Chapter 8
As it happened the three of us left shortly afterwards after I had walked home and to my relief been allowed to remove the pinny and headscarf and change in to jeans.
My relief was short lived as mum mentioned the shop she was intending to go to. I had hoped to get a department store and get more modern aprons perhaps in plain blue but the shop was old fashioned and was likely to have pinafores like Cindy’s – well mine now I suppose. It was only a short drive to the shop and I followed them in, our arrival signalled by a bell hanging over the door. It was like going back thirty years (well from pictures I’d seen) with nearly everything in draws behind the counter.
“Hello can I help you?” said the assistant appearing from a back room. She seemed to be about mum’s age.
“I hope so” said mum “we are after a couple of nice pinafores.”
“Well I do have some but I must warn you that they are not very modern in style, you might do better in town.”
“Actually that sound’s just the sort of thing we are after” replied mum. “We want two full length aprons like women used to wear on special occasions, you know with frills and such.”
“I certainly do have some like that though I must admit I haven’t sold one like that for a while. Is it for a play or fancy dress? That’s what most people want them for these days.”
“Neither, actually it’s for my sissy son here for her to do the housework in.” I wanted the ground to swallow me up as the shop assistant looked at me and burst out laughing.
“Are you sure that’s what he wants?”
“Whether she wants them or not that’s what she is going to wear, that’s what she’s been wearing all week, a pretty pinny with flowers and frills. But she needs at least two more otherwise she wouldn’t have one to wear whilst she’s washing the other. So can we see what pinnies you have for her?” I wanted to complain about the way mum kept on referring to me as ‘she’ and ‘her’ but felt I was in enough trouble already.
“Of course.” She turned back to the draws pulling one out and placing it on the counter. From the draw she pulled a white pinny similar to the one that Cindy had had me wear but covered with small yellow flowers.
“That’s certainly is pretty” said mum taking it from her. She passed it to me saying here “Pop it on so we can see how well it fits you.” Reluctantly, I slipped it over my head as Cindy took the ties to tie into a big bow behind my back. Mum then proceeded to fluff out all the frills around the shoulder straps and main part of the pinny. “Doesn’t he look pretty, so cute and the flowers really suit him.” Cindy agreed and they decided that I would have to have this one. “What else have you got?” asked mother.
“Well I have the same design in blue with flowers on.”
“I don’t really think so, blue is such a boy’s colour” smiled mum at which Cindy and the assistant started laughing.
“This other pinny is certainly not one any boy would wan to be seen dead in, it’s even frillier than the yellow one.” She held up a white pinny covered with red roses and rosebuds similar to the one Cindy had had me wearing. There the similarity ended, the frill on this one was about the same width but then had half an inch of lace around it, in addition, lace trimmed both the two tiny pockets on the skirt part. Mum and Cindy removed the yellow pinny replacing it with the white one, they ooh’d and aah’d over it.
“We’ll certainly take this one as well, but I was wondering do you sell headscarves at all?” At this point I had had enough.
“Mum I’ll put up with the pinnies but please I don’t need headscarves.”
“I will decide what you do or don’t need dear and you looked so sweet in the headscarf Cindy gave you I have decided you do need one for each of these two new pinnys.” I was about to object when she continued “another word out of you and we will see what else this nice lady has got for you, perhaps a pretty blouse to go with your skirt.” I decided to shut up to avoid any further embarrassment. The sales assistant, who it turned out was in actual fact the owner, took out another tray containing scarves. Cindy and mum started to look through the selection before picking up three to see how they matched both the yellow pinny and the one I was still wearing. I had to try on all three headscarves was not allowed to make any comments, it was clear that mum was going to be making all the decisions on my attire. “It’s so difficult to decide which two, so she will just have to have all three scarves please.“
“Mum…”
“I warned you Pinnykins, Cindy why don’t you have a look around and see if you can find anything pretty for our little sissy boy here.” Cindy just smiled and started to have a look around, shortly she called saying of “I have found just the thing.” Mum took me by the hand and led me over to where Cindy was standing, in front of her was a display of ladies handkerchiefs “there are some really pretty hankies here and as our little sissy only has three lacy ones at the moment why don’t we get her some new pretty ones.” Mum and Cindy then proceeded to select three boxes of hankies despite my objections, finally laying them out before me. The first contained two very dainty hankies in white trimmed with a 2 inch border of pink lace, in fact they were mostly lace. The second was a pack of six hankies printed all over with different coloured flowers. The last pack contained three hankies with a white lace border and the initial embroidered in pink, mum and Cindy took a while to decide whether it should be ‘D’ or ‘P’. Mum said as I was the only one in their family with the initial D that I would not be able to pretend they were anyone else’s, to which Cindy agreed.
“Well which one would you like, David?”
“I don’t need any mum honestly” I pleaded.
“Come along don’t be difficult.” I couldn’t do it, I didn’t want any and hoped my silence would end the issue.
“Poor sissy, she can’t decide they are all very pretty” said Cindy. “why don’t we let her have all three boxes?”
“An excellent idea” agreed mum who took them and added them to the other items. “these will do until she opens her birthday presents” smiled mum.
“Is that all?” asked the owner.
“For now, her dad will be home soon so we need to get her there so Pinnykins can prepare tea for the three of us.” Fortunately I was allowed to remove the pinny and headscarf before leaving the shop. However prior to leaving I was in for one last shock.
“That will be £58.90 please.”
“Well pay the lady” said mum.
“What?”
“Surely you don’t expect me to pay for your new clothes and I know you have some saved up. ”
“But I need that to go on holiday.”
“You’ll be too busy doing housework to go on holiday, now pay the nice lady before I put you over my knee.” It was no idle threat and with Cindy present to help would be most painful. Reluctantly I handed over the money. As she gave me my change and handed me the bags she commented
“Enjoy your new clothes sissy, I know you’ll make someone a good housewife.” All three women laughed at that and we finally left.