<\/p>\n
My latest book, HALLEY, has just been released by NewSouth Books: www.newsouthbooks.com\/halley<\/p>\n
We didn\u2019t exchange Christmas gifts in our family.\u00a0 If mill work was
\ngood, Mama managed to buy us each one gift–a piece of needed clothing
\nfor the three older kids and toys for the younger two–and baked
\nchicken for Christmas day.\u00a0 That was it.\u00a0 But the year I was sixteen
\nwas different–my sister bought me a present.\u00a0 How Jean managed it, I
\nhave no idea. Maybe she was paid extra one time for babysitting the
\nfour juvenile delinquents up the road, and then hid the surplus from
\nMama.\u00a0 Mama always knew exactly where every penny her kids earned
\nneeded to go.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019ll help pay for them shoes you need,\u201d she\u2019d say,
\ntucking the money into her pocketbook. Or to me, \u201cThat\u2019ll go on
\ngetting you that new bra you claim you need.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boy, did I ever need a bra.\u00a0 My bosom had exploded out of the B cups
\nshe\u2019d bought me two years before.\u00a0 At this point, packing my D cup
\nbreasts into the small cups had become a major task.\u00a0 Some breast had
\nto hang out at the bottom.\u00a0 Some had to bulge up in the middle.\u00a0 That
\nstill left a lot to bulge out at the sides and under my arms. To hide
\nall this bulging, I wore a corduroy jacket until hot weather forced me
\nout of it.\u00a0 Then our dog Brownie chewed the jacket up.<\/p>\n
Back to the gift.\u00a0 I\u2019m not even sure how Jean managed the actual
\npurchase.\u00a0 We lived miles from the nearest store.\u00a0 Maybe it was on one
\nof those weekends when Mama allowed her to spend a weekend with Aunt
\nHilde. All I know for sure is that Jean had a present for me and she
\nwas glowing with pride and self-satisfaction.\u00a0 The box was wrapped and
\nhad a bow.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll never guess what it is,\u201d she said.\u00a0 Tantalized, I
\nimmediately guessed, \u201cA bra.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething better,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019ll never, ever guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
My feelings were all over the map. At first, I was grateful that Jean
\nspent money on me. Then I felt bad because I had no gift to give her.
\nThen as the guessing game went on and on and on\u00a0 I became resentful.
\nFinally, on Christmas Eve, Jean taunted me one too many times and I
\nsnapped.<\/p>\n
\u201cI already figured out what it is, and I don\u2019t like it,\u201d I said. \u201cIt\u2019s
\na junky gift.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jean broke down and cried.<\/p>\n
I was instantly repentant.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d I said.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what
\nit is.\u00a0 I was just mad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Jean sobbed.\u00a0 \u201cYou really don\u2019t like it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI do,\u201d I insisted.\u00a0 \u201cI will.\u00a0 I know I\u2019ll like it.\u201d<\/p>\n
At last Jean quit crying, and I made up my mind that no matter what it
\nwas, I WOULD like it.<\/p>\n
The next morning I opened the box and swallowed hard.\u00a0 It was a nylon,
\nsee-through blouse.\u00a0 A nylon, see-through blouse!\u00a0 The kind that
\nallowed everyone to see your skin and underwear.\u00a0 And bulges.\u00a0 It was
\nthe kind of blouse I had been sure I would never, ever want to wear in
\na million years.<\/p>\n
But Jean\u2019s eyes were large and expectant as I looked at the blouse and
\nits rhinestone buttons. I slowly shook it out and held it up to my
\nbulging bosom..\u00a0 I could see her clenched hands through the blouse.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love it,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My latest book, HALLEY, has just been released by NewSouth Books: www.newsouthbooks.com\/halley We didn\u2019t exchange Christmas gifts in our family.\u00a0 If mill work was good, Mama managed to buy us each one gift–a piece of needed clothing for the … Continue reading