The Field Trip
By SamPast
Copyright © 1999
One day, when the twins
were in first grade, they were both going on a class trip. In fact, all the
first grade classes were going to a local college to see "The Ugly
Ducking" Ballet. The girls were excited. They loved all the Hans Christian
Anderson stories.
That morning, Jennifer was
arguing with her parents about what she was going to wear.
"No, Daddy, I don't
want to wear pantsies on the trip," she cried.
"Jennifer, neither
Mommy nor I can come on this trip. You might not be near a bathroom. I really
think it would be for the best," Charlie explained.
"No, please! The other
kids might see. They'll make fun of me!" she cried.
Charlie picked Jenn up and
hugged her to him. "Honey, no one will see them. They will be under your
pants. Your pantsies are pretty thin. Besides, you don't want to have an
accident and be wet the whole day, do you?"
Jennifer shook her head.
"But, if I do wet them, then I'll be wet anyway," she cried.
Lisa came in the room then.
"Here, I've put a clean pair of panties in this plastic ziploc bag. Put it
in your bookbag. When you come back from the trip, you can put them on, whether
you're wet or not. Okay, baby?"
"That's a good
idea," Charlie said. He took the bag from Lisa and put it in Jennifer's
bookbag.
"NO! I don't wanna
wear these!" Jennifer stomped her foot
and threw the pair of
pantsies across the room.
Charlie just looked at her.
"I suggest, young lady, that you go and pick those up and put them on
right now. Unless you want to sit on the bus with a sore bottom, as well."
Jennifer looked at her
father and cried. "Fine!" she blurted. She then retrieved her
diaper-like garments and put them on. "But I won't be happy about
it!" she called after her parents, who by this time had left her room.
~~~~~~~~~
Later, at school, Mrs.
Kaplan asked if there was anyone else who needed to use the bathroom before
they left. Jennifer raised her hand and Mrs. Kaplan motioned for her to go.
Jennifer took her bookbag
into the bathroom with her. She pulled down her pants, and slipped her pantsies
off. Then she used the toilet. She opened up the ziploc bag and took out her
clean panties. She put them on. Then put her pants back on. She smiled as she
went back and took her seat.
The trip was fun. They got
there early and walked around the college campus. It was a beautiful spring
day, and everything was green. Jennifer even saw Robin and they waved.
Jennifer used the bathroom
once before the show and once again after. Mrs. Kaplan didn't mind; she knew
Jennifer had a bladder-control problem.
All the kids really liked
the show. The teachers weren't too thrilled with it. Jennifer even noticed that
Ms. Barbara, the teacher's helper, had fallen asleep. She giggled and whispered
to her friends.
On the way back, there was
lots of traffic. Mrs. Kaplan couldn't believe how long it was taking them to
get back to school. She tried to keep the kids busy talking about the show and
then singing songs.
The bus ride was very
bumpy, as well. Jennifer was sitting in the middle of the bus. She realized she
had to use the bathroom, but they weren't anywhere near one. She asked Mrs.
Kaplan how much longer until they would get back to school.
"Hopefully very soon,
Jennifer. There's some really bad traffic. Are you very hungry?" Mrs.
Kaplan asked. This teacher knew the show hadn't been that long, but waiting to
eat lunch at 1:30 was hard for her students, especially since they usually ate
at 11:15.
Jennifer just nodded. She
couldn't possibly explain her need to use the bathroom again. Besides, what
good would it do? They weren't near a bathroom and the bus was not going to
stop for one kid. Why hadn't she worn the pantsies? Even though it was gross,
she could have just gone in them. Now, she had a major problem.
Finally, the bus pulled up
at Camp Avenue Elementary School. Jennifer tried not to cry, but she couldn't
help it. She waited until everyone else got off the bus, then she got
off, too. She was crying
and crying. Mrs. Kaplan came over to her and asked what was wrong.
"I want my
sister!" Jennifer cried.
Mrs. Kaplan looked around
for Robin's class. "I think
they went inside already.
Come, let's go see if we can find
them."
"NO! I want her
here," Jennifer pleaded.
Mrs. Kaplan didn't know
what to do. All of Jennifer's classmates were waiting for their teacher. She
knew that Ms. Barbara had gone to get the lunches. Finally, she tried to drag
Jennifer with her toward the door.
"Come on, now. Let's
go inside. Then we'll find your sister!" Mrs. Kaplan commanded.
Jennifer reluctantly went
with Mrs. Kaplan. She was so unhappy with herself. She had tried to hold it in
as long as possible. Daddy would have to know that.
Of course, that's not what
he would be angry about. Jennifer knew that. Daddy was never angry if she had a
real accident. But she had purposefully taken off her pantsies before the trip.
He would be very angry indeed. That's why she had to find Robin. Robin would
know what to tell her to say.
Mrs. Kaplan, by this time,
realized Jennifer had wet herself. She found Robin shortly thereafter, too.
Jennifer was completely hysterical when Robin went to her.
"Jenn,
whatsamatta?" Robin asked.
Jennifer whispered in
Robin's ear, "I wet my pants."
"Yeah? So?" Robin
asked. It's not like it was the first time.
Jennifer explained the
whole problem to Robin.
She just shook her head.
"Oh, Jenn, you are in so much trouble!" Robin said.
"I know. What am I
gonna do?" she wailed.
"Let's go to the
nurse. At least you can change into dry clothes there," Robin suggested.
Jennifer said, "Yeah,
of course, why didn't I think of that?"
"Because you're too
upset. Then we'll go to Uncle Jack!" Robin said, matter-of-factly.
"No, we can't!"
Jenn replied.
"Yes, Jenn. You trust
him, don't you? He'll know what to do!" Robin said. She wasn't going to
take no for an answer.
After Jennifer changed,
they went to sit in the main office. The principal's secretary buzzed Mr.
Levine and told him the twins were there, and that Jennifer looked as though
she had been crying. Jack told her to send them in and to hold his calls. She
was the only one in the school who knew he was really their uncle.
Robin and Jennifer walked
into Jack's office. He came over to them and said, "Hey, there, what's
going on?"
Jennifer just ran away and
went to the couch and threw herself on it. Robin sighed. "Jennifer has a
big problem," she said.
Jack went and sat down next
to his niece on the black leather sofa. "Can you tell me about it,
honey?" he asked in a kind voice.
Jennifer just shook her
head no. "I, I can't."
Jack looked expectantly at
Robin. Robin asked Jennifer, "Can I tell him, Jenn?"
Jennifer lifted her head
and nodded. So Robin told Jack that Jennifer had wet her pants on the bus trip
home.
"But you're dry now,
honey, so what's the matter?" Jack asked.
Robin said, "Yeah,
'cause she changed at the nurse's office. But her problem is that Daddy wanted
her to wear her pantsies on the trip, and she took them off before we
went."
"Oh, I see," Jack
said. "That is a problem."
Jennifer nodded.
"Daddy's gonna be so mad at me. I'm scared."
Jack pulled Jennifer into
his arms. "Don't be scared, honey. It'll be okay," he promised.
Just then, his secretary
buzzed him. He picked up and said, "I told you to hold my calls. What? Oh,
okay, put her through. Yes, Mrs. Schuler? Yes, she's here. She's with her
sister. No, she's fine. Okay, I'll send her up in a minute. And tell Mrs.
Kaplan that Jennifer will be back in a few minutes, too. Okay, thanks."
Jack hung up. He looked at
Robin. "That was your teacher. She didn't know where you were."
"Oh, I thought she
knew," Robin said. "She told me Mrs. Kaplan wanted me."
"Yes, but they didn't
know you were in my office. But it's okay. Robin, I think you can go back to
class now. I'll take care of your sister," Jack said.
Robin hugged her uncle.
"I knew you would, Uncle Jack!" she sang. Then she said goodbye to
Jenn and skipped out of the office.
Such a happy little girl,
Jack thought. Then there was this one. Jennifer continued to sob on the couch.
She was miserable.
"Honey, I think you
need to go back to class now. Come on, you must be starving. Go eat your
lunch," Jack suggested.
"I'm not hungry, Uncle
Jack. I'm sad. My daddy is going to be so angry. I'm going to get a big
spanking," Jenn said and pouted.
"Well, if you already
know that, then there's no point in moping over it. You'll just have to face
it, like a big girl!" Jack told her.
Jenn looked up. "Yeah,
I guess so," she said, although she didn't feel like a big girl right
then. "I am hungry. I guess I'll go eat my lunch now. Thank you!"
Jenn said, and then walked slowly out of the room.
As soon as she was gone,
Jack picked up the phone and called Foodtown. "Charlie Clemente,
please," he told the woman who answered the phone. When Charlie picked up,
Jack told Charlie everything.
"I just didn't know
what to do," Jack said. "I didn't want to be a snitch, but she seemed
so miserable, I wanted you to know how sincere she was."
"Well, I appreciate
it, Jack. Thanks for calling me," Charlie responded.
At the end of the school
day, both girls were surprised to see their daddy when they got to the car.
"How come you're
here?" Jenn asked Charlie.
"What, I'm not allowed
to come pick you up?" he asked.
"No, I didn't mean
that. I meant, how come you're not working?" Jenn asked.
Both girls got settled in
the car. "Mommy, how come Daddy's not working?" Robin asked, as
curious as her sister.
Lisa shrugged. "I
don't know, honey. Your daddy called me to tell me he was going to come home
and come with me to pick you girls up. He didn't tell my why."
"But I did tell you to
make sure we had lots of bread, to take to the duck pond with us!" Charlie
announced.
"Yay! The duck pond!
Goodie!" shrieked the girls from the back seat.
Once there, Robin and Lisa
walked around the pond, while Charlie sat with Jennifer on a bench. They were
breaking off pieces of bread and throwing them to the ducks.
"So, tell me about the
trip, Jenn," Charlie began.
"Oh, it was good.
There was no talking, and the ducks were people. It was a ballet. I liked
it!" she exclaimed.
"And, it was a good
idea Mommy had with the panties?" Charlie asked.
Jennifer realized her
father had noticed she was wearing different pants. "Oh, these?" she
asked, pointing to her pants.
"Tell me about it,
sweetie," he said.
Jennifer burst out crying.
"I'm sorry, Daddy. You were right. I didn't listen to you. I, I, I took my
pantsies off before the trip!" she cried.
Charlie didn't say a word.
He waited for Jenn to finish.
"I went to the
bathroom a lot of times at the trip, Daddy. But then on the way home, we were
stuck in traffic. It was very bumpy. It really was an accident, Daddy. I'm
sorry I wasn't wearing the pantsies!" Jenn uttered.
Jennifer burst into tears
again. Charlie pulled her onto his lap and just held her. He rubbed her back
and comforted her while she cried.
Finally she sat up. She
looked expectantly up at her father. "Aren't you angry, Daddy?" she
asked quietly.
"I'm not angry, baby.
I am disappointed in you, though," he said simply.
"Because I didn't
listen to you?" she asked.
He nodded. "I wasn't
trying to make you miserable by suggesting you wear them. I think I know you
pretty well, little girl, and I am the daddy, aren't I?" he asked.
This time, she nodded.
"I should have listened to you, Daddy. Are you going to punish me?"
"No," Charlie
said.
"You're not? Why,
Daddy?" Jenn asked.
"Because I think you
punished yourself enough today. Uncle Jack said you were mighty upset this
afternoon. Huh?" he queried.
Jenn just nodded. She
should have known it was her uncle who had made things okay.
Charlie sat up, then, and
turned Jennifer so that she was looking straight into his eyes. "But next
time, hon, I want you to remember why I make rules and decisions. And I want
you to follow them. Understood?"
"Yes, Daddy, I
promise," Jenn said.
"Okay, good," he
said.
Jennifer snuggled against
her daddy. She was the happiest little girl in the world right then.
(The End)