Ice Cream Social by MsNancy

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Ice Cream Social by MsNancy

My name is Henry - well, some folks call me Henrietta - but that all has to do with the summer I spent at Auntie Nancy's. My first Saturday there was supposed to be a lazy, leisurely afternoon on the church grounds where the Women's Association was putting on an "Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social". It was a small town that had celebrated a centennial two years before, and the ladies figured the "social" was a good way for everyone to get out their centennial costumes again to show off for each other.

Auntie showed me my costume that morning and had me try it on - a red cotton shirt, brown wool knee britches with brown suspenders and long brown socks, and a classic newspaper boy's cap. Well, she got distracted by a phone call, and I wound up running out to play with my two girl cousins, Jane and Susie. I guess we got a bit carried away making mud pies (and throwing them at each other!) - before we knew it, Auntie was calling us in to get ready to go for the social.

Well, when Auntie saw me, she started yelling about how I'd ruined the costume, and there'd be no time to clean it - "Oh Mercy! What can we do now? How could you!" - she was fuming as she marched me into the bathroom to take a bath, then went out to send the girls upstairs to have a shower and get their costumes on.

After a bit, she came back into the bathroom unexpectantly, and said with a sly grin, "Well, Henry, the girls and I have come up with a wonderful costume for you - you're going to the social as Jane and Susie's LITTLE SISTER!"

I couldn't believe I'd heard her right, so I just looked up at her sort of dumbstruck - she was trying to hold back her giggles - but she managed to say, "Yes, HENRIETTA - since you messed up your boy clothes, you must attend the social dressed as a pretty little girl. Oh this will be so much fun!"

She kneeled down next to the tub and proceeded to wash me lovingly, paying special attention to my "pinkie", my butt and my nipples - all the while telling me how she couldn't wait to see me in the outfit they'd put together: a frilly chiffon lemon yellow party dress, with a soft fluffy yellow squaredance petticoat and ankle-length bo-peep bloomers. I kept thinking that she might be just teasing me, but I realized she wasn't as she spent so much time on my hair, with perfumey shampoo and conditioner - it was the early seventies, and my blonde hair was shoulder-length, as was the fashion for boys back then.

Taking me out of the tub, and wrapping me in a big pink towel, she took me to her vanity and then really went to town on my hair - blow-drying it and brushing it to make it super-fluffy, giving me bangs and bunching up a bit on each side of my head to tie on yellow satin bows. She shaped my brows a little with her tweezers, and put a little mascara on me with peach-pink eyeshadow and pink lipstick.

As I looked in the mirror, I couldn't help but admit to myself that I did look like a little girl - and when Auntie stood behind me and leaned down to look in the mirror with me, saying, "You look soooooo sweet - such a pretty little girl", I started to feel strangely happy in a way. I turned my head to playfully kiss her on the cheek and replied in a mock girlish voice, "Oh thank you, Auntie!"

She hugged me and laughed, and called out to my cousins, "GIRLS! Come down and meet your new BABY SISTER!"

The girls came into the room, carrying my costume and laying it all down on the bed. They already had their costumes on - Jane had the most lovely babyblue silk southern belle gown with long white lace around the shoulders and hem, and Susie had a pink gingham barndance dress with pretty eyelet trim around the flounced hem, sweetheart neckline and puffed sleeves.

They both squealed with delight at the sight of me - Jane saying, "Oh Mother! She's ADORABLE!" - while Susie ran up to give me a big hug. Auntie was sorting through the items on the bed, saying, "Yes, and she is such a sweet girl, too! Let's get her in her costume. Oh Jane, I see you found the special item that I asked you to look for in the hall closet." Auntie held up a bundle of what appeared to be white flannel - but as she shook it out, I could see that it was actually a pair of underpants made from super-thick diaper material. Holding them out for me to step into, Auntie said, "Henrietta, you've already messed up one costume, sweetie, and I don't want to risk you messing up another! So, I'm afraid you'll have to wear this pull-up diaper under your costume. Go ahead, drop your towel."

I was so embarrassed! I tried to turn away from my cousins, holding the towel to block the view, and stepped carefully into the diaper - but as Auntie was pulling them up my legs, Susie pulled away my towel completely, saying, "You don't have to be shy Henrietta - sisters help each other dress all the time." Jane put her hand to her mouth to cover her giggles, as Susie whispered to her, "Look at her cute little pinkie-winkie!"

Auntie finally got the pull-ups elastic waist adjusted around me, and then held out a pink plastic diaper cover with little lace trim around the leg openings. She handed them to Susie, saying, "Help Henrietta into these." Susie took care of that, and then Auntie held out the long bo-peep pantaloons for me. As those went on, Jane commented at how nicely my hips looked now, and how the training bra would give me an even more girly figure.

Auntie handed the satin training bra over to Jane, asking her to put it on me. Jane did so eagerly, trying the hooks in back several times to get the best fit possible, and adjusting my flesh in the little cups to get the right look.

Jane helped me into the light yellow squaredance petticoat, and then Auntie floated a very full lemon yellow tricot slip over me - this was the "under-slip" that came with the dress, and I couldn't help noticing how my training bra pushed out on the slip's bodice. The dress was nearly see-through, it was such a light chiffon, but it had acres of ruffles and lace that seemed to engulf me as Auntie buttoned up the back. She then took the side-ties and cinched my waist a bit by tying a nice big bow in back. The girls helped fluff out the skirts sweetly, and I couldn't help but join in - gathering a bit of the material in my hands and lifting it gently, then dropping it softly - I felt like I was wearing a cloud!

The dress had lace ruffles over the shoulders, and little white satin ribbon bows all around the ruffled hem and on the side of the puffy sleeves. Auntie and the girls all stepped back to get a good view, telling me how sweet and cute and darling I looked - and I stood there smiling from ear to ear, with waves of delightful feelings washing through me - oh gosh, I found myself thinking how wonderful it would be to go to the Ice Cream Social all dolled up like this!

Auntie Nancy beamed, saying, "I am just so pleased to have another darling little girl! Henrietta, for the rest of the day, please call me 'mommy', ok?" She then sent us out to the parlor, to wait while she put her costume on - instructing Jane to fetch me a pair of ruffled ankets and white maryjanes that she had outgrown.

As I started to flop down on the parlor sofa, Susie told me that I'd have to learn to sit properly, keeping my back straight, my head erect, and making sure that my skirts were spread out sweetly and not bunched up. As I practiced it a few times, she told me, "Henrietta, you're got to remember to act like a little lady - that way no one will suspect that you're really a boy."

For the first time, it suddenly dawned on me how serious my situation was - up until then, I had simply been swept away by the sheer joy of being treated like a pretty little girl - now I realized that others may not be loving toward me at all, and could in fact be mean and cruel if they were so inclined to bully a "sissy boy".

Jane returned with the requested items and had me sit on the ottoman, while she knelt down on the floor to help me put them on. I noticed how gracefully she settled down, with her massive southern belle gown skirts all around her - and I began to get a tingle in my pinkie as she encased my feet into the anklets, and strapped on the maryjanes. She looked so elegant and beautiful, and I was captivated by her refined movements. I loved having her attention, and I spoke softly to her - "Jane, do you think anyone will suspect that I'm a boy?"

"Oh Mercy!," she laughed, "I doubt anyone would ever suspect such a thing - seeing how cute and pretty you are!" Then, talking like a true southern belle, she drawled, "Why Miss Henrietta, dahlin', if'n you were to get any mo' ah-doe-ra-bull I should be compelled to jealously!"

She had me stand me up in the shoes to check the fit, and then she and Susie had me walk daintily across the room to make sure I moved my hips like a girl. They made me curtsey for them until I got it right, and they showed me how to hold my hands folded sweetly over my skirts when at rest.

About that time, Auntie Nancy came out in her costume - and my eyes nearly popped out of my head! She was dressed as a sexy saloon-hall girl, in a ruffly red satin dress with loads of black lace and a big black petticoat, fishnets and high heels. She must have had a corset on, too, because she looked twenty years younger, with a trim waist and perky breasts. Her hair was done up in a french braid, and around her neck was a black velvet choker.

"Come on, gals!" she said, "If we don't get there soon, the ice cream will be all gone!"

The social was in full swing when we arrived - with long tables set up for serving the ice cream, a few booths of carnival games, balloons and streamers everywhere, and an area alongside the church set up with props for taking "Ole-Timey Photos".

Auntie Nancy led us straight there, saying, "Oh girls, let's get a nice photo of us to put in the family album." Mrs. Clickett was working the polaroid, and she posed us all together for a group shot. She had Auntie Nancy stand slightly sideways to face the left-hand side of the photo, with her foot up on a piano stool, and her petti's hiked up above her thighs to make a sort of can-can display of frou-frou and frills. Jane was placed in the middle of the frame, posed to be looking up wistfully, while Susie was placed on the right-hand side of the shot, holding her barndance skirts out wide to that side. Jane and Susie were both standing on crates to make them appear to be about the same height as Auntie Nancy.

Then Mrs. Clickett spent a few minutes positioning me in front of the crate that Jane was on, my head coming up to about her waist, freezing me in a sweet curtsey position, and making sure that I only held my skirts with 2 fingers and my thumbs - my little pinkie-fingers sticking out to the sides daintily. As she finished snapping the photo, an older lady in a victorian ballgown approached, gushing, "Oh Nancy, how perfect! You've brought our Little Miss Lemon Sherbet!"

Auntie Nancy laughed hesitantly, replying, "Oh yes, Dame Upchin, of course! I'm sure that Henrietta will be happy to oblige!" They chatted for a bit, and then Auntie Nancy filled me in on what was up. It seemed that Dame Upchin and the church ladies had arranged for 7 or 8 girls to appear in a little pageant show in a few minutes - each girl would be named for an ice cream dessert to match her outfit, and each girl would sing a little song. I was to be Little Miss Lemon Sherbet and would be singing "Sunshine, You Are My Sunshine".

Folks were starting to gather around a little stage that had been set up, and we went over to where the other contestants were gathering. I couldn't help but notice that although I was by far the oldest by several years, I was also dressed the most frilly, making me stand out as a sissy even amongst little girls! How embarrassing! I asked Auntie Nancy if I could back out, but she insisted that I perform, saying she would come up on the stage with me to put me at ease. I was to be the last to go on, and she stood by me watching the other girls - giving me pointers on little things to make my performance better - "see how she's smiling", "see how she sweeps her hands", "see how she's sashaying her skirts."

I also wondered why people were calling out numbers after each performance, and Auntie Nancy explained that each girl was being "auctioned off" - the bidders were calling out how many quarts of ice cream they would be willing to donate to next year's social - and in return, the girls were to spend a day visiting their high bidder, usually to have a picnic or lunch arranged by the girl's family. It seemed to me that mostly grandmothers were bidding on their own granddaughters, winning with bids of 6 or 7 quarts.

Just before I was to go on, Susie ran up with a "smiley face" balloon she'd won at one of the game booths. Tying the string on it around my wrist, she urged me to remember to look up at the smiley face at the end of my song, as if it were the actual sunshine I was singing to. "That will be ever so cute, Henrietta!"

Auntie Nancy walked me up on the stage, and stood me in front of her, whispering to me to "sing with all my heart." I was determined to please her, and I smiled brightly to the crowd below, starting the song out cheerily and moderately, gradually building to a "Broadway crescendo" - the crowd loved it, watching my exaggerated hand motions and my prancing around, even cheering and hooting when I'd flip my petti's for them - but I hadn't realized how close to the front of the stage I'd gotten - and, when I went to close by looking up at the balloon and tossing up my arms toward it, I nearly fell off! I was teetering and tottering on the edge, swinging my arms wildly to get my balance, and I wound up swinging my whole body around such that I then had my back to the crowd - I was still on the edge though, and I instintively bent over at the waist to try and stablize my hands down on the stage - at that same instant Auntie Nancy moved forward to grab me, my head now buried deep in her petti's, with her torso up over my back - she flung her arms around my waist, and tried to pull me back up away from the edge - but the effect, as Jane described it to me later in horrifying detail, was that my "hugely diapered and pantalooned butt was mooning out over the crowd, framed by my flouncing petti's and ruffled hems" as Auntie Nancy's pulls shook me up and down. The crowd thought it was all part of the act - and exploded into wild laughter, cheers and applause!

By the time I was able to right myself, Dame Upchin had commanded the stage with us, announcing to the crowd, "Praise the Lord! I am thrilled to start the bidding with an opening bid of FIFTY QUARTS placed just now by Lady Redbottom!"