I woke up early on Christmas morning and felt something on top of my bedcover on my bed, down by my feet. I looked down and saw a box covered with paper and strings sitting there, just waiting for me to open it. I looked over at my twin brother’s bed and saw a similar box on his bed.
Intrigued, I opened my box and inside there were a pair of handcuffs. Not toy handcuffs, but real ones! There was a note that went along with them that said: “Do not use these until tonight! More to come later. Happy Christmas Mom & Dadâ€
I quickly jumped out of bed and shook him until he woke up. “What’s up, sis?†he asked.
“Look! There is a box on your bed! Open it now! Please! I’ve opened mine and look what was inside it!â€
I showed him the handcuffs. He opened his box, almost as quickly as I had done mine and inside there was a similar pair of handcuffs. “I wonder, what this is all about?†he asked
“Who cares?†I said. “Look. They are real handcuffs! I wonder where the keys are, though? They’re not in the box. I know, because I’ve checked. Come on. Get out of bed and I’ll race you to the bathroom.â€
He quickly got out of bed and we started a sprint for the bathroom door. I won, but only because I had the head start of being more awake, than he was. We were dressed in similar looking footy pyjamas, only mine was a pale pink colour and his was a pale blue colour. They and a few more similar pyjamas were last years Christmas presents from our parents. We only wore them when it was cold.
I did my business in there and went back into my room to get dressed. The night before, I had put a red, long sleeved dress and white pantyhose on a stool next to my bed, so I didn’t have to waste time choosing clothes this the morning. As I got dressed, my brother came in and started dressing himself. He had chosen a red sweatshirt and jeans.
“You two look nice.†our mother said when we came into the kitchen, to have breakfast. “Did you like your early gifts?â€
“Yes. Thank you,†we both said simultaneously. “But why and where are the keys?†I then asked.
“ It’s getting rather expensive buying new rope all the time, so your father and I thought that it would be cheaper this way. We’ve kept the keys. You’ll get them when and if you need them.†our mother said.
That night, our mother came in to our room when we had dressed for the night with the second part of this morning’s gift.
When we opened them, it was another set of cuff, slightly larger and with a longer chain between them and a sleeping mask each.
“Those cuffs are for your ankles, obviously.†she told us. “If one of you, for some reason, want to be cuffed over night, I’ll give one set of keys to the other. If you both want to be cuffed, your father and I keep the keys until next morning.â€
(As I think I’ve said before, our parents were relaxed about us tying each other up, as long as we didn’t hurt the one that was tied up in any way.)
I said I wanted to try all the cuffs that night and put my hands behind my back, so one of the others could cuff them.
“No, dear.†my mother said. “Not on your back. It’ll be too uncomfortable that way. It will be much less uncomfortable if you cuff your hands in front of you, believe me.â€
I bowed to reason and put my hands together in front of me instead. My brother clicked them in place, as our mother left the room. I then lay down on my bed, so he could put the ankle cuffs on me. He then asked me if I wanted the sleeping mask and I said I would, so he put that on me as well. I soon fell asleep, as we all had had a busy day, with lots of people around and lots of food.
The next morning when I woke up, I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t see. Then I remembered the sleeping mask my brother had put on me the night before. When I tried to take it off, I was reminded of that my hands were cuffed together as well. I did get the sleeping mask off anyway, but where were the key?
“Hey sis! Did you sleep well?†my brother asked.
“As a matter of fact I did, thank you very much.†I said a bit ladylike. “Now, could you take the ankle cuffs off, please?â€
“Sure. Not the handcuffs then?†he asked
“No.†I said, still very much ladylike. “I think I’ll leave them on ´till after breakfast, actually.â€
“OK, come on then. I’ll turn your feet loose.†he said. When he had dressed himself, he grabbed the chain between the hand cuffs and more or less towed me into the kitchen and the waiting meal.
“OK, you two!†our father said when we came in. “I’ll let you off this time. But from now on, the rule is no more cuffs, much less ropes and no pyjamas when we are about to eat! Is that understood? You can do what ever you want at all other times, but not at mealtime!â€
“Yes, father. I’m sorry.†we said in unison, because we knew that what he said, was a house rule.
We ate rather quickly and I was turned loose to get dressed.
Later that night, our father came into our room and sat down on my bed.
“I’m sorry for being so harsh on you this morning. But I meant what I said. You know that, don´t you?â€
I gave him a big hug and said that I did. “Could you please put the hand- and ankle cuffs on me tonight? And the sleeping mask, too? It was kind of fun sleeping with them, actually.â€
He said he would, and asked my brother if he also wanted to be cuffed that night. My brother said he would like that very much, so I could hear our father put him in cuffs as well. When questioned about the sleeping mask, I could hear my brother say, that he also wanted to try sleeping with that.
From then on, it became an almost nightly routine, for either our mother or our father to put us in cuffs and sleeping mask
The end. For now anyway.
