“We’ve come to see how he is?” A gaggle of guides gathered. "We were worried about the poor little boy."They enquired.
I was struggling to keep my already drowsy eyes open. Several of the Guides were leaning across Miss Gotobeds shoulder and staring down at me as I lay cradled in her arms wearing my nappy and infantile jimjams.
Miss Gotobed continued feeding me. “That’s very sweet of you girls, as you can see he is much happier now he is nappied and ready for beddy-byes. After his milky he will soon drift off to sleepy-byes.”
Miss Gotobed removed the bottle. “Say thank you to the girls for their thoughtfulness Peter.”
I turned crimson red lying cradled in Miss Gotobeds arms wearing my bunny rabbit pyjamas, but drowsily managed to mutter words of thanks.
“Isn’t it a bit early for him to be going to bed?” One of the girls ventured to ask.
Aunty hove into view. “Because Peterkins has been such a very naughty little boy he must be punished with an early bedtime, now run along girls.”
Everyone was packed up ready to leave and I was aware of Miss Gotobed hoisting me onto her hip, toddler like, I automatically wrapped my arms around her neck as she carried me to the bus. She strapped me back into my seat as aunty fumbled in her bag.
“Here we are Peterkins this will help you go sleepy-byes, there is quite a drive left and we have had enough of your babyish antics for one day." Into my mouth she thrust a babies dummy, sometimes when I was especially naughty, aunty would make me use my dummy but this was the first time in many years I had been made to use my dummy in front of all the ladies of the SPANKME club.
The sound of tyres on gravel stirred me from my induced sleep and I was aware of Miss Harkness nearby and releasing me from my child's seat straps.
I drowsily clasped her outstretched hand as she helped me out of the bus. As I looked downward gingerly trying to control my wobbling legs, I was horrified to discover that while I was asleep, my feet had been adorned with a pair of Miss Harkness' creations, a pair of yellow, knitted bunny slippers.
“At are dese? Et em off me...”
I realised that my dummy had been tied in place as I slept and that my words of protest were only infantile babble. So there I was, being led by the hand, dummied and wearing a nappy, baby winceyette bunny pyjamas and bunny slippers as we entered the hotel.
Aunty was standing talking to the proprietor; a plump woman in her forties with a ruddy complexion derived no doubt from the local weather, which even in summer is never the warmest.
Miss Harkness positioned me beside aunty and the hotel owner.
Aunty patted me on the head. “No need to feel embarrassed Peterkins, Mrs McFlannel knows all about our requirements for you. That’s why we are staying here. You will get plenty of rest and fresh air during our visit.”
I was about to protest, what requirements? I decided that dummied and dressed as I was, at the moment discretion was probably the best course of action.
Mrs McFlannel bent down toward me. “Hello there little one, your aunt has told me all about you. Melissa and I quite understand.”
Melissa? I wondered who Melissa was? As if reading my mind Mrs McFlannel enlightened me.
“Melissa is my sixteen year old daughter, she’s looking forward to your stay with us.”
Mrs McFlannel called out. “Melissa, our special guest has arrived, come and help with the bags.”
Melissa appeared, fresh faced with shoulder length, dark curly hair. She was a tall, well, taller than me and she wore the uniform of a hotel chambermaid, white blouse and a black skirt with a white frilled apron tied around her waist.
“This is Peterkins, the little boy we have to take extra special care of.”
I disliked the tone of her introduction. Melissa looked at me and smiled. “I love your slippers and pyjamas Peterkins, you look very sweet. Come with me and I will show you to your room."
Melissa grasped my hand and as I was still suffering the effects of my sleepytime milk, I let her lead me upstairs as aunty went ahead carrying the case she had packed for me.
We went into a normal looking bedroom with a double bed. Oh no, not sharing with aunty I thought.
“You're through here Peterkins.” Melissa said as she let go of my hand.
Melissa opened an adjoining door. It was nothing less than a nursery.The main feature was a canopied babies cot with matching baby blue rails and layers of soft, white flannelette bedding. From beneath the canopy a revolving mobile hung above the deep pillows.
Melissa left to fetch my aunts luggage leaving aunty and I alone in the nursery.
Aunty could see I was very upset and untied my dummy, I spat it out and it swung annoyingly on the ribbon that was pinned to my pyjama jacket.
“What the hell is going on?” I exploded. “Why have I got to sleep in a babies cot?" I stomped my slippered feet and childishly insisted, "I want some my big boy clothes right now."
Aunty didn’t reply. Instead, she grasped my shoulders and turned me to face the mirrored wardrobe door and standing behind me began her lecture.
“May I remind you that you nineteen years old but here you are wearing little boy, bunny rabbit winceyette pyjamas, knitted bunny slippers, a nappy and have a dummy pinned to your pyjama top? You have been dressed in your babyish pyjamas in front of a group of Girl Guides and you have just been led into your nursery by a sixteen year old girl. Therefore one could only conclude that you are a baby boy and a cot is an eminently sensible place for you to sleep in. How would you explain your situation?" She asked querously.
“Well it just sort of happened that way, I….”
My voice tailed away as I struggled to explain away my predicament.
Aunty turned me to face her and knelt down looking me firmly in the eye.
“Yes, exactly Peterkins. It just happened. It just happened because you are a naughty little boy who has grown too big for his tiny little bootees.”
I wiggled my bunny slippered feet uncomfortably.
“I think it is time we reverted back to the days when you behaved properly and were respectful to aunty.
On this trip you will learn do as you are told, wear what you are told and generally behave as you are told."
She paused, "you will also behave like the polite little boy I know you can be."
She popped my dummy back into my mouth before continuing.
"Mrs McFlannel and Melissa don’t expect to hear anything but the odd babyish gurgle from you. So unless you want to complain to Melissa and her mother about your treatment and tell her how old you really are, I suggest you immediately come to terms with your current situation before she returns. Do I make myself clear?”
I stared down at my slippers. “Yeth aunty.” I lisped, deeply ashamed of how easily I capitulated.
“Good, and don’t think you have avoided punishment for your foul mouthed outburst. I will discipline you in due course.”
Melissa returned carrying auntie’s suitcase and I realised I had little option other than to cooperate with aunty.
“Melissa my dear, Peterkins is tired and requires a little nap, whilst I get him ready do you think you could warm his sleepy-time milk up for me? Perhaps you would like to feed him his bottle too?”
Melissa looked at me as she answered aunty.
“Yes madam, I would love to, Peterkins is so cute.” She wiggled the dummy in my mouth.
Aunty waited until she had gone. “Such a well-mannered girl, I predict she will be a great help to us during our stay. Now come along, I have to change you into clean some pyjamas for your nap.”
Aunty removed my bottoms and felt the crotch of my Drynites pyjama pants.
“You are a clever boy, still dry, do you need to do wee-wees before nap time? She asked mockingly as she opened the suitcase she had packed and approached me holding my pale blue, teddy-bear motif footed pyjamas.
“No, not those ones, I will look like a four year old.” I protested. Aunty ignored my pleadings and as she pulled up the bottoms and buttoned up the pyjama jacket commented, "there now, all ready for your nap-nap, just a last refinement I think.”
Aunty placed my baby’s dummy on a ribbon around my neck.
“Ah, here comes Melissa with your milky-wilky.”
Melissa had knocked and entered immediately. She had put on a pristine clean white pinafore apron; triumphantly she held my baby bottle.
"Peterkins,how sweet, I see you are all changed ready for you nap-nap what sweet pyjamas you’re wearing.”
I stood there feeling very embarrassed suc-king loudly on my dummy and cast my eyes to the floor. Aunty smiled at my obvious discomfort, and addressing me with baby talk said.
“Be a good babykins for aunty and dwink up all your lovely milky-wilky for Melissa while I go and change,”
Turning to Melissa as she left the room she instructed, “make sure he drinks it all up then you can put him down for his nap. I am glad to see you have followed my instructions and hung thick curtains, Peterkins needs complete darkness for his sleepy-times.”
Melissa's attitude suddenly became very dominant. “Right babykins,” she said, posing with one arm on her hip, “I want no nonsense from you, I don't hold with naughty boys, if you misbehave for me I will have to put you over my knee for a smacked botty. Come along it’s milky time, let me put your bib on then we can get you snuggled into your cot for sleepy-byes time.”
I dutifully remained silent as she tied a white towelling bib around my neck and settled me onto her lap.
Aunty had changed into her favourite tweed suit as she bustled back into the room.
“Has he drank all his sleepy-time milk up?” she asked, “I want Peterkins settled before the ladies and I go for our walk.
Melissa nodded, “yes madam, Peterkins has been a very good little boy.”
Little did Aunty know that I had had little choice. Melissa had insisted on tipping up the baby bottle until I was desperately gulping down the sweet milky substance to avoid choking and I ended up with my bib wet with dribbles. Melissa had then spent five minutes rubbing my back until I had gotten up my "windy-woos", as she called them up.
She showed aunty the empty bottle.
“My Peterkins you must have been thirsty, I will have to make up a bigger formula for you next time.”
I glared at aunty and was about to give her a piece of my mind when popped my dummy into my mouth and put her finger to her mouth in a shushing action.
Melissa was busily folding back the flannelette cot sheets and aunty led me over to the cot. She lowered the side rail and I was ushered in, the soft flannelette sheet was used to cover me and I was settled down for my afternoon nap.