Author’s note: I am a terrible proofreader – if someone would like to step forward as an editor for my stories I would welcome the assistance. If you see any bugs, continuity errors or other glaring mistakes please drop me a line at the following address [email protected]
This is a work of fiction, no reproductions for commercial purposes without my consent, all contents copyright (2004). Have a nice day.
Hi, what you have here is my story. I don’t really know why I wrote it all down, it’s not like anyone will find my life in this small town very exciting, but as my Grandpa Arlen would have said, “Everyone has a story to tell.” I do have a story, that much is true. I’ll leave any judgment to its worth up to you.
My Mom, Susan Rene Arlen raised me all alone since my dad died when I was only two years old. She did a good job in my opinion and while we weren’t ever rich we never wanted for much either. Four years ago Mom was contacted by her sister whom she hadn’t spoken with since my father died. I don’t know what happened to drive them apart but Mom sure was happy to hear from her sister and her family again.
My Aunt and Uncle were both lawyers in Minnesota and very successful in their trade and I think that awoke something in Mom. She now instead of a ‘job’ she wanted a career of her own. One night over dinner she up and announces that she has decided to go back to school to study geology of all things. Now she’s landed a great job, not what she expected to get, mind you, but great all the same. She feels like she is moving up in the world.
I think because life loves irony so much, three months ago, my Uncle decides to pull a green acres and quit practicing law to run a farm right here in town. My Aunt is determined to continue her practice here as well (I think mainly to finance her husband’s farm venture.) Now suddenly I have two cousins I barely know. Rob, the older of the two, was born within days of me and he can almost pass as my twin. Rick, who is now twelve, was adopted. He knows he was adopted, but he is not like the people on TV who are obsessed with finding his biological parents. I think he must realize which side his bread is buttered on as the phrase goes.
The day I started this story I was on my way to my Uncle’s farm to go spend some after -school quality time with my cousins to “get acquainted”. Mom had a date tonight with some guy her coworker had introduced her to and this was going to be their fourth date. In all my years Mom has never made it to four dates, two usually being the average, and now Mom is talking like she wants me to meet this guy.
It’s funny how one day or sometimes even just one moment can act as a pivot on which the course of the rest of your life turns. This is a story about just such a moment, in a sleepy little Alabama town called Simonsville. It is my friends, my family and even an unfortunate villain that set the stage of this tale with such splendid normalcy that it becomes increasingly difficult to turn a blind eye to farce of youth and the folly of adulthood, which inevitably follows.
My name is Todd, and it’s nice to meet you.
Chapter 1 – Eddie Albert Eat Your Heart Out
Sarah J. Leesum, Aunt Sarah to me, had been speaking into her small silver cell phone for the last several miles. I sat quietly in the seat behind her, listening to her voice as I watched the summer green trees and sturdy power poles as they streaked by, each going from small to big to small again as we passed. Despite only hearing half of the conversation I was halfheartedly trying to make sense of what was being said, I’m almost certain she was addressing my Mother and so I am equally sure that the ‘he’ she occasionally spoke of in reassuring tones is me.
“Sure, Susan, it’s not a problem, not at all, so don’t you worry about it none” Sarah says as she pauses to listen we speed past an old filling station, long closed and longer overgrown with rust and weeds. The pumps were gone but the stained and dirty concrete pads bore witness to their having been there, just as the irregular dark patches testified to years of spilled fuel and leaked oil.
“Uh huh, you, too.” Susan says as I pick back up her end of the conversation. A slight pause, enough to get a breath and she finishes in one spurt pushing the words out in one steady stream “We will, Ok, Now at least try and make the best of it, alright? [pause] Love you too. Bye!”
“Was that Aunt Susan? Is Todd going to get to stay the whole weekend with us?” asked a voice from the seat beside me causing me to direct my attention back from my musings and to the present. Rob leaned forward as he spoke, the shoulder strap of his seatbelt prevented him from leaning any further forward as it dug into his shoulder. Rob and I looked very much alike, both of us sharing the same build and facial features, light brown hair and unusual height. Until my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins had moved to town two months ago I had been the tallest kid in the 8th grade just at 6” tall, so it was only natural for the teachers or other kids at school to sometimes mistake us for siblings instead of cousins.
“It looks like it. Todd, your momma just got called out to Oregon for some work emergency, so I told her seeing as how you was family, we’d let you sleep in the barn.” Sarah announced in a cool deadpan. I was for a brief moment taken aback until I realized she was just probably pulling my leg, I laughed kind of nervously not quite sure.
Rob was obviously excited at the prospect of having company for the weekend as he shot a grin my way in anticipation of the fun we would have. It is always uncanny to see someone smile at you with your own smile and I get the oddest sense of looking in a mirror sometimes when I see Rob. Mom says I had met Rob once before when we were both small toddlers, but despite having pictures that prove it I don’t remember.
The vehicle lurched hard to the left and the ride became noticeably bumpier as we started down a dirt and gravel road. We were now officially on outskirts of Simonsville Alabama, not that Simonsville has much inskirts either, with only a population of 2000 people countywide. Simonsville has everything a small town should have but the charm, so basically it is a small squat and desolate little berg. Of course Mom and me live in town proper, just across the street from the second school, which serves as a middle and high school. Of course First School was only a block away and handled the k to 5’s.
The road we were on abruptly ended at a big white farmhouse, there was no real separation between road and driveway and no clear indication where the driveway would begin if there was one. The house was all southern grace and style, with a columned wrap around porch and low laying tin roof, my Aunts house was every bit the classic farm house right down to the out buildings.
“You two grab the groceries out the back,” We were told as we freed our selves from our seat belts and exited the vehicle.
“Well look who’s here, it’s my lovely wife, my wondrous son and my favorite nephew” call out my Uncle Steve as he came from around the back of the house. With the dirt of a days work on him, he looked like a farmer rather than the lawyer he had been up until 3 months ago when he just up and decides he was changing his life’s direction.
We had to make two trips to get all the groceries from the back of the van and on the second trip we we’re joined by my other cousin Rick who at 12 was 2 years younger than Rob and I. Rick, who was adopted when he was five, was stout and already looking more like a line backer than a 12 year old. Rick had not gone to school that day, as he hadn’t been well that morning.
When all the grocery bags were in the kitchen we were dispatched to the large playroom upstairs to complete our homework before dinner. Rob had brought some make up work home for Rick and we all did our best to get done quickly. I of course was getting more and more nervous as the night wore on. Spending the night was not supposed to be part of the deal, I mean I love my cousins and aunt and uncle, but I barley know them either. Aunt Sarah was just supposed to pick me up from school with Rob so we could play a little and ‘bond’ while mom worked late. Since they moved here Mom wants me to get to know my family.
Now here I am, without any of my own things, destined to spend not just the night but also the entire weekend here. What if the unthinkable happens? What’s gonna happen if I wet the bed? Both my cousins will hate me, and how about my Aunt and Uncle? They’re both big sophisticated lawyers, or least Uncle Steve used to be a lawyer before turning farmer. What’s he going to think of a 14 year old who still sometimes wets his bed?
The call to dinner saved me from my thoughts and I closed my math book, I had long since finished my problems anyways. We all went downstairs and there was that awkward moment where you don’t know where to sit.
“Todd, sit there next to Rob.” Aunt Susan instructed “Hope you like chicken and rice”
“Yes ma’am” I answered back, realizing how country I sounded – talk about country mouse and city mouse.
The food was not momma’s that’s for sure, but I guess when you don’t get much practice and you’re used to eating out a lot you don’t develop good cooking skills. It wasn’t bad, just not great or what I was used too, but it was plentiful and at 14 where you have a constant hole in your stomach it was plenty filling.
“Todd will be staying with us for the weekend; Susan got called to Oregon and won’t be back until Monday.” Aunt Sarah told Uncle Steve.
I wasn’t entirely sure I liked mom working like this. All my life she worked at the Simonsville branch of Farmers Bank and Trust, ‘offering hospitality, service, and good rates to boot’, as their lead teller. Two years ago, I guess she felt me growing up would allow her a more ambitious career and she started doing correspondence school for geological work, I guess she figured she would help the local farmers with their soil tests and things, but instead she is now consulting with some big development firm that might want her to fly all over.
We finished dinner and talking a cue from Rob I rinsed my plate off in one of those old fashioned porcelain double well sinks and then put it in the dishwasher. Since our homework was completed we were sent upstairs to play. My earlier concerns were still present and hanging in the back of my mind, but became less persistent while we played games on Rob’s X-Box.
One thing that struck me as odd was how orderly and yet lived in the house felt. They had only moved in a month and a half ago yet it seemed as if they had lived in this house all their lives. Everything was already in its place and things just felt homey.
It was getting close to 10:30 when Susan came into the playroom announcing it was time to get ready for bed. The natural inclination to protest is inbred in all boys and so in unison we all reminded her of the early time on the clock.
“Now don’t argue, I didn’t say you had to go to bed I just want you boys to get ready so I can go to bed. I’ve got a busy day tomorrow.” Aunt Sarah extolled.
Rob and Rick both shot each other a nervous glance, making me wonder if Mom told Aunt Sarah about my accidents? Did Aunt Sarah tell Rob and Rick? They probably didn’t want me sleeping with either one of them. No, probably not, if they had they would have teased me about it before now. Maybe not, maybe they won’t tease me for fear of getting in trouble. Maybe they were both hoping I wouldn’t be sleeping with them after all. I was just certain they knew and I wished I were anywhere else in the world but here.
“Rick, go brush your teeth in our bathroom tonight. Todd I put you out a new toothbrush in the bathroom off the hall so you and Rob can go brush.” Sarah said
We made our way to the bathroom and I opened the toothbrush and began brushing. Aunt Sarah told me I could wear some of Rob’s night clothes since we were the same size. Rob kind of got a funny look on his face. I tried to get up the courage to tell him my secret so at least it would look like I was in control of my own situation. Instead I decided to pray to God and ask him to keep the bed dry.
We finished about the same time and rinsed, spat and put our toothbrushes in the little rack by the towels. I had decided that the chances of me staying dry three nights in a row was slim to none so it was better to tell him now than for him to wake up in a wet bed later just in case God wasn’t listening or didn’t feel like helping.
“Umm Rob, I need to tell you something” I started just as he blurted out “wait I need to tell you something”
“You first” I told him.
“Naw, you’re company, you go first”
“Well you’ve got to promise not to laugh”
“I promise, but you can’t laugh at me either”
“Okay, I… Sometimes... Not often… But every now and then… I umm… Well I… Wet the bed.” I managed almost whispering at the end.
Rob got a funny look on his face and started to say something when Aunt Sarah, who I hadn’t heard approach, interjected.
“What do you do about that at home, Todd?” asked Aunt Sarah.
I turned fifty shades of red. “I have to change the sheets and try to go back to bed”
“Poor dear, it must be hard not getting a good night’s rest,” Aunt Sarah consoled me, which surprised me; she let the subject drop like it was over and done with.
“You’ll be sleeping with Rob tonight” Aunt Sarah said walking us to Rob’s room.
Uncle Steve came out of his bedroom with a laughing Rick slung over his shoulder and they disappeared into Rick’s bedroom with Uncle Steve threatening the boy with hogtying. Rick’s laughter at the attention elicited a momentary stab of jealousy, which I didn’t expect. I suddenly was aware of how bad I missed having a father since my pa died when I was one. I wanted a dad sometimes but all my friend’s fathers seemed imposing and unapproachable, not like Uncle Steve. What little I knew of Uncle Steve was enough to know he was kind, fair, forthright and a great Dad.
Robs room was huge compared to mine, he had a king size bed, a computer desk, an enormous closet, dresser and chest with mirror. Aunt Sarah went to Rob’s chest and opened a drawer and got out some PJ’s which instead of handing to me like I expected she set them down on the bed. Something unspoken went between Rob and Aunt Sarah and as Rob lifted up his shirt she quickly undid his belt buckle and opened his pants. She pulled his boxer briefs down with his jeans and he stepped out of both. She reached behind the headboard and pulled out a mat which was folded in half which she opened and placed on the bed. Rob was blushing furiously, but said nothing as he lay down on the mat.
I stood open mouthed and awestruck as Aunt Sarah pulled open a drawer on his nightstand and produced a can of powder and a bottle of baby oil. Aunt Sarah proceeded to powder and oil him up quickly and without comment. It had been the first time I had seen my cousin naked, we had different PE classes, but he lacked any pubic hair what so ever. From underneath the pajamas she had set out Aunt Sarah pulled a large disposable diaper, which in two blinks of an eye was under Rob and wrapped about his waist and taped securely on. She then took and slipped his pajama bottoms on over his ankles and pulled them as far as his knees. She tickled his belly a bit and Rob stood up blushing even more than before as he pulled his PJ bottoms over his diaper.
Rob put on his top and I couldn’t help but notice the crinkle, which seemed to follow his every move. He turned around as he pulled off his socks and you could see the elastic lines that run up the seat of the diaper outlined through the thin fleece material of his pajamas. He scooped up his clothes off the floor and threw them in the hamper near his closet and looked plaintively at his mom.
“Rob sometimes wets too, but wearing protection lets him sleep through the night without having to get up and hassle with wet PJ’s and sheets.” Aunt Sarah explained breaking the silence.
“That’s what I started to tell you, so you wouldn’t freak out or tease me” Rob said.
“I wouldn’t tease anyone for wetting the bed. I know well enough you can’t control it,” I said amazed that Rob had probably had the same fears that I did.
“Well that’s very mature of you Todd. Would you like to wear protection, too? You don’t have to, but it’s a very responsible and very grown up way to manage your problem.” Aunt Sarah argued, making the diaper seem reasonable. You could certainly count on a lawyer to talk you into something like that.
I was nervous and hesitant. I wanted to, but it seemed so strange. It was a dream like moment where I seemed to be outside myself, I heard myself say “Sure” and walk over to bed. I just kind of stood there, frozen in place until Aunt Sarah prompted me to take my shirt off. I was undoing the second button on my shirt when she undid my belt and let my fly down. As she pulled my pants down taking my boxers with them it caused my already stiffening organ to finish into a full erection. I wanted to disappear again.
“Oh that happens all the time. It’s nothing to worry about” Aunt Sarah explained as she motioned for me to step out of my pants.
Naked, except for socks she had me lay back on the vinyl mat, which reminded me of a thinner version of a gym mat. While I lay there the cool air helped abate my erection as Aunt Sarah grabbed a diaper from Rob’s drawer. She set the diaper beside my head and I impulsively looked at it in profile, I examined in detail its folds and ridges where the leg elastic was folded on top near the wings and taping panel.
“You’ll want to use some Nair on your hair if you decide to wear protection at night as it will help avoid some unpleasant scents and help with rashes too” Sarah lectured as she powdered and oiled.
She picked up the diaper and unfolded it and spread out the wings holding it out until I finally got the hint and lifted my butt. She pulled the diaper up between my legs and taped it on. Then just as she had done with Rob she put my PJ bottoms on and brought them up to my knees. I stood and pulled them up over my diaper, which felt odd between my legs. I put on my PJ shirt and took a tentative step forward. It sounded as if I had Rice Krispies in my pants, each step bringing a symphony of crinkles and pops.
With a reassuring pat on the butt, which seemed appropriate Aunt Sarah sent us back to the playroom where the also diapered Rick was already in front of the TV. Rick looked at us both and had to realize I was diapered too, but he didn’t comment and so we settled down to watch some Cartoon Network.