Kyle took the bottle in his mittens and desperately started suc-king on the teat. Only a little squirt emerged on each suc-k and he began to realise that there was no way he was going to finish the bottle before someone saw him.
Within a minute, two women came down the street. One was chatting away until the other woman saw Kyle and grabbed her arm. They both looked at him, mouths agape. Kyle stopped suc-king on the bottle but they had definitely seen what he was doing.
They hurried towards the garden. Kyle didn’t know whether to resume suc-king or not. It was so humiliating to be seen suc-king on a baby bottle but the longer he left it, the more people would see him in his pink dress, bonnet, panties and tights.
“Goodness me, what have we here?” one of the women said as she approached him. “It’s Kyle!” the other woman realised. “What are you doing in a pink dress and a high-chair”, she asked. Kyle just stewed. He started suc-king on the bottle again. The women laughed. “Oh sorry, are we interrupting your bottle?” They sniggered at his tights and bonnet. “Who’s a pretty baby then?”
More people appeared. “Look at our new pretty baby girl”, one of the women called out. Kyle wet himself as a crowd of neighbours gathered around. He had no choice but to suc-k desperately on his bottle which only amused them more.
His mother and Gillian appeared. Kyle stopped suc-king on his bottle in desperate hope of a reprieve, even at this late stage. “No, finish your bottle dear.” He sighed and resumed suc-king.
His mother fielded comments and questions on his dress and bonnet. Eventually Kyle finished his bottle. His mother swung back the tray and he was so anxious to get back in the house that he jumped down immediately. But now everyone could see his frilly panties and the obvious nappy underneath. “He’s actually wearing a nappy!” someone shouted. Kyle froze.
“Yes, I’m afraid he’s developed a little problem”, his mother explained. “You mean he actually needs the nappy?” someone asked. “Oh yes”, his mother replied. Kyle started sobbing. “Oh come on honey,” his mother soothed him, “it’s not your fault that you need a nappy.”
She led the blubbering boy back into the house. He started begging her to let him out of the nappy and dress. “But you obviously need to wear a nappy honey, I can see you’ve wet yourself again!”
But he persisted with his pleas for some time. Suddenly, Gillian stuffed a large pink soother into his mouth. “Right that’s enough complaining.” Kyle stood there in shock, his eyes practically crossing as he tried to look at the soother. “Now you will stay silent whenever your mummy puts your soother in. Understood?”
Kyle did not want to agree to this, naturally. “Or do you want to sit out front in your high-chair again?” Kyle shook his head ruefully as he looked down at the floor. “So you’ll keep the soother in and stay schtum?” He nodded his head reluctantly.
“Right.” Gillian took a short piece of a plastic line and attached one end to his soother and the other end to his dress. “Now, that’ll make sure that you never lose your soother.” Kyle sniffled.
“I have some other stuff that you might find useful”, Gillian told his mother. She returned to the van. A few minutes later she came back with a pack of pink wooden pieces. This they assembled into a play-pen.
The now stunned Kyle was led into it and made sit down. Gillian closed the side with a click. “I really would recommend this deluxe version with the little toys and rattles built in around the side. With his hands in the mittens these simple toys are all he’ll be able to play with.” Kyle studied the brightly coloured balls, rattles and buttons glumly.
“How much will this cost?” his mother asked. “About 300, but it’s really worth it”, Gillian answered. “Well, we’d better make sure that we get lots of use out of it then” his mother said. Kyle looked up in shock.
“Oh it will last alright”, Gillian assured his mother. “I bought the same one for my Harry. He’s been in it now for four years and it’s still in good condition.” “Mmmppppf?” Kyle blurted.