Joe cringed as his mother stopped to talk to the children. She turned his stroller towards the school wall so they could get a really good look. Joe tried to push his petticoats down but the straps prevented him.
"Look at the big baby!" "He’s wearing a big thick nappy, ha, ha, ha!" "And look at those pink tights!" "And his frilly nappy cover! Oh my God!" "The bonnet is just hilarious!" Joe sniffled and suc-ked on his soother. "And he’s suc-king on his soother! What a big baby!" They roared laughing. He was well strapped into his stroller and there was absolutely nothing he could do except sit there and listen to the jibes.
Then the head mistress, Mrs Lee, came over. "Oh isn't it lovely to see little Joe again?" she teased. "You should bring him to the school for a proper visit" she suggested to his mother. "I'm sure the girls in the Domestic Skills class would love to look after him for a day." "That's a great idea", his mother responded. Joe winced as he felt more wee leaking into his nappy. A whole day at school in his baby dress having his nappy changed by school girls!
With that prospect running around in his head his mother finally turned his stroller from the park and the voices behind trailed off. "Oh my God, did you see that!" "Can’t believe he’s being kept in nappies and baby dresses all the time!" "And did you see the changing bag and bottle?" "Yes, he’s obviously using his nappies and being bottle fed, ha, ha, ha!" "A total baby!"
The park almost seemed like a relief after that. His mother steered him towards the playground. Joe suc-ked on his soother and looked at the swings and climbing frames that he used to spend a lot of time on. Not so much in recent years, but he would give anything to be able to go on them again - not in his nappy and baby dress though.
In the corner of the playground was a railed off area for toddlers. He realised that his mother was bringing him there. He winced when he saw several mothers and their little charges. Everyone stopped what they were doing when Joe was wheeled into sight. Mothers’ jaws dropped on seeing the teenage baby in the big pink frilly dress with layers of petticoats. The obvious big thick cloth nappy underneath. Even the hyperactive toddlers stopped what they were doing and looked on in puzzlement.
His mother opened the gate into the toddlers’ area and pushed his stroller in, closing the gate behind them. She undid the straps holding him in the stroller and pulled him up to his feet. Joe finally was able to push his petticoats down but they didn’t cover his frilly nappy cover anyway.
Toddlers looked at their mothers wondering what this was all about. They’d never seen such an old child in a nappy and baby clothes before. Their mothers couldn’t help themselves and started to snigger. The toddlers followed their lead and giggled and pointed at the big baby. Joe wanted to get away from them. He looked back at the gate in the railings and realised that there was no way he could open it with the mittens so he was stuck here.
Then it finally struck one mother. "Oh is this the boy from the advertisement?" "That’s a boy?!" another one responded, looking at the frilly pink dress, pink tights and frilly nappy cover in a new light. "Oh my God!" She couldn’t help roaring laughing. Joe just sighed heavily.
So he had to endure another round of humiliation. They too noticed the changing bag and baby bottle and commented to each other how it was obvious that he was a complete baby. Joe could only stand there waiting for it all to be over.
He looked around at the playground furniture. There was a see-saw. It wouldn’t be very well balanced with him on one end and a toddler on the other! "Why don’t you play on the rocking horse?" his mother suggested. He waddled over and threw a leg over it. The horse was on springs and it rocked around while Joe clung on as best he could with his padded mittens.
His mother got talking to the other mothers. "My Jimmy has progressed to pull ups", one of them told her and Jimmy looked very proud of himself. "Who’s a big boy then", Joe’s mother complimented him.
Jimmy looked over at Joe. "But he is wearing a nappy!" "That’s right", she confirmed, "Baby Joe has no control and needs to wear nappies all the time." Joe sniffled and suc-ked on his soother. Jimmy gave him a pitying look.
"That must be an old-style cloth nappy", Jimmy’s mother observed. "That’s right. An extra thick nappy for his trip to the park. He had a bottle before leaving so I’m sure he’s probably wet himself by now. Is that right sweetie?" Joe just looked down in embarrassment unable to count the number of times he’d wet himself since leaving the house.
The ladies chatted away while Joe rocked on his horse. A little girl approached him. "I think your dress is very pretty." Joe grimaced. He wished she would go away. Then her nose twitched. "Mummy, the big baby has done poo-poos!"
Joe just sniffled an admission. "Oh dear!" his mother sighed. "I was hoping not to have to change him here." "There’s a baby changing room in the public toilets over there", the other mother pointed out.
The toddlers held their noses while Joe very gingerly dismounted from the rocking horse. His mother led him quickly towards the baby changing room and he had to waddle along with the poo sloshing around in his enormous nappy.