As is the new norm, it’s now my bath time straight after Vincent’s. Only this time Mother insisted on actually bathing me. Of course I moaned that she was treating me like a little kid, but Mother was having none of it. “How you can have a bath every night and not get yourself clean I’ve no idea!” The fact she’d left the bathroom door wide open didn’t make me a feel any better. Vincent’s voice was heard and both Mother and I looked towards the door. There he stood wearing his new pyjamas, but didn’t look as happy with them as I’d have expected.
“I think they’re too big.” he frowned as he let go of the pyjama pants and they fell straight down..
“I think you’re right.” Mother chuckled as he grabbed them and quickly pulled them back up.
Vincent’s lower lip stuck out as he moaned that he was looking forward to having jim-jams again.
“Oh well never mind Sonia.” she said. “Go and put one of your nighties on and we’ll get you some in your size tomorrow.” she promised before turning back to me. “Maybe they’ll fit you.” she said.
“I don’t want girl’s pyjamas.” I whined.
“They’re just the same as boy’s pyjamas Andrew… and I can’t take them back now they’ve been worn.” she told me. I moaned that they weren’t ‘just the same’, but Mother said that they were near enough and the least I can do is try them.
Vincent was in a sulk all evening. He’d been looking forward to wearing her new pyjamas all afternoon and was thoroughly glum that they were too big for him. So instead of wearing his new pyjamas, he were one of his pink frilly nighties… again. I was in a bit of a sulk too because Vincent’s new pyjamas did fit me, so I sat wearing those. For a pair of girl’s pyjamas they weren’t too bad I guess, being white with little blue spots, but the frilly detail around the collar was repeated around the cuffs of both sleeves and legs, so they were clearly girlie in style. What I didn’t realise when Vincent was showing them off earlier today, is that it was a three pack. Tonight I’m wearing the white ones with blue spots, but I’m not looking forward to wearing either of the other two pairs; one being blue with little pink spots and the other being pink with little white spots.
On Sunday, all three of us went in to town and Mother purchased Vincent a set of pyjamas in his size. He was over the moon. Mother spent a bit too much time browsing the girl’s department for my liking, which is the main reason I’ve tried to avoid going shopping with Mother and Vincent. It’s all Sonia this and Sonia that and it quickly becomes tedious. However looking at my brother’s expression when Mother’s fussing over him in the girl’s shops, he’s having a far worse time. “Are you looking forward to wearing your new jim-jams Sonia?” Mother asked as we walked home.
“Yeah!” he exclaimed, swinging the carrier bag that held them.
“Well I’m looking forward to seeing you both wearing matching jim-jams.” Mother grinned.
I don’t think I’d ever felt the hairs on the back of my neck stick up before that moment. There’s no point telling her that I don’t want to wear girl’s pyjamas because I can second guess all her responses: they’re just like boy’s pyjamas, they’re only for bed, no one will see you, we don’t mind, etcetera, etcetera.
I felt very hard done by for the next few nights, especially when I had to wear the pink ones with white spots. On Thursday after school I realised that all of my old pyjamas had been put in the rag basket and put up a proper fuss. “Three pairs of jim-jams is plenty Andrew.” Mother told me. The rag basket is actually an old pump bag in which Mother puts old clothes and towels, cut up into squares to use as cleaning cloths. I stuck my lip out so far I could see it. Mother gave me one of those looks. “Think yourself lucky you don’t have to wear nighties too.” she said, “I don’t see your brother complaining about his nightwear Andrew. So why you’re putting up such a fuss over a pair of pyjamas I’ve no idea.”
