We crept downstairs and into the sitting room. All was dark until Vincent turned the big light on. The tree looked resplendent even without the fairy lights switched on and the floor beneath it is hidden under a vast array of brightly coloured gifts. True to her word, Mother had placed some presents on the coffee table which we could open without her. “Yours looks better than mine.” Vincent commented as I picked up the two small packages that sat on top of a much larger one.
Initially I agreed with him as his are wrapped in pink and white Hello Kitty wrapping paper whilst mine are wrapped in blue paper peppered with snowmen and snowflakes. “Oooh.” I moaned as I unwrapped the first gift. “Maybe Mother got the labels mixed up?” I said as the wrapping paper dropped from my hand, leaving me holding a pair of ‘Woolly Winter Tights’.
“Maybe.” Vincent replied as he unwrapped a pair of red tights with white snowflakes on.
I wasn’t quite as keen to unwrap the next gift, but I couldn’t not unwrap it. “Ooh Mu-um.” I groaned. A ‘Thermal Knickers & Vest Set’ was attached to a strange plastic hanger. But it wasn’t the hanger that worried me. The knickers and vest matched my tights almost perfectly, being white with green holly leaves.
“A least they’re not pink.” Vincent said as he opened his similar sized gift. “Oh there’s a surprise… neither are mine!” he said, showing me his pair of red knickers with a snowflake pattern similar to his tights. The vest matched too.
“I hope this isn’t what I think it is.” I gulped as I began unwrapping the large parcel Mother had left out for us. I didn’t rush. In fact I opened it slower than any gift I’d unwrapped before or since.
Vincent lifted a deep red dress out of a mass of torn pink wrapping paper. It had long sleeves with white cuffs, a white round collar and a band of faux fur around the hem of its skirt. Inside my deceptively boyish wrapping paper I found an almost identical dress, but in dark green instead of deep red. Vincent looked at my dress then my face. I cast a frown back. Being forever the optimist, Vincent offered me a pursed smile before saying, “They’re actually OK for Mother’s tastes… they could have been a lot more girlie that this.”
You can’t get anymore girlie than a dress! I thought, but I guess he was right. Most of Vincent’s frocks are pink or flowery and far more prissy than the relatively plain frock each of us held. “I hope she doesn’t expect me to wear it.” I said as I plonked the dress along with the tights and underwear onto the sofa, before plonking myself on the armchair.
“I think she’s hoping we’ll be wearing them when she gets up.” Vincent replied. “Otherwise she wouldn’t have let us unwrap them.” he added.
Of course I challenged his perspective, but he was probably right. “Do I have to wear these too?” I gulped as I hesitantly picked up my festive underwear set.
Vincent nodded. “She’ll probably check.”
I had hoped that the Christmas break would deliver a few weeks worth of respite from having to dress as a girl, but looks like that hope has been dashed. At least when I change into my Malham Uniform I still wear my own undies beneath it. One thing I’ve never pulled up my legs is a pair of girl’s knickers, but that’s all about to change. At least they’re not pink or frilly.
Our dresses have a zip running all the way up the back. After zipping my brother into his new dress, I turned to let him zip me into mine. Timidly we faced each other, then looked down at ourselves. “I really like it.” Vincent said as he ran his hands over the soft velveteen fabric. “This material is lovely and warm.” he added, clearly enjoying wearing it. I just stood and looked at him, not knowing what to say. “Oh come on Andrew… think about all the really sissy dresses she normally buys… you must admit that this isn’t bad.” he said to me. “And yours is much nicer than mine.” he said as he looked me up and down. I guess he has a point. My green dress isn’t anywhere near as loud as his pillar box red one, and both are a lot better than most of Vincent’s other frocks. Vincent was also right when he said that the fabric felt really nice… it did.
We sat and looked at the pile of gifts beneath the tree and speculated as to what was each may be. Understandably, Vincent wasn’t hugely excited as all his gifts were covered in a variety girlie wrappings, hinting at the gender of the gift within. As far as I could tell, all mine were in more traditional wrappings… but since I sat wearing a festive frock with festive tights and matching festive underwear, I couldn’t be sure that all of my gifts would be 100% male. Of course I hoped they were… but I just couldn’t be sure.
