The Christmas Tie. [Short Story]
By: Buttercup Baby
I lay in bed biding my time. It was already noon, I knew I had to get up soon, I did have christmas shopping to do.
“Paigey wake up!” I heard my dad call from the kitchen.
He still insists on using that name for me, I don’t know why. Paige sounds so much better, but he doesn’t think so, I guess my birth certificate doesn’t matter.
“Comingggg,” I said sleepily.
I pushed down my purple blanket and streched. My nightgown was riding up, and I could see my soaked Depends underneath it. I sat up and got out of bed, my nightgown falling down to my knees. A shiver ran through my body as I walked across my floor. After I was off the throw-rug I was done for. The tile got so cold, especially in the winter.
It wasn’t that bad, it wasn’t hard to keep our one-story, two bedroom home heated, it was fairly new with great insulation (so I hear my dad say) but it was still cold in the morning. I walked into the kitchen to see a McDonald’s bag on our round dining table, my dad was sitting eating an Egg McMuffin, reading the paper and drinking his coffee.
“Morning sunshine!” He said warmly, greeting me with a big smile.
“Mornin’ dad,” I replied, followed by a yawn.
“Breakfast is in the bag, do you want coffee or juice this morning?” He asked me.
“Coffee please,” I said as I sat down.
“Coming right up.”
I opened the bag to find an Egg McMuffin and a hashbrown. I loved McDonald’s breakfasts, they were to die for. I’m not too crazy for the burgers or fries, but breakfasts were awesome.
“Y’know,” he said while putting my coffee in front of me, “you always look the prettiest in the morning.”
“You tell me that alllll the time, and it’s not true!” I said back to him, I thought I look horrible in the morning.
“But your natural, and your beautiful like that, I don’t see why you need all that hair junk and straighteners and makeup an whatever else you use.”
I looked at the fridge and could see my reflection. My red hair was in complete ringlets, my big green eyes looked tired, yet as huge as saucers and you could actually see the few freckles that called my nose home. Now, when I have my shower, and get ready to leave the house, my shoulder legnth curls will be gone, and replaced with straight hair, a few inches longer, you won’t see my freckles, my eyes will have on at least -some- eye liner and I won’t look so… little kiddish.
“Dad, when we get to Walmart, you can wait in the car.” I said, although I wasn’t sure if everything was heard, as it was muffled by the egg in my mouth.
“I don’t know Paigey, it’s a little busy…” He started, with a concerned look on his face.
“Dad! I am 16! I have to get your present too, and your NOT going to see what it is!” I said, raising my voice a little in annoyance.
“Honey, you never know who could be in there, kidnappers, rapists, whatever, and age doesn’t matter to them. Look, I won’t hold your hand or anything, I just want to make sure your safe.”
I snorted at him and took a sip of my coffee, and went back to eating my breakfast. I just took the last bite of my hashbrown when I heard “so were you wet again?”
“Do you have to ask that -every- morning?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Fine, I am, happy now? I’m 16, and I am wearing a wet diaper.” I said shortly, like I do every morning, hoping he will get off my case about my problem.
“Oh stop with the drama.” He said. “I have to talk to you about something.”
“Okay…” I sipped my coffee while looking at him.
“I think you should wear a diaper shopping today,” he said, getting right to the point.
“What?! NO!” I said, a bit too loudly.
“Sweetheart, do you remember last year?” He said, referring to the previous year’s christmas shopping trip.
“So what? I had a little accident on the way home, but that was last year, not this year.”
“Well we also went a week before christmas, and not the day before. The lines are going to be ten times worse, and you know you can’t hold it that long.”
“So I won’t drink anything!”
“You just did.” He said, and he did have a point there.
“Well I’m not wearing a diaper in public, it’s bad enough I have to wear them at home, and on road trips, and planes, and wherever else! But I am NOT wearing one to Walmart.” I said, standing my ground.
“Fine, we won’t go then, might as well go back to bed.”
“UGH! I will wear it! But I HATE you!” I said, stomping out of the kitchen and down the hall to my room.
“I love you too honey!” He said back.
When I got to my room I took off my nightgown and diaper, rolling it up into a ball and throwing it in my trash can. I grabbed my towel and went to the bathroom to have a shower and get ready.
“All ready?” Dad asked me as I came downstairs.
“Yeah, let’s go,” I said.
“Do you have your money?” He asked, fixing the collar on my pink polo.
“Right here!” I said, patting the pocket of my baggy jeans.
“And… do you have your…” he started.
“Yes dad, can we please go?” I asked.
“Okay okay, go get in the car,” he said.
I slipped my shoes on and ran to the car and sat in the front seat of the truck. I loved christmas shopping, it was always so exciting! I didn’t much care for getting, I always appreciated it, but giving is so much better, and more fufilling. Dad got in the car and started it up, when he did I turned my favorite station on, ‘Detroit’s Hit Music.’
“Oh turn that rap crap off, it hurts my ears,” he said as he pulled out of the driveway.
“But I like itt! Please!”
“Fine, just turn it down then.”
We sat in silence as we drove to walmart. Every once in a while I would sing a few lines from the song, but other than that all that was heard was the radio.’
“Oh god we are going to be here forever,” Dad said as we drove around the parking lot, to find every space taken.
“DAD! THERE! THEY’RE LEAVING! GO!” I yelled, pointing to a spot at the very back of the parking lot, where a red suv was pulling out. Dad sped up and we pulled in just as they got out.
“That was my spot Buddy!” Some guy yelled out of the car that was tailing us.
“Merry fuc*ing christmas to you too!” Dad yelled back.
I couldn’t help but giggle, he never swears, and when he does you know he means it.
When we got into the store I ran right for the mens section, hoping to lose my dad. I couldn’t see him anywhere, which was a good thing, because I didn’t want him to see what I get him, or make any embarrasing comments about my diapers, (which he seems to always do.) I saw a rack of ties, dad loves ties. I looked at all of them, some black, green, some cartoon characters, some checkered, then one caught my eye. It was green with red lettering and it said “The Christmas Tie.” I don’t know what was so special about it, I was just drawn to it.
“He’ll love it,” I said to myself. I felt a need to pee, but just ignored it. I didn’t care if I was in a diaper or not, I wasn’t going to wet it. I walked around the store, making sure to dodge my dad if I saw him, so he couldn’t find me. The need to pee kept getting stronger and stronger, maybe I should have went to the bathroom before I left home. I was in the pajama section when I couldn’t hold it anymore and let go. I felt myself tear up a bit, I quickly wiped my eyes and started walking and bumped into someone.
“Sorry,” I said while sniffling, I looked up and saw my dad.
“What’s wrong sweetie?” He asked me, knowing full well what was wrong.
“Nothing, get away from me,” I replied.
“Did you have an accident?” He asked me.
“No! Get away from me!” I yelled.
I turned to run away but he put his arm around me and the tie fell to the ground. We both went to pick it up at the same time, and just as our fingers touched it everything went black.
“Here ya go Paigey-Waigey!” The man said to the little girl handing her a tie.
“Thanks daddy!” She said to him, “lets go now!”
“Okay sweetheart, are you wet?” He asked her.
“Yuppers! Sorry daddy, I had an accident.”
“It’s okay Paige, your only four, and everyone has accidents.” He replied to her.
He took her hand and they walked to the cash register, her red curls bouncing as she walked, her green eyes wandering everywhere, her body twisting, but her hand never leaving her dad’s. After they got out of line, which took a while, he gave her the bag to hold, and lifted her up on his hip.
“Daddy! Can we do airplane? Pleaseeee!” The little girl said.
“Not now Paigey, how about before we get into the car?”
“Yeah!!” She said enthusiastically.
The man walked out of the door carrying his daughter and walked all the way to their truck.
“Okay ready?” he asked her.
“Yeah!!” She screamed.
He took the bag from her and put it on the drivers side seat. He held her above his head and made airplane sounds, while flying her to the other side. She giggled nonstop, her legs kicking the air. When they got to the door he put her on his hip and opened it, buckling her into her booster seat.
“All set?” He asked her.
“Yuppers! Let’s go home!” She said.
He got into the drivers side and started the car, and started the drive home. The pulled up into the driveway and the man turned off the truck and got out, making sure to grab the bag before he went over to the other side to unbuckle his daughter. He picked her up, shut the door and carried her inside. They both kicked off their shoes and took off their coats.
“Daddy I’m wet.” She said.
“I know that Paigey, I will be there in a sec to put on a diaper,” he said.
“Awe, big girl panties pleaseee?” She asked.
“No, not right now, you will fall asleep soon,” he told her.
“Nuh-uh I won’t!”
“Yes you will,” he replied.
“Nooo! I promise!”
“Sorry hunnie, but I know you too well, let’s go.”
He followed his daughter to her room and she sat on her pink bed spread. He went to her top drawer of her dresser and pulled out wipes, powder and a diaper. She pulled down her pants for him and he ripped the sides of her princess pullup and took it off. He wiped her and then spread the diaper under her, then applied powder and pulled it up between her legs, and taped it up.
“Do you want something warmer to wear?” he asked her.
“My Mickey Mouse suit!” She said.
The man went to her dresser again, this time the bottom drawer, and got a pink Mickey Mouse sweater and jogging pants. He brought it over to her and pulled her pants completely off, making sure her socks were still on. She sat up and he lifted off her shirt.
“Where’s Paigey?” He asked.
“Right here daddy!” She giggled from under her shirt.
The man pulled it all the way off, and then said, “There she is!”
The little girl lifted her arms up and he put the sweater on her, and then the pants.
“Okay all done!” He said. “Want to watch a movie?”
“Yeah! I wanna watch the Chipmunks Santa one!”
“Okay, lets go,” he said, throwing the diaper in the garbage pail, and then throwing her clothes into the hamper. He lifted her up and carried her down the hall to the living room, and sat on the couch, with Paige in his lap. She handed the remote to him and he turned on the TV, and then the VCR, and the movie started playing. About half way through the little girl shifted her body so she was looking at him.
“Daddy?” She asked the man.
“Yes sweetie?”
“Are you gonna love me all the time?” She asked.
“Of course! I will love you forever and ever, you know that. Why?”
“Becuase Lisa said her daddy left her becuase he didn’t love her or her mommy, and I don’t want you to leave me ever.”
“I won’t, don’t worry, and Lisa’s daddy does love them, he just made bad choices.” He said.
“Well what about Jenna?” She asked.
“Jenna lives with her mommy and daddy,” he said.
“But when she goes on the phone she says she hates them, and I don’t wanna hate you ever!”
“Jenna’s a teenager, all teenagers say that sometimes, even though they don’t mean it.”
“But everytime she babysits she says it!”
“She doesn’t mean it,” he said.
“Will I ever say that? Becuase I don’t wanna.” The little girl stated.
“Well, you might, but I know you won’t mean it,” he replied.
“I won’t ever say it though unless I really mean it, and I won’t, so I don’t gotta ever say it!”
“That’s good baby.” He said to her.
The man cradled her in his arms as she started to doze off. He took one of her red curls and played with it until she finally fell asleep.
“I love you Paigey, don’t ever change.” He whispered to the sleeping figure in his arms. He kissed her on the forehead and dozed off himself.
“PAIGE! PAIGE!” I heard, I opened my eyes to see my dad standing over me.
“Huh? What just… where…. are you…. what time is…. where are we!?” I asked, confused.
“In Walmart, you just passed out, are you alright?” He said with a concerned look on his face, he looked close to tears.
“Yeah…” I said.
He held out his hands and lifted me up.
“Okay well, you go do your thing, I will just… wait in the car.” He said with a hurt look on his face, turning away from me.
“Wait!” I said to him.
“Daddy?” I said.
“Yes…” he said with a confused look on his face.
“I love you, so much, and I don’t hate you, daddy, I’m sorry.” I said as I walked towards him with my arms open. He walked closer and I gave him a big hug, and didn’t want to let go.
“I know baby, I know you love me, I love you too.” He said, as I started to cry.
“Shhhh, it’s okay, it’s okay.” He comforted as he rubbed my back.
“Let’s get home,” I said to him.
“Okay, let’s go.”