Frankie Lee’s shoes clip-clopped along the concrete like a sticky metronome. Approaching a hot dog vendor, she said, "What types of mustard do you have today?" He responded, "I had a pure-breed Schnauzer but now he only has three legs. Although a Southern belle like you probably has a bluetick hound." , he finished snidely. He then handed her a sweating bottle of water before turning away. She called “Bless your heart, Honey.” after him . She was used to people here thinking she was dumb, just because she was Southern. A few feet away, a metal newspaper dispenser reflected the harsh sunlight. She stepped closer, blinking at the headline... Frankie Lee blinked in surprise when she read the headline, and moved closer to the paper dispenser, so that she could verify what she had just read. Texas, seceding from the United States! Texit, it was being called. The movement had gained momentum with Brexit, when the United Kingdom had left the European Community, and apparently, now it was a done deal. She was surprised that she hadn’t heard about it from anyone back home. She forgot all about the hotdog, bought a copy of the newspaper, and hurried back to her Manhattan loft apartment. When she opened the door, her beloved Jack Russell terrier, Rebel, greeted her. She petted him affectionately, while she called her brother, Chris, in Texas. If anyone would know the details about what she had just read, it was him. He’d been advocating for Texas secession for years. Frankie remembered how disappointed he was when she accepted a job in New York City after graduating from college. Looking back, she was beginning to think that he’d been right. New York life wasn’t all that she’d thought it would be. If it weren’t for Rebel, she didn’t know how she would have survived. She didn’t belong here, not really. She was an outsider. She didn’t know exactly why she stayed. Perhaps she was too proud to admit to her family and friends back home in Texas that she had made a mistake by coming here. Her phone call to Chris was very enlightening. Texit was complete. Texas was now the sovereign Republic of Texas. All that remained was setting up the new government, and disentangling the former state from the intricate ties that remained with the federal government of the United States. Chris informed her that he had already been offered a position to head up state security for whoever the new head of the Republic would be. Frankie was amazed. She and her brother essentially lived in two different countries now. Chris went on to tell her that he had heard that another US state was considering exiting the union: Georgia, but admitted it was only speculation for now. To her surprise, Chris did not make any reference to her coming home during the call, which puzzled Frankie. He always did that. Once they hung up, Frankie realized it was time for her to get back to the office, so she kissed Rebel and hurried back to work. Frankie couldn’t concentrate that afternoon, and stared at her desktop computer blankly. Her mind was on the article in the newspaper, and the ensuing conversation that she had with her brother Chris. In a moment of clarity, she knew what she had to do. She began typing on her keyboard. An hour later, she was in her boss’s office, resigning her position. She packed up her belongings from her desk, and went back to her apartment. Rebel was delighted that she was back so early, and insisted that she pet and play with him. She started packing up her clothes. Several hours passed. Frankie stopped briefly, so that she and Rebel could step out for something for dinner. She stopped at a street café and had a glass of white wine, then ordered a couple of meatball sandwiches for her and Rebel to take back to their apartment. Once they’d eaten the sandwiches, she got a tub of strawberry ice cream out of the freezer for them to enjoy. She found a shipping location that was open late, and Frankie shipped all of her things in boxes to Texas, to her mother’s address. Then she got online, and ordered an airline ticket to Texas. Luckily Rebel could be in the cabin with her. They were leaving New York at 11 the next morning. The flight was uneventful. Rebel slept on Frankie’s lap for most of the trip. He was quickly the favorite of the stewardesses. Frankie enjoyed a mimosa with her French toast. She gave Rebel her bacon. Once they arrived, however, Frankie’s headaches began…… to her surprise, she had to go thru customs to enter Texas, and she had no documentation. She protested that she was originally from Texas, and was moving back home. All she got was a blank stare, and a response that she would have to have a passport. Finally in desperation, Frankie called Chris. She had wanted to surprise him, but she needed his help. Chris was delighted that she was moving back home, and laughed about her detention, which annoyed Frankie. But he assured her that he’d be right there to straighten everything out for her and Rebel. Frankie hugged Chris tightly to her, and kissed his cheek. Rebel barked, and wagged his tail. Chris took care of the paperwork, along with arranging for a Texas passport for her. As they left the building to go to Chris’s car, Frankie’s eyes widened. A huge cement wall! Chris grinned, explaining that instead of a wall to keep Mexico out, it was to keep the United States out! They both laughed and Chris said, “Welcome home, little sister.”
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