Texas Gal
by  C. Sprite
© 1999

 

Chapter Two       A New Day 

It seemed like I had only just closed my eyes in sleep when I felt the warmth of the sun on my face. I slowly came awake with assorted sections of my dreams floating through my now semi-conscious mind. As I realized what I had been dreaming about, I smiled. Susan had just awoken and was looking at me. She smiled and said softly to me, "Dreaming of boys, I bet."

I blushed, then sat up on the bed, put on a look of indignation and said, "Susan, I'll have you know that I'm not that kind of girl."

"Sis, we're all that kind of girl," she said. We both giggled and then hugged each other.

Either the sun, or perhaps the noise that we were making caused Judy to wake up. She sat up, stretched, and said, "Morning."

Susan and I both said in unison, "Good morning, Judy."

Mary was still dead to the world. She was lying on her side, facing away from Judy. Judy pulled the covers down to the bottom of the bed, lifted her arm and smacked Mary on her posterior. Mary jumped up and out of bed, rubbing her derriere. Judy said sweetly, "Good morning, sis."

"Good morning," Mary said. "Did somebody just spank me?"

"I didn't see anybody spank you," Judy said.

"Oh," Mary said. "I guess that I dreamed it. It sure felt real."

Susan and I just laughed, and Susan got off of the bed. She put on her robe and fluffy slippers, then she handed me a robe and slippers. While I put them on she headed for the bathroom. I walked out of the bedroom and heard the toilet flush. The door opened, and she said, "Come on in, sis." We washed our faces and brushed out teeth. Susan went back to the bedroom, and I closed the door to use the toilet. The seat was cold so I didn't tarry. I flushed and opened the door in time to see Suz coming back out of the bedroom. She said, "Ready to head downstairs." I nodded and we went down to prepare breakfast.

I put a pot of water on the stove to boil. Then I got down teabags and hung them in the teapot to await the boiling water. Susan hung an apron over my head and tied the strings behind me. I saw that she had already put one on herself. She went to the cupboard and took down a large bowl and measuring cup. Then, from the pantry, she retrieved the pancake mix. Using that as my cue, I opened the refrigerator and got the milk, eggs, and butter out and carried them to the counter. She smiled at me and proceeded to start measuring and mixing. She said, "Would you get me the cinnamon, sis." I went to the spice rack in the pantry and retrieved the cinnamon. She said, "Thanks, sis." I went to the stove, put a frying pan on the burner, and set the burner to the lowest setting. The water was boiling so I poured it into the teapot and carried it to the table. While Susan was mixing the pancake batter, I set the table. I got a can of Orange Juice concentrate out of the freezer, mixed it and put it on the table.

Just then, the door opened and Mom came into the kitchen. She was already dressed. She was wearing a beautiful, white suit with a light pink blouse, and white high heel pumps with little pink bows on the front. She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, and said, "Good morning, honey." Then she went over to Susan and did the same.

Susan finished stirring the batter and announced, "Okay, batter's up," enunciating it like they do at a baseball game, and smiled.

As if on cue, Judy and Mary, came into the kitchen. They had dressed also. Both were wearing white dresses, and shoes with 2" heels. Mother removed her jacket and took it into the hallway to hang it in the closet until we were ready to leave. I turned up the heat on the frying pan and put a pat of butter in it. As it started to sizzle, I moved it around with the spatula to coat the pan. Susan came over and starting pouring the batter to make the pancakes. I went to the pantry and retrieved the maple syrup and carried it to the table. Then scanning the table I realized we needed the milk and sugar for the tea, so I got them and brought them over. Mother, Judy, and Mary had sat down in their regular chairs.

Mother said to me, "Darla Anne, your father has already left so you can return his place setting to the cupboard."

"Oh, okay Mommy," I said, and put the dish, cup and silverware away. Susan brought over a plate of pancakes and we sat down to eat. When the pancakes got to me, I took two and passed the dish to Judy. I noticed my mother smiling at me. She knew that David always took five, but after all, David was away for the weekend and we girls had to watch our figures. During breakfast we talked about the day's scheduled activities.

When we finished eating, Mother said, "Susan, Darla Anne, let's go upstairs to get you dressed. Your sisters will clean up, since you did the cooking today."

"Yes, Mommy," we said. After taking off our aprons and handing them to Judy and Mary, we headed upstairs with Mother following.

Mother selected a dress for Susan and one for me. I commented that they were very similar to the ones that Judy and Mary were wearing. Mother said, "Yes, they are. That is why I selected them. We don't have matching dresses but I wanted my daughters to look as much alike today as possible. I got the idea yesterday when three of you were wearing the matching bridesmaid gowns. Susan, you get dressed in here. Darla Anne, you come over to my bedroom.

Carrying the dress that she had selected, I followed Mother to her room. Laid out on her bed were a variety of items. She had me remove the robe and the nightie. She brought over a padded panty girdle with a long waist. She said, "Judy is giving this to you. She used it when she was your age to give her a more feminine shape. She no longer uses it since her body started to give her the curves naturally. I put it on. Four garter tabs dangled from the panty legs. Mother said, "Go easy on the liquids today, panty girdles make using the ladies room a lot more work. Now reach down inside and push your 'little secret' back between your legs and pull the panty up to hold it there."

When I had done this, she straightened the top section up and closed each of the hook and eye closures until the waist nipper portion was closed. It extended up my ribs, ending just below my bra. I walked over to look at myself in the mirror on her closet door while she started rolling up the nylon stockings. I saw that I now had a real female crotch line. The padding in the panty gave me an extra three to four inches on my hips and a much-improved derriere instead of the bony one that I usually saw.

I returned to where mother stood and threw my arms around her and kissed her. "Oh Mommy, it looks wonderful," I said. She smiled and told me to sit down on the bed. I extended my leg for her to put the stocking on but she said, "No, you do it honey. It's time you learned."

I took the first stocking that she had rolled up and, pointing my toe downward, started to slowly pull it up my leg. I tugged on it every couple of seconds, as Susan had done yesterday when she had put them on me, to keep it straight and taut. Arriving at the top, I stood and attempted to attach it to the garter. It took several attempts before I was satisfied that it was secure. Then several more attempts to attach the stocking to the garter tab in the back of the girdle. I sat back down on the bed and put on the other stocking. When I reached the top, I managed to attach the stocking to the garter tabs on the first try.

Then Mother handed me a full slip. I started to understand that she wanted me to dress myself, under her supervision, instead of dressing me, as had been done yesterday. I looked at the slip to determine the front, and, putting my arms through it while making sure that each hand was outside the respective shoulder strap, I raised my arms and allowed it to fall around me. Mother handed me the dress. I pulled the zipper down and repeated the process as with the full slip.

I reached behind me and attempted to pull the zipper up but the dress was a little snug and I couldn't make much progress. Mother stepped behind me and zipped me up. Before finishing the closure, she lifted the delicate gold chain, which I still wore from yesterday, and placed it outside the dress. She lifted the collar and put the gold chain under it. Then she closed the two hook and eyes clasps on the collar. The tiny gold cross once again adorned my bosom. Today though, I was not wearing the regular bra with the stockings stuffed into it, as I had yesterday. The padded training bra gave the impression of budding breasts though. Mother told me to put my shoes on and gave me a pair of white, two-inch heels with a narrow strap. She said that I should probably not be wearing heels out at my age but that she wanted her daughters to look as much alike today as possible.

She had me sit down at her makeup table and she did my face. No eye makeup today, just the eyebrow pencil after the basic foundation and powder. "Who did your eyebrows?" she asked.

I said that I had asked Susan to help me thin them last night.

She said that Suz had done a first rate job. She then told me to apply my lipstick. I held the tube the way that I had thought Judy had held it yesterday, when she had touched up my lips in the hall, and proceeded to apply it to my lips. When I was finished it looked terrible. Mother had me wipe it off and do it again. For the next twenty minutes, I practiced putting it on, then wiping it off so I could do it again. Mother supervised the whole time. When I had put it on properly, three times in a row, she declared my lipstick application education complete. Next up was nail polish class. She showed me how to remove the old polish and put on the new. After half an hour, she announced that I was doing a good job and that would have to be enough for today.

"Remember," she said, "straight, even, full strokes. Make sure that you have enough on the brush but not too much." I looked at the pretty pink color on my nails and wished that I had taken better care of them. I made up my mind never to bite them again, and to keep them clean at all times. I wanted them to grow long so that I could shape them. I asked mother how long it took for fingernails to grow. She said that she thought they grew about a quarter of an inch per month, but she wasn't really sure.

I had forgotten that my hair was still in curlers until she took the hair net off of my head. I don't know how I managed to sleep last night. I guess it goes to show you that you can get used to almost anything. She removed the curlers, combed, and then brushed my hair.

"Oh Darla Anne, you have such beautiful hair," she said. "It's so soft and silky smooth."

I told her that Susan thought I should let it grow longer. I told her that she wanted to try braiding it in Swedish style braids. She said wistfully, "We'll see, honey." She spent ten minutes working on my hair until she got it the way that she wanted it. Then she sprayed hair spray all over it to hold it in place. I sat at her makeup table just looking at the pretty girl that stared back at me, for several minutes, until the hair spray set. I stood up and used the atomizer with the perfume as I had been shown yesterday. Mother handed me the wristwatch to put on, and a single gold bracelet for my right wrist. She gave me two rings to put on and put a brooch on my dress. Then she handed me a white patent leather purse, with a shoulder strap, and a soft, white, long-sleeved, cardigan sweater.

"Okay honey," she said, "your sisters are waiting for you downstairs. They are going to spend some time with you before we leave for church. We want to make 10 o'clock mass, so we have to leave by 9:30. That only gives us a little more than an hour before we have to leave."

I went downstairs and found my sisters sitting at the kitchen table discussing me.

"Here she is now," Judy said. "Let's get started. Darla Anne, let's go into the hall."

With my three sisters following, I walked back into the hallway. All three watched me as I walked back and forth, from one end of the hall to the other, over and over. I found walking on the two-inch heels to be more comfortable than the three-inch heels I had spent last evening wearing, but I missed having the extra height of the other shoes. It had been so wonderful to be tall for a change, but the two inches I had today were nice. While I walked, my sisters conferred in low whispers. Mary walked upstairs and then came down again with something in her hand. Judy told me stop walking and come over to where they stood. She said that my walk was fine for the first few minutes but then my gait started to change and the length of my stride increased. She said that the longer stride is reminiscent of the way that a man walks. She told me to lift my dress and slip it up to my waist. When I did, she looked at the panty girdle and asked how it felt. I told her that it was a little constricting but that I loved what it did for my shape. She rubbed her hand lightly over the front on my crotch and said that with this on I would even be able to wear shorts or slacks. Then she took what Mary had brought down and I realized that it was a half-slip. She told me to raise my legs one at a time. I did, but said that I was already wearing a slip. She said that this was special. It was quite tight as she pulled it up to my waist. I felt it tugging at my thighs. She said that this would reduce my stride as I walked, and help remind me to keep my legs closed when I sat down. Then she pulled my full slip and dress back down and made sure that nothing was hanging down or out of place. She told me to walk back and forth again and my three sisters nodded in agreement that this was a big improvement. I immediately realized the difference. The slip forced me to take twice as many steps for each round trip. I also found that I HAD to place each foot directly in front of the other in order to get as much distance as the slip would allow. Judy said that I should wear this at all times until my womanly walk became natural. As she had been saying last night, you can't be acting constantly. As I had walked back and forth in the hallway I had become complacent and fell back into my normal walk. The half-slip would re-train my movements.

Next, we went into the living room, to review sitting and standing techniques. The half-slip helped again by keeping my knees together. I really didn't even have a choice. When my sisters were satisfied, we went into the kitchen and sat at the table. They covered a number of topics that they thought might come up today. They told me that when we left for church, I would be required to get into the car as befits a young lady. They said that a boy would just climb in one leg at a time. A young lady sits on the seat first and then swings her legs, knees held tightly together, into the car. We discussed church services and protocols. They reminded me to bring a head covering for the church. While men did not wear anything on their heads, ladies must always be covered. They said that since I was such a beautiful young lady that a boy, or boys, at some point might approach me today. So we discussed how I should deal with it. If anybody asked for my telephone number, I would say that my mother doesn't allow me to have boys calling me yet, but thank you asking. We continued on, talking about anything and everything, but we almost always came back to talking about boys.

Before I realized it, it was almost time to go. I had been having such a good time chatting with my sisters, the time had flown by. Mother came down and told my sisters to finish getting ready so that we could leave. They all went upstairs to get their sweaters and purses. I had brought mine down with me earlier. Mother put a small hat on my head. She told me that I could remove it after services, if I wished. She handed me a pair of white gloves and told me to put them in my purse, and that I should wear them when we got to the church. She put on her white jacket and checked herself in the hall mirror. She draped my sweater over my shoulders and said that it was warm enough out that I probably would be okay wearing it that way. She buttoned the top button to hold it in place like a cape. She stepped back to look at me and said, "How are you feeling."

I told her that I had a few butterflies in my stomach. She said that I would be fine. That I was a beautiful young woman going to mass with her Mother and sisters. Nobody would think anything out of the ordinary.

I went to her, and hugged her, and she returned my embrace. I told her that I loved her more than I could put into words. I said that the past 24 hours had been so wonderful that I wished this day might never end. David had never experienced the joy that I was feeling right now. I said that I would rather stay here and grow up to be a woman like my beautiful mother and beautiful sisters. David could stay away on his old trip forever. I told her that I wished that David would never return.

She pushed me back and looked at me for a long time. Then she said, "If it was up to me, I would keep my dear, sweet Darla Anne forever too. Although I love David with my whole heart, there is always a more special bond between mother and daughter. Unfortunately, your father has pronounced that David must return tomorrow. Your father is the head of the family and his word must be obeyed." With this my eyes started to tear up. She continued, "Of course, he hasn't said that Darla Anne could not return. We'll just have to work on that." I began to feel better immediately. She dabbed at my eyes with a tissue that she pulled from her pocket.

My sisters came down from upstairs, at that point, and my spirits buoyed back up as we left for Church. My mother had said that she would work on it, and I had never known her to fail at anything she put her mind to. I convinced myself that somehow it would all work out, and that David would not be back for long before he left again for an extended trip. Even if he was my brother, I would prefer that he were away on a long trip. We reached the car and my mother got into the driver's seat, with Judy sliding into the front passenger seat. Susan opened the back door and slid across the seat to the window. I sat down, swung my legs in and slid to the center. Mary got in after me and closed the door. Mother pulled out of the driveway and we were off on our journey to attend services at St.Peter's.

Susan opened her purse and exclaimed, "Oh darn it, I forgot my compact. Darla Anne, do you have yours."

I looked into the purse that Mother had given me and found one. I said, "Yes, I do" and I handed it to her.

"Thanks, sis," she said. Opening it, she used the small mirror inside to let her touch up her face, then handed it back to me. Before returning it to my purse, I used it to check my face. I made sure that my eyes were not puffy or red from when I had talked with mother, and, satisfied that everything was in order, I closed the compact and put it in my purse. I suddenly realized that Mother was watching me in the rear view mirror. She smiled and dropped her eyes back to the straight expanse of highway in front of us.

We arrived at St. Peter's minutes before Mass was scheduled to begin. People were filing in from the parking lot immediately adjacent to the church while we parked and got out of the car. The church was beautiful. While our parish church was constructed of huge blocks of gray granite, a bit dingy with age, this church was built with light rose colored bricks. While our church was somber and majestic, this one looked festive and warm. The inside was even far more beautiful than the outside. A rotunda of stained glass greeted us as we entered the massive oak doors. With Mother leading, we walked down the main aisle, entered a pew and sat down. Mother was at one end with me at the other. An elderly woman entered the pew and sat down next to me. I looked over at her and smiled. She smiled back and patted my knee. In a Catholic Church mass, the congregation must, at various times, stand up, sit down, and kneel down. I realized at the very beginning that the elderly lady would have problems. Most old or infirm people just sit in the pew. However, she attempted to participate in the service in the traditional way. I felt obligated to assist her at every change of position.

At the end of the mass we filed out of the pew and out of the church. Once outside, the elderly lady stopped and stood slightly to the side until I reached her. Then she reached out and put her arm in mine and walked with me on the way to the parking lot. She said that she just wanted to thank me for helping her during the service. She knew that God would forgive her if she just sat in the pew, but for as long as she had lived, she had attended church every Sunday and participated fully even though it was getting more difficult with each passing year. She said that God would reward me for sharing the strength of my young body with her. She told me that she would pray for my continued good health, and was sure that I would bear many fine children who would be a credit to their mother. We had reached the parking lot, and I thanked her for her blessing. She pulled me over to kiss my cheek and we said good-bye to each other. She walked over to her automobile and I turned to find my family. They were a few feet behind me and when they caught up we walked together to our car. Mother asked what she had said to me. She had known during the service that I was assisting the elderly lady. I related what the woman had said, and she said that she was proud of me for helping someone who needed me. Smiling, she added that she was sure that my children would be a credit to me. I blushed and my sisters giggled.

We got back into our car and started heading in the direction of home. We had planned on stopping at a park halfway home if the weather was okay, and it had turned out more than okay. It was absolutely beautiful. We had a clear blue sky with an occasional puffy white cloud, and a warm, springtime temperature with an occasional soft breeze that carried the smell of new flowers. The trees were all filled with new buds, and in some, the new leaves had already started to burst forth. We parked the car and started strolling along one of the paved walking paths, stopping for a while near a large pond to watch ducks dive for bread pieces thrown in by small children and adults alike. We decided to walk up to a greenhouse where flowers were cultivated before being planted along the walks by the park groundskeepers.

Along the way, Mother said that she had picked up a stone in her shoe so we made our way to a nearby bench. A woman in a gorgeous light green chiffon dress was already seated there, a large shopping bag next to her on the bench. My mother asked if she might sit down. The woman, who had been intently watching two young girls a few feet away, turned and looked before apologizing for taking up the whole bench. She slid to one side and put the shopping bag on the ground next to her.

Mother sat and took off her shoe. Removing the small, craggy offender, Mother replaced her shoe and smiled at the children. "Yours?" she asked the woman.

"Yes," came the reply.

"They're beautiful," Mother said.

The woman turned to her and said, "Thank you very much." Then the woman looked over at my sisters and me and said, "Yours?"

When mother replied affirmatively, she said, "They're very beautiful also."

Mother said, "Thank you. I think so too. My name is Elizabeth Drake," and offered her hand.

The woman took it and said, "I'm Anita Clark."

"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance Mrs. Clark."

"Anita. Please."

"Okay Anita, I'm Liz."

"I'm pleased to meet you Liz, and your beautiful daughters."

"Anita, I'd like you to meet Judy, Mary, Susan, and Darla Anne. Girls, say hello to Mrs. Clark."

We all said, "Hello, Mrs. Clark."

She smiled at us and said, "Hello, ladies. I'm pleased to meet such fine examples of young womanhood."

We all smiled.

I glanced over at her daughters and saw that they were now trying to get a drink at a water fountain, but they weren't having any success. I walked over to them and said, "Can I help you."

They looked at me and then looked over at their mother who nodded to them. They said, "Yes, please."

"Okay, who's first?" I asked.

They both shouted, "Me, me, me, me, me."

"Well, let's do it this way." Pointing to each in turn, I said, "Eenie, meenie, minee, mo, catch, a, piggy, by, the, toe, if, he, squeals, let, him, go, eenie, meenie, minee, mo. You're first." They both squealed in delight and I giggled. Then I picked up the little girl who won, and held her so that she could get a drink. After a few seconds, she indicated that she had had enough. I put her down and picked up the other one. When she had enough I put her down next to her sister. Looking at the girls side by side, they appeared to be identical twins. Squatting down, I looked at the first one that I had helped and said, "My name's Darla Anne. What's your name?"

She said, "My name's Melanie and she's Melissa. She's my sister." I noticed that Melanie had a very tiny freckle above her mouth near the outside edge of her nostril. Other than that, the girls were identical.

"Those are really pretty names," I said, "and it's wonderful to have sisters, and you both have each other." They both smiled. Pointing over towards Judy, Mary, and Susan, I said, "Those are MY sisters over there. Would you like to meet them?" They both nodded their heads so I stood up, took each by their small hands and we walked over to the bench. I said, "Mommy, Judy, Mary, Susan. I'd like you to meet Melissa and Melanie. This is Melissa on my left, I held up her hand, "and Melanie is on my right. Girls, this is my mommy and my sisters." Letting go of Melanie's hand and pointing to each as I called her name, I said, "This is Susan, Judy, and Mary." I put my hand down and Melanie immediately grabbed hold of it. I guess they were a little intimidated by all the "adults" standing around.

"Say hello, girls," Mrs. Clark said.

Melanie and Melissa both said, "Hello."

While I had been with the twins my mother had been getting acquainted with Mrs. Clark. She had learned that Mrs. Clark was actually Dr. Clark who had a practice in Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Mother said to Dr. Clark, "I imagine that your practice and the twins keep you pretty busy."

Dr. Clark nodded. She said, "You have no idea." Then looking at my sisters and me, she smiled and said, "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I'm sure that you have a very good idea. Your girls appear to be about a year apart so that means that for a long time you were pregnant while having infants in diapers."

Mother said, "Yes, they kept me quite busy at times, but now they're a treasure. They are so helpful at home that I don't know what I'd do without them."

Dr. Clark said that she looked forward to the day when her girls could give her a hand around the house. She said, "I love them dearly, but right now they keep me running. Today, for example, they've walked my feet off. That's why we had to stop here for a little rest."

"I know what you mean," Mother said. "Listen Anita, how about if Darla Anne takes the girls for a little walk while you and I relax here for a little while. They appear to be getting along wonderfully."

Dr. Clark looked over at the twins who were hanging on to my hands like they owned them. She said to them, "Girls, would you like to go for a walk with Darla Anne?"

The twins, who were getting bored and tired of standing around while all of these adults just talked, said, "Oh yes mommy, please, please, please."

Dr. Clark looked at me, and I told that I would love to go for a walk with the twins.

"Okay," she said. "Girls, you mind Darla Anne now, just as you would me. Understand?"

They both said, "Yes Mommy" and then they started to pull at my hands until I started to walk up the path with them.

Dr. Clark looked at us as we walked away and said to my mother, "She's a lovely child. You must be very proud of her."

Mother said, "I'm very proud of all my children. Girls, why don't you go on to the greenhouse while I sit with Dr. Clark? See if you can find a schedule of events here in the park. Take your time. We'll be here for a little while."

My sisters said, "Okay Mommy," and left for the greenhouse.

Dr. Clark said, "Your girls are all so well mannered, so ladylike and polite. I hope that my girls are like that when they grow up."

Mother said, "I've always believed that if you give them a proper home environment, and lots of love, then you can't go wrong. Since you're a pediatrician, I wonder if you would answer something for me."

"Of course Liz, what is it?"

"I have a friend who is having a problem with her son."

"Medical?" said Dr. Clark.

"Not exactly. Let me tell you the whole story before you say anything. Yesterday, my friend came home from shopping to find that her daughters had forcibly dressed their brother in female clothing. They had put makeup on his face and styled his hair. My friend, feeling in a mischievous mood herself perpetuated the cross-dressing telling the boy that it would be good for him to experience the feminine side of life for a change. He wanted to change into his male clothes but she told him that she wouldn't allow it for the rest of the day. What's more, she redressed him and redid his hair so that when she was done he really looked like a young girl. In a discussion with her husband that night, she managed to convince her husband that it would be good for the boy. He would gain an appreciation for the problems of women and participate in work activities as a woman, to see how much work we women actually do. He had always been exempted from most work around the house while his sisters cooked and cleaned. His father allowed the experiment to continue as long as it would end by Monday morning. The boy finally resigned himself to his fate for the weekend and appeared to actually begin to like the role. This morning, he announced that he was having the greatest weekend of his life, and he didn't want to switch back to male attire on Monday morning. He begged to continue in the female role."

Dr. Clark said, "WOW! Tell me, is there a steady male presence in the house."

"Yes. But his father is self-employed and works six and seven day workweeks. He hasn't taken a vacation with the family in many years. He's a dedicated family man though, working very hard to make a future for his family so that they'll have it much better than he did when he was growing up. The boy spends a great deal of time with his sisters and mother. Also, the boy attends the same parochial school as his sisters. They say that although he gets along fairly well with all his male classmates, he is frequently not allowed to participate in their recess games because of his limited athletic ability. So, he is forever trying to get into the games that the girls are playing. If the supervising nuns are not watching, he immediately joins the girls. At home, he spends all of his free time watching movies on television, or reading books and novels. He reads better, and has a better vocabulary, than most teenagers, and even many adults that I know. There are only a few boys his age in his family's neighborhood. They're very athletic, and shun him when sports are being played. He is a very gentle child and the girls are all friendly towards him and welcome him into their games. Where most boys are competitive and often surly, he displays a very non-threatening attitude towards everybody and always goes out of his way to help people. His face and bone structure is very fine. Very much more like a young girl's than a young boy's. Even without the feminine attire, he has often been thought of as a female by people who do not know him."

"How old is he?" Dr. Clark asked.

"He will be 11 in a few weeks."

"Liz," Dr. Clark said. "Tell me the truth now. Are you talking about yourself? Are you the 'friend'? Be truthful. I can't help you if you're not."

Mother just looked at her for a few seconds, then nodded. "Yes. I am talking about my family, and my son."

Dr. Clark said, "I thought so. Your knowledge of events seemed so complete and your concern so genuine. Well, I'm not a child psychiatrist, but I can tell you a few things from my own observations over the years. If you take your son to a shrink, he will probably be able to set him back on the correct path of gender identity. However, if your description of your son is accurate, he is probably never going to fit in very well in a testosterone society. He will very soon be entering puberty. It normally starts between ages ten to twelve for girls, and twelve to fifteen for boys. His voice will deepen and hair will begin to grow on his face and body where none exist right now. Testosterone may help make him a little more aggressive, but his size and gentle nature will forever be a handicap. Dominant masculine types may make his life a living hell. You should help him select a career path where competitiveness is not an issue. I'd like to meet him sometime. I might be able to suggest something else after I have interviewed him."

"But you've met him already, Anita," Mother said,

Dr. Clark just stared at her for a few seconds, then said, "Are you telling me that one of your "daughters" is actually your son?"

"Yes, I only have three daughters."

Dr. Clark still stared at her, her mouth open now. She turned away and seemed to be trying to dredge up from her memory every detail about the girls. Mother let her sort through her thoughts without interruption. Dr. Clark didn't say anything for several minutes. She simply sat with her mouth agape. It might have been comical if the subject had not been so serious. Finally, Dr. Clark closed her mouth, looked at mother and said, "Susan?"

Mother shook her head.

"It can't be Judy or Mary because they are too old," Dr. Clark said. "You're not telling me it's Darla Anne?"

Mother nodded. Dr. Clark put her hand to her forehead and said, "Oh my……Oh my."

Mother, misinterpreting Dr. Clark's reaction said, "Anita. Please don't be concerned for the safety of the twins."

Dr. Clark turned to look at her and said, "I'm not, it's not that at all. I'm usually an excellent judge of character. I saw Darla Anne's gentle nature from the very beginning. I believe my girls are as safe with Darla Anne as they would be with me, or I would never have let them get out of my sight. No, I'm not worried about them. I'm thinking about Darla Anne. She's pretty enough to win local beauty contests in her age group. Charm radiates from her body. My girls rarely take to anybody the way that they instantly took to her. Did you see them holding onto her hands? She looks like a young lady…. she walks like a young lady…. she talks like a young lady…. she acts like a young lady….. and yet you're telling me that she's a boy. I…I…I…almost don't believe you! And yet I see your concern is genuine, and I don't think that you would lie about one of your children. I'm just floored with this revelation. I can't wait until Darla Anne returns so that I can observe her again."

"Please, Anita," my mother said, "don't let on that I told you. It might cause her great embarrassment and I couldn't bear to see her hurt. I told her that I would do my best to keep this secret in the family, but I was desperate for the opinion of a medical person because, after this morning's declaration, I don't know if I'm doing the right thing."

"I won't say anything to her, or my children," Dr Clark said. "I will be totally discreet. I just want an opportunity to observe her now that I know her secret. I want to see if I can spot any indication of male identity. I still can't believe it. You say that she only wore feminine clothes for the first time yesterday? You're sure that there was no cross-dressing in the past? No experimenting with Mommies panties?"

"I'm more sure of that, than of anything I've ever been sure of in my life," Mother said. "Yesterday, absolutely, was the first time for dressing up. Her gentle nature has been with her, all her life. She dearly loves her sisters and me, and we all love her. Her sisters love having a new little sister."

Dr. Clark, deep in concentration again said aloud, "But to be able to pull off a deception like this, she must be a consummate actress….er.. actor. She has…er HE has, so taken me in that I'm having difficulty even referring to her…him, in the masculine, even for the purposes of clinical observation."

"I know exactly what you mean," Mother said. "Yesterday, we started referring to Darla Anne in the feminine to reinforce the image of her role in our own minds as well as hers. By early evening, we were no longer consciously making the substitution. She had so well adopted the persona of a young girl, that to all of us, she WAS a girl. Her sisters and I treated her, and had come to think of her, as if she had always been a girl. A few times, I had to make a conscious effort to re-establish her male identity in my mind." Mother related the story of my climbing on my father as he relaxed in his recliner. She told her of the tea serving, and of the fake crying afterward. She said, "At some point, Darla Anne BECAME a girl. She shut out her male identity completely and she does not want to switch back. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow. When she has to switch genders again, her sisters are going to be as traumatized as she is. I'm going to be traumatized also. I love having her as my fourth daughter, even though I love her as my son. Oh, I see her returning with the twins. We had better stop talking about this."

Dr. Clark opened up her purse and took out a business card and a pen. She turned the card over and wrote on the back side, then put the pen back into her purse. Handing it to Mother she said, "That's my card. On the back I wrote my home address and home phone number. Please call me tomorrow after the switch is complete."

"I will," Mother said. "It's been so good having somebody to talk to about this. I'm grateful, Anita." Dr. Clark patted her hand.

About ten feet from the bench, Melanie let go of my hand and ran towards her mother when the twins and I arrived back at the bench where Mother and Dr. Clark were still sitting. Upon seeing her go, Melissa let go of my other hand and ran after her. I smiled at their exuberance. They both started shouting, "Mommy, mommy, mommy," at about the same time. A look of concern came over Dr. Clark's face until she realized that the twins were smiling and her face relaxed. Melanie started to tell her about the artist that we had watched for several minutes and the several landscape painting that were for sale. Melissa interrupted to tell her about the enormous sunflowers in a newly planted garden area just over the hill.

Dr. Clark listened intently until they had completed their stories and then said, "It sounds like you had a wonderful time."

They both nodded and then Melissa said, "And Darla Anne didn't get us mixed up even once. She always called us by our right names."

"Well that is a real feat," Dr. Clark said. "I would have to say that Darla Anne is an exceptional young lady."

I noticed my sisters approaching and mother arose from the bench. She said to Dr. Clark, "I'm afraid that it's time for us to be leaving. We still have a full day ahead of us. It's been wonderful talking to you, Anita. I'll call you."

Dr. Clark said to the twins, "Girls, you should thank Darla Anne for taking you for a walk."

The girls came over to me and I squatted down. Melissa hugged my neck, and I hugged her back. She kissed me on the cheek and then I kissed her back. She said, "Thank you, Darla Anne, for taking us for a walk."

"Your welcome, Melissa," I said. "It was my pleasure," and I smiled at her.

When she let go, Melanie hugged my neck and kissed me. I returned her hug and kiss. She said, "Thank you, Darla Anne, for taking us for a walk. I hope that we'll see you again."

"I loved going for a walk with you and your sister, Melanie," I said, "and I hope that I will see you again too." I stood up and realized that Mrs. Clark had been watching me very intently. I smiled at her and said, "They're wonderful and they are so well behaved. It was a pleasure to be with them, Mrs. Clark."

She smiled and said, "I'm glad that you enjoyed your little walk and that they behaved for you, Darla Anne. You're a beautiful young lady and I hope that we will meet again." We all said our good-byes and then Mother, Judy, Mary, Susan, and I returned to our car. Mother seemed very quiet and distracted as we drove home. Judy, sitting next to her, asked if she was all right. She said that she was fine. She was just thinking about several things that she had discussed with Dr. Clark.

I said, "Dr. Clark?"

"Yes," Mother said. "Oh, you were with the twins when Dr. Clark told me about her practice. She has a practice in Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology."

"What are those?" I asked.

"Pediatrics deals with the care of infants and children, and the treatment of their diseases," she said. "Obstetrics pertains to the care of women during and after pregnancy. Gynecology deals with women's physiology and reproductive capability. I think that I may make an appointment with her next week."

"Oh Mother, do you think that you're pregnant?" Judy asked.

"No sweetheart, that's not the only time that you visit a Gynecologist. I may just want to get a checkup. Now, what are we going to have for lunch today?" she asked as she cleverly changed the subject. We then launched into a discussion of what to eat and how long it would take because we still wanted to go to the shopping center, and it was noon already.

As we parked in the driveway of our house, Gina and Maria Marcoti came down from our front pouch where they had just been ringing the doorbell in their search for my sisters. They were approaching the car as we stepped out. When they saw me they stopped dead in their tracks. We closed the car doors and walked towards the Marcoti sisters who stood between the house and us. Mother, seeing the expressions on their faces, said, "Hello girls, you remember Darla Anne, don't you. She's staying with us for the weekend."

Gina and Maria looked at each other and stammered, "Ye.. ye.. yesss, Mrs. Drake, we remember Darla." My sisters and I started laughing. Mother smiled. Gina and Maria relaxed, and, after first just smiling, started laughing with us.

Gina looked at me and said, "Darla, you're beautiful."

I blushed and said, "Thank you, Gina. I guess you haven't seen me properly dressed until now. I think that this dress is much more becoming than that awful school jumper that I wore yesterday when we were dancing."

Mother resumed walking towards the house saying, "Come along ladies, we have to prepare lunch. Gina, Maria, you're welcome to have lunch with us if you like."

Gina came over to me, took my arm, and starting pulling me towards the house. "Come on, Darla, I want you to tell me all your beauty secrets, and I'll fill you in on all the latest gossip from the neighborhood." She was walking too fast, and with the tight half slip that I was wearing, which restricted my stride to short steps, I was running to keep up with her. I had to take two steps for each one that she took, but when we got to the stairs, I was grateful for her arm. I leaned heavily on it as I struggled to climb up to the porch and keep up with her. When we reached the top, she stopped and turned to me. She crossed her arms and spread her legs apart, simulating the typical pose of a disgusted male, and said, "I don't know. You woman with your tight skirts and high heels."

I put on a mock display of indignation and said, "Tch. And you men all love it. You make us dress like this so that you have an excuse to grope us while pretending to help us walk, and climb stairs, and such."

Gina came over to me, put her arm around my waist, pulled me close to her, and bending me back as if she was going to kiss me, said, "I don't need an excuse to grope you, you're my woman, I own you. And don't you ever forget it."

Then she pinched my behind hard, startling me into screeching, "Owww." I pulled away and said, "MEN."

Gina, Maria, and my sisters all started laughing. I couldn't hold my look of indignation any longer and I started laughing too. I rubbed the spot where Gina had pinched me. It had hurt even through the padding of the panty girdle. My sisters and Maria started filing into the house. Gina came over to me and said, "I'm sorry that I pinched you so hard, dear." She embraced me again, reached behind me and, pushing my hand out of the way, starting rubbing my behind where she had just assaulted me.

"It feels okay now," I said. "We'd better go inside the house before somebody drives by, sees us, and misunderstands."

"They wouldn't be misunderstanding," she said, and released me. I turned and walked into the house with Gina holding my hand. I was confused and trying to figure out what she meant, all the while trying to figure out what I was feeling inside.

When we got inside, I put my purse on the table in the hallway. I unbuttoned the only button of the sweater that was fastened. I had been wearing it like a cape all morning. I reached to remove it but Gina beat me to it. She took it from my shoulders, opened the hall closet, and hung it up for me. I thanked her and she smiled at me as we walked into the kitchen where Mother and my sisters were preparing lunch. Maria was sitting at the table watching the activity. I told Gina to have a seat and I jumped into the fray. I got soup bowls from the cupboard and set them on the table. Then I put out spoons, napkins, glasses, bread, butter, and salt & pepper. Susan had made a pitcher of lemonade and she brought it to the table. Judy carried over a soup urn filled with steaming Campbell's Chicken & Rice and took her chair. Mother brought a large bowl of salad and Mary brought a fresh, oil & vinegar dressing. I suddenly realized that I had forgotten the salad dishes so I jumped up, hurried to the cupboard, and returned with a stack of small bowls. As soon as I sat down, Mother said grace.

As we began to eat, Maria kept stealing furtive looks at me. If I looked at her, she immediately shifted her glance elsewhere. Gina on the other hand, stared at me unabashedly. We talked about the beautiful church that we had visited that morning and the stroll through the park. I described the twins that we had met, for Gina and Maria, and then I told everyone about my walk with the two delightful little girls. Mother told the Marcoti sisters that we were going over to the Tri-County Shopping Center and asked them if they would like to go. They immediately said that they would love to go. Mother told them that they must call their mother and get permission first. As we cleared the table, Gina and Maria telephoned their mom, and received permission to go. Mrs. Marcoti thought the world of Mother, and would have withheld permission only if her daughters were being punished, or if they had family plans for the day.

I put on an apron, ran soapy water into the sink, and prepared to wash the dishes. I turned towards the table to see if they had all been carried over to the sink. Maria was standing right behind me and I almost bumped into her.

"Here are the last of the dishes, Darla," she said.

"Thank you Maria," I said. "By the way, I simply love that dress."

"Thank you Darla. My grandma sent it to me for my birthday." She stood there looking at me like she wanted to ask me something else.

I smiled at her, said, "Well, it's lovely and you look go great in it," then I turned back to the sink.

She stood there for a minute as I started to wash the dishes. She finally spoke up, saying, "Darla?"

I acknowledged her call for my attention by saying, "Yes?"

"Are you happy?" I half turned to her, holding my wet, soapy hands over the sink.

I smiled to her and said, "Maria, I'm happier now then I have ever been."

"You like being a girl?" she asked.

"Of course, silly," I said. "It's wonderful. My sisters and I have had such a terrific time this weekend. I wish that this weekend would never end." I turned back to the sink to continue washing the dishes and started telling her about last night's activities. I told her about our dressing up in the bride's maid gowns, with Susan wearing her new prom formal, and of Mother taking rolls and rolls of pictures. As I talked, she moved closer so that she didn't miss a word. Occasionally she would ask a question. I lowered my voice when I told her about climbing up on my father's lap, as he stretched out on his easy chair recliner, because I didn't want Mother or Judy to hear me talking about it. Maria leaned in close and put her hands on my shoulders for support so that she could hear everything clearly. When I finished my accounting of the event she started laughing. I told her not to repeat it to anyone and she said okay. Then as I told her about the tea serving test and she laughed again. I had completed the dishwashing and drained the sink so that I could rinse the soap off of the dishes.

Susan had come over, donned an apron, and started to dry the newly rinsed dishes and put them in the cupboard. When I had completed the story about the tea serving, she said, "My little sister served the tea perfectly. Not a single mistake that any of us could see." Then she told Maria about my acting like a hurt little girl, and my faked crying, when they had laughed at my looking to see if my slip was showing. By now Maria was laughing so hard that she had tears running down her checks. I had dried my hands and was standing with my back to the sink.

Maria took a tissue from her pocket and dabbed at her cheeks and eyes. She leaned over and hugged me, then stepped back, took my hands in hers, and said, "Oh Darla, I wish that I had been here. It sounds like you were all having such fun."

"We all can't believe what a wonderful actress my little sister is," Susan said. "We never suspected that she had so much talent. She's quite a woman."

Mother came over and said, "Okay girls, time to get going if were going shopping. It's one o'clock already."

Judy and Mary, with Gina's help, were just finishing cleaning the rest of the kitchen.

I hurried upstairs to use the bathroom. It seemed to take me forever to remove the panty girdle and then put it back on after I completed my toilet. Susan and Gina were waiting outside the door when I opened it. Rather then touch up my makeup in the bathroom, thereby tying it up, I went to the bedroom to use the makeup table and mirror. Judy, Mary and Gina were all trying to use it at the same time. I went down the hall and peeked into Mother's room, and saw that her table was free, so I ducked into there and did my touch up.

I sprayed some perfume and stepped into the faint mist. Then I walked back down the hall to go downstairs. Because of the tight slip, which restricted my legs, I couldn't lift my feet as well as I should and my heel caught when I was still three steps up from the bottom. I screamed and pitched forward. Fortunately, Gina was standing close-by. She jumped over and caught me. She held me while I regained my footing on the hall floor, and put weight on my ankles to see if I had sprained either. They felt okay and I turned my face up to hers to thank her. As I lifted my face, she bent and kissed me lightly on the mouth. She pulled back and said, "Easy baby, we don't want you breaking that beautiful little neck of yours."

Just then Mother came rushing into the hallway from the kitchen. "What's wrong? she shouted. "We heard you scream."

I told her that I had tripped walking down the steps but that Gina had caught me and saved me from being hurt. Mother bent and checked my ankles while I held onto Gina's arm for support. She had me alternately lift each one, while she asked if it hurt as she pinched and squeezed parts of the one that I had my weight on. Satisfied that there was no damage, she rose back up and hugged me. "Remember to always hold the railing when you're walking down stairs," she said. "Especially in heels. Gina, thank you for saving my little girl from injury." By now everybody was in the hallway, having come in response to my scream.  

"What happened Mommy?" Judy asked.

"Your little sister tripped coming down the stairs," Mother said. "No damage done, Gina happened to be standing near the bottom and caught her. If everybody's ready, we can leave now."

Everyone scurried to get sweaters and purses. I went to the hall closet and took mine from the hanger. As I stepped back, with the sweater in my right hand, putting the hanger back on the bar with my left, I felt the sweater being taken from my hand. Gina said, "Allow me." I closed the closet door and Gina stepped behind me and draped the sweater on my shoulders. Then she pulled me close to her and buttoned the top button while standing behind me. "I love that fragrance that your wearing," she said. Then stepping back, she rubbed her hands over my shoulders and arms as if smoothing wrinkles from sweater. I thanked her and retrieved my purse from the hallway table where I had left it earlier. The hallway started to fill up as everybody prepared to leave so I turned to walk out onto the porch. Gina opened the door for me, saying, "After you."

"Thank you, dear," I said.

"My pleasure, darling," she responded, and we giggled.

We waited on the porch in the wonderful balmy weather as everybody filed from the house and Mother locked the door. She led the way as we started down the porch steps. Remembering my last adventure, I moved over to the railing before starting down. Gina came to my side and took my free arm. I was hoping that she would not pull me along too fast as she had done earlier, but she let me set the pace. She was aware, naturally, that going down stairs in a tight skirt and heels is more difficult that going up. I swiveled my hips and body as I descended the stairs, and arrived at the bottom without mishap.

As we approached the car, I saw that Mother, Mary and Judy were getting settled in the front seat. Susan had slid into the rear seat followed by Maria and they were sliding over to make room for Gina and myself. Gina held my hand as I sat down on the seat and then I swung my legs into the car and slid over. Gina climbed in after me and pulled the door closed. It was a little tight in the rear seat with four of us. Gina was a foot taller than myself, so she raised up her left arm and put it on the seat back behind me. This gave us a little more room and made our seating a bit more comfortable. Mother asked if everybody was ready and if the doors were locked. When we all replied affirmatively, she started the car and we began our trip to the shopping center. As we went around a corner, the automobile tilted a little and the momentum caused us to lean in our seats. Gina's arm dropped to my shoulders for support. When the car resumed a straight path and the center of gravity returned to normal, she started to lift it, and then let it drop again. She left it there for the rest of the trip. I enjoyed the sensation of having her arm around my shoulders. It made me feel warm, and sisterly, as I leaned my head back against her arm.

We arrived at the shopping center and Mother found a parking spot that was really close to the stores. After exiting the car, we anxiously approached the stores. The shopping enter was a new design. In the past, stores were laid out in a long row, one after another, with common walls separating them. Called strip malls, because they were laid out in a strip, they offered only limited protection from the elements. Most malls had a projecting overhang to at least protect shoppers from rain or snow. This new shopping center, or mall as they were becoming known, was laid out in a unique way. Basically, it was 'U' shaped, with the opening of the 'U' faced the parking lot. The main 'anchor' stores, both enormous department stores, were at each end and formed the arms of the 'U.' The area between the two 'anchor' stores was some 300 to 400 feet long. The bottom of the 'U' was constructed like a regular strip mall with smaller stores, who shared common walls, extending from one anchor store to the other. In front of the 'strip', between it and the parking lot, were two clusters of small retail stores. An 'aisle,' some 40 feet wide, ran the whole length of the mall. When you stood in the main 'aisle' at one 'anchor' store and looked down to the other, you saw stores on both sides, except where the openings to the parking lot were. A single roof covered the whole main 'aisle' making the mall seem as if it was totally enclosed. It seemed like it should have been a simple matter to seal the three walkways to the parking lot and make the mall totally enclosed. The construction of the mall made it seem like a small village. Fountains, benches, and potted plants in the main aisle gave the area a comfortable feeling and people would meet with or 'hang' out with friends during mall hours.

We walked into the main aisle and looked around in an effort to decide where we would start our shopping. An array of dress, shoe, jewelry, and two department stores constituted our choices. We agreed to start at one end and work our way to the other until we were done or the mall closed. Barrett's Department Store specialized in clothing and women's clothing comprised the largest part of their inventory. We swarmed into the Girls/Junior Misses department like a swarm of locusts. This was my first clothes-shopping trip and I was a bit overwhelmed with the selections, colors, and fabrics available. I felt sorry for David. He would never be permitted to enjoy this experience. I knew from Susan that my size would be a Girls-12. My sisters, Mother, and the Marcoti girls had all been shopping together before. Since this was my first trip, they seemed to feel that I should receive most of the attention. I became their dress-up Barbie doll for the day. Dress after dress was pulled from some rack or other, and held up in front of me. If two or more of my companions thought that it would look good on me, I was sent into the dressing room to try it on. Usually, the one who selected it would come with me, to help speed my changing. Mother supervised, and sometimes vetoed the dress selections if she felt that they were inappropriate. Each dress was subjected to close examination by the waiting gallery. I was told to turn around, walk to and fro, or stand while my apparel was discussed.

My favorite outfit was a pink darted skirt and rayon blouse combination. I loved the way that it looked on me. Judy liked a floral print dress with a long skirt, tight empire bodice and big puffy sleeves. I thought to myself that all I would need is a parasol and I would look like I just stepped off a plantation in Georgia. Mary liked a creme colored sundress. Susan thought that a soft, green jersey was the best that we had seen. Maria liked an ivory dress with a scalloped neckline trimmed with lace, that Mother liked also, while Gina preferred a salmon, vinyl mini-dress. I loved all of them, and would have bought everything I tried on if I had been able. My sisters and Gina, and Maria all tried on their share of clothes. But I think that I tried on five for each one that they did.

After we had tried on about half the dresses in the department, we moved on to the Ladies department where mother became the model for a change. We scurried around selecting things for her to try on until I think that we made her dizzy. After about a dozen outfits, she said 'enough.' We put back the other dresses that we had pulled from the rack and as soon as she was dressed we moved on. We looked through the lingerie and hose, then spent some time at the makeup and fragrance counter. The salesgirls always smiled pleasantly at us even though our purchases were limited. But secretly, I'm sure that they were happy to see us move on. And so we continued through the mall in this manner. We made it all the way to the other department store before closing time. As we headed back to the car, we were tired but happy.

We chattered on incessantly about the wonderful clothes that we had seen and tried on. I had tried on a pretty pair of pink pumps, with two-inch heels, that would have gone perfectly with the pink skirt that I had liked so much at Barrett's Department Store. It was exciting when the young salesman in the shoe store took my leg in his strong hands and put the shoe on my foot. When I said I'd like to see how both shoes looked, he smiled at me and took my other leg in his hands. He put the shoe on my foot and then as he lowered it down, he lightly ran his fingers up the back of my leg. The sensation I received was like a small electric charge that tingled all the way up to my hip. I smiled at him and then stood up and walked around while my gallery commented on the shoes. I loved them, but had to tell him that they didn't feel right. I smiled at him and thanked him for his time as he took them off my feet. This time he caressed my other leg.

After we left, my sisters chided me for shamelessly flirting with the young salesman. I denied the charge and said that all I did was smile at him in a friendly manner. Mary said that any more friendly and he would have tried to drag me into the back room. I put on an aloof look, stuck my nose up in the air, and said that I really had no idea what they could be talking about. Judy came up to me, giggled at the look on my face, then turned serious. "Darla honey," she said, "we know that you're a wonderful actress. But you don't yet understand the effect that something as simple as a smile can have on a man. You smiled at that young salesman several times. When a pretty young woman smiles repeatedly at a man, who has not said anything witty to deserve it, he may interpret that as an invitation to get "closer." If you then rebuke him, he could get angry and call you a 'tease,' or turn violent. You must be careful with how you interact with men, especially now that you're at an age where sexuality will become an increasingly larger part of your life. Your innocence must turn to awareness. Do you understand, honey?"

"Yes," I said. "I think so. I'll be more careful."

"That's my girl," Judy said, as she put her arm around my shoulders and squeezed me.

It was seven o'clock when we arrived back home. After we exited the car, mother led the way up to the house since she had to unlock the door before we could go in. Because I was wearing the tight slip that restricted my leg movement, I followed up in the rear so that I would not slow everybody down as I climbed the stairs. Gina held back with me and lent me her arm. I really appreciated it because I was tired and I was having trouble climbing the steps. As I stepped up onto each step, I had to swivel my hips and my body to get my other leg up to the next step. When we got to the top, the rest of our entourage had already gone inside. Gina crossed her arms and said, "I don't know. You woman with your tight skirts and high heels and such. You can't even walk unless you have a man holding your arm and practically carrying you."

Remembering the last time we acted out this scene, I backed up, put both my hands on my derriere, and said, "Tch. And you men all just love it, having a helpless female relying on you. And you make us dress like this so that you have an excuse to pinch us while pretending to help us climb stairs, and such."

Gina came over to me, just like she did earlier, put her arm around my waist, pulled me close to her, and bending me back as if she was going to kiss me, said, "I don't need excuses to pinch you, you're my woman and I own you. And don't you ever forget it. Besides, hurting you is the last thing that I would want to do."

Because I was covering my tush with my hands, I felt secure that I would not get pinched again. I was also very off balance, being bent over backwards as I was and holding my hands behind me. I was trying to formulate a response that would not get me pinched again. I decided to act out the scene as if we were in an English medieval setting. I said, "Yes Milord, you own this worthless slave. I won't forget it, Master. How may I serve you."

Gina smiled at me. She shifted her hands where she was holding me bent backwards. I was already holding my arms behind me and she took hold of each of my wrists and pulled my arms into the small of my back. I thought that she was going to pinch me again anyway. I turned my head upwards to ask her not to, and I met her lips coming down to mine. Off balance, with my arms trapped behind me, and being clutched in the embrace of someone a foot taller than me and outweighing me by probably 30 pounds, I had no choice but to submit to a long passionate kiss.

When she pulled back, I said, "Gina, let me go. Somebody might drive by." She released me. Since there were no houses having a view of our front porch, I was not worried about someone seeing us from another house, but there was the danger of being seen by automobile traffic. People might misunderstand two young girls in a passionate embrace on a front porch if they didn't know that they were play-acting. I said, "That was much nicer that being pinched, Milord. Your worthless slave thanks you for not assaulting her posterior. Me thinks that we should enter the castle now before the palace guards lock the gates, Master."

Gina smiled at me and said, "Okay wench, leadith on."

I started to walk past her and she slapped my behind. It didn't hurt and I just giggled and said, "Oh Milord, thou art incorrigible."

We entered the house and removed our sweaters. Gina took mine, saying, "I'll hang it up for you, darling" and proceeded to the hall closet to put both sweaters away. I thanked her and went into the kitchen.

"Darla Anne," Mother said, "would you peel some potatoes please?"

"Yes, Mommy," I answered.

Gina had come in behind me and Mother said, "Gina, call your mother and tell her that we're back. I'm sure that your parents have eaten dinner already so tell her that you'll eat with us."

"Yes, Mrs. Drake," she answered, and then went to the telephone.

I had put on an apron, and retrieved the potatoes, the peeler, and a paper towel. Yesterday, Mother had had me peel over a paper bag because it was my first time using a peeler and expected a mess. I had actually held the potatoes and carrots down inside the top of the bag. But as an experienced kitchen assistant, I now worked at the counter as I had seen Mother and my sisters do.

Susan carried the dishes and silverware to the table where she and Maria set the table. Judy and Mother were preparing a bowl of salad, cutting lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, green bell peppers, cucumbers and onions. Mary was making a fresh vinegar & oil dressing. I finished peeling the potatoes, and cut them up into small pieces. I dropped them into the boiling water that Mary had gotten ready. While they cooked, I got out the mixer and bowl. Susan got out a package of frozen broccoli and prepared to cook it. Judy was now working on making fresh biscuits and Mother was everywhere, supervising the meal preparation like a chef in a fancy restaurant. I took the cooked potatoes, drained the water, and put them in the mixing bowl. With mother giving me directions, I added milk, a little butter, and a little salt & black pepper. Using the mixer, I mashed the potatoes, adding a little more milk, as needed, to make them soft and creamy. Mary completed the Kraft macaroni & cheese that she was preparing, and Mother announced that it was time to eat.

We carried the completed dishes to the table, removed our aprons and sat down to enjoy the repast. After Mother said the blessing, we started to eat. Normally, talking was subdued at our mealtime because Father liked to eat in virtual silence. But since he was working and wouldn't be back until after midnight, we carried on a non-stop verbal dialogue that at times seemed to rival a sporting event for noise level. Seven women can create quite a noisy environment when they all try to talk at the same time. We discussed the day's shopping and the clothing that we had tried on. We each selected an outfit and everybody commented on it. My favorite outfit was the skirt and blouse from Barrett's and the pink heels that I had tried on at the shoe store where I was accused of flirting with the young salesman. Everyone agreed that the skirt and blouse had looked wonderful on me. We all concluded that we had had a wonderful time and wished that we could do it again tomorrow. But tomorrow was a school day. After dinner, we began to cleanup. If four girls make cleanup faster and easier, then six girls should have it done in half the time. Instead it took far longer than usual, but we did have a great time. After we had finally finished, we set up a game of Scrabble on the kitchen table and played until nine o'clock. Mother came in and said Mrs. Marcoti had just called, and that it was time for Gina & Maria to go home. She once again reminded them not to mention anything about Darla Anne's visit.

We girls all walked out onto the porch to say our good-byes. Gina and Maria knew that David was returning tomorrow and this was a sad parting. Maria and I hugged, and kissed each other on the cheek. She said, "Darla, it's been wonderful having you with us the past two days. I feel like I'm losing a sister as well as a good friend. Take care of yourself and I hope that you can come back and visit again real soon."

I told her that I had had a wonderful time and would miss her as well. Gina and I hugged and then she bent me over backwards again as she had done twice before. I immediately put my hands behind me but not quickly enough to prevent her from pinching me. But the pinch was only a mild one and didn't hurt. Still I let out the obligatory "Oooch."

I heard my sisters and Maria laugh. She whispered in my ear, "Remember, you're my woman. I named you, darling, and I own you, my little slavegirl," and she kissed me on the cheek. Straightening us up, she said, "Goodbye Darla, I hope that you can visit us again." Gina and Maria turned and walked down the steps of the porch. They turned and waved as the darkness of the night swallowed them up. We returned their wave and then went back inside the house.

We walked back inside and went into the kitchen to put the Scrabble game away. Mother said, "Okay girls, bedtime. We went upstairs and started our nightly rituals. After we were in bed, Mary turned out the light. We talked in the dark for a while, and then we heard Father get home. He and mother were talking as they came upstairs. You could hear the excitement in his voice. Apparently his meeting had gone well. After they went into their room and closed the door, we could hear voices, but no longer understand anything that was being said. I lay there in the dark thinking about today's events, mostly about Gina.

I slowly drifted off to sleep and began to dream. In the dream, I was dressed in a harem girl's outfit, like you see in the movies, and being held captive in a room illuminated by oil lamps. My hands were chained together behind my back, with a chain running from my wrists to ankle chains that allowed my ankles just a few inches of freedom from each other. A metal collar was around my neck, and another chain led from it to a ring embedded in the wall allowing me only a few feet of mobility. I struggled against the restraints but my weak arms could find no give in the steel bands. Suddenly, the cell door opened and a massive guard entered. Without a word, he took a ring of keys from his belt and unlocked my chain where it was attached to the ring in the wall.

"Follow me, slave," he said, and led me down a corridor. I had to hobble as fast as I could move my feet to keep up with him because of the short chain between my ankles. He opened a door and led me in. The room was sumptuously decorated. There were Persian rugs on the floor and the walls, and tables loaded with dates and fruits, and jewel encrusted chairs lined the walls. The room was lit with a dozen oil lamps. The guard took me over to an enormous pile of silk pillows in the center of the room. He pushed me down onto the pillows and using the lock that he still carried, he attached my chain to a ring in the floor. "Your new owner will be here shortly," he said. "Don't go away." He laughed, and then he took the key ring and put it on one of the tables. I lay there for awhile trying to figure a way to get the keys but with my arms locked behind me, and my 'leash' padlocked to the floor, there seemed little chance. I could barely do much more than squirm a little.

I heard a noise behind me and struggled to see what it was. I saw the edge of a Persian rug push away from the wall and a figure entered from the secret doorway. The figure, which was dressed in a dark cloak from head to the foot, approached me. With the cloak's hood hanging over his head I couldn't discern the identity of the figure. A voice said, "I paid your former owner much gold for you today. You're my slavegirl now and there is no chance for escape. I own you and you will serve me faithfully or suffer the consequences, do you understand?"

"Yes, Master," I said. "I understand that you have purchased this worthless slavegirl from her former owner. She is your property now and she will do whatever you wish. How may she serve you, Master." He approached me and knelt on the pillows. As I lay helpless on the pillows, he lay down on top of me and began to passionately kiss me. I began to get aroused and kissed back. Then, my new master pulled the cloak back from his face. It was… Gina's face. Suddenly, I felt a bright light on my face.

I opened my eyes and realized that I had been dreaming and that it was morning. I thought about the dream that I had just been having. I tried to figure out if it had any meaning, and what the meaning might be.

I became aware that Susan was awake and looking at me. She said, "Dreaming of boys again, I bet."

I looked at her and said, "Not exactly. Why do you always think that I'm dreaming about boys? Is that all you dream about?"

"Pretty much. Don't be embarrassed, sis, all young girls our age, dream about boys all the time. At least that's what I hear. If the other girls at school are any indication, then it's true. Were you dreaming about that cute salesman form the mall yesterday?"

"No. I wasn't dreaming about any particular boy."

"Oh," she said, "a whole lot of boys then. Come on, spill it. If you can't tell your own sister than who can you tell."

I thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. I've never had a dream like this before and I wouldn't want anyone to think I'm weird or anything."

"Sis, dreams don't always have to mean something," she said. "They're just dreams. We all dream every night. It seems that when our body goes to sleep, our brain has to have something to do while it's keeping our heart pumping and all the other things that it does. Now, come on, quite stalling. Tell me."

"Okay, I dreamt that I was a slavegirl in Persia or someplace like that. I was wearing a sexy slavegirl costume. My hands were chained behind my back and my ankles were chained also. I had a steel collar around my neck and a palace guard chained me to a ring, mounted in the floor, in the middle of a large bedroom chamber. I was lying on an enormous pile of silken pillows. He told me that my new owner would be there shortly, and then he left. I struggled to get free, but my hands were chained with only a couple of inches between them, and my ankles were attached to my wrists. I could barely move. With my collar chained to the floor, I was totally helpless. Then a tall figure came in and approached me. He told me that he had bought me and he was my new Master. He got down on the pillows with me and started to kiss me. I felt something stir within me and I started to kiss back. Then….. I woke up."

"Wow, that's a great dream," Susan said.

"Then you don't think it's strange?" I asked.

"Strange? Sis, if that was strange then all the women of the world are strange. It's like a the old fairy tale about the princess imprisoned in the tower by the evil sorcerer and the prince in shining armor comes riding up and rescues her. Whether it's being kidnapped by pirates, taken hostage by Indians, locked in a dungeon by a powerful marquis, or sold into a harem in the middle east, we girls always fantasize about strong men dominating us and making passionate love to us. It's what sells romance novels by the ton to women readers around the world."

"But women don't want to be dominated by men anymore," I said, "They want to be free to express themselves and live their own lives. At least that's what I read in a newspaper article recently."

"Don't you believe it, sis, that's a bunch of hooey," Judy said from across the room, "Sorry to eavesdrop but I couldn't help it. I woke up and heard you talking." She got out of bed and came over to get in bed with us. "Some women are saying that nonsense, but most are not. And even the ones that are saying it, they call themselves 'feminists', don't really understand what they want. They all seem to want different things. Basically, things are very confused, and it's probably going to get a lot worse before it gets better. Men and women have to 'play' their roles. These roles incorporate the rules of society and nature. The feminists are trying to change some of the rules of society but will never be able to change the rules of nature. When the rules of nature come into conflict with the societal changes that the feminists want, the rules of nature will prevail. I predict that the feminists will eventually fail in most of their efforts. Nature will dictate how society evolves now that women have the right to vote and we've had half a century to even things out. Men are physically stronger and bigger than we are. We rely on them to do things that we can't do, or don't WANT to do. That is nature giving them a role. We, as the physically weaker sex, are the complement in a union with a man. We are better equipped to rear the children, and run the household. A household, like a corporation, will run best with just one boss. So we women allow our husbands to assume that role. We know that they are no more intelligent than we are, intelligence is not determined by sex. But they are by nature more competitive than we are. So nature wins out again, and we allow them to assume the 'top dog' position. By using our wiles we can usually get them to accede to our wants and desires. We're only submissive as part of our role, and only to our chosen mate. There will always be exceptions, of course. Some dominant women will find submissive husbands, but again there is only one boss. Do you understand, honey?"

"I think so," I said, "You're saying that when I dreamt of being a captive slavegirl, like we see in the old movies, that I was just fulfilling romantic desires. The captivity part is a natural desire to submit to a powerful mate who will love and care for me. It's okay to be submissive to a lover."

"Yes, as Mother says, you have to suppress your own ego in favor of your husband's, and you must be supportive and caring at all times unless your husband shows that he isn't deserving of your support and care. If a husband shows that he isn't deserving, then the relationship has failed and should be abolished. But you must make every effort to make it work up until that point. As an intelligent woman, if you make the right selection in a mate, your union will survive the test of time. We women, by our nature, really control the longevity of a marriage. Men are not very smart about romantic matters. As long as we can keep ourselves interesting and appealing, they will follow us like loving little puppy dogs while believing that they dominate us. If we should start to take that love for granted, however, we will lose them. If a man has a loving spouse at home, and his home is a place of joy and happiness, he will not LOOK for company in the arms of another woman. Some women may try to entrap him, of course. When they see a good 'catch', they will try to steal him away. You must always be aware of these women and don't blame your husband for insignificant dalliances, or they will gain a position to drive a wedge between you. If possible, don't confront your husband when you become aware of these women, confront the women themselves. That's the fastest way to end their flirtations."

"I'm certainly not going to chase after some man after he has cheated on me," Susan said.

"Suz," Judy said, "we all chase after men until the day comes that we let them catch us. If you have found a good man whom you love and who loves you, and you have done your best to make a wonderful home for the both of you, then you're certainly not going to just throw it away because some bimbo envies what you have and tries to steal him away. As I said before, men are not very smart in romantic matters. Their hormones drive them to do incredibly stupid things at times even though they may love us dearly. We women would be equally stupid if we let vanity wreck an otherwise good relationship. That is what the home-wrecker is looking for. She can then pop in and take over our man. If a pattern of such dalliances emerges though, then that is another matter. It indicates that the man is no longer deserving of our support and care, and the relationship should be ended. Be smart, keep your eyes open, and love your husbands with all your heart. In return they will love you and be faithful. Don't get paranoid and look for trouble, but watch out for troublemakers."

The bedroom door opened and Mother came in. "Time to get up girls. Father has already left for work. He has a great deal to do today and wanted to get an early start."

Judy went over and shook Mary gently until she sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Morning already?" she asked.

"Yes," Mother said. "It's time to get up and say goodbye to Darla Anne. She has to leave this morning."

The room went dead silent. I had forgotten about this morning. I sat on the bed and bowed my head. I started to weep. I didn't want to leave. Susan leaned over to me, and hugged me and then started weeping also. I became aware of Judy and Mary joining us on the bed.

"I had forgotten," Judy said. "I'm so sorry that you're leaving. I've loved having a new little sister so much that I can't begin to tell you. I love you Darla Anne and I'll miss you."

"Me too," Mary said. "I wish that you didn't have to go. I'd do anything to have you stay."

Then they too started to cry. Mother let us carry on for several minutes and then said, "Okay girls, pull yourselves together. Save some of your emotion to welcome your brother David back. Now start getting ready for school. Darla, time to go. Come with me."

I got up off the bed, and went over to Mother. I put my arms around her and started to weep again. My sisters all touched my arms and shoulders once more and then Mother led me out of the bedroom. She closed the bedroom door behind us and we walked across the hall to David's room. She opened the door and we walked inside. She took off my nightgown and training bra. She told me to remove my panties and, handing me a pair of David's jockey shorts and an undershirt, told me to put them on. After I had, we sat on the bed and she removed the nail polish from fingers and toes. She told me to lie down on the bed until I felt better, and she left. I went over to the bed and lay down. I missed the bra now that I no longer wore it. It was the first time in two days that I did not have one on. The underwear was coarse and stiff compared to my lovely panties and slips. I turned on my side and started to cry. I cried until I cried myself to sleep.

 

(Continued in Part 3)

 

 

 

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© 1999 by C. Sprite. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may be printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.