The next day he was brought down to Mr. Ramsey’s shop again. As before, he was told to skip along and he had to curtsey and show off his bloomers to anyone they met. It was worst when they met complete strangers who had not heard of Shane’s predicament.
They would stop on the pavement and stare at the approaching spectacle. He knew there was no avoiding it. Even if the strangers were too polite to say anything, his mother would stop and engage them in conversation. Inevitably, the first question would be “is she wearing a nappy?” To which his mother would proudly reply “actually, this is my fifteen-year-old son Shane and, yes, he is wearing a nappy.”
Once the strangers realised how eager his mother was to talk about his situation, they would pepper her with questions. “Does he do everything in his nappy?” they would ask, too polite to use a word like poo. “Absolutely. He hasn’t used the bathroom in more than a week.”
“Where did you get the big baby harness?” “A neighbour of mine is very good with his hands. He also made a high-chair and cot for Shane.” This would generally be met with raised eyebrows as the stranger realised how complete Shane’s new baby life was.
He would try to focus on the lollipop Mrs. Ramsey would give him when they eventually got to the shop. He tried to avoid tearing-up and sniffling as the strangers tittered and sniggered at the details of his feeding or changing routines.
At the shop Shane was duly given his treat. It also gave him a break from the dummy, which still dangled from his dress on the end of a ribbon.
Outside the shop his mother was pleased when Shane resumed skipping without having to be told. In the playground she again tied Shane’s harness to the swings and went to sit on a bench. Shane was not pleased to see she had brought a book.
She became quite absorbed in the book. After fifteen minutes or so she looked up. Shane had finished his lollipop and was absent-mindedly nursing his soother as he watched the children play.
After half an hour, one of the little girls had to come over to her to get her attention. “Shane has wet his nappy and needs to be changed.” She looked up and saw him standing in the middle of a circle of children, tears streaming down his face from the humiliation of having to signal to the children that he was wet.
As she untied his harness from the swing the little girl asked “can Shane not play with us?” His mother thought about this. “I’m afraid his baby dresses are too pretty for playing in. And he’d dirty his lovely white tights. Maybe when Mrs. Wilson is finished your new dress, she might make you a special play dress.” Shane hated to hear such long term plans being made. “I’ll ask her if she can make a nice navy sailor dress”, she said warming to the idea.
The next morning Helen was spoon-feeding him his rusks when she asked his mother if she was going to Mrs. Hunt’s dinner party. “I’d love to but I’d need to get a baby sitter.”
“Well, Marsie will be babysitting Emily for me”, Helen said. “Maybe she would agree to babysit Shane too. Emily could stay in the spare room here tonight.” “Would Marsie be prepared to change Shane if it was needed? In fact, there is no way he’ll go a whole evening without producing something and she probably wouldn’t be used to the cloth nappies.”
“I’ll ring and ask her”, Helen said. “Failing that, Marsie is one of a dozen babysitters in a group that shares out the work. I’m sure we can find one of them who will be prepared to.”
At lunchtime Helen returned. “I talked to Marsie and she has no problem looking after Shane tonight. In fact, she seemed to be quiet excited at the prospect”, she added smiling at Shane’s obvious discomfort. “Did you explain to her that she would probably have to change him?” his mother asked. “Yes, she actually said that she couldn’t wait!” “She might change her tune when she sees one of his messy nappies”, his mother said. “Won’t she?” she asked Shane as she inserted another spoonful of parsnip and prune puree into his mouth.”
“Marsie rang back after a while and asked if all twelve of the babysitters could come over and see Shane being changed this afternoon so that they would know how to handle the cloth nappies”, Helen continued. “Seeing as any of them might be called on to babysit Shane at some stage.”
“That’s a good idea”, his mother said. “Tell them around six o’clock.” As she turned to give Shane another spoonful tears were flowing down his cheeks again. She wasn’t sure if it was the prospect of being changed in front of a dozen girls from his school or the taste of the parsnip and prunes.
At around five in the afternoon she was out in the garden when she heard a cry from the play-pen inside. She peeled off her gardening gloves and went in. Shane was kneeling in the pen with his hands on the frame looking up at her. “What’s up chicken?” Then she recoiled at the smell. “Oh! Gosh that’s a bad one.”
She looked at the clock. “It’s only an hour until the babysitters are coming to see you being changed. You’ll just have to wait dear.” He gave her a desperate look. “But if I change you now love, you mightn’t produce anything for a few hours.” Shane gave a heavy sigh.
“I think we’d better move you outside though”, his mother suggested, having retreated to the door. She moved the pen to the middle of the lawn and put Shane back in it with a few dolls to keep him amused. He knelt down again. “Why don’t you sit dear?” He glared at her. “Oh. I see.”
She resumed her weeding. Every few minutes there was a whimper from the play-pen. She’d look over at him sympathetically and say “they’ll be here soon.”
At five to six the door-bell rang. He didn’t know whether to be relieved that he was finally going to be changed or despondent at the prospect of being changed in front of twelve girls.
His mother passed downwind of him as she headed inside. “Phew. This one will really test their resolve.”