2016 Year of the Red Monkey

In the monkey year of her first 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle, she was a sixth grade student comfortable in T-shirts and boy shorts that covered the crotch and zipped up past the hips. Weeks before sixth grade graduation she announced, “Mom, once I start seventh grade I’m going to dress like a slut.” Retaliating, I bought her favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! character on a boy’s T-shirt found at Target. That fall, a woman’s form awoke from beneath gossamer, spaghetti strap tops and low-rise shorts. Yu-Gi-Oh! was impotent and this monkey is red with fire!