12

TV FICTION CLASSICS

What do you think?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Who can figure women. Maybe it has something to do with the way you've been dressing lately."

"That's not my fault! You know it isn't!"

I nodded and kept silent. Without saying so, I wondered whether it was all those feminine activities Bob had to do at home. But would that change a person so much? Could it? Having to wear aprons and those tightly cut overalls?

Still our strong friendship didn't suffer and we kept company a lot. Things were not getting any easier for Bob though. One evening I found him at his home doing embroidery, dressed in his white pinafore and again I didn't see any trousers. When his mother-inlaw and Naomi had left the room and we were watching TV together, I asked him why he didn't wear long pants. He blushed and said that his aunt had made some shorts for him in order to save his overalls for work.

"She says they're cheaper. . .less material."

He didn't seem anxious to show them to me so I began to wonder whether they might also be girl's shorts.

"Why do you work at that sewing stuff," I asked. “Do you like that sort of thing?"

"Of course not, but Ms. Mary makes me. She says that our hands never should be idle and she doesn't want me out roaming the streets and getting into trouble."

"But you've never done anything," I said.

He just sighed. "You know we never hung out on the streets, and I told her so, but she's becoming stricter all the time. Naomi is feeling awful and I don't want to make trouble for her. So I just try and please her mother.

"She's making me a new outfit to wear at the bar, as if I don't look silly enough already."

Just then his mother-in-law came in. She nodded a cool "Hello, John" to me and said, "Bob, I have your new work uniform ready. Take off your apron and come to

SUBSTITUTE DAUGHTER -13

my room so we can see how it fits."

She started to undo Bob's apron. He seemed to resist, I guessed he didn't want me to see what he was wearing underneath.

His mother-in-law disregarded his feelings. "Don't be difficult, John's your best friend, is he not? He has seen people in shorts before.”

With a red face, Bob took his arms out of the apron and I nearly gasped aloud. He was actually wearing girls shorts with flaring legs, so wide they almost looked like a skirt. And they zipped in the back, fitting very tightly at the waist. With the red checked blouse, it really made him look like a girl, except for the hair on his legs.

He then followed Ms. Mary up the stairs, saying in an embarrassed tone of voice over his shoulder, “I'll be right back John."

A little later I heard some loud words. It sounded like Ms. Mary was mad at something. A few moments after, John came in followed by his mother-in-law. He was a sight to see. He was now dressed in a white jumpsuit completely in a girl's style, with a tight waist, flaring legs and cute little short sleeves, pertly cuffed. The front zipper ended in an open neck. It had no pockets except at the breasts were two little ones, making the front blossom out there as if he was a real girl.

I tried to keep a straight face, but Bob started to blush under my stare. "Doesn't it fit him nicely," Ms. Mary asked, smilingly. “I think white is much nicer to work in at the beer bar."

"You mean he has to wear that to work?," I asked. "He'll look like a girl!"

"Silly nonsense," she snorted. It's just like a man's overall with a front zipper. The waistband might be a little different, but I did that to show Bob's neat waist. After all we don't want the garment to flutter around his body"

"Please don't make me wear this in the street," Bob pleaded.

"Don't be obstinate," Mary said harshly. "I didn't