Postby KP Presents » Fri Jan 08, 2016 3:38 am
As Lisa and Suzie walked over, I went and collected the pizzas, but as I closed the door I heard some quiet moans from upstairs. I figured Jenny and Colin were having fun, and carried the boxes in to see Pippa rubbing her wrists.
“Holy... Have you any idea how tight that felt?”
“Yes, I do,” I said as I put the boxes on the coffee table, “and just how it made me feel as well.”
“I dared not move,” Hazel said as she took a slice of pepperoni, “the way it felt...”
“So putting that to one side for the moment,” I said, “where are you guys spending Christmas?”
“My grandparents are coming,” Pippa said, “so we’ll be at home.”
“So are we, then we’re going to my dad’s parents for Boxing Day,” Hazel said as she grabbed a slice, “but we’ll be back for your party Suzie.”
“So what about you Cas – any relatives coming over?”
I nodded as I said “My other grandparents are coming over – they should be here Christmas Eve. I think Dad has something very special planned for that night. And we’re going Carol Singing with Alicia and Martin the night before.”
“No sleepovers, no spending days bound and gagged?”
“Not this year, no,” I said with a laugh, “I’ve had enough of that for this year, thank you very much.”
“I can imagine,” Lisa said with a smile.
“So are you going to wear your dresses for that?”
“That’s the idea,” Suzie said as she sipped her drink.
“I may have to come and see that,” Pippa said as she took another bite. “Hey – you girls want to come round my place Boxing Day?”
“I’ll ask Mum and Dad,” I said as we heard giggling and a thump from upstairs.
“They must be having fun up there,” Hazel said, “what do you think they’re doing?”
“Playing Twister,” I said with a smile.
Sunday 20th December
Jenny
“You’re kidding,” Alicia said to me as we sat in the coffee shop.
“Oh no,” I said with a smile, “he had me tightly bound, full gag, those new ropes they sprung on us, and the special one – I think Mum would have had a fit if she and Dad had found us, but fortunately by the time they got back I was free, and Cassie was safely in bed.”
Alicia shook her head, her dark hair cut short for the holidays. She had a pale blue tartan shawl wrapped round her neck, covering the top of the mustard coloured jumper she had on. Her blue jeans were tucked into short brown boots. I had on a grey sweatshirt, jeans and trainers, both of us with several bags by our feet.
We’d spent most of the day buying the last of our Christmas presents – it had taken me most of the time to find my present for Gran, but then it had been the same story for Alicia. Eventually, we both went for the same thing – a boxed set of Cliff Richard movies.
“The twins must be getting excited about Christmas,” Alicia said as she sipped her coffee, and then let out a little sigh.
“Don’t tell me you...”
“What do you think – you’re the same aren’t you?”
I nodded as I sipped my coffee as well. “I hear Cathy had fun at Wissenden last week?”
“Oh yeah – the last night of Chanukah. Mister and Mrs Boyle invited her to come and accompany Samuel.”
“They’re getting really close as well, aren’t they?”
“Oh yes,” Alicia said with a smile, “you could say that...”
“Say what?”
“We were just talking about you,” Alicia said as Cathy Harmer joined us. She was wearing her usual long gypsy skirt and a blue blouse over a black jumper.
“You mean when I attended the Zot Hannukah meal at Wissenden? Your aunt and uncle were there as well, you know?”
“I know,” Alicia said with a smile, “so this is getting serous between you and Sam, isn’t it?”
“I guess it is,” Cathy said as she took her glasses off and wiped them, then put them back on with a smile. “Mu mums are happy about it though.”
“Right – I gotta get going,” I said as I stood up, “Dad wants us all back early tonight for some reason.”
“Have fun, and I’ll see you Tuesday,” Alicia said as I picked up my bags and headed out of the door.
When I got back to the house and went in, Dad looked out from the kitchen.
“Hey there – can you come and give me a hand in here a minute Jenny? Your mum’s talking to your gran and aunts in the front room, and I’m giving the twins their tea.”
I could hear some noise from the front room, so I went in to find not just David and June in their high chairs, but Janey was in a high chair as well, and Danny was sitting at the table.
“Hello Jenny,” he said, as the twins looked at me and said “Hello Jenny.”
“You’ve got your hands full here,” I said as I looked at dad, who was putting some chips out on plates that had fish fingers on them.
“Tell me about it – can you sort out their drinks?”
I nodded as I put some squash into four cups, putting lids on three of them before I handed them out, and then giving Danny the fourth one. “Where’s Uncle Dave?”
“Finishing putting up the decorations at their house – I said I’d make sure the family stayed out of the way,” he said with a smile. “Want some coffee?”
“Not right now thanks,” I said as I sat down. “I presume Cassie’s across the road?”
“You presume wrong – Bobby came round to take her to the pictures, to see that new Peanuts movie,” Dad said as he sat down.
“So who’s in the front room?”
“Your Mum, your gran, Aunts Connie and Cassie. Aunt Jo wanted to finish her shopping.”
I could hear the sound increasing and wondered what was going on. “Go on – have a look,” Dad said, so I made my way into the front room – and then burst out laughing.
“Hllljnee,” Mum said from her seat. She was on one of the dining table chairs, wearing her black jersey dress and knee length leather boots. I could see the bands of rope around her ankles and knees, holding them to the front legs of the chairs, as well as the bands of rope around her waist and her arms. A wide strip of the white tape covered her lips, but I knew something else was underneath.
Gran was sat in one of the armchairs, wearing a grey cardigan over a floral print dress, just as tightly tied and gagged as the rope rubbed on her brown straight boots. As for Aunt Cassie, she was on the floor, wearing a purple tunic and pants, but as tightly tied as I knew she liked to be, and the tape wrapped round her head, holding her long brown hair against her neck.
It was Aunt Connie who surprised me the most. I knew she liked to be tightly tied as well, but instead she was lying on the couch, looking at me as her lips smiled under the white tape. She had on a black smock and leggings, with over the knee boots, and her ankles and legs were just as tightly tied as the others. But she had her wrists tied together in front of her, a rope running from them to the one round her knees, and her arms tied to her side in the way we tie the girls around their stomachs.
Going back into the kitchen, I looked at Dad and said “I see what you mean – but why is Aunt Connie not tied the same way as the others.”
“Well – why do you think that might be the case?”
I looked at him, and then went “Ah – does...”
Dad shook his head as he offered me a glass of coke. “Wait until later – right now, let’s make sure these four get what they need.”
“Oh my goodness,” Cassie said as we sat round the dinner table, “how long?”
“Well, it’s probably going to be July next year, but who can tell? After that, though that’s it, right Dave?”
“Oh yeah – three is enough,” Uncle Dave said with a smile.
“Well, congratulations to both of you,” Aunt Jo said as Cassie and I looked at each other. Another member of the Craig family to look forward to.
“By the way,” Connie said, “How’s Kerry?”
“Blooming according to Jess,” Mum said. “She’s due early February.”
For some reason, there had been a rash of pregnancies just after Easter. I knew Rachel’s mother had been expecting, but the real surprise was that she was not the only one.
Freddie and Louise, for example - sometime early next year they were also going to be expecting a new arrival. They only got told a few months ago, after the afternoon party at the Manor House, but they were looking forward to that as well.
“So we’ve got another reason to celebrate,” Gran said as we all ate our meal. The younger generation were in the front room with Lisa’s mum – she’s come over to help out, after Mum had called her.
Once she was released of course.
As I put some pork into my mouth, I wriggled slightly on the chair, and then saw Aunt Cassie looking at me out of the corner of her eye.
“So how did the shopping go today,” she eventually said.
“I got everything I needed,” I said with a smile, “I just need to get the presents wrapped – is it all right if I do that after dinner Dad?”
“Of course it is – it’s Cassie’s turn to do the dishes.”
I watched her as she groaned, before Uncle Dave said “I’ll give you a hand, little one.”
“And fold, and tape – there, another one done,” I said to myself as I finished taping up my present for Cassie, and then put it with the others as there was a light tap on my door.
“Can I come in,” Aunt Cassie said as she opened the door and looked round.
“sure – I got the present for you and Aunt Jo wrapped up anyway,” I said as she came in and sat on my bed.
“You know, it doesn’t seem that long since you and Cassie were in pigtails and I came back from my work,” she said, “and here we are now – you’re turning into a young woman, and your sister isn’t that far behind you.”
“Aunt Cassie,” I said as I looked at her, “this isn’t The Talk, is it?”
“Well, not that one anyway,” she said with a smile. “This is the one where I ask just how far is Colin taking things with you.”
“What do you... OH,” I said as I sat down. “Let me put it this way – I keep my clothes on, and we don’t go beyond that, but...”
“But you have tried ropes elsewhere – like earlier tonight?”
I nodded and said “please don’t tell mum and dad...”
“Oh don’t worry – so long as that’s as far as it goes. You’re still young after all.” As she stood up, she said “just rope, right?”
“Right – we don’t do what Angela does with...”
I than looked at Aunt Cassie, who smiled and said “air conditioning, right?”