When I was all cried out Gram gave me a little pat on the head and finished getting ready. I sat on the couch with my back straight and my hands folded together. I had to admit this was an effective approach with me. I had never felt so humiliated or out of control in my entire life. I was also really dreading the trip to the mall. Buying, clothes or shoes, and the hair stylist. Oh my goodness, the hair stylist. You just knew people were going to be looking at my plastic diapers. I was getting to the verge of panic when gram came back and took me out to the car.
When we got to the mall gram got out of the car and came around to my door and let me out. She took my hand and together we walked into the mall. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. Most people thought I really was eight and paid me no mind. As we walked by an indoor play area gram leaned over and whispered.
“Do you want to stop and play young lady?”
My face went bright red just thinking about squatting down with all the little kids and doing childish things. Gram just kind of smiled and we walked on to Sears. Gram made me try on lots of things, like most kids I balked at some of the items gram had picked out. Which got me a swat on the fanny. And then I tried them on. Gram had picked me up several more outfits, and two new pairs of shoes before she decided we’d had enough and went to the hair stylist.
I was wondering how gram was going to get my hair cut without the stylist really figuring out what was going on. It turned out I was mistaken. As we walked in the stylist greeted gram by name. She looked me up and down as she and gram talked, and had me turn around several times.