Serendipity

San Francisco is one of the most interesting, entertaining, and beautiful cities that I have ever seen. It absolutely captivates me.

There are so many things to do, to see, to feel. You can fill your senses and still have not touched all that the city has to offer.

When my son was dependent we used to fly away to San Francisco at least once a year. Often we would invite friends to go with us.

This particular time we had invited one of my female friends and her son on our get away. We also invited a young woman. We offered her a small salary and a free trip. In return she agreed to stay with the boys so my friend and I could enjoy some of the evening adult entertainment that the city had to offer. The boys were 11 and 12 so the term ‘babysitter’ wasn’t allowed ...... BUT the young woman was very pretty and they vied for her attention. To be left alone in a hotel with her held all manner of pre-teen promise.

We had a wonderful time. We took the walking tour of China Town. We drove down the crooked street. We went through the zoo. We saw the redwood trees. We ate at Fisherman’s Wharf. We went to Gharadelli Square and ate chocolate. We did all the ‘touristy’ things. But the thing that shines the brightest in my memory is the bus tour that we took. My son and I had never done the accepted tourist thing when we had visited San Francisco. We had always trolled the city on our own. The bus tour was a new experience.

I sat next to the window so I could see everything. I wanted to soak up the colors and ambience of the city that I found so exciting. I had lowered the window and the feel of the constantly moving city was exciting. The flow of people bustling up and down the streets was colorful and vibrant. The bus had stopped at a red light. I was idly watching the people when I looked far up the block and watched as a woman approached the corner. She was beautiful. She had long dark hair that fell to the middle of her back. She had a body that glided rather then walked. Her hips and legs moved in motion with one another in such a magical way that I imagined her as a model on a runway. She was absolutely breathtaking. It wasn’t that her face was the most beautiful that I had ever seen. It was the entire person. The aura that she presented to those that she passed. I couldn?t take my eyes off of her. As she stepped off of the curb she lifted her head and scanned the bus. I could see her eyes stopping at each window certain of the impact that she was making. When her eyes stopped at the window that I was sitting behind she suddenly stopped moving and a small smile played across her face. Then she did something that was totally unexpected; she lifted her arm in a sweeping gesture, touched her lips, and threw me a kiss.

Her gesture was so lovely. I felt honored that I had been granted such recognition. I nodded my head to tell her that the kiss had been received with pleasure. We both smiled and she continued crossing the street.

We had a great day sightseeing, but the memory of the thrown kiss stayed with me. It had been so unexpected. It was part of the magic of the city that filled me that day.

Later that night my friend and I had reservations to see a Revu that the critics were raving about. We had reserved a front row table. Our table was so perfect if we had reached out we could have almost touched the performers. Halfway through the show they announced a female singer. The spot light focused on one corner of the stage and I caught my breath as the woman that had thrown me a kiss slowly walked from behind the curtain. She sang her song with a sultry, throaty voice pulling the audience into her world of sensuous music. I was totally mesmerized. She walked to the edge of the stage and her song was as if she was talking intimately to every member of the audience. Then once again her eyes found mine and a moment of recognition flashed across her face. She slowly came off the stage and undulated with the music as she walked over to our table. She stood there looking into my eyes singing her bluesy song of love and betrayal. When the song was finished she stayed there basking in the applause. And then she reached over and gently took my hand in hers and caressed it while at the same time her other hand reached up to her hair ........................... and pulled off her wig!

SHE WAS A HE!!!!

I had been given a rare gift of serendipity. Two rare moments that came to an unexpected ending. It was a magic moments experience and a great shock and laugh when she/he revealed himself to me. But I have to be honest about my feelings. To paraphrase Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, ?He was a more beautiful man when he was a woman with me then he was when he was a man that was a man with me."

Isn't life grand!!