Chapter 16
That afternoon I got about half way home when I found Mandy and Andrea waiting for me. âHello baby we decided to meet you and help you put your baby things on.â So despite my protests I had to put on my bonnet and the 'Baby Alexâs Bib'. Mrs Hand then produced a pair of baby reins in bright, pink leather and insisted that I wear them. After searching my pockets she said âWhere's your dummy?â
âI don't know.â
âNever mindâ she said, much to my surprise, as I had expected her to be cross. Still, going home dressed like this was so humiliating that I was close to tears. It was to get worse though, as on our way home we had to pass a parade of shops and Mandy insisted on going into the chemists.
âHello Mandyâ said the assistant, âwho are the children?â
âThey are my next door neighbourâs two children. This is Andrea and baby Alex.â
âWhat pretty childrenâ she said looking curiously at me in my baby things. âWhat can we get for you Mandy?â
âWell baby Alex has lost his dummy, so we have come to get another one. Isn't that right baby?â I couldn't say anything and burst into tears of shame. I took out my hanky, a boys one which I had managed to save despite Andreas attempt to get rid of them all, to dry my tears but before I could use it Mrs Hand took it from replacing it with a flowery one saying âA pretty hanky like this one is more appropriate for a cry-baby than a boys hankyâ at which Andrea had a fit of giggles.
âWhat a pretty lacy feminine hanky, baby, you are a lucky girl. Well what colour dummy does baby want?â
âBaby wants a pink dummy just like all baby girlsâ said Andrea immediately giving me no chance to choose myself. âAsk the lady nicely babyâ
âPlease can I have a pink dummyâ I sobbed, drying further tears.
âOf course, here we are a pretty pink baby girl's dummy. Is there anything else?â
âYesâ said Mandy âdo you have anything to attach the dummy onto baby's clothes so she can't lose this one?â
âYes we have a dummy clip. One end attaches to the dummy and the other end clips onto the babies clothes. Do you want the white or the pink one?â
âThe pink one to match the dummy, pleaseâ said Mandy. The assistant rang up the prices and then asked âDo you want them wrapped?â
âNo thank you, I'm sure baby wants to use them straight awayâ said Andrea, who turned to me saying âAsk the nice lady to let you use your pretty dummy and clip.â
âPlease can I use my dummy and clip now?â I said amid further tears.
âOf course you can baby.â she answered, opening both packets, clipping the dummy on to the clip and handing them to Andrea âhere I'll let you put them on your baby sisterâ she said smiling. With a broad grin Andrea said âOpen up babyâ as she pushed the dummy into my mouth and then clipped the other end to the reins.
âStill it's time we were getting back. I'm sure baby is looking forward to her bottleâ said Mandy.
âAnd to putting on her dress and nappyâ added Andrea.
âWhat a lucky baby, I'm sure you must look really cuteâ said the assistant âbye bye, enjoy your bottle, baby.â We then left the chemists and went further along to the greengrocers.
âYou wait out here while Andrea and I pop in for some fruit.â I was standing outside feeling embarrassed at the way I was dressed when a mother came around the corner with a little girl in tow. The mother burst in to a fit of giggles when she saw me and the little girl asked âWhy is that boy wearing baby things and suc-king a dummy?â
âI don't know, let's find out.â They both approached. âHe looks like a boy but he's wearing baby girlsâ things, especially that pretty bib and frilly bonnet. He is obviously a big sissy, Julie.â They both started laughing again as Mandy and Andrea came out.
âHe does look silly doesn't heâ said Mandy âa proper sissy and a cry baby. In fact we've got a nappy and pretty pink gingham dress waiting for baby at home.â
âHow sweet, does he wear a nappy to school then?â
âNo,â said Andrea âthis morning he asked to borrow my undies. I offered him a plain white pair but he insisted on choosing a very frilly pink nylon pair and then asked for the matching crop top as well.â I didn't bother trying to deny it knowing that what Andrea had said would be believed.
âWell I bet a big sissy like you enjoys wearing pretty girlsâ undies don't you? I wonder what your friends at school would say if they knew?â she teased.
âHe does like wearing girlsâ undies, but we have to insist on a nappy at night otherwise we would end up with a wet cot every morningâ added Andrea.
âDo you mean he sleeps in a cot, like a baby?â asked the little girl.
âYes, a pretty pink baby girls cot wearing an old frilly pink nightdress of mine and a thick nappy just like a real baby.â
âI bet he looks cute.â She then turned to her daughter saying âWell Julie despite his size he really is just a big baby, even you don't wear nappies or sleep in a cot now like he does.â I couldn't answer as I burst into tears and took out a couple of hankies and using one to dry them with.
âI see what you mean about him being a cry baby and what pretty hankies the sissy's borrowed.â
âHe hasn't borrowed any, they're his. He insists on using feminine hankies.â
âHow sweet.â
âYes, he really likes girlie's hankies, so much so in fact that he even asked my friends if they had any spare ones that he could haveâ said Andrea.
âIf she likes pretty hankies so much have you tried 'Alice's' over there, she sells very pretty hankies?â suggested the mother pointing to a dress shop in the parade.
âWhat a good ideaâ said Mandy âletâs go and see.â
âWe'll come with you.â
âIn that case would Julie like to bring the baby?â
âYes pleaseâ giggled Julie and taking hold of the reins being offered by Mandy said âcome along babyâ and led me in to the shop followed by Mandy, Andrea and Julie's mother.
âCan I help you?â asked the assistant, looking strangely at me.
âI hope soâ said Andrea âwe would like see what ladies hankies you have got. They're for my brother because he is a big sissy cry baby and prefers using ladies hankies.â
âWell he is certainly dressed prettily, and babyishly. I'm sure we can find something suitable for the big sissyâ and she produced a draw of ladies hankies. I then had to spend the next ten minutes standing about while everyone else, Julie included, chose the most feminine hankies from those on offer, finally selecting three very lacy ones and six floral hankies three of which were also lace trimmed. They then informed me that I had to pay for my hankies. I handed over the money and she gave me the nine hankies they had chosen saying âI wonât put them in a bag as I sure a big sissy like you will want everyone to see what pretty hankies you've got.â With that we left the shop to her laughter. Both Julie and her mother then left also laughing.
We finally left the shops but as we got to our house we went past it and into Mrs Hands, I said nothing as she led me by the baby reins upstairs to her bedroom. She then opened a draw and said âYou obviously don't have enough pretty hankies as you were using a boyâs one earlier, even with those one's from Alice's. Andrea why don't you choose some more pretty hankies for the little sissy cry-baby.â
âOf course aunty.â She then proceeded to choose six pretty lace trimmed hankies each with different coloured flowers on it and handed them to me. âHere we are some pretty hankies for a cry-baby.â
âI'm sure the little cry-baby wants a few more hankiesâ said Mandy giving me a further six âand if I catch you using boysâ hankies again you will get more of mine and a further trip to Aliceâs shop, understood baby?â
âYes aunty.â