Event 7A: One Last Systems Check "Come on, Claribel, time to get up," Sharon greeted me as she shakes me awake. "I don't want to get up, Mama," I mumbled sleepily. "Go away." Ever since I found out why my parents truly had me, I have been very reluctant to get out of bed in the morning. When I finally do get out of bed, I take Cereberus in tow and spend most of my time at one of three places: the house of my best friend Cecelia and her sister Irvette, the house of my playmate Cleopatra, or the house of my new friend Cherry Chase. At least my friends like me for who I am unlike my parents who expect me to accomplish their own selfish ends. Imagine the fate of a whole corporation decided on the quality of the relationship between two little girls!!! "Come on, sleepyhead," Sharon teased me as she pulls the covers off of me. "Not wearing underwear to bed again, eh?" Sharon's tone is now stern and her look bewildered because I am wearing only a T- shirt to bed. I hate it when I'm caught with my pants down, literally in this case. Uh oh, here it comes. "You know that you're supposed to wear proper underclothing at all times, young lady. Don't you?" "But, Mama, Cecelia is allowed to sleep without underwear," I complained. "But Cecelia is not my daughter; you are, Claribel," Sharon declared, "and as such, you will show your father and me proper dignity and respect by wearing proper underclothing at all times in public and at home during the day and night unless you are swimming or bathing. That rule has been in effect since you turned eight because we want you to grow up to be a well-bred young lady. We will strictly enforce it." "What about my privacy??" I asked Sharon. "You just barged in here on me, Mama, and I don't appreciate that. If I don't wear underwear to bed, that neither means that I'll grow up to be any less of a lady than if I do nor is it any concern of yours. This is my home too, you know." "Hey, everybody, breakfast is ready," Kerwin announced as he walks in. "Ewww!!! Claribel, put some clothes on. Please!!!" Kerwin then turns and runs out of the room. "What's the matter with Papa?" I asked Sharon. "He had to have seen my female parts and pieces when he was changing my diapers when I was a baby and toddler. He's also seen yours as well, Mama. I don't see what the big deal is." "Never mind that!!!" Sharon snapped at me. "This is my house and as long as you live here, you WILL obey my rules!!! I don't want to see you downstairs unless you are appropriately attired!!!" With that, Sharon turns and storms out of my room, slamming the door behind her as she goes. I don't get it. I was born naked and I was bathed naked as a young child. I've even had periods where I ran around naked from the waist down or even completely naked as a young child. Not that I recommend such a practice to cure one's boredom or to seek attention, I'm just making a point. I need to be loved by my parents when I'm angry, messy, dirty, clean, hurt, crippled, healthy, sad, sick, well, tired, etc. You get the idea. I'm starting to think that my parents' love stops when I take off my clothes. Sharon, Kerwin, why don't you guys love me naked from the waist down? I'm still that same baby you fell in love with on December 25, 2984, just a little more grown up. I select a white sleeveless dress with roses and a red camisole and panties and put them on. As I head downstairs, I ask myself why I'm being treated differently as a 10-year-old than I was as a baby or at 2 to 3 years old. "Ah, Claribel, so glad you could join us," Kerwin greeted me as I walk into the kitchen. "I hope you're appropriately attired." "I am, Papa," I replied. "Prove it," Sharon told me. I groan inwardly to myself. If I'm ever caught without the proper underclothing on, my punishment is to go upstairs and put some on. When I return, I'll be told to prove that I have put some on by either hiking up my dress or dropping my pants and taking off my shirt. That's what Kerwin makes me do. What Sharon does is that she actually sticks her hand up my shirt and down in my pants or up my dress to find out whether or not I'm wearing any underclothing. I really hate it when Sharon does that and I have told her so. It makes me feel all icky inside. Kerwin knows that I dislike having to strip to prove that I'm wearing the proper underclothing. Sharon and Kerwin figure that their practices cut down on the number of violations of this rule. I wonder if I should tell an adult what I'm going through at the hands of my parents. I take a deep breath and hike up my dress, revealing my red camisole and panties. "All right, you can join us." I let my dress fall down to its normal position and sit down to breakfast. After breakfast, I fill Cereberus's dish with kibble and head out into the back yard to feed my dog Cereberus. "Food!!" Cereberus exclaimed. "I was starting to think you had forgotten about me, Claribel." I unlock the enclosure and sadly set the food down in front of Cereberus who then dives into it ravenously. I lock the enclosure back and watch Cereberus eat. I sit on the grass, curl up into a ball, and bury my head. "Claribel?" "What, Cereberus?" I sobbed. "Is something the matter?" Cereberus asked me. I look up at Cereberus and shake my head. "Now, Claribel, I know you better than that. Something is troubling you greatly and I would like to know what." "Do you know what privacy is?" I demanded of Cereberus. "I bet you I can guess what's troubling you," Cereberus told me, ignoring my harsh demand. "Does it have anything to do with your parents?" "Cereberus, I know you're intelligent enough to figure out that I don't want to talk about what's bothering me," I snapped. "Claribel, did your parents punish you for something?" Cereberus asked, concern now evident. By now, I'm crying. "My mama caught me wearing only a T-shirt to bed," I sobbed. "I see nothing wrong with that, Claribel, unless you're walking around the house that way," Cereberus replied. "If you did that around me, I would ask you to go put some clothes on. It is fairly warm at night and I don't blame you for wanting to get cool." "Just wait until you learn how my mama reacted, Cereberus," I said. "How did your mother react?" Cereberus asked me. "She told me that I couldn't come to breakfast unless I put some clothes on with the appropriate underclothing," I told Cereberus. "I told my papa that I was appropriately attired and my mama told me to prove it." "And your father made you lift up your dress or your mother stuck her hand up your dress to determine if you had the proper underclothing on, right Claribel?" Cereberus wanted to confirm. I look at Cereberus and nod my head. "Well, I'm really sorry that happened to you, Claribel. If I were you, I would tell a grown-up right away." "Claribel, are you out here?" Kerwin called. I jump with fright. "Easy, Claribel," Cereberus comforted me. "Take a few deep breaths to calm yourself and go see what your father wants. Go on; I'll watch you from here." I stand up, brush the grass off my bottom, tell Kerwin that I'm coming, and head off in the direction of Kerwin's voice. "Good luck, Claribel; you'll need it."