Now joined by Nanny Mitchel’s long-term friend Shirley, myself Nanny Mitchel and cousin Karen boarded the bus to the town.
As we boarded Nanny Mitchel’s friend Shirley was still continuing the conversation, as if it were an obsession, about how she had once petticoated her sons.
This was all of great interest to Nanny Mitchel who listened intently to what was being said, possibly whilst collecting ideas for my future sissification.
I too was earwigging and imagining things as we all sat down.
I wondered to myself such things as
Is there a difference between petticoating and sissification?
What colors did Shirley make her boys endure when dressing them?
Did she have an obsession with the color pink as Nanny Mitchel did?
Did Shirley make them wear knickers?
Did Shirley ever spank her sons?
Ironically the majority of these questions would be duly answered during the bus ride into the town.
Nanny Mitchel appeared to be jolly in her attitude, which was always a good sign, having found a like-minded spirit within her friend.
Patricia went to bed in a pink nighty last night, didn’t you Patricia? said nanny Mitchel, volunteering information to her friend.
I looked at Nanny Mitchel then at Shirley and proceeded to go a shade of scarlet in the face.
Cousin Karen on the other hand sniggered.
“Is there something funny about Patricia wearing a pink nighty to bed last night Karen,” snapped Nanny Mitchel with a stern tone and stare.
“If so would you like to share the joke with us all” she continued as if she too had learned from the book of teacher sarcasm.
Cousin Karen instantly hushed up as she knew better than to continue her teasing.
I think by now Nanny Mitchel was beginning to tire from cousin Karen’s spoilt goody two shoes attitude.
Now that it appeared that she had two of us who were the same, we would both be treated the same.
This would probably mean that cousin Karen would have to endure the same discipline as me.
Much to my embarrassment Nanny, Mitchel continued on the subject of the pink nightdress.
“Patricia, tell Aunty Shirley about what you wore to bed last night dear, Nanny Mitchel said in a gentle but patronizing voice.
Once again I looked at Shirley with a deeply embarrassed look.
“Come on girl, don’t be shy,” coaxed Nanny Mitchel in a more gentle tone.
It was at this time Shirley decided to interject and help me answer the question.
“Did you wear a Pink Nighty to bed last night Patricia?” said Shirley, loud enough so the rest of the bus could hear.
“I am sure you looked lovely Patricia”, she continued.
“A night fresh pink nighty is far better than horrible old pajamas, do you not think so?”
“Yes Shirley,” I meekly replied.
“It’s Aunty Shirley to you Patricia,” Nanny Mitchel quickly interjected.
“You know what you had been told about having respect for your elders,” said Nanny Mitchel in one of her scolding no-nonsense tones.
With my mother, I would have normally argued the case that Shirley was not a relative and thus not my aunty.
However, with Nanny Mitchel, I would not dare, as I do not think she would be too concerned about administering instant retribution there and then on the bus in front of others.
Aunty Shirley, as I now had to call her, carried on by her questioning about my nightwear.
“Did you enjoy wearing a Pink Nighty to bed last night Patricia?” came her next question.
I decided by now that there was no way out of this line of questioning.
Bearing this in mind it would be probably better to just play along with Aunty Shirley’s obsessional questions.
After all, it kept her happy, but above all it kept Nanny Mitchel happy.
It always did appear to all that came into contact with her, a happy Nanny Mitchel was alot better than an unhappy Nanny Mitchel.
“Answer Aunty Shirley, Patricia,” commanded Nanny Mitchel, getting a little irate with my lack of ability to answer.
It appeared now I was so much in a world of my own that I had forgotten Aunty Shirley’s question.
Aunty Shirley sensed this and kindly asked the question again.
“Did you enjoy wearing your pink night dress to bed last night Patricia?
This time I gave the answer Aunty Shirley wanted to hear.
“Yes Aunty Shirley I enjoyed wearing my Pink nighty to bed last night,” I replied.
For the second time during the duration of the bus ride cousin Karen sniggered.
“Do you want a smack here and now?” asked Nanny Mitchel in an angered tone directed at cousin Karen.
It was now cousin Karen’s turn to go red in the face.
“You know that I will do so,” Nanny Mitchel continued.
This was the first time that I had ever heard Nanny Mitchel threaten to smack cousin Karen.
In a way, it was poetic justice for all the discipline I had had to endure, caused by cousin Karen telling tales.
Aunty Shirley once again resumed her questioning.
“So Patricia, do you know what fabric your pink nighty you wore to bed last night was made from?”
With puppy dog eyes I looked at Aunty Shirley, not having the foggiest idea about fabrics, let alone which one my pink nighty was made from.
All I could do was to bring myself to say a meek,
“No Aunty Shirley.”
Sympathetically, Nanny Mitchel interjected.
” I got Patricia a nice soft cotton pink nighty for bedtimes, as well as matching slippers, Shirley.”
“Although cotton is a little more expensive than polyester, at least it will not itch so much.”
” As for the slippers, as you know as well as I do Shirley they can be put to another use if needed.”
Both Nanny Mitchel and Aunty Shirley laughed in their jolly tones at Nanny Mitchels last remark.
“I use to use the slipper on Georgina and Simone when they were naughty Dorothy,” informed Aunty Shirley.
“I also used the spatula and spoon as well.” she continued.
Nanny Mitchel listened to the information Aunty Shirley was volunteering intently.
“I didn’t ever think you used spanking Shirley,” answered Nanny Mitchel.
“Oh I most certainly did Dorothy,” Aunty Shirley replied.
“And if they were punished at school, they both knew they would get another spanking when they got home.”
“Well I never,” said Nanny Mitchel in a slightly surprised tone.
“Well, it never did us any harm Dorothy did it?”
“It certainly never did Shirley,” Nanny Mitchel responded.
“It made us the people we are today!”
It was at times like this that I always did wonder to myself why the older generation appeared to have an obsession with all things concerning smacking.
The conversation continued.
I always spanked Georgina and Simone in private Dorothy as I always felt that it was between myself God and them.
“Oh, I don’t always do that,” responded Nanny Mitchel.
“If Patricia or Karen need spanking they get it there and then and they both know it.”
At this time both myself and cousin Karen started to go red in the face as if in unison that was finally bonding us together.
“Patricia had to be smacked last night and this morning Shirley, didn’t you Patricia?”.
With complete embarrassment, I failed to answer the question.
Nanny Mitchel repeated the question this time in a slightly harsher tone.
“Didn’t you Patricia?”
“Yes Nanny Mitchel, “I finally responded.
“Oh Dear,” said Aunty Shirley, in a rather sympathetic but matter-of-fact way.
“I do hope you learned your lesson and that you are going to behave from now on for your nanny,”
“After all she has kindly taken you into her home.” she continued.
“Maybe you should bring both Patricia and Karen to Sunday School Dorothy.”
“Learning about the ways of the good lord can only do them both good,” suggested Aunty Shirley.
Another trait of Aunty Shirley’s was that she was a devout Christian and she was well respected in the echelons of the local church.
Every time the good lord was mentioned, or someone would make a reference to the bible, she would be in her element.
Nanny Mitchel was also a Christian, although not quite as fanatical about her faith as her friend Shirley.
“There is also a church jumble sale on next Saturday Dorothy,” informed Aunty Shirley.
Maybe you could bring Patricia and Karen along, it would be a nice day out for them.
Aunty Shirley was now in her element talking about the church.
“I am sure you could also find some lovely nearly new Dresses, petticoats, Skirts, and tops for Patricia.”She continued.
“They are all at reasonable prices as you well know Dorothy”.
“Nanny Mitchels ears pricked up at the mention of reasonable prices, after all, she had always liked a bargain.
Aunty Shirley also knew this, as she knew that Nanny Mitchel financially struggled to make ends meet at times.
Nanny Mitchel promised that she would bring me along to the Jumble sale next week, though she doubted as to whether cousin Karen would be able to attend.
“Oh that is a shame, why is that?” Aunty Shirley enquired.
“Karen has important exams to study for Shirley and may have to stay at home to revise.”
“Oh well, never mind,” Shirley responded.
“Maybe she could come to the church another time.
All of this was now being said as if myself and Karen were not there.
Having said that my mind was once again starting to fill itself up with thoughts of dresses, skirts, petticoats, and tops.
Finally, the bus ride came to an end as we arrived in the town.
It had been quite an experience listening to Nanny Mitchel and Aunty Shirley.
Although at times the questioning from these two had been embarrassing, I at least felt safe in their care.
Little did I know that throughout the bus journey, two of the school bullies had been sitting within ear shot listening to every word that had been said.
