a favour with no questions asked. She called them scammers, among other things and Derek felt his old life slipping through his fingers.

Even if he did find her, would she even consider changing him back? She had clearly gone to a lot of effort to hide herself away from him; who's to say this wasn't all for naught, that she would just refuse or worse, change him again and give him an even worse lot in life. A shiver of fear passed through him at the idea of being aged further.

Slowly, his efforts to find Amanda slipped down his priority list. He was too busy with his English classes, working and making new friends to have much time to dedicate to it. Before he realised a year had passed by in this life and he wasn’t sure where Huong started and he began. His English was getting better, good enough that maybe he could stop working the night and get a job where he didn't need to sleep with strangers for money; that became his new goal.

If nothing else, he had learned the value of hard work now and he was not about to lie down and let depression take him. No, if this was the life he was stuck with he was going to do his utmost to make sure it was the best possible version it could be.

~

Epilogue

Huong closed the front door behind her and sighed in defeat. Shoes were littered all through the doorway, their coats were on the floor and judging by the sounds coming from around the corner; cartoons were playing in the living room.

“Hien! Ahn! What have I told you both about keeping this entryway clear!”

There was the scrambled sound of feet on the floor as the tv was switched off and her two children suddenly rounded the corner looking guilty.

“Sorry Mama.” Ahn lowered her head, “We were just studying.”

Huong rubbed her temples as Ahn and her brother quickly picked up their shoes and coats and put them on the racks provided. She had no idea why they found it so hard just to be a little responsible with their things. It had taken her years to save up and afford this apartment on her humble salary at the show shop, the least they could do was keep it clean.

Not to mention the lying, the fact that her daughter could look her in the eye and lie in such a boldfaced manner; where had she gotten it from? Ever since she had been made manager Huong was working longer and longer hours leaving her two children plenty of time to goof off from their study. Something they seemed to delight in much to her chagrin,

“You were watching cartoons.” She seethed, “I heard when I walked in. You know the rules, homework first.”

“It was just one episode.” Hein insisted, “And you make us study all the time! We’re already at the top of our classes!”

“And if you want to stay that way, you’ll keep it up.” Huong insisted, hanging her own coat and walking into their humble little home.

It was so much better than the tiny place she used to live. Every day she would walk past her former apartment building on the way to work and she always made a habit of looking up to her former window; a reminder of how far she’d come in the last decade.

“Now, to your room.” She clapped her hands, “Hein, you are only second in your class at maths right now anyway, you could use the extra study time.”

Both her kids groaned and she bit her tongue. Did they not realise she was helping them? What she wouldn't give to go back and be young again with her whole life ahead of her. If only somebody had been firmer with her back when she was Derek, then maybe she would be a successful businessman or something by now. With a beautiful wife and so many opportunities ahead of her.

Not that she didn't love her children's mind; she did, that was part of why she was so hard on them. They deserved the life she’d cheater herself out of. They may not have had the classiest start to life; she had no idea who either of their fathers were after all. But once she got that job at the shoe shop everything had looked up for them. Now she had a respectable job and two kids at the top of their classes with bright futures ahead. All thanks to the hard work and study she had put into remaster English and her dedication once she had started working.

It seemed her little ones did not appreciate the effort though; they both rolled their eyes and slumped their shoulders as they went to their shared room and sat down at the desks.

“Now, I want to see some real effort.” Huong said sternly, “You’ll thank me one day.”

Hien and Ahn just mumbled something under their breaths but Huong let it slide. One battle at a time, so long as they studied that was what was most important. She hefted the shopping bag up onto the table and began unloading the groceries; perhaps she would make their favourite beef pho tonight, that might convince them to try a little harder. As she got out the pots and pans to cook, Huong caught a glimpse of her warped reflection in the reflective bottom of one of the silver pans.

Her laugh lines had only gotten stronger over the years and her hair was slowly heading towards grey rather than jet black. She sighed, placing the pot down and putting her age out of mind. Moping achieved nothing; this was the life she’d made for herself and if she was going to survive she had to make the most of it. That is what she had done from the very beginning and it was the only way to move forward.

At this point, what else could she do?

The End

~

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