Mercy

Patrick #1 has hit a dog and is calling Mercy. Mercy is helping her father into tight argyle stockings with the rip in the knee the never gets bigger. Mercy is helping her father into a light green wig that is curled on the end but flipped like an alien Marilyn Monroe. Mercy is helping her father into a  wedding dress that he got at Tender Love Consignment Shop to wear tonight on stage, the last night he would be able perform. He has six different costume changes. He has 11 different people helping him. Tonight is his last night on stage at the ClamShell Cocktail Lounge. Tonight he will say good bye to his drag family of thirty years and retire his girl job in the City, retire his girl job as he had retired his boy job long ago. This was my dream he would tell Mercy, this was my dream, to retire from my boy job to be able to do my girl job full time, this was my dream, and now its gone.

Patrick #1 says into the voice mail frantically Mercy, where the hell are you, Mercy how could you not be here for me right now, this dog is dead Mercy, dead, the dog is dog, I killed a dog Mercy.

Mercy's father is all glitter and sparkle. Mercy's father is all diamonds. Mercy's father has his signature look, has his Marilyn Monroe look, has his Jackie O look, has his Liza look, has his Mardi Gras look, has his "smalltown gay bar in Michigan" look, has his Goldie Hawn Laugh-In look, has his Cher from Sonny and Cher look, has his "how Britney Spears will look like 60 years from now" look. When Mercy was a teenager, her father's drag closet was just one row of hangers and one shelf in his main closet in his room. Now her father's drag closet is one of the guest rooms converted with two walk-in closets on either end and built in shelves on the walls for bags, shoes, and accessories.

Mercy's father's bag collection puts hers to shame--designers from all walks of life. Mercy's father was big in the in-crowd party scene at one time in the City, which is where her met her mother initially, a country girl away for the weekend to check out an art college. A perfect disguise Mercy thought over and again in her life, but Mercy's father had always said the love and admiration was real between he and her mother, that he respected her as an artist, the he absolutely loved her work and that is what made him fall in love with her. They had Mercy out of Mercy. They had Mercy out of a true compassion for each other.

Patrick #1 is frantic into the phone, calling 1, 10, 15, 25 times. Where are you, I need you, this dog is dead, what do I do.

I called 911, was that what was I was supposed to do, oh God.

I can't believe you aren't answering the phone, this is important, this dog is dead, I'm out in the middle of nowhere and its late and oh God where are the police

MERRRRRCCCCYY WHAT THE FUCK WHERE ARE YOU JESUS CHRIST the cops are here Mercy the cops are here

Mercy's father steps out of the rented stretch Cadillac and pushes herself up on to the pink sparkling walking stick they will use all night, a walking stick with different emblems and colors to match every outfit. Mercy's father is lucky they don't have to have an oxygen mask on or be in a wheelchair. Tonight will be one of the last nights that they won't be without oxygen or a wheelchair. But, Mercy and her father don't know this yet, tonight is his night.