I know, but what does one do, our Christmas is in summer which is in December.... I'd never be able to submit a Santa story in this competition if I don't now.
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Fancy dress isn't my thing. Ever since Christmas, a few years ago, I've avoided it but Jen insisted. When I chose to go as Superman, she balled a dish cloth in her hand and pointed it at me.
"Kryptonite," she said. "Zzzzzt! Gone," and she threw it to land with a splash on my chest. My shirt was saturated. I knew she hated the idea. I always went as Superman and was going to tell her it was Superman or nothing.
I certainly wasn't going as Santa again. I nearly died twice the one time I did. It was forty two degrees centigrade when I pulled the red suit with all its padding on. The white beard was lank and wet with my sweat as it hung from the elastic supported by my ears. I had to walk more than a kilometre and when there sat in the full sun as kids sat on my knee between "Yo ho ho's"
It was darling Russell who provided the first threat to my life. He wanted a horse. No ordinary horse, his had to win the Melbourne Cup and the next year the Cox Plate, before taking out the equestrian event at the Olympics. As Santa does, I laughed.
"Yo ho ho."
My laughing stopped abruptly when I felt some thing sharp against my ribs and the last I remembered was him whispering in my ear that he'd push the fucking knife deeper next time if the horse he got was a dud.
I woke some time later. I was being pushed into an ambulance on a barouche with i.v. fluids being pumped into my arm and so many people hovering around me. Later, I was told little Russell had been especially tearful after he fell to the ground and he'd eventually confessed, much to the shock of his parents who wondered where he got such language from. When I fell, I hit my head on the ground. I never did find out whether I'd been knocked unconscious by the fall or whether I was already unconscious due to dehydration.
I was shocked too when I came to my senses. As I recovered from the headache and confusion, I realised I'd been stripped of every item of clothing in their efforts to cool me down and rehydrate me.
Most children have the impression of Santa being of ubiquitous masculinity. The children there that day witnessed their Santa's masculinity. It probably saved my life and I often wonder if my being undressed did them any harm. Certainly, they would have discovered that though their Santa spent Christmas Day in hospital they still got most of their presents. I had to pay the rental company for the suit that had been cut from me.
Little Russell's parents objected to hearing about his usefulness with a knife. Their offense was such that they no longer joined our Christmas parties. The other parents were also concerned and also withdrew. It was only those of us who had no children who continued to attend. It didn't feel like Christmas any more. Children make Christmas interesting. In our experience fancy dress wasn't an adequate substitute.
"I'm sick of Superman. I'm going to find something else." Jen interrupted my little reverie. Then she walked out of the kitchen and left me to wonder what was happening.
Next day, we went shopping and she bought a diaphanous fabric that was seven metres long. She also bought a heavy fawn, cotton canvas that looked so ugly I wondered what use it could have. The next few days she was busy sewing. She didn't say a word about what she was making.
I began to worry about what I'd be at the fancy dress Christmas party. At least Superman is topical, a small boy rescued from a collapsing planet. There was nothing wrong with Superman. It sure beat dressing as Santa. I felt safe as Superman.
"Don't worry," she kept saying. The day arrived and I still had no idea. It was mid afternoon when she suggested we start to get ready. While she showered I checked the bed. There was still nothing on it to wear.
She came from the bathroom with a towel around her, reached for the hair drier and let the towel drop. She'd cleaned up her pussy with a razor and left a neatly trimmed heart. I reached to her, but she slapped my hands away and insisted I have my shower.
"Can you shave your balls while you're there, Love," It was a statement more than a question. I wondered why but did it any way. I imagined Ken and Mike discussing deforestation and indulged in a smile.
When I returned she was struggling with the diaphanous fabric I'd seen her buy. On the bed was the fawn canvas I thought was so ugly.
"Put them on," she said and appraised my shave with her fingers. I picked them up- a fawn shirt with epaulettes and the biggest pair of shorts I'd ever seen. They must have been starched because they were very stiff. I pulled them on and was about to show her how inappropriately huge they were.
"I'm sick of going as Lois," she told me. "I'm tired of picking you off floors because of some invisible kryptonite. I've had enough of being safe all the time. I want to be adventurous. I want people to see I have a cleavage, I have tits. I need to feel desirable, to know that people want to shove their hands down my cleavage and feel my tits. I want people to know I have a cunt and it's as good as any. I'm a woman and I want people to know it. I'm not going as Lois." I was trying to think of some thing to say.
"I want people to know you have balls too. You're not a plastic hero, you're a man with a big dick and balls. After the party I plan to blow you." She was angry. I stood, ridiculous in front of her and said nothing.
"You'll like your Bombay Bloomers" she said, her tone was more conciliatory. I thought they were the most hideous things but knew not to complain. "We're going as "The Raj". You're the administrative officer and I'm your Indian girl in a sari." She struggled with the sari. Every time she leaned forward the weight of her breasts caused the sari to fall. I suggested we pin it but she was determined to get it right. After a while she had every thing in place and we were ready to go.
I took another appraising look at myself and saw how the shorts were so huge. I looked at her in the diaphanous sari and could see her nipples. She was so pleased with her self. On our way out of the house she handed me my swagger stick.
It wasn't far to Mike and Wendy's but as we got out of the car the sari collapsed and fell round Jen's feet. She laughed as she stood naked on the street. It was then I realized she didn't have any underwear on. I suggested we go home and find some panties.
"It's ok," she said, "so long as we're the same." She reached into my Bombay Bloomers with a pair of scissors from the dash and cut my jocks off. I couldn't help but laugh. When we finally had Jen's sari on we knocked on the door.
I wasn't sure what to expect, but Wendy opened and she was dressed normally. A big cleavage, a little bit of make up and her normal clothes. I was disappointed. Jen didn't seem to notice though.
When Mike appeared there was nothing remarkable about how he was dressed either. I was beginning to feel a little out of place. They invited us to sit and we sat beside each other on the couch, opposite them.
While we waited for Barb and Ken to arrive, Mike took the opportunity to tell us how he had mulched his garden with pea straw, as he did every November before Christmas. It helped to conserve water in the summer. Wendy told us about a new line of clothes they'd discovered made of bamboo fibre. Together, they said the world is becoming a very unpleasant place with all the hurricanes, floods and fires, it was very important that every one do their bit.
I was very self conscious about my bloomers. The legs were so stiff with starch they were like barrels. I hoped it was so dark inside them no one could see anything, but knew everything was well displayed. With my balls shaved they would stand out like baubles on a Christmas tree. I couldn't cross my legs and the crutch of the bloomers was so narrow there was no where for my wedding tackle to hide. When I tried to crunch the bloomers down Jen reached for my hand and held it. I wanted my swagger stick. I'd left it in the car.
Eventually the Watsons arrived. Neither were in fancy dress and I was further embarrassed. After the kisses all round we sat and I was acutely aware of the eyes on us, too polite to ask but some how seeking an explanation. Jen sat and grinned back as she adjusted her sari. It seemed the seven metres of fabric wasn't wide enough. I thought it was lucky the day was so hot. She pulled at the fabric and almost exposed one breast as she tried to cover the other. We all watched with fascination as she fought for control.
Wendy handed round a dip. I had a thought her breasts were being offered too as they were almost on the plate. I wondered what she'd do if I reached that little further and selected a breast. Jen balanced her sari as she scooped some up on her biscuit and ate.
Mike had a tray of drinks, organic wine we were told, and we all took a glass of red. When not proffering food or drinks they were on the edges of their seats watching. Jen finally had control of her sari and all eyes seemed to be on me. I guess they were trying to be demure, not looking at my face but some what lower. Since everyone had seen my baubles some Christmases ago my privacy no longer seemed so important.