... part 2
It was late October when Ministry of Modesty was able to pass the Guardianship Law. Most people had expected the law to pass due to the pressure of Prime Minister Lloyd. Even the Prime Minister's wife, Lady Lloyd was very active as a spokeswoman for the law. The law was stalled in Parliament by a few liberals, until a compromise was reached, scaling the reach of the law and to whom it applied. While originally expected to cover every non working woman, it was scaled down. It covered girls between 18 and 20 years of age, married or unmarried. It also covered any lady that on their own chooses to be bound by the Guardianship Law. Or at least any lady that had a guardian that could meet the economic requirements set forth in the law. Any lady covered by the lady became the ward of her guardian, with oversight from the Ministry. Such a lady also became entitled to special protection by the government, effectively codified a higher class. Severe restrictions were placed upon ladies, including the need of constant supervision by her guardian, her guardian's help, or authorized government personnel from the Ministry. The lady was not allowed to work, or study further than secondary. Ladies are prohibited from having contact with unauthorized men. Most relevant to the Ministry of Modesty, all ladies under the law were required to wear appropriate helpless suits, when outside, as a security matter. The imposition of the suit indoors was left to the discretion of the guardian. The law was praised by some circles, as a way to protect vulnerable women in a new harsh environment. To its critics it was a way to objectify women note that most manual labor had been automated. Proponents of the law saw that as a positive. When Lady Lloyd went on national TV to announce the law, I was impressed by her, she was so elegant, so eloquent. She had become the poster girl of the law. She was widely admired, and was thought to have significant influence in the Ministry. I still remember seeing her in that TV appearance, she looked so elegant in a very expensive looking suit. It was dark green, with a large white decoration on her right side, in the silhouette of a flower. It had integrated black leather gloves and boots. And her boots had very tall spike heels. Probably not very useful for walking in the snow, but perfect for a public appearance.
At my school, as expected in a somewhat high class private school for girls, it didn't take long for all the girls in my class to start complying with the law a wearing a suit. Soon the very loose dress code of the school turned into a uniform, at least for the girls in the oldest class. However, the extra work of helping girls wearing a suit quickly overwhelmed the current staff, and soon my class was packed by governesses that had been called in to help. They would escort the girls to special restrooms. They unlock the girls' suits at meal times if they are wearing suits that cover their mouths. They also help enforce the dress code and made sure no girl would tamper with her suit. All of these were clearly identified by the typical clothing worn by helpers, mainly long sleeved gray wool dresses. However, many were surprised to see Principal Behar arrive wearing a helpless suit the Monday after the approval of the law. She arrived together with two other ladies, also dressed in severe suits. Gossip on the hallways said that the two visitors were inspectors from the Ministry.
Most of the girls accepted the changes, although few were enthusiastic. Even Jane was hesitant. She had originally enjoyed the exclusivity if wearing a suit, but over night a horde of girls began wearing suits.
Others were not happy with the changes, but had no option other than submitting. Day by day I could see Leigh becoming more and more submissive. While at first I could see her trying to fight her suit, she was starting to accept the permanence of her situation, reinforced by the multitude of staff and helpers tending to her new status. That and the new law.
And what about me? My life didn't change significantly with the law, although I knew I was bound by it. Ela has been eager about the "suggestions" given by the Ministry of Modesty, but for the most part she had already imposed all them, with father's blessing, of course. I'm sure he was compensating for being away for so long, and wanted me to be "secure". I was dressed in helpless suit all day, everyday, no exceptions. During the week Ela would make me wear one my regular suits. However, during the weekends Ela would sometimes dress me with my white suit, since she said having my mouth covered forced me to cut down on unnecessary chatter, and help me concentrate on my school work. While lounging at home, Ela would normally close and lock the zipper of the kick pleat at the back of the apron, limiting the length of my stride to almost nothing. This was to teach me patience. A lady was not supposed to do anything, a lady was just supposed to "be", Ela would say to me. I was sure she liked it because it made me easier to control. Was I comfortable? Not at all, the suit feel incredibly restrictive when fully done, but I learned that the less I tried to move, the less I would be inconvenienced by the suit. Other times, especially on days that we went out of the house, she would dress me in my baby pink suit with the pompoms. While less restricting than my white suit, she knew the suit made me self conscious, but I would even venture to say she enjoyed seeing me like that. By this time I had already gotten used to the limitations of my suits, the limited mobility, the heat, and the bulk. Seeing all of the girls in my social circle in the same situation made it easier to bear.
As the weeks passed and the weather turned dead cold some of the girls began wearing an overcoat on top of their suits, however on the street I began seeing a trend in the suits worn by the ladies that I hadn't seen before. Or maybe I had seen it before, but did not pay close attention to it before I started wearing suits of my own. However it did bring me a feeling of anxiety and foreboding.
... part 4
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Deep freeze (part 2)
... part 1
During the walk home I felt like a real lady, dressed to the nines and being eyed by strangers in the street. It wasn't cold outside, but it was still nice to feel all toasty inside my suit. With the integrated boots and gloves there was no place for a cold draft to get in. However, by the time I got home, comfortably warm had turned into stuffy. I was glad when Ela unlocked my suit and allowed me put on my regular clothes. Ela cleaned the suit, and hanged it next to my desk.
The next day, a Friday, I was so proud of wearing my new helpless suit to school. As the first girl in my class wearing a suit, I was happy with the attention I was getting, feeling like a lady, and even getting a special treatment from the school staff. Some of my friends were very we enthusiastic, and maybe even a bit jealous. Other girls, the more independent ones looked at me with almost a hint of contempt. There was certainly a stigma attached to wearing a suit. By some it was considered lady like and glamorous, by others it was considered subservient and elitist. Of my two closest friends Jane was very enthusiastic, and would ask me questions and keenly examine my suit up close. Jane couldn't wait to get her own, and as she told us, had been pestering her father for one. On the other hand Leigh started treating me with contempt as soon she saw me with my suit. She claimed we were going back hundreds of years, when men would control women's lives by any means possible, including the way they dressed.
Father was now more and more absent, traveling to Africa on business for long stretches of time. During the first trip father was away for more than a week, Ela encouraged me to wear the suit for the whole school week, from Monday to Friday. I was really proud of dressing like a lady, but it was beginning to feel more and more stifling every day. The lack of touch, the fact that the sleeves were set just so that raising my arms above my shoulders wasn't possible. Even the heels, which I loved wearing in the beginning, and are actually quite low by any standard, were beginning to tire my feet by the end of the week. It was one thing to wear heels for a night out, another to wear them daily and have your feet all day in the same immobile position, even if the boots were thickly padded. By Saturday I was glad to go back to my jeans, a sweater, and a thin indoor jacket. Father returned home on Tuesday night, and I wasted no time on talking to him on my displeasure of being forced by Ela to wear the suit all school week. He promised to talk to her. Imagine my surprise when on Wednesday morning I was approached by Ela carrying the suit. However, even before I could begin to protest, she explained, "your father spoke to me regarding your hesitation about wearing the suit. I explained to him that this is something temporary, and is greatly outweighed by the benefits of you wearing it, specially now that he is away from you as much. He feels it's safer if you wear it, and so do I. We did agree however that just one suit is not enough, so this afternoon after school we're going to go and get you fitted for two more suits. Now hurry up, we have to get you ready for school."
I came out of my room wearing the suit, defeat showing in my face. Father barely looked up from his news paper, "have a nice day at school, Ashley. Good luck at your fitting. Pick something pretty." I did not bother to respond, and just buried my face in the thick collar and hood.
That after noon, the fitting at Ms. Brightwood's started as I would have expected. Ela unlocked my suit and Jessica, one of Ms. Brightwood's assistant took me to the back to measure me. However, when I came out of the fitting room, it was obviuos that things were different than the first time I had been at Ms. Brightwood's.
"Thanks,. Ms. Brightwood, we will stop by friday to pick up the suits. We appreciate your willingness to rush our order." Ela was basically done. So much for me picking something "pretty".
"So, what did 'I' pick? Mind telling me?"
"Ohh dear, don't make such a fuss, Ashley. Your father gave me free reign to pick what I deemed appropriate for your protection. You better behave, or we'll have to work on that attitude."
By friday my new suits were ready, and we went to pick them up.
The first suit, was basically a copy of my first suit, just in a dark brown color as opposed to black. The second suit that was brought out was a soft baby pink. I was appalled since it looked like it was for a little girl, it had fur trim around the hood, sleeves, and the top of the attached boots. It also had two big fur pompoms hanging from the hood. Ela was quite excited about the suit, "you'll look so cute wearing this one! It'll be perfect for your weekends." Jessica, the assistant helped me try on both suits, but then replaced them in their garment bags.
I was a bit surprised when a third suit was brought out. This last suit they brought out on was white, with gold toned hardware. As opposed to the other two suits, Ms. Brightwood herself fitted me. It had more zippers than my first suit. It had zippers on the sleeves, which Ms. Brightwood closed after pushing my hands into the gloves. With the zippers closed, the suit was snug on my wrists and forearms, and I would be unable to pull my hands out of the gloves. Another zipper allowed closing the kick pleat on the back of the apron of the suit. Ms. Brightwood dully noted that these zippers were locking, no surprises there... The suits had a zipper that reached much higher, just short of my nose. A side effect of this is that to fully zip the suit, I had to have the thick hood pulled up, as it was a snug fit. Once zipped up, only my eyes and nose were exposed. The thick hood severely limited my vision, and made it impossible to look to my side without turning my body. If tried to turn only my head, my face just got buried into thick padding of the hood. I had seen ladies wearing suits like this on the street, but I always thought they only wore it outside when cold. I was realizing that wearing a suit full time could prove to be quite irksome and stifling. I was finally dressed back in my regular black suit for our walk home. The suits were so bulky that would be delivered home.
During the weekend Ela "encouraged" me to wear the white suit. This included wearing the hood permanently, as it was the only way it could be worn to close the main zipper. I spent the whole weekend, suffocated by the collar of my suit. For the most part it was bearable, and I spent my weekend doing my usual activities, working on school tasks, texting with my friends and watching TV. While very irksome, I was finally getting used to wearing a suit! The biggest hassle was during meal times, as Ela had to unlock the suit to enable me to eat. Despite this she insisted it was good for me to get used to it.
I was actually glad once Monday came around and I was dressed again in my "regular" suits.
At school I was surprised to see Leigh wearing a suit. She did not seem very happy but for the most part stayed away from me. She mentioned that her father had ordered the suits a week, but she was dreading getting them. Once they finally arrived on Saturday she threw a tantrum, but ended being disciplined and wearing a suit throughout the weekend. She said her father had ordered three suits, and due to her tantrum, decided that she would start wearing a suit full time, without any time getting used to them. Jane started paying more attention to Leigh, showing an almost fascination with her suit. Jane would "hug" Leigh, but it was mostly an excuse to run her hands up and down Leigh's suit. Jane was, in a somewhat perverse way, enjoying Leigh's predicament. I was also intrigued by the novelty. Her suit was similar to mine, in a dark green. However, the outer fabric of her suit seemed thicker, rougher. It also had thicker fur around the hood and the sleeves. Ever since I had started wearing suits, I started paying closer attention to the ladies wearing them, and two the suits themselves. Leigh's suit looked warmer than my suits, and it clearly looked like she hadn't gotten used to being locked in her suit. She looked distressed, pulling and tugging, trying to adjust her suit. I did not envy her.
The same week that Leigh got her suit, Jane announced proudly that her suits had been ordered, she was glowing with happiness and would talk nothing else. Next Monday Jane made her big appearance, wearing a very elegant suit in a deep burgundy color, with the integrated gloves and boots in black. It had gold colored zippers, including in the sleeves and in the kick pleat of the apron. She looked taller, and confessed that she had begged her father to allow her to get 3.5 inch heels. She said that she was still getting used to the high heels, and that here feet were sore, but it made her look more elegant. I felt a bit of jealousy, and asked her where she had ordered the suit from. She told me that it was from Ms. Brightwood's store, so I thought that such a color would be nice for a suit of my own.
Weeks passed and more girls in my class started wearing suits. This shouldn't have come as surprise, since it was an all female private school, and the practice was becoming more and more accepted in those social circles. However, no one seemed as excited about stepping into ladyhood as Jane. You could see it in her face how she enjoyed cuddling her face in the thick collar and hood of her suit. She was constantly smoothing the fabric of her suit. I don't know how much she was "feeling" given that her hands were completely covered in thick gloves, but she definitely enjoying it. Needless to say she was wearing one of her suits every day. So all three of us, Jane, Leigh, and myself entered the world of ladyhood, albeit with very different levels of enthusiasm.
... part 3
During the walk home I felt like a real lady, dressed to the nines and being eyed by strangers in the street. It wasn't cold outside, but it was still nice to feel all toasty inside my suit. With the integrated boots and gloves there was no place for a cold draft to get in. However, by the time I got home, comfortably warm had turned into stuffy. I was glad when Ela unlocked my suit and allowed me put on my regular clothes. Ela cleaned the suit, and hanged it next to my desk.
The next day, a Friday, I was so proud of wearing my new helpless suit to school. As the first girl in my class wearing a suit, I was happy with the attention I was getting, feeling like a lady, and even getting a special treatment from the school staff. Some of my friends were very we enthusiastic, and maybe even a bit jealous. Other girls, the more independent ones looked at me with almost a hint of contempt. There was certainly a stigma attached to wearing a suit. By some it was considered lady like and glamorous, by others it was considered subservient and elitist. Of my two closest friends Jane was very enthusiastic, and would ask me questions and keenly examine my suit up close. Jane couldn't wait to get her own, and as she told us, had been pestering her father for one. On the other hand Leigh started treating me with contempt as soon she saw me with my suit. She claimed we were going back hundreds of years, when men would control women's lives by any means possible, including the way they dressed.
Father was now more and more absent, traveling to Africa on business for long stretches of time. During the first trip father was away for more than a week, Ela encouraged me to wear the suit for the whole school week, from Monday to Friday. I was really proud of dressing like a lady, but it was beginning to feel more and more stifling every day. The lack of touch, the fact that the sleeves were set just so that raising my arms above my shoulders wasn't possible. Even the heels, which I loved wearing in the beginning, and are actually quite low by any standard, were beginning to tire my feet by the end of the week. It was one thing to wear heels for a night out, another to wear them daily and have your feet all day in the same immobile position, even if the boots were thickly padded. By Saturday I was glad to go back to my jeans, a sweater, and a thin indoor jacket. Father returned home on Tuesday night, and I wasted no time on talking to him on my displeasure of being forced by Ela to wear the suit all school week. He promised to talk to her. Imagine my surprise when on Wednesday morning I was approached by Ela carrying the suit. However, even before I could begin to protest, she explained, "your father spoke to me regarding your hesitation about wearing the suit. I explained to him that this is something temporary, and is greatly outweighed by the benefits of you wearing it, specially now that he is away from you as much. He feels it's safer if you wear it, and so do I. We did agree however that just one suit is not enough, so this afternoon after school we're going to go and get you fitted for two more suits. Now hurry up, we have to get you ready for school."
I came out of my room wearing the suit, defeat showing in my face. Father barely looked up from his news paper, "have a nice day at school, Ashley. Good luck at your fitting. Pick something pretty." I did not bother to respond, and just buried my face in the thick collar and hood.
That after noon, the fitting at Ms. Brightwood's started as I would have expected. Ela unlocked my suit and Jessica, one of Ms. Brightwood's assistant took me to the back to measure me. However, when I came out of the fitting room, it was obviuos that things were different than the first time I had been at Ms. Brightwood's.
"Thanks,. Ms. Brightwood, we will stop by friday to pick up the suits. We appreciate your willingness to rush our order." Ela was basically done. So much for me picking something "pretty".
"So, what did 'I' pick? Mind telling me?"
"Ohh dear, don't make such a fuss, Ashley. Your father gave me free reign to pick what I deemed appropriate for your protection. You better behave, or we'll have to work on that attitude."
By friday my new suits were ready, and we went to pick them up.
The first suit, was basically a copy of my first suit, just in a dark brown color as opposed to black. The second suit that was brought out was a soft baby pink. I was appalled since it looked like it was for a little girl, it had fur trim around the hood, sleeves, and the top of the attached boots. It also had two big fur pompoms hanging from the hood. Ela was quite excited about the suit, "you'll look so cute wearing this one! It'll be perfect for your weekends." Jessica, the assistant helped me try on both suits, but then replaced them in their garment bags.
I was a bit surprised when a third suit was brought out. This last suit they brought out on was white, with gold toned hardware. As opposed to the other two suits, Ms. Brightwood herself fitted me. It had more zippers than my first suit. It had zippers on the sleeves, which Ms. Brightwood closed after pushing my hands into the gloves. With the zippers closed, the suit was snug on my wrists and forearms, and I would be unable to pull my hands out of the gloves. Another zipper allowed closing the kick pleat on the back of the apron of the suit. Ms. Brightwood dully noted that these zippers were locking, no surprises there... The suits had a zipper that reached much higher, just short of my nose. A side effect of this is that to fully zip the suit, I had to have the thick hood pulled up, as it was a snug fit. Once zipped up, only my eyes and nose were exposed. The thick hood severely limited my vision, and made it impossible to look to my side without turning my body. If tried to turn only my head, my face just got buried into thick padding of the hood. I had seen ladies wearing suits like this on the street, but I always thought they only wore it outside when cold. I was realizing that wearing a suit full time could prove to be quite irksome and stifling. I was finally dressed back in my regular black suit for our walk home. The suits were so bulky that would be delivered home.
During the weekend Ela "encouraged" me to wear the white suit. This included wearing the hood permanently, as it was the only way it could be worn to close the main zipper. I spent the whole weekend, suffocated by the collar of my suit. For the most part it was bearable, and I spent my weekend doing my usual activities, working on school tasks, texting with my friends and watching TV. While very irksome, I was finally getting used to wearing a suit! The biggest hassle was during meal times, as Ela had to unlock the suit to enable me to eat. Despite this she insisted it was good for me to get used to it.
I was actually glad once Monday came around and I was dressed again in my "regular" suits.
At school I was surprised to see Leigh wearing a suit. She did not seem very happy but for the most part stayed away from me. She mentioned that her father had ordered the suits a week, but she was dreading getting them. Once they finally arrived on Saturday she threw a tantrum, but ended being disciplined and wearing a suit throughout the weekend. She said her father had ordered three suits, and due to her tantrum, decided that she would start wearing a suit full time, without any time getting used to them. Jane started paying more attention to Leigh, showing an almost fascination with her suit. Jane would "hug" Leigh, but it was mostly an excuse to run her hands up and down Leigh's suit. Jane was, in a somewhat perverse way, enjoying Leigh's predicament. I was also intrigued by the novelty. Her suit was similar to mine, in a dark green. However, the outer fabric of her suit seemed thicker, rougher. It also had thicker fur around the hood and the sleeves. Ever since I had started wearing suits, I started paying closer attention to the ladies wearing them, and two the suits themselves. Leigh's suit looked warmer than my suits, and it clearly looked like she hadn't gotten used to being locked in her suit. She looked distressed, pulling and tugging, trying to adjust her suit. I did not envy her.
The same week that Leigh got her suit, Jane announced proudly that her suits had been ordered, she was glowing with happiness and would talk nothing else. Next Monday Jane made her big appearance, wearing a very elegant suit in a deep burgundy color, with the integrated gloves and boots in black. It had gold colored zippers, including in the sleeves and in the kick pleat of the apron. She looked taller, and confessed that she had begged her father to allow her to get 3.5 inch heels. She said that she was still getting used to the high heels, and that here feet were sore, but it made her look more elegant. I felt a bit of jealousy, and asked her where she had ordered the suit from. She told me that it was from Ms. Brightwood's store, so I thought that such a color would be nice for a suit of my own.
Weeks passed and more girls in my class started wearing suits. This shouldn't have come as surprise, since it was an all female private school, and the practice was becoming more and more accepted in those social circles. However, no one seemed as excited about stepping into ladyhood as Jane. You could see it in her face how she enjoyed cuddling her face in the thick collar and hood of her suit. She was constantly smoothing the fabric of her suit. I don't know how much she was "feeling" given that her hands were completely covered in thick gloves, but she definitely enjoying it. Needless to say she was wearing one of her suits every day. So all three of us, Jane, Leigh, and myself entered the world of ladyhood, albeit with very different levels of enthusiasm.
... part 3
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Deep freeze (part 1)
Prologue
In Europe things were no better. Russia and the Scandinavian countries became barren wastelands, inhabited by a few survivalists. North African countries declared a non incursion zone around the coast of Africa, which soon led to skirmishes for control of the Mediterranean. Meanwhile refugee camps grew along the southern coasts of Spain, France, Italy and the Balkans.
Other areas fared better in the midst of crisis. England saw a significant population decrease, but was able to retain its industrial output, and was even able to increase it through the use of automated robots and computer systems. Coupled with the protection provided by its island geography (and it's sizable Royal Navy), the United Kingdom became one of the leading powers in the new convoluted world. London was the hub of this British Renascence, a city were a select elite (and their servants) lived a life of privileged calm under strict security. And it's in this metropolis where our story begins.
Part one
Today was the day I was getting my first helpless suit, a special day for any girl, as it signaled the blooming of a lady. I was excited to say the least. The suits were made just like all encompassing puffer coats. Quilted in small sections, each section filled with down. The suits were designed to keep the wearer warm, and were worn exclusively by women, since it was widely believed that females were more susceptible to the colder temperatures. While early on during the scare some suits were also quilted with synthetic fibers, now a days only natural down was used. Getting into a suit was a fairly easy affair. Getting out, not so much.
I walked into Ms. Brightwood's stored with Ela, my governess. Ever since mother passed away, father insisted that she accompany me to all such endeavors, for me to have some female influence. We were greeted by Ms. Brightwood herself, as she always liked to take care of first time customers. She was a very elegant lady, dressed herself in a brown helpless suit. She led me to the back fitting room, where my suit was already hanging, still covered by a garment bag. One of Ms. Brightwood's assistants entered the fitting room, she was dressed in a typical servant uniform dress, similar to Ela's, a long plain woolen dress in dark gray, with a high neck and long sleeves. The assistant stripped me down to my under wear, and took away my regular clothes. It was early fall, so I was just wearing jeans, a thin turtleneck sweater, and light down jacket.
The suit was in black, very classic, with gold toned hardware. In a single piece it combined a long hooded coat, reaching below the knees, with quilted pants. I had seen plenty of ladies in the street wearing similar suits, however, looking at "my" first suit, it looked thicker, heavier, a bit intimidating. As usual with all suits, integrated boots and gloves completed the suit. The integrated boots were done in same quilted material, and sported a small yet smart wedge heel, 2.5 inches. The insides of the shoe portion were thickly padded, both the sole and the inside of the vamp. All suits had what was called an apron, the long part of the integrated coat, hanging below the waist and reaching below the knees. The apron was fully fully closed with the front zipper, but had a kick pleat on the back to allow walking. Elastic sections around the waist and a belt gave the otherwise puffy garment a feminine shape. Of course the belt had another purpose.
As I was helped into the suit I could feel the smooth lining caressing my skin. The quality of the luxurious workmanship was evident, the fit was surprisingly comfortable and flattering. It was like a soft and warm hug. My feet felt warm and cuddled inside of the thickly padded boots. No more cold feet for me! Ms. Brightwood started zipping up my suit and snapping the flap into place, my hands were pushed into the integrated gloves. Finally, the thick puffy neck of the suit closed, with a muted but ominous click.
"There you are, you look like a real lady. All locked up and ready to go. I'll give the keys to your governess," said Ms. Brightwood. "...Hold on... I almost forgot to do up your belt. You have such a nice waist you almost don't need the belt... But I can't let you go around all loose, can I?" A quick tug of the belt and another click and I was really in my first suit. The belt did give the suit a nice silhouette, but it felt a bit overkill. The belt itself was at least there inches wide and the buckle was quite heavy. The belt was wrapped in scrunched fabric, like belts of some regular coats. However, unlike those belts, this one had no elasticity whatsoever. And while it wasn't tight, I couldn't but feel it was a bit too snug.
Ms. Brightwood led me outside, where Ela was waiting.
"You look great my dear. Ms. Brightwood, would you mind putting up her hood?" Ela ask after seeing me emerge from the fitting room in my suit.
"It's a bit warm today..."
"I just think she should start getting used to it..."
... part 2
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Going for a walk (part 5)
... part 4
I was so anxious about catching the train that I had forgotten about my poor feet, but after a couple of blocks the pain came back with a vengeance. My discomfort increased with every step. I tried to lower the collar of my suit to allow me to breath a bit easier, but it was a very tight fit. My whole body was drenched in sweat. My shoulders were cramped from the weight and restriction of the suit, the sleeves were set in such a way I couldn't raise my arms. I couldn't really move my arms much at all the way they were confined in the suit. My neck was stiff from having my head held by the massive collar of the suit. Even my hands were cramped. The suit had no pockets, so i to hold on tightly to the train ticket. And with the thick stiff mittens it was even harder. I was feeling miserable. The initial excitement had long faded. Maybe that's what Sheila wants? Teach me a lesson and make me hate wearing thick down clothes? Thousands of things come through my mind as I raced to the station. Or at least as I hobbled as fast as my feet could take. Will I catch the train? What time is it? What if I don't?
My tortured feet were on fire as I reached the station. I looked at one of the wall clocks: 8:33! I made it. I sat down in one of the farthest benches and tried to avoid the peering gazes of bored commuters walking past me. At least I had avoided human contact so far. That was until a middle aged lady sat next to me. She was nicely dressed, in a classic camel colored wool coat and hat. I would have moved, but my feet would not budge. Or maybe at that time I was just so broken I just didn't care.
"Oh boy, you sure look like you're warm! They say it's going to get chilly tonight."
I just mumbled, not sure what to say, but she just kept on talking. "That's such a flashy color, but still pretty. You must like standing out!"
I was mortified. "My wife picked it up for me."
"Oh your wife must be worried you might be cold tonight, so thoughtful..." I just grinned under my hood. "Men can sometimes be so headstrong and not dress appropriately for the weather. I'm glad your wife has taken it to make sure her husband is dressed warmly. And you seem to like it, which is always good! That thick hood will make sure you don't get a bad cold, and I love how your mittens are attached. No excuses to wear your warm mittens!" I was so embarrassed I couldn't say anything. And maybe it was good I didn't say anything. "Well young man, my train is here. Have a good evening, enjoy." I looked around and saw the west bound train. I was waiting for the eastbound, so I was glad to wrap up the conversation with the curious lady.
A few minutes later I saw my train arrive. I was hoping that the train would be empty, but I was wrong. Luckily I was able to find an empty discreet seat. I took my seat and stared at the night. When the ticket collector asked for my ticket I tried to look away, but I could still see his puzzled expression. But as he moved on, I tried to focus on my current situation. My feet not feeling as painful, after I had rested them a bit. However my boots were still pinching my toes, and the steep angle at which my feet were held was very tiring. I tried to bend over to remove my boots, but that quickly proved futile. The bulk of the suit, and the relative confinement of the train seat made it impossible to even reach my boots. And even if I had been able to reach them, I was sure I didn't have the dexterity to unbuckle them. Despite my wishful thinking, my feet were trapped in their high heeled prisons for the foreseeable future. I moved up to try to undo my hood, but that also proved difficult. The sleeves of my suit were so stiff that I could raise my arms at the shoulders. I could bend my elbows a little, but it was struggle to reach the top of my collar. I desperately wanted some relief from the heat, but it was obvious that the suit was designed to prevent the wearer from taking it off by himself. Sheila was probably betting that I wouldn't stomach the embarrassment of asking a stranger for help in removing even my hood. And she was probably right.
An older teenage girl sat in the seat next to me, she immediately looked at me with a scowl. She looked around for other available seats, but figured there were none and settled down with her headphones. So much for even attempting to ask someone for help. As the train approached my destination it began to empty. My stop was the second to last, and when it arrived I quickly made my way to the ticket validator and quickly stepped out of the train. I looked for the bus stop for route 72 I was relieved that there was none waiting for the bus...
Epilogue
He was hard to miss, even from a distance. The hot pink really did the trick. He was still wearing this suit in all its glory, the hood fully done and everything. It was fun seeing teeter towards the bus stop in his wedge boots. I guess he didn't get used to them in his walk, and is bound to wear them again in the future for more practice. He looked stiff and tired. That expression soon turned to agitation. He was looking back and forth, at the sign posted near the bus stop and at big wall clock back in the train terminal. It was safe to say he had realized that the last 72 bus had departed at 8pm.
He was most likely feeling desperate and alone, thinking he had no way of contacting me. He didn't imagine that I had installed a GPS transmitter, courtesy of one of geeks in my office's IT department. I was so small, it was hidden inside of the wedge heel of one of his boots.
I let wallow in his dire situation for a good ten minutes, which I'm sure felt like hours for him. I finally turned on the engine and started to drive towards the bus stop, but not before taking out the big leather cuffs I had brought, among other necessary things. As they say: you can never be too careful. This was the end of his walk, but the weekend was only starting.
I was so anxious about catching the train that I had forgotten about my poor feet, but after a couple of blocks the pain came back with a vengeance. My discomfort increased with every step. I tried to lower the collar of my suit to allow me to breath a bit easier, but it was a very tight fit. My whole body was drenched in sweat. My shoulders were cramped from the weight and restriction of the suit, the sleeves were set in such a way I couldn't raise my arms. I couldn't really move my arms much at all the way they were confined in the suit. My neck was stiff from having my head held by the massive collar of the suit. Even my hands were cramped. The suit had no pockets, so i to hold on tightly to the train ticket. And with the thick stiff mittens it was even harder. I was feeling miserable. The initial excitement had long faded. Maybe that's what Sheila wants? Teach me a lesson and make me hate wearing thick down clothes? Thousands of things come through my mind as I raced to the station. Or at least as I hobbled as fast as my feet could take. Will I catch the train? What time is it? What if I don't?
My tortured feet were on fire as I reached the station. I looked at one of the wall clocks: 8:33! I made it. I sat down in one of the farthest benches and tried to avoid the peering gazes of bored commuters walking past me. At least I had avoided human contact so far. That was until a middle aged lady sat next to me. She was nicely dressed, in a classic camel colored wool coat and hat. I would have moved, but my feet would not budge. Or maybe at that time I was just so broken I just didn't care.
"Oh boy, you sure look like you're warm! They say it's going to get chilly tonight."
I just mumbled, not sure what to say, but she just kept on talking. "That's such a flashy color, but still pretty. You must like standing out!"
I was mortified. "My wife picked it up for me."
"Oh your wife must be worried you might be cold tonight, so thoughtful..." I just grinned under my hood. "Men can sometimes be so headstrong and not dress appropriately for the weather. I'm glad your wife has taken it to make sure her husband is dressed warmly. And you seem to like it, which is always good! That thick hood will make sure you don't get a bad cold, and I love how your mittens are attached. No excuses to wear your warm mittens!" I was so embarrassed I couldn't say anything. And maybe it was good I didn't say anything. "Well young man, my train is here. Have a good evening, enjoy." I looked around and saw the west bound train. I was waiting for the eastbound, so I was glad to wrap up the conversation with the curious lady.
A few minutes later I saw my train arrive. I was hoping that the train would be empty, but I was wrong. Luckily I was able to find an empty discreet seat. I took my seat and stared at the night. When the ticket collector asked for my ticket I tried to look away, but I could still see his puzzled expression. But as he moved on, I tried to focus on my current situation. My feet not feeling as painful, after I had rested them a bit. However my boots were still pinching my toes, and the steep angle at which my feet were held was very tiring. I tried to bend over to remove my boots, but that quickly proved futile. The bulk of the suit, and the relative confinement of the train seat made it impossible to even reach my boots. And even if I had been able to reach them, I was sure I didn't have the dexterity to unbuckle them. Despite my wishful thinking, my feet were trapped in their high heeled prisons for the foreseeable future. I moved up to try to undo my hood, but that also proved difficult. The sleeves of my suit were so stiff that I could raise my arms at the shoulders. I could bend my elbows a little, but it was struggle to reach the top of my collar. I desperately wanted some relief from the heat, but it was obvious that the suit was designed to prevent the wearer from taking it off by himself. Sheila was probably betting that I wouldn't stomach the embarrassment of asking a stranger for help in removing even my hood. And she was probably right.
An older teenage girl sat in the seat next to me, she immediately looked at me with a scowl. She looked around for other available seats, but figured there were none and settled down with her headphones. So much for even attempting to ask someone for help. As the train approached my destination it began to empty. My stop was the second to last, and when it arrived I quickly made my way to the ticket validator and quickly stepped out of the train. I looked for the bus stop for route 72 I was relieved that there was none waiting for the bus...
Epilogue
He was hard to miss, even from a distance. The hot pink really did the trick. He was still wearing this suit in all its glory, the hood fully done and everything. It was fun seeing teeter towards the bus stop in his wedge boots. I guess he didn't get used to them in his walk, and is bound to wear them again in the future for more practice. He looked stiff and tired. That expression soon turned to agitation. He was looking back and forth, at the sign posted near the bus stop and at big wall clock back in the train terminal. It was safe to say he had realized that the last 72 bus had departed at 8pm.
He was most likely feeling desperate and alone, thinking he had no way of contacting me. He didn't imagine that I had installed a GPS transmitter, courtesy of one of geeks in my office's IT department. I was so small, it was hidden inside of the wedge heel of one of his boots.
I let wallow in his dire situation for a good ten minutes, which I'm sure felt like hours for him. I finally turned on the engine and started to drive towards the bus stop, but not before taking out the big leather cuffs I had brought, among other necessary things. As they say: you can never be too careful. This was the end of his walk, but the weekend was only starting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)