We were left alone once more, and I tried to control my sobs as Susie lifted me from the highchair. I had to try to present anything other than the picture of abject babyhood I now portrayed, to no avail.
“Come on BABY,” Susie laughed carrying me up the stairs. “I’m going to make you look so pretty for your outing, no one will ever suspect that you are not the cute little baby girl you appear to be. You might as well accept your fate David, I’m not going to let you ruin my new life like you’ve ruined your own,” she told me as she stripped me down to my nappy which was still dry.
“Mother and Father are far too busy to notice you today, and I’m going to be looking after you all the time so you’re not going to get any chances to get out of this.”
She pulled a particularly frilly pink puff sleeved dress from the wardrobe. It was an outfit that everyone agreed made Susie look soooo cute.
“I think your frilly petticoats too, you’ll look even sweeter with you pretty pettys poking out the bottom of your dress David.”
It was useless trying to prevent her dressing me so I didn’t try, my petticoats and dress were soon over my head and buttoned securely at my back.
“I do love the way these frilly rhumba panties are always on show,” Susie grinned pulling an ultra frilly pair up my legs and settling them over my nappy.
Frilly cuffed anklets and pink patent Mary Janes completed my outfit.
“Now let’s do something with your hair, I know poodle ears with pink baby ribbons,” Susie giggled.
It sounded peculiar for a boy to giggle like a girl, if only mum or dad could hear him, they would surely ask questions, but they were too busy. Susie sat me in the nursery highchair, pushed my dummy into my mouth and began brushing what used to be her long hair. She had positioned the highchair in front of the mirror so I could see her at work. The reflection of a boy in jeans and tee-shirt brushing his little sisters hair as she sat demurely in her highchair, dressed in a particularly babyish outfit whilst sucking on her dummy was most disconcerting. I had to do something to convince my parents that I wasn’t the sweet little girl who stared back at me.
I spat the dummy out. Susie looked pleased at my very babyish action.
“Keep it up David, you look so sweet when you act like a baby,” she laughed as she separated a bunch of my hair at the top and side of my head fixing it with an elastic.
“You are in a no win situation David, don’t you see, if you burst into tears of rage at being treated like a baby, everyone puts it down to a tantrum, if you don’t they think you’re being a well behaved little girl,” Susie laughed as she fixed another bunch of hair on the other side with an elastic.
Waves of nausea began to swell up again as the realisation that there was nothing I could do to help myself began to hit home.
“WHY DID YOU ACT SO BABYISH YESTERDAY? YOU COULD HAVE CONVINCED MOTHER SOMETHING WAS WRONG. SUSIE IS NOT GOING TO ALLOW IT NOW,” the voice of doom shouted loudly inside my head.
Susie noticed the tears welling inside my eyes as she tied a long pink baby ribbon around the bunch of hair that stuck up like a poodles ear.
“That’s it baby, you have a good cry, don’t worry your big brother is going to take good care of his baby sister,” she sneered.
A tremendous effort on my part prevented the tears rolling down my cheeks, I was not going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
“There all done, what do you think?” Susie stood back to admire her handiwork.
The beribboned bunches were the finishing touches, I was the epitome of little girl hood.
Susie pushed my dummy back in to increase the effect, I reluctantly sucked on it as she put me in my playpen.
“There, all safe and sound in your baby cage,” Susie smiled leaning on the side as I sat on the floor looking up at her in my body.
Mother walked in.
“Are you ready to go David?” she asked. “Oh Susie, you look absolutely adorable,” she gushed spotting me in my playpen. “Aren’t you lucky having such a nice big brother to make you look sooooo pretty?”
“HE IS NOT MY BROTHER. HE SHOULD BE IN THIS PLAYPEN WEARING THESE CLOTHES NOT ME,” I gurgled loudly through my dummy pointing directly at Susie.
“Yes that’s David,” mother nodded not understanding what I was trying to tell her.
“I’ll bring her mum, you go and help Dad,” Susie offered.
“Thanks David,” mother smiled and left the room.
“Come on little girl, let’s go and see daddy off,” Susie grinned as he buckled my reins tightly to me.
I shivered with revulsion as Susie picked me up and held me tightly to him, she felt it.
“AWWWW does Baby Susie hate her big brother then,” she mocked. “Don’t blame me for this David, it was you who swapped places remember, it was just my good luck that you did and you didn’t have the sense to lower the cot side just in case something went wrong. You trapped yourself remember, I’m just making sure you never get out of the mess you got yourself in.”
I burst into tears.
Father was loading his suitcase in the boot of the car, followed by his black briefcase, Mother followed us out and locked the front door.
“In you go Susie,” the real Susie sang as I was strapped securely in Susie’s old baby seat.
Susie climbed in next to me, Mother and Father in the front, Dad driving. I had to draw their attention somehow I thought, there was so little time left. Susie watched me like a hawk.
“Here’s Jemima, Susie,” she smiled confidently pushing the doll into my arms.
She knew if I threw it down then I would look like a baby, if I held it I would too. She was right, I was in a no win situation, I whimpered as the car sped to the airport.
The airport lounge was busy, people coming, people going, people standing, people sitting, people doing all manner of things, most took little notice of me as I squirmed in my buggy, except a few women who said, “Awwwww look at that little girl, doesn’t she look cute.”
Dad was studying the flight information board, mother primped at her hair, Susie looked down at me with a smile on his face. He bent down to check my restraining straps to make sure I was nice and secure.
“You are just a few minutes from permanent babyhood David,” he whispered.
I let out a wail of anguish .
“I hope you’re not teasing Susie,” mother warned.
“No mum, I was just checking on her reins that’s all, she keeps trying to get out of her buggy for some reason,” Susie answered.
“Well you see she doesn’t, we don’t want Susie running loose all over the airport do we?” mother told Susie.
“We certainly don’t mum,” she agreed with a wicked smile.
“WILL ALL PASSENGERS ON FLIGHT EG105 EGYPT AIR TO CAIRO PLEASE GO TO GATE 3……..”
“THIS FLIGHT IS NOW BOARDING,” the airport public address announced.
“That’s me,” Dad said sadly, he took a step closer to Susie.
“You’re the man of the family now David, it’s up to you to look after your mum and sister until I get back.” He smiled hugging who he naturally assumed to be his son.
“I will dad.” Susie looked past dad’s shoulder directly at me.
“Remember we’re going on that fishing trip when I get back,” Dad reminded him.
“I can’t wait Dad,” Susie smiled.
“OH SHIT THIS WAS IT,” I cried. “PLEASE DAD DON’T GO PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS,” I screamed.
“Have you got everything dear?” mum asked holding tightly onto him, they took no notice of my outburst.
“Yes, you ask me that every time,” he laughed.
“Just checking,” Mother laughed too. “You’ve got those rings safe and sound haven’t you?”
“Oh no the rings!!!!!” Dad gave a look of horror.
“HE’S FORGOT THEM. HE’S FORGOT THEM!!!” my heart leapt.