Foreign Soil

In “Gaps in the Hickory,” Delores is an old woman who lives in New Orleans. Delores is transgender—she used to live in rural Mississippi and identify as a man named Denver. Back in Mississippi, Denver lived with his wife Izzy, and their son, Jackson. When Izzy found out that Delores was transgender, she encouraged her to leave their rural town and move somewhere that would be more accepting. Izzy accepted Delores from the start and kept her gender identity a secret, telling others—including Jackson—that Denver ran away with another woman. Delores and Izzy remained good friends over the years, and Izzy frequently visited Delores in New Orleans. In the story’s present, Delores is struggling to cope with Izzy’s recent death. Besides this, she’s struggling to know what to do about her young grandchild, Carter, who is also transgender—and whose father Jackson is bigoted, possibly violent, and could harm Carter if he ever found out about Carter’s gender identity. Delores spends much of her time with her young neighbor, Ella, who repeatedly tries to convince Delores to go and rescue Carter. But things are more complicated for Delores than Ella realizes: she only became herself when she moved to New Orleans, and returning to Mississippi would force her to return to a past she no longer relates to. At the same time, though, she knows from Izzy how dangerous and unhinged Jackson has become, and she worries what will happen to Carter if she doesn’t help him. Delores also feels responsible for Jackson’s present state: Jackson came to visit “Denver” unexpectedly a few years back, and when he realized the truth about his father, he left without a word. It was after seeing Delores that Jackson joined the KKK and began to act erratically and hatefully. Delores never told anyone—not even Izzy—about the encounter. Ultimately, Delores is able to help Carter and protect herself against her unwanted past, as Jeanie drives Carter to New Orleans to live with Delores.