Camp Sissy Curls (Second Summer)--part14
I woke to the sound of Bernice's voice. "Oh my...what a mess!" She moaned, looking down into my crib. "We're gonna have to strip his sheets and wash everything Betty."
Betty's face popped overhead. "Yes Miss Baldwin." She replied, pinching her nose.
Bernice lowered the crib railing. "Climb out Stephie and hit the showers. You know the routine from last summer."
I sat up and slid my legs over the edge of the crib to get down.
"Hold up Steph!" Bernice warned, and then said to Betty. "There's a large plastic trash bag in the shower for Stephie's messy diapers and diaper pants. Get it and bring it here please."
"Yes Miss Baldwin." And she was off.
And I cried. From my waist to my toes, I was a huge, wet, brown mess! And the smell...well!!!
I sobbed. "I'll clean up the mess in my crib Bernice." I offered.
"Thanks sweetheart, but you've got enough to clean up with yourself. The crib's my job." And despite my horrid condition, she gave me a little kiss on my forehead. "Besides, it's not your fault Stephie."
Betty returned with the trash bag, nose still pinched. Unlike Bernice, she was unaccustomed to such a noxious odor. Bernice took the bag and held it wide open at my feet.
"Step into it Steph and hold it up around your waist, so you don't leave a trail all the way into the shower. And get all squeaky clean!" Bernice said. "And wash your hair too Stephie!"
Betty giggled, as I hobbled along for the shower. And I heard Bernice say to Betty, over my shoulder. "At least we won't have to worry about this problem tonight!"
I wondered what she meant by that. And I wondered more, as I zealously scrubbed away in the shower.
And I counted off the days in my mind since I'd arrived at camp last Tuesday.
"Oh hell!!!" I shrieked out loud.
Today was Saturday! I was so exhausted last night, that I hadn't even thought about what day it would be. If Ms Roberts was true to her word, which I was sure she would be, I'd be spending the day and overnight at Sunnyvale.
Squeaky clean from the shower, towel around my waist, I headed back into the nursery to be all "babied up".
Bernice supervised, as Betty went about diapering me. "Lots of diaper rash ointment and baby powder Betty. He's gonna really need it over the next twenty four hours!"
I started to bawl, knowing my impending fate had to be a certainty. Even my wiener, which normally was "happy" with powdering; wasn't.
"Nice and secure with all his diapers Betty." Bernice ordered. "And three plastic diaper pants today, before his rhumba panties!"
I wailed. "Sunnyvale???"
Bernice looked down at me and bit her lower lip and nodded her head up and down. "I'm afraid so honey. After lunch. Ms Roberts' orders."
I sniffled and sobbed and moaned all through my dressing and braiding. And Bernice was, not surprisingly, quite sympathetic. Betty was indifferent.
When done, Bernice said. "Okay, off you go Steph. You have just enough time to catch breakfast!"
As Betty pushed me along in the stroller, I asked. "What cabin... do ya know?"
"Mockingbird cabin, I think."
MOCKING--bird cabin. How fitting, I thought in disgust.
In my highchair, I just picked away at my breakfast. Not much appetite. Deep in thought, I managed to ignore the cafeteria. I wondered what cabin Penny was in. I didn't know. I'd been so "busy" since my arrival at camp, that I'd only been able to once check my cell phone and return a brief call to Penny.
Breakfast done, back in the nursery, Bernice said. "C'mon sweetheart, you can sit outside in your playpen. It's nice out, not too hot or humid."
"Uhm...I forgot to brush my teeth this morning!" I fibbed. "Can I go brush first please?"
"Sure you can sweetheart! Good girl!" Bernice chimed with a smile, trying to be upbeat.
I'd hidden my cell phone in my toiletries bag. I slipped it into my wad of diapers.
Bernice helped me waddle out to my playpen and I climbed in.
"Oh, I almost forgot sweetie!" Bernice said, as she was starting to leave. And she reached into the pocket of her apron. "This will help to cheer you up! It came for you today."
It was a letter from Grandma. And as per our agreeement, it contained a letter from Penny, still sealed in its envelope.
I tore into the envelope, eager for news from Penny. She mentioned little about camp, except the welcome back mixer again. The date on the top of the letter indicated it was written her first night at camp, so not a lot of Sunnyvale stuff to share. And that was okay with me.
Instead, she went on and on about how much she missed me and how much she looked forward to the end of summer when we'd be together again, as Penny and STEPHEN! And that was much more than okay with me!
And before I got to the end of her letter, I remembered..."Penny's cabin".
I looked at the Sunnyvale return address on the envelope. It listed "Turtle Dove Cabin" as hers. I sighed with relief. At least I wouldn't be having a sleepover in her cabin. At least not tonight, anyways!
A long string of X's and O's ended her letter. And I secretly flipped open my cell phone. Two phone messages and one text message from Penny. I didn't dare to put it up to my ear to listen or talk and risk getting caught with it, out in the open like I was. That would have to wait for a more private place for me.
But I was able to read her text message, which bemoaned the fact that she hadn't heard from me since Tuesday! And I was able to text her back. Lots of genuinely loving words! And lots of made up excuses about why she hadn't heard from me.
And when Bernice came out to check on me, I asked her. "Can I please have a pen and paper, and an envelope and a stamp, so I can write my Grandma back?"
"Sure honey, you're such a sweetie!" She beamed.
Just before lunchtime, I finished my letter to Penny. And I ended it with a long string of X's and O's.
At lunch, I just nervously nibbled at my meal. With Mockingbird cabin next on my sissy agenda, I felt like a condemned man having his last meal before the electric chair.
And outside the mess hall, I really panicked. And I jumped from my stroller and started to run, shouting, "I won't go!!! I won't go!!!"
Betty had little trouble catching up to me, given the fact that my "run" was, at best, just a fast waddle. And a cabin counselor came to her aid to contain me.
"I think you need to have a little talk with Ms Roberts before heading off to Sunnyvale, sissy boy!!!" Betty scolded.
They pushed me in my stroller, kicking and screaming, to Ms Roberts' office.
And the talk was indeed, a "little" one. It consisted largely of just Ms Roberts saying, "I think maybe you need a little warm up for tonight Stephanie!!!"
She said it, as she gently smacked the paddle against the palm of her hand.
"No, please no! Please, please no!!!" I begged. "I'll be a good little baby girl! I promise! I'll be a very good little baby girl!!!"
I had the balls, such as they were, to stand up to Lisa and Chrissy and Betty and such. But I'd never have the balls to stand up to Ms Roberts. Nor the bum!
And thankfully, she spared the rod! And I was ashamed. But not from promising her I'd be a "good little baby girl". They were only words! But rather, from not REALLY standing up to her.
It wasn't long before Betty pushed me through the door of Mockingbird cabin.