CHAPTER 5
The only place that I could think to look for the old man was back at the Waffle House. Somehow I knew that our search would be fruitless, but I had to go through the motions to placate Lenny. The old man said he’d be back in a week; I knew that we would meet him there in the wee hours of Sunday morning and not before. The prospect of seeing him again, at a specific date and time, was beginning to feel like a business meeting.
Lenny was surprisingly cooperative. He put his shoes and socks on by himself, and we were ready to go. I took his little hand as we left the apartment. He tugged once, trying to get away, but I held tight. I think he was glad; I am sure that he was frightened. I can only imagine how big the world must seem when you’re only thirty inches tall. When he looked up to see the car seat I’d installed in the back seat, he was visibly shaken.
“It’s the law,” I explained. “I can’t afford the tickets.”
With a look of grim determination, Lenny tackled the climb into the seat completely unassisted. I did help him with the straps.
We got a cheery greeting, once again in unison, as we entered the Waffle House. The only booth available was the same one we’d had on Sunday morning, just two days before. My, how things can change in a couple of days!
I grabbed a plastic booster chair for Lenny, and waited patiently for him to climb in. It would have been much faster if I’d helped, but I wasn’t in any particular hurry. At first, I didn’t recognize anyone from the other night. It didn’t surprise me; the place WAS open twenty four/seven, and we didn’t even have the right shift. Then I saw her, the young Mexican girl that Lenny had harassed on Sunday.
She spotted us right away, and smiled shyly. I smiled back, and motioned for her to come over. She shuffled over to our booth, staring intently at tiny Leon, who was mesmerized by the sight of a spoon he was clutching in his palm.
“Do you remember me?” I asked.
“Oh, yes. I remember both of you.” She giggled, rolled her eyes dramatically. She shifted her weight from one leg to another, almost as if she were dancing. Reaching out, she gently caressed Leon’s face with the back of her hand. “I think I like him much better like this.” She looked at Leon, and then tilted her head, squinting. For just a moment, I saw a flash of incredible intelligence, and then it was gone.
Leon dropped his fork to the floor, his hands balled up into tight little fists and his cheeks turned crimson red. “Ask the retard about the old man,” Lenny croaked impatiently. The girl glared angrily at Lenny.
“He still needs to learn manners.” She shook her head, dismissing Leon, and smiled broadly at me. “He comes in every week to see me. He wants to see if I’ve learned my lesson. Now he’ll see you too!” She then shuffled away, eyes to the floor, mumbling loudly to herself about a mess she had to clean in the men’s room.
We left the diner and drove around aimlessly for a couple of hours, looking for the old man in areas where the homeless tend to congregate. I knew that our search was hopeless, and I think that little Lenny, desperately peering out of the back window from his little car seat, did too. We would meet the old man again on Sunday morning, and not one minute before.
I also knew that a lot of things would change before then.
My trunk was full of things that I didn’t want Lenny to see. Tucked away was a new car seat; a rear facing model that doubled as a carrier. And there were all those bags full of baby clothes: little sun suits and rompers in bright gay colors. There were things in my trunk that I barely remember buying, things that almost fell into my cart as I did my shopping. Diapers, bottles, formula, the list seemed endless.
But at this point, there was no reason to frighten Lenny. He would understand what was happening soon enough. And so would I.
Poor Lenny demanded that I measure him the moment we got back to the apartment. He’d lost at least a couple more inches, all in a single day! I noticed that the clothes that were tight on him this morning fit almost perfectly now.
“I think it’s stopping,” I lied. “I don’t think that you’re going to get much smaller.”
“Bullshit!” he shouted. “What’s going to happen to me if it doesn’t stop?” He looked genuinely terrified.
It was incredible watching him. This cute little guy was a tiny, soft, cuddly version of my old boyfriend. I wanted to pull him into my arms, and snuggle with him, but I could tell that the timing wasn’t right. There would be lots of time for that later. As I thought about what the future might hold, my nipples suddenly started tingling!
“It will stop, Lenny,” I reassured him. “And we’ll see the old man in a few days.”
Lenny pulled at the door of the refrigerator and opened it with considerable effort. Reaching up, he retrieved a beer with both hands. As he used his leg to shut the door, he glanced up at me to see my reaction.
“Do you think that is a good idea?” I reproved.
“Do you think that is a good idea?” he mimicked sarcastically. “I’ll tell you, I’ve had about as much of this shit as I can take.” He pulled himself up into his corner of the couch, and attempted to open the can. “Damn, I can’t even open a fucking beer!” He whined in frustration. I plucked it out of his hands, popped the top, and placed it carefully between his legs.
He raised the can to his mouth, spilling much of the beer down his face and onto his shirt. Within twenty minutes the can was empty, and in under an hour little Lenny was passed out.
I could have stopped him from drinking the beer, I suppose. But I figured I’d let him have his fun while he still can. I think we both knew that he was rapidly running out of time. Besides, he was so much easier to handle this way, and I’d been dying to handle him all day.
I pulled him into my arms, and cuddled with him there on the couch for most of the evening. Eventually, I carried my chubby little toddler into the bedroom and took off his baggy clothes, dressing him in more suitable attire. As I worked, I wondered what Lenny’s reaction would be in the morning when he woke up to discover that the only thing he was wearing was a cloth diaper and blue plastic panties.
This is embarrassing to admit, but the thought made my nipples tingle. The sensation, admittedly, was very pleasant; perhaps a bit TOO pleasant. I was disturbed by the idea that Lenny’s situation aroused me sexually, but that seemed to be the case.
I snuggled with Lenny again all night. I went to bed wearing only my panties, and snuggled him close as I tried in vain to fall asleep. At one point I actually positioned myself so that a nipple brushed across the little rosebud that was his mouth. I was hoping that he’d take me into his mouth and suck hungrily, ending my torture. Eventually, one of my hands wandered into my panties, and I diddled myself to a rapid orgasm, clutching Lenny to my chest like a little doll. Finally, sleep claimed me.
I didn’t wake up until I heard Lenny screaming.
