TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122j)

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122j)

We were awakened by a loud clap of thunder. I immediately expected to hear screams from our kids.  because they did not like thunder storms! But there was complete silence except for hearing rain against the windows. I got up and looked outside and the leaves of the tree right by our bedroom window were almost inside out. We looked at each other and decided that we’d skip church. We hadn’t planned on the kids staying over with Elle’s mother so they didn’t have their good clothes. (Remember... back in those days people, kids included, got dressed up for church.) Elle called her mother and they decided that it would be best to wait until the rain let up to go get them. That gave us some unexpected ”play“ time.

It was around mid morning when the rain turned to a drizzle. I’d been dreading contacting Celia and pretty much knew I had to do it that day. When Elle left I gave Celia a call. I’d not seen her in a few days but I could tell she was ”down” from the tone of her voice. With the cloudy, gray day, her kitchen looked even dingier than the last time I’d been in there. With only one light fixture in the middle of the ceiling and the outdated appliances it was depressing. I’d already told Celia that I asked the bank appraiser to take a look at her property so she knew why I was there. When I’d opened the envelope I was only looking for one thing... the dollar amount that he’d put on the property. I didn’t read though all eight pages. I handed the envelop to Celia and told her to turn to the next to last page. I watched as she read down the sheet and when she got to the bottom she looked up at me with the saddest eyes. I wasn’t expecting her to cry and she didn’t. She admitted that it confirmed what Vic, the real estate agent,  had told her. Then she turned to the last page. Robert, the appraiser, had written a personal note to me and after she looked at it handed it to me with an apology.

It was obvious that he thought I was in someway related to Celia. What it contained was his personal suggestions as to how I could get the property in better shape for an “as is” sale. After reading it myself I didn’t know what to say... or do. We sat there, looking at each other, and finally I asked her if she knew what the machinery stored in the garage was for. That was the biggest problem. She didn’t have any idea at all. There was a small, local, factory owned by a home town sports hero. I’d known him since I was a small boy but really hadn’t connected with him since buying the house. A thought went through my mind that I could ask him to look at it and give me an idea of what it was worth, if anything. As soon as I opened my mouth I knew I was involved... way involved!

As I walked home I took a look at the two other suggestions Robert had made in the note to me. One was to clean up the yard and trim the shrubbery planted around the house. The other was to get rid of the scrap metal piled up behind the garage. I’d been looking at that pile of junk since buying the house but hadn’t had the heart to say anything about it. Elle was home with the kids by the time I got back. I chose not to mention how I’d, more or less, committed myself to helping Celia. I figured that could wait for a better time.

The week leading up to Halloween was far more involved than I’d expected when Hobie asked me to be the bank representative for the Chamber of Commerce Halloween promotion. I thought that all it would entail was a few meetings. How wrong I was! I did more work for the Chamber than I did for the bank that week. One part of the promotion was for participating members to have some of their employees be dressed in costumes starting the Friday prior to and running through Halloween itself. With any number of younger people in the bank’s employ I didn’t think I’d have any trouble finding volunteers. I thought for sure Jerena, with her quirky ways, would be the first. But she didn’t and I watched as the others looked around for the first one to make the move. Finally, Jerena looked right at me and said that she would if I would. Talk about a surprise! I hadn’t given a thought to participating. But as soon as she said it the others started a chant. Katy stepped forward and also said she would if I would. Deena was the third and then I knew I was trapped.

The real problem was in figuring out who or what to be and what to wear. Elle, in talking with some of the mothers of her Brownie troop asked if they had any ideas. Since we lived right next to a potato farm one suggested that I go as a sack of potatoes. For some unknown reason I liked the idea. With our farmer neighbor I knew we could get some new burlap bags for my body and a smaller paper bag with mesh in the front for my head. Voila!

I got to the bank early as I didn’t want to wear the outfit to work and need extra time to change. Hank, the messenger custodian, didn’t start until 8:30am so I let myself in. It was a little after 8am when I walked across the lobby floor. It only took a few minutes to slip the costume on. I was looking at myself in the mirror located on the restroom door by my desk when I heard what sounded like “clinking” on the window of the back door. I walked out to see what it was and saw Jerena standing there with some sort of wire contraption and a big bag. She started laughing when she saw me and I know I blushed. I let her in and asked what the wire thing was. She said I‘d have to wait until she got dressed and smiled with that impish grin that she used when trying to be coy.

Back at my desk I saw her walk into the ladies room with her bag. About five minutes later she reappeared. From where I was it looked like she was a Pilgrim lady. Within seconds I heard her call me. I walked back to where the bookkeeping (computer) machine was located and saw her standing there holding the wire thing. With that impish look again on her face she asked if I could help her get it on. I didn’t even know what it was but I said “yes“. It was the hoop to hold her skirt out. I had no idea of how the thing worked and I watched as she put it up over her head and let it drop down over her skirt. I was really puzzled. Blinking her eyes in a flirting sort of way she said she needed me to pull her skirt out from under the wire and get it to fall over it. I know I hesitated before starting and then took a deep breath. I didn’t want her to see my face so I started in the back. As soon as I had most of the skirt up and over the hoop I could see her full backside... and what I was sure was a pair of the Carter’s Spanky Pants. Oh my heart! As pulled the skirt down over the hoop I remember hoping that I could contain my facial expression when I got to see her panties from the front. It was hard! Actually, I was embarrassed and she knew it. She was blinking her eyes in the same flirting way as before as I straightened the skirt out and she said ”Thank you.“ On the way back to my desk I was shaking my head. She was something else, for sure.

To be continued...  
  

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122i)

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122i)

The decision to put off showing Celia the appraisal until after Elle and I went to see the grand opening of the tennis academy was because I wanted to enjoy my time there and not be remembering the sadness that I knew would be Celia’s reaction. The kids, as usual, went to Elle’s mother’s house. We took off around 8am hoping to arrive at Fred’s in-laws by 10am. Being a Saturday we had no traffic and arrived to find their driveway just about filled with cars. I didn’t know what to think hoping that there hadn’t been a problem. Not to worry. Fred’s father-in-law was a major investor in the new academy and he’d invited some other investors over so they could all arrive at the same time. In a way it was sort of funny. I’d been to this house at least a half dozen times and to their Summer home an equal number of times and had never met the man. In fact, I’d only met the lady of the house twice. To say I was a bit intimidated was to put it mildly. It took a few minutes for Elle and I to connect with Fred and Liz and that took some of the pressure off. Shelly, Liz’s sister who was the manager of the facility, had already left to make sure everything was ready for all the hoopla. There was to be a big announcement right before the ribbon cutting and even Fred and Liz didn’t know what it was. There truly was a lot of excitement all around.

We all arrived at the facility around 11:30am. I felt somewhat like royalty as we were directed to a special parking place and then to a roped off area just to the right of the doors where there was a big red ribbon stretched across them. There was a photographer and what turned out to be newspaper reporters on the other side of the doors. When noon came there was a real air of excitement. Liz’s father moved over in front of the doors with the other investors following and began talking to the people who’d gathered. I couldn’t really hear him as he was facing the crowd but after a few minutes he called for one of the other people in our group to join him. The man was introduced and there was a loud cheer and clapping that followed. Fred and Liz couldn’t hear either. What it turned out to be was the man who was introduced was a very famous tennis player from Australia. He was hired to run the facility with a goal of training young tennis players and, with it having indoor courts, the training could go on year round. Right after all that was explained he called for two young females that had been in our group to join him. It turned out that they too, were from Australia. The man stated that he had persuaded them to come with him and were the first to sign up at the academy under his tutelage.. He closed by saying that they would be the ones playing in the exhibition match.

We learned a lot more about them after the ribbon was cut and the doors were officially opened. Still among the “elite”, we were led to a cordoned off area where the main tennis court was located. There were bleacher seats on one side and after we were seated it only took a few minutes for the area to fill up. Both of the girls were cute and were wearing really short tennis dresses. We were seated in the second row and about 20 feet from mid court... a perfect spot for peeks. They were introduced and their names were Kerry and Karen... and even though they were young (19 & 18), they were very good. This was the first time that Elle and I had actually witnessed a “real” tennis match and we were fascinated. On the one hand I was intimidated by how good they were but was actually inspired to think about actually trying to learn how to play the game for the sake of the game and not just for the panty peeks.

As invited guests Elle and I were included in the small cadre of people who got to meet the players. It was then that I realized that Kerry had been at the facility, practicing, when we’d been there the first time. Both the girls were very shy as were Elle and I in their presence. To top it all off we were included in the group who went to eat at a famous restaurant that was just down the street. Ironically, I’d been there back when I was in 7th grade. I’d been invited to one of my classmate’s birthday party and it was held at the same restaurant. His aunt owned it. It was during the dinner that we found out that Liz’s parents were sponsoring both the girls who had aspirations (and supposedly the talent) to be good enough to win one or more of the major women’s tennis tournaments. On top of that, Kerry was actually staying at their house. I was very impressed!

When we left home I fully expected to be back in time to eat supper. As it turned out we didn’t leave for home until after 8pm. Because we’d driven to the ceremony with Fred and Liz we were “captives” of a sort. Elle, because she didn’t know how the day was going to play out, chose to wear a full package; sanitary pad, heavy cotton panties, another pad and another pair of the cotton panties with a pair of plastic over them. The problem with wearing the plastic panties was that they didn’t “breathe” but it was a small price to pay to avoid embarrassment.

Elle survived without incident until the exhibition match was over. There was no chance for her to get to the ladies room and while we were waiting to meet the players she couldn’t hold it any longer. I knew she was about at her time limit and the way she was moving about as we waited told me what was about to happen. I knew she’d brought "spares" and actually had them in her pocketbook but when she finally made it to the bathroom to change it was very crowded. On top of that she noticed the space under the doors to the stalls was quite high and, to change completely she was afraid that people could see her taking her panties off and replacing them so decided to just pull the wet pads out and replace them. That meant that for the rest of the time we were at the academy she was in wet panties. However, I didn’t know that at the time. She didn’t complain and went with the flow. It wasn’t until after arriving at the restaurant that she was able to put on dry panties. I learned all the details on our way home. Before we left Liz’s parents house Elle took the plastic panties off. It was hard to concentrate as Elle had pulled her skirt up to let her privates “air out“, sitting there with her panties showing. Every time I tried to take a peek she’d tell me to keep my eyes on the road. Even though we were both tired from a long and exciting day we closed it out with some very private pleasures.

To be continued...  
  

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122h)

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122h)

As energized about creating the panties as I was there were other things that had to be addressed before taking the time to start on that project. One that was almost upon me was Elle’s birthday. I’d already given her the present that I'd bought for her birthday as an anniversary present and now didn’t have any idea of what to get her. For a change I wasn’t constricted by the lack of money. After depositing the loan money in the bank and paying off outstanding bills I actually did have some ”mad money’. It wasn’t much but at least I wasn’t in the position of having to put something off that needed to be done. The question was... what did Elle want. I checked our want/need list and there wasn’t anything of a personal nature on it for Elle.

The answer came to me in an unexpected way. When my father cleaned out my grandfathers house I picked up an old high wooden stool to be used at the counter that acted as a partition between the kitchen and the dining area. The problem in using it was that there wasn’t any place to put your knees so you actually had to sit sideways to the counter. So it sat, unused, in a corner. One of the guys at the party had asked why, when tending bar, I hadn’t used the stool. I showed him and he asked why I didn’t cut the area out under the counter. Elle was actually the one who had wanted the stool so she could sit while working on some of her projects but had found it difficult to sit sideways on it. Eating breakfast I stared at the space and wondered if what had been suggested was doable so I opened the cabinet on the other side and saw that Elle was only using the front area and there appeared to be plenty of room.

A second cousin was the foreman at the local lumber yard. On the way to work I stopped and asked if he could give me the name of a local handyman. I explained the project and he smiled and said he had the man for the job... his neighbor. He told me he’d have him call me that night. When I answered the phone all I heard was “Jonesey here!” Elle was right around the corner in the kitchen so I had to whisper. I needed him to look at what I wanted to do but didn’t want Elle to know until I knew if it could be done and how much it would cost. Elle had been called in to teach for the next day and usually left by 7:30am. I explained that to him and asked if he could stop by. He was more than willing and the next morning I got my introduction to “Jonesey“ at 8am, sharp.

Every town has a ”character“ or two and he, for sure, qualified as one. A cabinetmaker by trade, he also did handyman type work and this was right up his alley. $20 for the labor and he’d put the wood necessary to finish the job on my tab at the lumber yard. What blew me away was that he’d do it that day. Elle’s mother arrived to pick up daughter Kaye and I pleaded with her to stay at the house so Jonesey could do the work. Once I told her it was a present for Elle she agreed. As I left for work all I could do was hope that Elle would like it.

I couldn’t wait to get home and to see Elle’s reaction but I did stop to pick up the mail. There was a post card (remember them?) from my boarding school friend, Fred. It didn’t say much other than he and Liz had made the move to Connecticut and gave his new address and telephone number. I decided to give him a call after supper to see how things were going with his new business. Walking in the kitchen door I couldn't readily see what the new knee hole space looked like but when Elle saw me I immediately knew that she liked it. I was attacked with a big hug and kiss. I also knew that if the kids weren’t there I would’ve gotten even more.

Fred’s favorite word when under stress was “dissipated” going all the way back to boarding school. What he meant was that he was at his wits end and I’d known that for as long as I'd known him. I told him I didn’t want to bother him but it was clear that he wanted to talk. When we’d last seen he and his wife had taken us to a new indoor tennis facility that was being run by his sister-in-law. He told me the official grand opening was coming up that weekend and there was to be a tennis exhibition by two up and coming women players. He said that he and his wife were coming and asked if we wanted to go. It was a perfect additional present for Elle especially with Elle’s love of tennis.

The weekend of the party was also the weekend that Laura made the move from her aunt’s house to Peggy’s parents house. Even though I wasn’t involved in the physical move I was involved in putting it together and had a vested interest in how things went and would go in the future. I’d spoken to her upon her arrival at work that Monday and she was apprehensive about what it would be like actually living with, for all intents and purposes, strangers. I encouraged her the best I could advising her that she could always call Trish, her cousin . Before leaving that night I did confirm that last part with Trish though.

The fact that I haven’t mentioned much, if anything, about Celia in recent posts doesn’t mean that I wasn’t involved in her trials and tribulations. The last mention was about her concern over the low valuation she’d gotten from the real estate agent. The in house bank appraiser also lived in the same town as we did. But, it was more of a technical nature (post office) than physical. His house was far closer to the next village to the East so, other than for mail, he rarely came into town. Right after Celia had come to me concerning the valuation I ran into Robert at the post office and asked if he could/would do me a favor. I explained the situation and asked if he could do a casual “sidewalk” appraisal as I really wanted to help my neighbor. He was a very private person and hard to read. When we parted I wasn’t sure if he was going to do it or not. I’d not been consciously avoiding Celia and Elle had said that she had seen her a few times but hadn’t spoken to her so we didn’t know if anything had changed.

That all changed that week. I’m not sure which morning it was but on my chair when I arrived at my desk was a sealed manilla envelope. My name, hand written, was across the front. I unclasped it and pulled out what turned out to be much more than a casual appraisal. There was a total of eight pages, all typed, along with pictures. I quickly flipped through it looking for a dollar amount. What Robert had done was to look at the property as if the bank was going to make a mortgage on it. When I got to the page with numbers it confirmed what Vic, the real estate agent, had come up with. In it’s present condition the most money the bank would loan was $8,000. That meant the maximum value was $10,000, pretty much what Celia’d been told. I held the papers in my hand and felt really bad for her. I wasn’t looking forward to giving her the bad news.

To be continued...
  

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122g)

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122g)

As I remember it there were a few more to go after I had my turn. When it was all over the women drifted back to the living room while the guys stayed out in the kitchen. Actually, there were two separate groups with Fritz, Bob and Johnnie standing over in front of the door. They were talking about boats and sailing while the other group, Rob, Jon and Frank were talking local politics and in front of the kitchen sink. I was between the two cleaning up what was the "bar" area. Elle had put her panties on the counter by the door into the dining room and I was surprised that none of the guys, especially Rob, hadn’t gone over to inspect them closely. When I finished up I joined the group talking sailing (naturally) in time to hear Fritz say that he was going to buy a new Sunfish sailboat as a Christmas present for his family. We chatted for a while and then I saw Pat walk by to get some water. I didn’t pay much attention to her at first but when she headed back towards the living room she hesitated over by where the panties were lying. I watched her pick both pair up and look at them closely. That puzzled me.

She didn’t stay all that long and we got back to talking boating. It wasn’t long before we could hear Rob, getting louder and louder, trying to get his point across. It was obvious he was agitated and the liquor was kicking in. He was in Frank's face and, since he was much bigger, Frank was obviously uncomfortable. Jon was trying to clam him down when Jill, Rob’s wife, came running into the kitchen. Even though she was tiny in size, especially as compared to Rob, she grabbed his arm and pulled him away. For all intents and purposes, the party, such as it was, was over.

With them leaving, Jon and Ginger followed right behind. Then it became a parade. The last to go were Johnnie and Sandy. There was a storm door as well as the door into the kitchen and it was sometimes awkward when leaving. I’d gone outside to hold the storm door and bid my good nights from there. When Johnnie came out Sandy didn’t follow. I took a look and saw her talking with Elle. With the wait Johnnie decided to bring me up to date on the basketball team he was putting together. The last he’d heard was there would be six teams and we’d play ten games. They would start in December and go through March. He now had eight guys including the two of us and it included the varsity basketball coach. It was all very interesting except I was getting cold so invited him back in. As soon as I started inside he called out to Sandy that he was leaving. She appeared, almost instantaneously. 

Elle seemed more animated than usual when I stepped inside. I asked why she was so ”bouncy“. Actually, she didn’t know where to begin. She was holding the shorts that she’d loaned Sandy and I thought what she had to say concerned them. I remembered seeing something down in her crotch area when Sandy had finished walking on her hands and was leaning against the wall. But it wasn’t that. Pat had taken her aside and asked where she’d gotten the panties that she’d shown everyone. I immediately thought back to when I’d seen Pat ”inspecting“ them. I asked Elle what she said and she had a smirky smile on her face. I waited for her to tell me and she just stood there, smiling. Finally, she said she told Pat that they were a gift from me... which was the truth. Then she said Pat had told her to tell me that I had ”good taste“. I remember standing there and blushing a bit.

We went about cleaning up and Elle laid the blue shorts on the counter over the washing machine. I was still curious about the ”shadow“ that I’d seen in the crotch when Sandy was wearing them. I waited until she went into the living room and gathered them up to take a look. Sure enough, there was a dried stain right in the middle of the crotch area. The only problem was that Elle walked back into the kitchen while I was looking at them. I don’t remember what I said or did but, for sure, I was caught ”red handed“. I do remember her walking up to me and taking the shorts and throwing them into the washing machine. It was a few minutes later before anything was said and it was Elle. She was a bit upset with me and sort of spit out something like ”Yes! Sandy did have a little accident! Are you satisfied now?“ At that point I knew I couldn’t get myself into any more trouble so asked her when she'd had it. She snapped right back that it was when Rob kissed his brother. That really had been funny and everyone was breaking up with laughter. It also reminded me that she (Sandy) had had similar incidents before. In fact, when at the Community Picnic, she’d wet herself multiple times and had ended up wearing Elle’s clothes. Following that, Elle and I had discussed Sandy’s situation so I asked Elle why she was so upset with me. She couldn’t give me an answer.

Not wanting the let the issue die I questioned Elle on something that she’d said to me following that discussion. I’d asked why Sandy didn’t do what Elle did and that was to wear a couple of cotton panties and was told that she didn’t like them. I was sure I’d said something about incorporating the cotton panties into a pair of nylon ones. When I broached that with Elle all I got back was a puzzled look. I stood there knowing I’d given the idea some thought and was sure I’d run it by Elle. She told me I was imagining things but, she did give me an opening by asking what my idea was.

Even though it was after 11pm I took one of the fancy panties that were still on the counter and turned them inside out. I spread them out so the crotch area was prominent. I showed her where a small cut could be made along where the two pieces of crotch material were attached. I told her that  cotton material like that in her Carter's Spank Pants could be inserted. She had her face all scrunched up like my idea was weird. But, I wasn’t deterred and, now that I knew I’d told her about it, was determined to make up a pair just to show her. That’s all I remember about that but I do remember that she was still upset with me enough that there was no ”hanky panky“ after we got to bed even with no kids in the house.

To be continued...
  

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122f)

TIME MARCHES ON...  changes (Part 122f)

The party started out like most parties with the guys in one room and the ladies in another. However, Elle cut that short insisting that we all be together so that Sandy and Johnnie could be "introduced properly“. They had to endure an ”inquisition“ of sorts, mostly from the women. We heard them tell where they came from, their interests and goals. On the latter all the ladies wanted to know was when they were going to have kids. It was a fairly quiet party with Lisa, Rob’s wife, keeping Rob’s drinking somewhat in check. I’d learned my lesson at the first party we’d hosted when Rob polished off a half bottle of bourbon when I’d not paid attention with everybody fixing their own drinks. This time I was the designated bartender.

It didn’t take all that long before Pat and Phyl took over. It was very obvious that they had a planned agenda and I was a target. Even though the next school board election was eight months away they were on the prowl for candidates and I was the first one on their list. Talk about blindsided! I’ve written in earlier posts that I’m apolitical and. as such, avoided getting too involved. Helping Jon in his campaign was my first hands on involvement and, when the dirty politics came into play (the late telephone calls by his opponent with blatant untruths) really turned me off. So, I started backpeddling immediately. Elle, thankfully, came to my rescue and I think it was Jon who said that it was way too early. Following that short discussion Rob spoke up and reminded everyone that this was a party, not a meeting.

Someone suggested that we play a game. Twister was out because it belonged to Phyl and Bob and they hadn’t brought it. When charades was suggested there was group moan. I don’t remember who said we should play Truth or Dare. I’d not heard of it but when it was explained it sounded like the old Truth or Consequences radio and TV show. It seemed innocent enough when we started but it didn’t take long for a definite change in direction.

To start we all picked a number out of a bowl to establish the order of participation. I certainly don’t remember all the questions, responses and dares as there were a dozen people present. But I do remember a few... with Rob’s question to Ginger creating the first ”interesting“ one. The first few had been pretty mundane but when Ginger stood up it all changed. Rob, her brother-in-law, had a silly grin on his face when he threw it out at her. She was asked to tell about her most recent embarrassing incident. Her face changed color immediately and she looked around as if she was looking for a place to hide. Rob kept on her, goading her with little hints. Finally, she asked if she could change her mind and take a dare. Rob didn’t want her to but the women were on her side and she was allowed to do it. Rob wanted to come up with one but, again, the ladies came to her rescue. They finally dared her to sing. I remember her claiming she didn’t know the words to any songs. The ladies threw out the names of a couple of pop songs and she attempted (that being the operative word) to sing. If the purpose of the game was to embarrass people it sure worked on her.

I remember Johnnie chose a dare straight away. One of the women wanted him to recite the alphabet backwards. I have to admit I was impressed when he did it with few mistakes. Ginger was waiting for Rob. It had been decided that since Ginger was allowed to change her mind after hearing the question that others could do the same. However, the participants could only make one change. I don’t remember the question Ginger asked Rob but he clearly didn’t like it. It wasn’t Ginger who came up with the dare but his brother, Jon, did. He had to pick out another guy in the group and kiss him. It didn’t faze him one bit but the guys, me included, were very uncomfortable and protested, mightily. The women were laughing, almost uncontrollably as Rob started walking around the room. But Rob, by far, was the funniest, male or female, made the whole thing a big deal and ended up picking his brother to kiss.

One of the things that Sandy had told everybody when she was introducing herself was that she could walk on her hands. When it was her turn she chose not to answer the question which made a dare mandatory for her. She was very clearly nervous as she waited to hear her fate. But, Phyl, her neighbor, rescued her somewhat and dared her to walk on her hands. The problem was that she was wearing a  skirt (short) and she stood there shaking her head. It was Elle who jumped up to say that she could do it if she was wearing shorts and that she had some that should fit. A quick trip upstairs brought forth a blue knit pair. I was happy to see them because I knew they could possibly lead to a nice VPL. Sandy tried to get out of it even with the shorts in her hand but it was now the women who were clamoring for her to perform.

Our kitchen was big and long, probably twenty feet, so we all went out there to watch. The shorts weren’t as tight on Sandy as I’d hoped but at least there was a chance that if she fell over I might get my sighting. She started at the far end and headed back towards the living room. It was pretty impressive. She stopped when she got to the wall by the door and just flopped down ending up leaning against the wall. She pulled her knees up to her chest as we all applauded her performance. I only got a quick peek between her legs and at first I thought it was a shadow. However, when she went to get up the ”shadow“ was still there even though the light was now coming from a different direction. Thinking that she’d ”leaked“ I felt the start of a soft bulge.

With everybody in the kitchen and where the liquor was located, it was time for refills. While I was busy mixing drinks the others decided to continue the game while we were there. It was Elle’s turn to go next. I had come up with a question in my mind for her and she pretty much knew it so chose to take a dare. My question wasn’t all that embarrassing but she didn’t want to take the chance. Rob, who was now showing some of the effects of his drinking came over to her and dared her to show her undies. When I heard that I was embarrassed for her and was probably blushing as well. Even though we were at home she decided not to take a chance with wearing just panties and had put on a partial ”package“. That meant she was wearing a sanitary pad, panties and with a sanitary panty over them. I was sort of holding my breath as I waited to see what she’d do. I was totally surprised as she started for the hallway and the stairs saying that she’d be right back. She was back in just a few minutes and in her hand were a couple of panties. She stood in the middle of the floor and held them up for all to see. I could see that the first pair were fancy panties  because of the lace. I was truly impressed with her quick thinking. I tried to read Rob’s face and I’m sure he was disappointed that Elle hadn’t just lifted her skirt.

I got off easy. I took Truth and, I guess it was that I’d done some semi dangerous things, I was asked what was the most frightening thing I’d experienced. I’m sure they were expecting something from racing the stock car but it wasn’t. It was during a thunder storm when I first started racing my sailboat. I swore the lightning flashes that were all around me were going to hit the mast of my boat. I didn’t admit it to them but I actually pissed myself. No one ever knew because I was totally soaked from the rain.

To be continued...  

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122e)

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122e)

It was a relief to know where the catalog had gone to. However, that knowledge didn’t help me to concentrate on the Chamber meeting. I was hoping that the meeting wouldn’t last all that long and I’d have time to thumb through it before leaving for home. The meeting was to finalize details on a Chamber sponsored promotion for Halloween. Since I knew absolutely nothing about it prior to arriving my presence was muted. Hobie had given me no information so I couldn’t offer much in the way of support. I did agree to participate prior to leaving but wasn’t really sure just what that entailed. As I walked out the door all I could do was hope that it had been the right decision.

I’d driven my car to the meeting even though it was held within walking distance so when it was over I could go right home. But, I did sit in the car and look through the catalog and I was impressed. It appeared that the company was way better than his previous one. I had already purchased a couple of the panties from a retail store in the city and I really liked them and I believed that Elle did as well. As I put the catalog back in the briefcase I knew I’d remember that it was there. All I had to do was to pick out some items for Elle to try and then to call Willie.

I’m pretty sure it was that week that I finally got through to him. I probably should’ve waited a bit longer because he still wasn’t settled into his office. He wasn’t in a position to write down the catalog numbers that I’d selected but, to appease, me he said he’d put some things in the mail. He told me to call again after I received them and after Elle had a chance to wear some of them. I could tell he was busy but he was still able to be cordial.

I’d promised to help Big B get his sailboat out of the water and stored for the Winter and on Saturday I showed up at the marina where he docked it. I quickly saw why he said he didn’t need any help. With the exception of my brother all of the ”unmarrieds“ were there. I knew one of them, an insurance agent who’s office was right down the street from the bank. Pete was a short, hyper guy who never seemed to stop moving. Martin was a recent college graduate, looking for a job. Steve, as it turned out, was a cousin to Jon (the milkman) and worked in the city but spent weekends locally. There was one other person there and that was Pete’s girlfriend, Babs. The reason I mention her was that she was very cute and someone I’d met more than a dozen years prior when I was still a teenager. I’m not sure if I wrote about her or not (it was too far back for me to take the time to look it up) but I had seen her a few times around town since buying the house. In any case there were enough people there to get the job done.

It took less than an hour to get the boat on the trailer and cleaned up. Since I’d told Elle I wouldn’t be home for lunch I joined the others at a small restaurant/bar that was their usual hangout. They were a raucous group and seemed to have a lot of laughs at each other’s expense. Before leaving I was asked if I wanted to go on the ”excursion“. I had no idea what it was and probably shouldn't have asked. It turned out to be an annual fishing trip where they used Pete’s father’s boat. They pitched it to me as a ”must attend“ affair and when I hemmed and hawed ”B“ said he'd talk to Elle about it for me and for the others to count me in. I wasn’t sure what was ahead for me.

”B’s“ parents property was quite deep and his father had decreed that the boat be stored in the very back so it couldn’t be seen from the street. The only time all of us were needed was to maneuver and push the boat back to where his father directed we put it. The property was bordered by a low chain link fence and right behind the boat was one of my favorite sights... a T pole wash line with some panties on it. I had to be very careful with my looking what with so many other people around, especially Babs. I don’t remember any thing special about what I saw but it surely was refreshing.

Elle and I had missed the September meeting of the ”group“, the name that had been grudgingly accepted for those of us who had campaigned for Jon (the milkman) to be elected to the school board. I’m not sure how we were selected to host the October party but we were. Elle wasn’t sure how many people were coming but did know that Pat and Phyl had invited Sandy and Johnnie. Even though they were the only ones without children. Pat felt that having a teacher in with the ”group“ would be good. Her ”cause“ was to replace the board members who’d been there for over 20 years and had no children in the school. Once that was accomplished it was to replace the principal who had been there longer than Elle and I had been alive. She’d come up with some statistics that showed our school district had a lower percentage of graduates going on to college than the two contiguous districts. The curriculum hadn’t changed in about eight years. Jon was her first ”victory”. With him on it for the next three years her next job was to get additional ”progressive“ thinkers with kids in attendance to help him out.

With help from my father we had an adequate supply of the ”hard stuff“ and I’d gotten some cheap wine for Pat and Nanci. Because the beer drinkers had their favorite brands they brought their own. Each couple would bring a bag of snacks so, in the end, we weren’t out much money which made it less of a burden. I showered as Elle delivered the kids to her mother’s house. I was dressed when she got back. My last duty was to make sure the den was picked up meaning the desk was cleared and everything in the room was in place while she was changing clothes. The birthday party for Anne had been the previous weekend and the Polaroid pictures from it were still on the desk as was the camera itself. I gathered them all up, camera too, and headed upstairs to ask Elle where she wanted to put them. She was pulling on a pair of panties when I walked in. The first thing she saw was the camera and she blurted out ”NOT NOW!“. If she hadn’t said anything I probably wouldn’t have even thought about taking a picture. But, with the thought now embedded in my brain all I had to do was drop the pictures on the bed and pull the camera bellows open... which I did. She wasn’t happy with me but just gave me a ”look“ and continued to get dressed.
                                             

Note the "Fancy Panties" 

   To be continued...

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122d)

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122d)

I know you’ve all been put in the same position I was in. Even though I worked for a bank that made mortgage loans I didn’t know enough about valuations to give her what she wanted... some hope that Vic’s appraisal was wrong. Since he lived on the commission from the sale of houses I knew that, if anything, his price might even be a little high. I don’t remember what I said but when she disappeared back through the hedge she was one unhappy woman. I was really at a loss. I felt sorry for her but had no idea of what to say or do.

After lunch I got a call from Johnnie (Sandy’s husband) saying that he’d collected six other guys for the town team basketball team he wanted to start and wanted to have a meeting. I hadn’t mentioned anything to Elle about it waiting to find out if it was going to happen. Since it apparently was for real I knew I had to face the music. I waited until she was finished cleaning up before approaching her and when I told her I couldn’t believe her reaction... there was none. It turns out that Sandy had told her. We talked about it a bit and her only concern was that it didn’t get to be an every night thing. She acknowledged that, since selling the racecar, I hadn’t had a group of guys to hang out with and she thought it would also be good for me to get some exercise. Talk about a positive! I couldn’t wait for the meeting and to meet the guys Johnny had recruited.

The weather had gotten cold and windy so the kids were playing inside. The two older ones got into some sort of a disagreement and, when told by their mother to stop, didn’t. To separate them Elle sent Anne upstairs and had Jean sit on the couch. It was unusual for them to fight and I wanted to talk with Anne to find out what was behind it. When I got upstairs I found her not in her room but playing with her dolls with the door to the attic open. The first thing I saw was the box with my “stash“ in it sitting on the second or third step. The sight of that box took my breath away. It took a few seconds to collect my thoughts and to turn my attention back to Anne. Even though being sent to her room wasn’t a common occurrence I knew that she knew she was to get up on her bed and wait until told to come back downstairs. I didn’t have to say anything for her to scamper back into her room where I scolded her. I think I’ve indicated in previous posts that she was the chance taker of the two. She wasn’t happy with me but didn’t protest all that much.

I grabbed the box and ran up to the top step and left it there, vowing to remember to finally get the thing up into the attic. I couldn’t believe that I’d forgotten about the box, especially since it contained such ”sensitive“ material. I know I was perspiring as I went down to Elle to report on Anne. It also triggered the thought about the lingerie catalog that Willie had sent me and I had to really think about what I’d done with it. Before it came to me I was back downstairs so told her about finding Anne playing instead of on her bed. Her only response was that next time the girls misbehaved it would be Anne who would stay under her watchful eye. I happened to glance at Jean as Elle spoke and saw a bit of a smile on her face.

It was when I finally sat down to relax in the reclining chair that my thoughts went back to the missing catalog. I remembered quickly flipping though it but couldn’t remember exactly when or where. It both bothered and puzzled me. I did remember my friend Willie saying that he’d be settling in at the new company right after the first of October and that he’d open an account for me. That was all well and good but where was the catalog?

The check with the proceeds from my loan against my trust fund arrived on Saturday which meant I couldn’t do anything with it since the banks were closed. Elle and I had agreed to put half of it aside for Christmas and I’d figured out that about $250 would take care of our outstanding bills. There was one thing overhanging my plan and that was, with cold weather coming, I needed to fill the fuel oil tank. The tank held 550 gallons and one of the customers at the bank owned a fuel oil company. He’d stopped at my desk a while back and said that if I bought over 400 gallons at one time he’d take 2 cents per gallon off the price. His price was the best in the area and that offer made it even better. I wanted to have a little ”rainy day“ money but the practical side of me said it would be best to have a full fuel tank going into the Winter. By the time I went to bed my ”rainy day“ fund was almost non existent... but there was still a little bit left.

Monday morning ended up being a little chaotic. It was the last day of the ”busy period“ which meant that deposits made on that day got interest from the first of the month... a 10 day ”gift“. I was surprised at just how many people were waiting outside the door when I walked up. I really wanted to see Trish and/or Laura to hear just how the meeting with Peggy’s parents had worked out but Hobie was waiting for me at my desk. By the time he was through with me there were at least a half dozen customers waiting to open accounts. It was good for business but not for my psyche. When I finally got a minute with Trish she told me I had to talk with Laura to get answers and she was still working on the second floor. Lunch hour was still over an hour away and it took what seemed like forever for it to come.

Laura was, for her, still very excited for how the meeting went. At James’s house she found that his wife and her mother had worked together on some church committees. She would be sleeping in Peggy’s room  to see just how the arrangement was working and if it went well that she’d move into the ”guest“ room and could decorate it as she wanted. She told me that it was going to cost her $10 a week for food. When she told me that she thanked me for allowing her to put off paying the money she owed me. It was the only way it was going to work for her. I asked about ”wheels“ and Trish had agreed to pick her up and drop her off each day so that pretty much covered it. I was really happy for her but probably no where near a happy as she was. Failure to find a place to stay would’ve meant returning to live at home and working on the farm.

What Hobie had called me aside for had to do with a Chamber of Commerce promotion for Halloween. He’d designated me a his surrogate for this project. There was an organizational meeting at 4pm that day and he wanted me there. It was not good news. I made a half hearted attempt at passing it off to Bret but Hobie wanted me. On one hand, it was good but, on the other, I had my hands full without the added chore. Not knowing what to expect at the meeting I grabbed my briefcase as I was about to leave. Unless I had a project to work on at home I seldom ever used it. However, as soon as my hand touched the handle I knew where the lingerie catalog had disappeared to.

To be continued...

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122c)

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122c)

Elle was ready to tell me about Celia the minute I walked in the door but I certainly wasn’t ready to hear it. I told her I needed some time to relax plus I wanted to bring her up to date on the situation with Laura and Peggy’s parents. After a quiet supper we set the girls up with a craft type project that my mother had given Anne on her birthday. Kaye was happy to be scribbling with crayons so I went over the current status at the bank. I could read from her reaction that she thought it was a good thing for everybody involved. At that point I told her I was ready to hear about Celia’s decision even though I really wasn’t.

I’ll try to condense it: After paying for her husband’s funeral and burial she had no money in the bank. His death meant the end of his monthly government checks and there was little else coming in. The property tax bills were due to be mailed out at any time and were due to be paid by the end of the year. She’d never worked, having had to care of her invalid husband, so she had no work skills. Then, she still had to care for Sophie. The only choice she felt she had was to sell the house and it was in her name, free and clear. When she talked with her sister while visiting her after the funeral it was suggested that she and Sophie could go and live with her.

Elle wanted to know what my thoughts were on her decision. As I stated earlier, my brain was frazzled and I wasn’t sure I should comment. But, Elle persisted saying that Celia was pretty desperate and had asked if I could recommend a real estate agent to list the house with. Because I was tired I sort of snapped at Elle by saying that she knew the only one that I knew... her old high school teacher, Vic, who had handled the sale and transfer of our house. I thought that was the end of it.

On Friday, I was anxious all day wondering how the meeting of Laura with Peggy’s parents would go.  What made it worse was that there was no easy way for me to find out the result. During the day I kept sneaking a look at Laura trying to discern if she was nervous. If she was she didn’t show it. I got a chance to talk with Trish before the end of the day and asked if she could call me with the result if she were to find out. She said it would probably be on Saturday as she had a date that night. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I knew I could've asked Laura to call but felt that was a little presumptuous. It made for a long evening and night.

The leaves were falling from our trees like rain. There were three humongous maple trees and when I looked out the kitchen window Saturday morning there was no lawn, only leaves. Elle was preparing for Anne’s postponed birthday party so I was going to be on my own with the leaves. John, the farmer neighbor, had told me that it would be OK to just rake the leaves out into his farm so that’s what I started doing. It was about mid morning when Elle came out to tell me that there was a call for me. I remember standing in front of the phone and taking a deep breath before speaking. It was Trish and she had good news. She told me she’d give me the details at work on Monday. That was all I needed to hear on that subject.

I’d was glad for the respite as my arms and shoulders were beginning to ache. It was actually discouraging to look at how little I’d accomplished as I picked up the rake again. Elle had wanted at least the very back yard cleared so she could run one of the games she'd planned for the kids outside. The party was scheduled for 2pm and when the fire siren went off at noon I was only half way across the back... and I could hardly lift my arms. I took a break to eat and before I went back outside I saw Big B’s car pull up. He greeted me by asking if I needed a hand. His timing was perfect and, more important, he made a suggestion to expedite the process... a tarpaulin that we could use to drag the leaves out onto the farm. He got in his car and was back in no time at all. With his help and the tarp, the back was cleared by the time the guests started to arrive. When Elle walked out and saw what we’d done it was obvious she was surprised and happy.

The two of us continued to rake leaves onto the tarp until the party was over. I had no idea how to thank ”B“ for his help and when Elle came over to us after the last of the party goers had gone she gave him a hug, such as it was. (How do you get your arms around a person who was over 300 pounds?) She insisted that he stay for supper. He tried to decline the offer but finally relented saying that he would do it only if he could go home and get a couple of venison steaks.  I’m smiling as I write this because the look on Elle’s face was a Kodak moment, for sure. ”B“ assured her that venison tasted a lot like regular steak but the look on her face barely changed. Then he offered to cook them for her in a manner that he assured her that she’d like. I jumped in saying something along the lines of how it’d be fun to try something different. Elle still wasn’t sure as ”B“ headed off to get the steaks.

The taste was a bit ”gamey” but still good. Cooking was just one of “B’s” many talents. We both got to know a lot about him that evening. We were both pleasantly surprised when he offered to play a board game with the kids without either of us participating. It turned out that he had two nieces about the same age as our two oldest. After the kids were in bed he stayed and told us about his job, family and interests. The one thing he never mentioned was car racing for which I was thankful. As he was leaving I offered to help him get his sailboat out of the water and winterized. He told me that it wasn’t necessary but that he was going to do it the following weekend. I vowed I’d be there. Later, in bed, it was obvious that he’d definitely won Elle over as she actually raved over his cooking skills and admitted that she enjoyed the venison along with his company.

I had the feeling that I’d be hearing from Celia and it was soon after we returned from church. We hadn’t even gotten to the door when she appeared at the break in the hedge, calling out to me. The frown told me there was a problem. Elle and the girls went on into the house as I waited to hear what she had to say.

Vic, the real estate agent, had come to look at her house on Saturday. She insisted that she liked him, but... After looking the property over and taking notes and measurements she said he told her he’d get back to her with a value on it. Evidently, he’d called and she thought the amount was way too low. I had no idea what it would be knowing only what I’d paid for my house not quite a year earlier. When she told me... well, I knew it wouldn’t be up around what I’d paid ($25,000) because of the condition it was in but even I was shocked when she said $10,000 to $11,000.

To be continued...

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122b)

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122b)

After a pleasant ”celebration“ in bed we both fell asleep... a very deep sleep. In the euphoria that followed our fun Elle failed to set the alarms that she used to wake herself up during the night and to get me up in the morning. Aside from the wet bed we found in the morning we had a bit of panic on our hands... there was no way the girls could make the school bus and I was going to be late to work. Since I was already late I volunteered to drop them at school and then head off for work. There were three roads I could take; the North road; the main road or the boulevard. The North road was the fastest but, because of the time I'd normally leave (8am) I’d run into school busses. The main road was the most consistent and the boulevard was the slowest but most scenic. Being late I chose the North road. There was a three mile section of it right outside the town limits that was perfectly straight that ran through farm lands and I could go at least 80mph. There was a stop light at the end of that stretch and as I stopped I smelled something. I checked my dash instruments and saw the temperature was pegged at the top. I pulled over and lifted the hood. It only took a few seconds to see the fan belt was missing. It’s a simple fix if you have a spare belt... but I didn’t. Being right at the edge of town I decided to just head for James’ service station.

When I saw James in the office as I pulled up I felt bad. I’d had it in mind to follow up on what Darren had told me about Peggy running off and getting married but hadn’t. When I walked in the door it wasn’t the same old James. The big toothy grin was gone and he looked tired. He acknowledged me and, not knowing just what to say, I asked how things were going or something mundane like that. He, obviously, didn’t know That Darren had filled me in so proceeded to tell the whole story. Even though I was now very late I let him go on. Finally, I looked at my watch and he, thankfully, asked what I needed. I told him but also said that I desperately needed a ride to work. On the way there the silence was uncomfortable. I really don’t remember exactly how I phrased it but asked how his wife was doing. His answer was quick and emphatic... Not well and that he was very worried about her. I quickly realized I’d touched on a sore spot but didn’t know what to say or do to get out of it. I just sat and listened and tried to take it all in. By the time I got to my desk I was an hour late.

I hadn’t really paid much attention to what James had told me about his wife worried about my lateness. It hadn’t created any meaningful problems and by lunch time I was caught up. During the ”busy period“ I’d often just call across the street to the luncheonette and have them make me a sandwich and then I'd skip out for a few minutes to go get it. As I waited for the light to change something that James had said about his wife came to mind. It was that the hardest part for her was that she no longer had someone to talk to and that going past Peggy’s empty room would sometimes bring her to tears.

That evening I told Elle about meeting with James. We both wanted to do something but didn’t know just what it could be. With a death there’s a finality about it. This situation was somewhat similar but the open endedness of it made it difficult. That night, in bed, I lay there awake trying to come up with anything that would seem appropriate. I couldn’t.

As I’ve previously written, I tried not to get too involved in Laura’s upcoming move hoping that Trish would keep me up to date. At work the next morning I couldn’t help but overhear Laura and Trish talking about it. Trish’s brother was due home the following weekend so time was running out. When they were done I asked Trish about the status. Laura had decided not to move in with the lady her aunt had made arrangements with. She didn’t tell me the reason but it was obvious that Trish was a bit upset about it. It’s always amazed me how the brain works. I can’t even begin to remember what the trigger was but somehow I put Laura’s need for a place to stay and James wife’s loneliness together. It just seemed too far out to work but I couldn’t get the thought out of my mind. At lunchtime I made the decision to head up to James place and found him in his office. Once inside I almost lost my nerve but managed to get the briefest of concepts out. I was so nervous that I don’t remember much of what I said but I do remember that he thanked me for thinking of him (and his wife) but he just shook his head in a negative way. Driving back to the bank I was kicking myself for interjecting myself into an already bad the situation. I actually was mad at myself.

The ”busy period“ was winding down at the bank and the lobby traffic had slowed considerably. When busy I would usually have Trish take messages and then would make the call-backs when I had a break. When I got back Trish told me that Elle had called but that it wasn’t all that important. She hardly ever called so, concerned, I called her back even though there was a customer waiting. The matter truly wasn’t that important but it was a bit disturbing... Celia, our neighbor had made the decision to sell the house. I told Elle I was busy and that we could talk about it that night. However, the news left me contemplating Celia’s situation... something I just didn’t need at the time.

Just as I finished with the customer Trish rang my phone to say James was on the line. He was about the last person I expected to hear from. There was a definite change in the tone of his voice, way more positive than when I left him. I almost couldn’t believe my ears when I heard him say that he had spoken to his wife and she wanted to meet Laura. That news presented me with another problem... I hadn’t mentioned any of this to Laura. So, I had to explain my position to James and then get to Laura.

I stopped to tell Liz, the auditor, that I needed to speak with with Laura. She told me she was upstairs doing audit work in the mortgage department. I found her at a work table running a batch of ledger cards. That made it a bit easier to be discrete about talking with her. I asked her to go into the Board room where there was less chance of being overheard. I think I was more nervous than she was. I beat around the bush trying to present my idea and involvement in a less intrusive way. I shouldn’t have wasted my time. After all my words she looked at me and said it sounded like a good idea to her. She said she knew Peggy from school although she said she wasn’t all that friendly with her... and she knew Peggy’s mother from church. There was a large Polish Catholic in town and if you were Polish and lived within ten miles of it, you went there. I think I might’ve even breathed a sigh of relief at that point.

James had asked if I could arrange for a meeting so that both he and his wife could formally meet Laura so I asked her about that. She seemed excited and said that she was willing to do it anytime except over the weekend. Being Friday I knew her mother would pick her up after work, go grocery shopping and then take her back to the farm. Without knowing James' schedule I asked if she was willing to do it after work. I remember her shrugging her shoulders and telling me ”maybe“. At this point I thought of Trish because she was Laura’s ”wheels“.

By the time 5pm came the meeting was arranged. Trish was going to drive her over to James’ house and his wife would drive her home after it was over. When it came for me to head home I was mentally exhausted.  All the machinations had worn me out. As I slid in behind the wheel of my car I remembered that Elle had called me with the news about Celia’s decision to sell. For some reason I knew that I’d end up involved in that. What a week!

To be continued...

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122a)

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122a)

October meant that I’d be able to take out another loan against my trust fund. I’d identified all our outstanding unpaid debts and, for once, there wasn’t that much. One thing we promised ourselves was that we’d have a really good Christmas since the previous one had been bare bones due to the purchase of the house. I’d filled out all the loan paperwork early hoping that I’d get the check earlier than in the past. It didn’t work... again. On top of the stress of the “busy period” at the bank both Anne’s birthday and our anniversary were in the first week of the month. I just didn’t have cash enough to do either. Elle hadn’t been called in to teach the whole month of September and we’d budgeted in money that just wasn’t there. However, I’d ordered and paid for the three piece wool outfit from the Sears catalog that I’d promised Elle for her birthday and had it hidden away. I decided I’d move up giving that to her as an anniversary present. 

As it turned out Elle was finally contacted to come in and teach for the first three days of October. Even if it did conflict with the birthday party plans for Anne and our Anniversary, a three day commitment was good. It would net about $55 for us. Elle had originally planned to hold the birthday party for Anne and her friends after school on the same day as her birthday. It wasn’t the local school that had called and meant she’d have to drive about 15 miles. With that extra time she realized the party wouldn’t work on that day so postponed it to the weekend. For our anniversary we’d planned to go out for dinner at a good local restaurant. When my parents found out about our financial condition they made arrangements with the restaurant that they would pay. Knowing that Elle would want to get dressed up for the occasion the gift of the new outfit would fit in perfectly.

Elle’s mother took care of Kaye, the youngest girl, at her house during the day and would come to our house to meet the older girls when the school bus dropped them off. Elle didn't want Anne to miss out on some sort of party on her actual birthday we decided to host a family party that night with both Elle’s and my parents attending. As one of her presents Elle had promised Anne that she could help make her own birthday cake and Elle’s mother would oversee the project. It was sort of a distraction from the fact that she wasn’t getting much in the way of presents other than clothes from us. All in all, aside from the “mess“ that was left over from making and decorating the cake, it was a success.

As far as giving Elle her anniversary present I decided to wait until I got home. Knowing her as well as I did and how excited she got with new clothes, I figured the timing would be perfect. However, I was just about to leave work when she called to say that her mother wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be taking the kids while we out.  There was no chance that my mother would do it so I stood there by the phone wondering what we were going to do. The most logical was to postpone our night out just like Elle had postponed the party for Anne. I was about to hang up the phone and was looking down at my desk top. On it was a letter from a customer who’s name was Susan. I almost immediately thought of the older daughter who lived at the ”panty house“ just around the corner from our house. I knew it was a long shot but told Elle to call. She was reluctant until I told her that she was the daughter of the electrician who’d installed the flood light in out back yard and was the blonde girl who worked at the drug store. She still wasn’t sure about it but said she’d make the call. At that point I headed for home.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I walked up the path to the kitchen door. When I saw a smile on Elle’s face I felt a lot better. The girl had said yes but wouldn’t be able to get to the house before 6pm and we had to be back home by 9pm. I knew that wouldn’t be a problem. I’d left work at 5pm and it was now 5:30pm which meant we still had a half hour until she arrived... plenty of time to give Elle her present and for her to put it on. The girls were busy eating so paid no attention to us. I was probably as excited as Elle as she opened the box. She actually let out a little ”yelp“ as she saw what was inside. As expected, Elle immediately stripped out of the clothes she was wearing and put on the new outfit. It consisted of a skirt, vest and a shawl that acted like a jacket.. Actually, it looked better on her than it did in the catalog. I think what amazed me was that it fit perfectly.

Susan arrived on time and I was pleased that she was wearing a skirt. After school, she’d gone right to work at the drug store and then come to our house. She, sheepishly, asked if there was anything to eat. Elle left me to introduce Susan to the girls while she warmed something up for her supper. The older girls were OK with the ”stranger“ but Kaye went into her usual "shell". I got down on my knees to hold her and was working hard at getting her to just look at Susan. When she finally did Susan dropped down on her haunches to talk to her. For just a quick second or two I got my ”peek“ with just a flash of white showing between her legs. It wasn’t much but it was certainly satisfying. By the time we were ready to leave Kaye had warmed up enough to leave me and to go over to her sister Jean. Walking out the door Elle was almost satisfied that Susan was OK.

The restaurant was the premier steak place in the area. The reason we chose it was because the very first restaurant meal we ordered after we were married was steak. The staff was waiting for us and they had champagne and a small cake as well. We really enjoyed ourselves and by the time we headed home Elle was showing signs of being really amorous. Because she was wearing her new clothes she didn’t want to give me the squirt I wanted and I fully understood that. However, I did elicit a promise for when we got home.

Susan reported that the girls were a pleasure to care for. When I was paying her she said she really hoped that we’d call on her again. As soon as I saw the headlights from her car disappear I had my hand up under Elle’s skirt. She was still concerned about the new clothes and, much to my surprise and pleasure, she suggested that I might like to take a picture or two and to wait until we went upstairs for the finale. It wasn’t what I was looking for but I was certainly not going to turn down the offer of a picture or two. Returning with the camera she'd removed the skirt and was waiting for me with a smile.
                                          

To be continued...

WINDING DOWN SUMMER... into Autumn (Part 121i)

WINDING DOWN SUMMER...into Autumn (Part 121i)

It was hard not to think about Peggy and her family during the work day. Elle and I had taken a real liking to her and I considered James to be a friend. I hated that she’d done something so rash. Even though there was nothing I could do about the situation I did want to let James know that I (and Elle) had him in our prayers. Speaking of prayers, Celia also needed some TLC after the funeral. She was never one to ask much of us, choosing to be a quiet neighbor. When Elle hadn’t seen her for a few days she went over to check on her. That in itself was a major step for Elle. She’d never been able to handle being around people with physical handicaps so had avoided going inside the house. When she went to check on Celia that day it was the first time she’d ever been inside. When Elle told me about her visit she was still a bit shaken. The kitchen was a mess with dishes and pots stacked in the sink. Celia looked liked she’d slept in her clothes and Sophie didn’t look much better. Sophie did come over to Elle to give her a hug and Elle said she could tell that she’d not been washed in a while and that she was definitely wet. The problem was that without her husband Celia was lost. Even though he couldn’t so anything of a physical nature he did run the household. From what Elle told me Celia didn’t have any idea about money. Elle asked her if she could go to relatives for help and she just shrugged her shoulders. Now it was Elle who was lost, not knowing what to say of do.

Before going back home Elle did help Celia to get Sophie cleaned up. In the process Celia asked about the clothes Sophie’d been wearing when she'd come home from the hospital. Elle had dressed her in some of her old cotton slacks and put her in a ”package” to keep them dry. Celia didn’t understand why Sophie had on multiple panties, sanitary pads (since she didn’t have her period) and wondered about the plastic panties. Although Elle had told any number of people about her incontinence, it was never easy. She explained the why and how of the “package” and in doing it tried not to be judgmental about Celia’s allowing Sophie to pretty much run around wet. I think it was a couple of days later that Celia called to say she was going to visit a sister who lived in New Jersey. To Elle, that was a positive step

It was around the same time that I ran into Big B at the post office. He’d gone to the stock car races a few times and really liked what he saw. So much so that he said he wanted to get a car and asked if I’d help him with it. I’m a pretty “upfront” guy and to the extent that it sometimes would get me in trouble. This was one of those times. Here I was looking at a 300+ pound guy who wanted to drive a racecar. I actually laughed out loud... and quickly saw that he wasn’t kidding. The season was over so there wasn’t any pressure to do anything immediately. After apologizing I did say that it was a good time to try and locate cars that were for sale as the season was over. Racers who had plans to build new cars would often sell their existing cars to get needed cash to start on their new project. We probably talked for half an hour and he said he’d get back to me. I wasn’t expecting it to be the next day.

Big B had become friends with my old raceing friend, Cliffy. The first place he went after talking with me was to the garage where Cliffy worked and worked on his racecar. As enthusiastic as he was about getting started he was still frugal enough to have a budget. The class of racecar that Cliffy raced was the top division. Cliffy was willing to sell it but the asking price was way too much. However, his father had built a car for Cliffy’s brother-in-law. He raced it a few times but being a racecar driver wasn’t for him. After he quit Cliffy raced it a few times and, ironically, I’d actually raced against him and the car. At the end of the season the car had been put out behind their repair shop and hadn’t been touched since. Cliffy suggested Big B buy that, the only caveat being there was no motor to go with it. I told “B” that I was positive the car had never been wrecked so that part was good but buying a motor might be a problem. As he hung up the phone he sounded happy.

Elle wanted to know what was going on. The phone in our house was in the main hallway so there really wasn’t any privacy when using it. I’ve never been a good liar especially when confronted with facts or something close to it. Over the years she’d picked up some racing terminology and there was no denying I’d been using some of those terms when talking to “B”. She knew him a bit from high school and we’d used his sailboat so she was familiar with him. There was no point in lying but I made the decision to give her just some of the facts. I had no idea where “B’s” dream was going so told her that he was interested in getting into racing and had asked me for advice. I could see the look on her face displayed the same feelings I had when “B” had told me... only without the laughing.

I hadn’t even eaten my breakfast that Saturday when I saw Big B’s car pull up in front of the garage. Without thinking I invited him in somehow forgetting that Elle was still in her shorty nightie and wearing her “package”. She was in the dining  room setting up for Anne’s 6th birthday party. “B” was still in the doorway when Elle appeared. The look on “B’s” face coincided with the shriek that came from Elle’s mouth. She was gone form sight by the time I turned around but I knew I’d get an earful after “B” left. He was really excited. He’d come to a price agreement on the racecar and had the cash to pay for it. However, he didn’t have a hitch on his car and knew I did. He wanted me to help him get the car. I really didn’t want to face Elle to tell her I was leaving so just yelled up the stairs to her. I got no response.

The car was in relatively good shape. After looking it over I couldn’t see much that had to be done to it to put it out on the track... other than getting a motor. Cliffy helped us get the racecar hitched up and we were soon off to “B’s” parents house with it. I knew they had no garage so asked where he planned to work on it. He told me he was working on a deal to use the garage owned by the parents of Jon (the milkman/school board member) who were only Summer residents. “B” told me that he’d bought an old pot bellied stove to heat the place. It became obvious that he’d done a lot of thinking about getting involved in racing. By the time we pulled into his parents yard I was excited too.

To be continued...   
   

WINDING DOWN SUMMER... into Autumn (Part 121h)

WINDING DOWN SUMMER... into Autumn (Part 121h)

Elle packed Celia’s things in a small carry bag and I was off. The weekend was surely not going well. It only took about 20 minutes to get to the hospital and it took almost as long for Celia to be contacted. It was obvious that she was under duress. She looked wan and tired. After thanking me she she asked if Sophie was a bother. I don’t think she believed me that she was doing well. I told her that she and my girls were playing well and that she’d not had any “spells” (what Celia called Sophie’s tantrums) that I was aware of. The only thing was her early morning demand for food which, after thinking about it, I actually thought was funny. We didn’t talk for long. Out in the parking lot I looked across the creek where the hospital was located and could see the marina where my brother worked. I knew it was only a 5 minute drive so, with my morning already messed up, decided to see how things were going for him now that the Summer crowd was gone.

When I walked in the showroom, a large pre-fab metal building, he was posting something on a bulletin board. When he saw me he called me over. As I approached him he pointed to a flyer with the picture of a sailboat on it. I took a look and thought it looked somewhat familiar. By then my brother was smiling, not something that came easily to him. He told me it belonged to Elle’s college roommate’s husband. Now it was my turn to smile. I didn’t like him at all and when he bought the boat for the purpose of chartering it out to make money, I thought it was a crazy idea and told him so. The last time I’d stopped by to see my brother he told me the charter idea, at least for a boat that small (22 feet), hadn’t worked. Now the boat was for sale... at basically the same price he’d paid for it. I remember shaking my head when my brother told me. It just solidified the idea that the guy lived in a fantasy world.

When I pulled into my driveway I saw an unfamiliar car parked in front of the garage. Most of the morning was gone and now we had visitors. I don’t know what the look on my face showed when I saw it was Nancy and her idiot husband. I don’t know what I said but it wasn’t complimentary. It didn’t bother Mike (the husband) because it probably didn’t even register in his ego centric mind. It just boggled mine that Nancy, an intelligent and very nice girl, had been taken in by him and, more importantly why she stayed with him. Long story short as to why they were at our house... he’d come out to sign papers so that the marina could act as his agent for the sale of the sailboat. The reason... they were leaving for North Carolina on Monday to raise Christmas trees.

I could write a short story called “Mike’s Follies“ about the guy. Thankfully, they didn’t stay long.  When they left Elle was upset for two reasons; Nancy not being able to stay longer and, in the big picture, moving so far away. By then Sophie was starting to wear out her welcome and had become more demanding. Elle had kept her in the ”package“ and had been successful in keeping her dry through lunch. I went out to mow the lawn and was just about finished when Elle came running out of the house. Celia had called to say her husband had died but that was all she knew. We’d been invited to a party at Ginger’s house and Elle and I were both looking forward to it. Now, with Sophie, we didn’t know what to do. It was just another thing to add to the mix of disruptions.

Disappointed, Elle contacted Ginger and told her that we’d host the next party, in October. We were waiting for a call from Celia as I fully expected to have to go get her at the hospital. It was almost dark when I saw lights in the driveway. It was Celia and one of her husband’s cousins. She’d been able to reach some of his relatives and this man had come to the hospital. I’d fully expected Sophie to jump with joy with her mother back but she barely acknowledged her presence. Celia told us that the arrangements for her husband were all but finalized... no viewing and a simple church service on the following Tuesday. Selfishly, it wasn’t good news as it meant I’d have to take a half day off. The only good thing was that Sophie would be going home.

Things were still running smoothly at work which was a good way to be going into the next "busy period". Vacations were over and we were at full staff for the first time since the middle of July. The only ”news“ was that Cassie, who’d announced she was engaged earlier in the Summer, had set a date for the wedding. Even though I’d had some initial difficulty winning her over she’d become very cooperative. After telling the staff about her wedding she came to talk with me to tell me she’d be leaving in mid March. Her fiance had a job nearer the city and they’d be living close to where he worked. I really appreciated knowing that so that a replacement could be trained and in place when she left. The only other thing ”pending“ was Laura and her search for a new place to stay during the week. I didn’t want to be a PITA (pain in the ass), constantly asking Trish for updates, so just waited.

I could get about two weeks from a tank of gas and when I needed some I’d stop at James’ service station on my way to work. It was about the end of the month when I was surprised to have Darren, one of my old pit crew members, wait on me. He'd been one of the mechanics at the garage until he and his friend Donnie decided to start their own repair business. I asked why he was back and he shrugged his shoulders saying that they couldn’t make enough for two families to survive. Eddie, James other mechanic, had quit to join the Navy and James asked Darren if he’d come back. I hadn’t seen him since my last race so it was nice to see him again. While we were talking I noticed that James wasn’t in the office and asked about him. Darren gave me a ”look“ and said something along the lines of ”Haven’t you heard?“. I hadn’t so Darren told me.

Peggy, James' daughter, had run off and gotten married. That news was definitely a shock to me... and I wasn’t even a family member. Elle and I were at her graduation party when she shocked everybody there with the announcement of her engagement to a boy who was in the Coast Guard and stationed at Cape Hatteras. After that I knew there was ”friction“ between Peggy and James (and probably her mother as well) but the last I knew she was still living at home and working part time at a children’s day care. From what Darren said the boyfriend came home one weekend and took Peggy back with him. He said her parents were out of their minds with worry for almost a week before Peggy contacted them. They drove to North Carolina to try and talk her into returning. Once there they found that the kids had stopped in Maryland and gotten married. By the time Darren got all that out I was late for work. However, I did ask just how James and his wife were doing and I remember Darren shaking his head and saying that it wasn’t good.

To be continued...   

WINDING DOWN SUMMER... into August (Part 121g)

WINDING DOWN SUMMER... into Autumn (Part 121g)

Actually, to be truthful, at that point in time I was more interested in eating than in Sophie. After Elle got supper on the table I told her that Celia didn’t actually ”tell“ her not to let Sophie in the house but just ”advised“ her that it wasn’t a good idea. I told her to take a deep breath and to use common sense. She wasn’t happy hearing me talk to her like that but, to me, the solution was rather simple... make up a ”package“ with heavy cotton panties, sanitary pads and full plastic panties for her. However, I wasn’t sure just how to present the idea to her. My priority was to find out what happened to Celia.

I headed for the phone and as I did I kind of threw the ”package“ idea at her. I tried to make the suggestion a casual one. I was dialing the hospital when she came up to me and asked if I thought Sophie would go along with it. I had no idea as I really had very little contact with her. All I could say was to give it a try. The operator at the hospital was one of those ”by the book“ types and, since I’d been honest when I’d asked for Frank (I think that was his name... I’d only met him once)and she asked if I was a relative, was told that no information could be given out. What I really wanted was to be able to get a message to Celia. ”Oh, no!“ was her emphatic response and that was it as far as dialog was concerned.

By the time I hung up the phone Elle had brought Sophie inside and was trying to explain what she wanted her to do. It was incredibly hard for me to watch and listen to Elle talking with what appeared to be an adult and to be using childlike persuasion on her. It took some persuasion but Sophie finally nodded that she’d do it. Elle sent me upstairs to get a couple of pair of her heavy cotton panties, pads and plastic panties. While I was there she called up to have me bring down an old pair of her cotton slacks and a blouse. It made sense as Sophie was about the same size as Elle. When I got back downstairs Elle had Sophie in the bathroom. I left the things on the floor right outside the door and herded my kids into the den area. It was cooling off fast so coming inside made sense.

Simple board games managed to keep Sophie’s interest until around 8pm. Elle was bent on getting the kids to bed at eight on a daily basis now that school was in session so they all headed upstairs. There still hadn’t been any word from Celia so Elle had me ready the bed in the spare bedroom with a rubber sheet for her. When Elle suggested that Sophie go to bed as well she pointed outside indicating that it was still light out. I have no idea where Elle came up with it but suggested that Sophie take a nap. She went for it and I think the reason was that she’d be lying down with her clothes still on and without a sheet or blanket over her. I just watched, not saying a word.

There was no doubt that we were both troubled about the failure of Celia to contact us. We stayed up until after the late TV news and then, in bed, neither of us could fall asleep. Elle was able to get the slacks off Sophie and had covered her with a light blanket. There was no chance for Elle to use her own ”package“ as she was up checking on Sophie about every hour on the hour. I was asleep when I heard a loud ”I’m hungry!“ I sat bolt upright and saw Sophie standing in the doorway to our bedroom. It was just starting to get light out and just as I was about to speak to her she, again, shouted ”I’m hungry!“ That woke Elle. Even though there wasn’t much light I could see the plastic panties under the hem of the blouse she was still wearing. Elle jumped out of bed and went to her telling her that she had to be quite so she didn’t wake the other girls. She had her started down the stairs when I heard her repeat ”I'm hungry!“ once again. As I watched Elle disappear I remember thinking how strange to was to see two adult sized people wearing a ”package“. I knew Elle would get upset if I followed them downstairs but I did it anyway.

It was about 9am when Celia finally called. Her husband was in a coma and the priest from her church had given him ”last rights” the night before. She'd stayed in the room with him the whole night in case he passed. Elle assured her that Sophie was OK but did ask why she hadn’t called us. When they got to the hospital she left her pocket book in the ambulance. Since he was in ICU there were no phones and the only way they would let people make calls from there was via a pay phone. I know it sounds absurd (you would have to have known Celia) but she didn’t want to trouble anyone to borrow some change to make a call. In any case, she asked Elle if she would do her a big favor and that was to go over to her house and get her some clean clothes. Elle, like me, didn’t know how to say “No” and told her she would and that I’d bring them to the hospital for her. I didn’t really appreciate being volunteered for the trip.

Celia had given Elle a description of just what she wanted and where the things could be found. I thought Elle was going to do it but just as she was about to go out the door, Kaye, our youngest, started crying. Elle gave me the list and sent me over to retrieve them. I’d only been through their back (kitchen) door once and that was only for a step or two. I noticed that most of the windows had been left open in the haste to leave. Even with fresh air blowing through them I could smell stale cigarette smoke. The kitchen was on the right with a sink, toilet and washing machine in a small room to the left. Knowing that the house had been built around the same time as mine and Elle’s parents, I was pretty sure that it had originally been a pantry. Moving towards the front of the house there was a room to the right with a hospital bed and some kind of medical paraphernalia on a table next to it. There was also a wheel chair and an open metal clothes rack. It was obvious that this was where Celia’s husband stayed. Across the foyer was the living room. It was large but had very little furniture.

I headed up the stairs and was pretty sure the room on the right was Celia’s. The bed was unmade and the clothes closet door was open. I had the description of the dress that she wanted and after a cursory look, took the one I thought she wanted. She also wanted clean underwear so I went to the chest of drawers and opened the top one. There were a couple of girdles/corsets, bras and slips. There were no specifics on the list Elle had given me so I took one of each. I was about to leave when I remembered that I’d seen large panties on their wash line that I knew couldn’t belong to Sophie. So, I backtracked and opened the next drawer down. There they were. There was a pile of peach colored, flare legged panties neatly stacked on one side. I picked up the top pair and the feel was just a bit different. I looked for the label and saw the reason... rayon. Celia was a “solid” woman. She wasn’t fat but the nicest way to describe her was “big boned”. I held the panties up and you could’ve made two pair that would fit Elle from them. I returned the girdle/corset and again started to leave. Right across the hall had to have been Sophie’s room. Pink, with the furniture painted white and a pile of stuffed animals on the floor by the bed. I stepped in and, even with the windows open, could smell stale urine. Once inside the room I looked towards the chest of drawers. I opened the top one and saw two piles of panties. I picked one up and recognized it as being just like the ones I’d picked up from the ground under their wash line back in the Spring. The word “irregular” was stamped on the inside of the waist elastic. I checked on a couple of others and found the same thing. I decided against taking another pair. If I’d seen something a bit different I might’ve.       

To be continued...