Spring Eternal

Chapter 7
Being Taken in Hand

Chapter Description: Cal must deal with the aftermath of his nighttime excursion

The half light of predawn hour coming in through the window gave the room a dim atmosphere which reflected Cal’s state of mind. He could hear the sounds of Iris moving about the house as he sat there dejected. Time passed as he sat there staring at his feet in front of him as the fluids from the refrigerator dried on his skin giving it a thin sticky crust. He stared at his toes as he kept the determination front and center of his mind, distracting his focus away from the uncomfortable sensation on his skin and the scene that would occur when Iris opened that door.

The sound of the door latch drew his attention to the door. The bedroom door opened allowing light from the hallway to flood in, leaving him in a spotlight in the darkened room. He looked up to see Iris’ silhouette framed in the doorway. She stopped as she saw the pillow on the floor and the sheets pulled back from the bed. As vulnerable as he felt sitting there in the damp pull ups, Cal scrambled up to his feet as she appeared.

“What have you been doing? My goodness, look at the mess you made.” She tiredly declared as she came forward and picked up the pillow. She tossed it toward the bed before pulling the sheet back up and folding them back. She then turned and walked directly toward him. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

He held up a hand to hold her off as he tried to back away. He had to remind her that he was not a small child, but an adult. He opened his mouth to speak but was unable to make any coherent sounds as the sight of Iris’ hands swooping down toward him unnerved him. He did his best to evade her and tried to move around her to get to the hallway.

Iris swiftly blocked his route of escape and deftly slid her palms underneath his armpits, lifting him from the floor. Cal wiggled as he felt his feet leave the floor which tightened Iris’ grip around his chest. He did not know what Iris had planned, but he was filled with conflicting feelings. He did feel some relief at the thought of removing this itchy film from his body, his skin was becoming more and more irritated, so the sound of being cleaned up sounded wonderful. For some reason, he knew that she was not going to allow him some privacy in the bathroom to take a shower. He was filled with dread as he looked at her determined face as she carried him to the bathroom.

Iris adroitly sat him on his feet next to a bath tub filled with several inches of warm water before turning to close the bathroom door. He stared at it stupefied before dragging his eyes away from it to regard Iris. Was she intending on giving him a bath? That was totally idiotic! He was perfectly capable of taking a shower. They had special faucet extensions installed in the shower stall. All she had to do was allow him some privacy and he would take care of the matter. Looking warily over at Iris, Cal slowly took a step back as she approached him. He held up his hand to hold her off her outstretched hands to bar her from picking him up again.

“Noa, Iwis.” He emphatically announced as he shook his head as he stepped back from her.

Iris did not respond to his objection, she merely bent over bring her face down to his level. Cal was relieved, now he could at least discuss the matter with her. Before he could open his mouth to say anything else, Iris’ hands went to his waist where she summarily pulled the disposable training pants down to the floor. Cal looked down briefly down at the last of his attire was pooled around his ankles before looking up at Iris’ determined face.

“Iwis, sa..satop!” Cal stammered as he held his hands up in front of him, trying to bar her next maneuver. Things were rapidly getting out of control. He began to panic as he batted at her hands ineffectually.

Iris did not react to his plea or his attempts to obstruct her plan of action. With years of practice, she looped her arm around his waist and pulled up him up out of the used pull-ups and swung him over to the tub. Filled with outrage, Cal‘s hands pushed at Iris’ seemingly iron grip, trying to free himself. Despite his yelling and kicking, Cal was lowered to the waiting water in the tub. Once Iris had set him on his feet in the tub mat and released him, Cal immediately spun toward the edge of the tub. If she thought that he would allow her to bathe him like a child, she was in for a surprise. He found that the edge of the tub came up to just under his armpits. He was too short to get out of the tub by himself. He continued to address her as he stamped and thrashed his feet, kicking up water droplets to land on his legs. He leaned up against the cool porcelain as he saw Iris calmly arrange the items she would use to bathe him.

Finally prepared, she turned back to the tub with a plastic bowl in her hand. She sat it on the edge before she reached for Cal.

“Noa.” Cal shook his head as he shrunk from her hands, but Iris’ old maternal skills surpassed any evasive action on his part. She easily lifted him up and swung him back onto his bottom on the warm water. Cal felt the water encircle his waist as he twisted to watch Iris. In the next instant, a bowlful of water was dumped over his head. He opened his mouth in shock as he put his hands up to his eyes to wipe away the water. He screamed at Iris at the affront to his dignity, but it did no good. Before he could say anything, he felt Iris deft hands working the shampoo through his hair. Her hands swirled over his head which made him off balance as he was rocked on his bottom. He yelled Iris’ name to stop, but it had no effect on the older woman. She continued to massage the ever growing mound of suds over his head. Even the smallest motion of Iris’ hands had a reaction on his small body; he rolled on his bottom as the motion of Iris’ hands rocked him from side to side. It nearly upended him several times before he could right himself.

“Iwis! Noua! Satopu!” Cal repeatedly called out as his small hands wiped at the encroaching suds that seemed to be flowing down his forehead. He screamed at the top of his voice hoping something would penetrate Iris’ maternal fog.

To his relief, the hands stopped for a moment as Cal sat there, panting with exertion. He was filled with hope that he had managed to communicate to the older woman. In the next instant, Cal’s vision was suddenly obstructed by a damp piece of terry. He felt a thin wet washcloth being pressed over his face. The washcloth was a thin barrier between his face and Iris’ adroit hand. He felt his face being mauled by her adult hand as she manipulated the rag. He pulled back as he ineffectually squirmed at the manhandling.

“IWIS!” He continued to exclaim with his eyes screwed shut as Iris’ hand continued to dab with the washcloth at his face. He blindly held out his hands to stop Iris’ hand.

“Shhh. Now. See its all better now. Those mean old bubbles.” Iris said condescendingly to Cal’s ears. “I don’t know why there’s no baby shampoo in the house. Close your eyes, we’re going to rinse now.”

Then before he could utter a reply, a cascade of water came streaming over his head, making him grasp wildly for anything to maintain his balance. He sputtered as the water flowed down the sides of his face and into his open mouth as he tried once again to get Iris’ attention. Finally the water stopped and a brief return of the washcloth, he could feel the water being wiped from his face. It took him a few moments to collect himself before he opened his eyes again.

At first, he did not recognize what was in front of him. He blinked his eyes several times before it came into focus. It was only to see Iris’ hands in front of him, soaping the washcloth. He leaned forward and reached out to her to stop. She could at least allow him the dignity to allow him to wash his own body. But before he could even lay his hands on the washcloth, it was pulled away. Iris easily captured one of his hands and held it while she circulated the soapy rag over and under his arm. Cal tugged his hand to get released, but Iris continued to hold it gently yet firmly as she continued with her task of bathing him.

The rag traveled up over his shoulder and then around his neck. He cringed and tilted his head away from the ticklish sensation of the washcloth that circled his neck. He called Iris’ name as he felt it travel up to his ears as the cloth encompassed the structure of his small ears. Iris pinched them between her two fingers as the cloth left a soapy trail. She rubbed the cloth over the ridged landscape and valleys of his ears, even making sure to softly scrub behind them.

The cloth then traveled down the middle of his back. He could feel the soft terry against his shoulder blades as it was moved in a circular pattern. It traveled over to the opposite shoulder and back down the other arm that Iris held out. She then moved on to his chest, leaving a layer of small bubbles that removed the sticky residue from the kitchen. Cal reached out to stop the cloth, but his hands were brushed away by Iris as she methodically continued to bathe him.

Once Cal’s upper body was covered in a layer of lather, Iris began to dunk the cloth in the water before Cal. She rinsed out the rag and used it to rinse Cal. The cloth was repeatedly squeezed over each ear, allowing the water to travel over his ears. He flung his head away to little good. She simply repeated the procedure again, this time over his neck. The cloth dipped in the water again and again, each time to unload its watery contents over the resistant Cal, removing the soap.

Iris let the cloth float in the water as she reached over and pulled the unwilling Cal to his feet. Once he was on his feet, he tried to move to the most remote area of the tub, knowing that he would be invariably be drawn back to Iris to finish this humiliation. He was red faced with distress and frustration as he screamed at Iris. She easily corralled him back to her with an ease that was frustrating to Cal. Situating him in between her arms up by the wall of the tub by her, so he would not slip, she reached again for the bar of soap and the wash cloth again.

Seeing her once again soap the cloth and what parts of his body still had to be washed, Cal attempted to back away. He swatted at the rag as it came nearer, trying to slap it out of Iris’ hands to little effect. He once again voiced his objection as he tried to break from Iris’ sure arms. He felt Iris’ arm wrap around his waist, holding him in place once the cloth was deemed suitably soaped. He saw it steadily approach his body. He vainly tried to wriggle free but the firm arm around him held him in place. He could not reach over her arm to defend against the cloth. He looked up pleadingly up at Iris face as he was again overwhelmed. It was too much. He began to scream in defiance at the loss of stature.

“Shh. Shh. What a fuss.” Iris clucked maternally as she proceeded in her planned action. “Stop acting up. Be a good boy and we ‘ll finish up quickly.”

Cal felt the soft terry cloth was suddenly on his tummy. He tried to pull his body away from it, but Iris merely leaned him back at such an angle that he was most vulnerable. He could not see it but he could feel it as it traveled lower and lower as the fabric massaged his skin. He couldn’t stand it. With a giant effort, he bucked as the cloth moved toward his privates. He absolutely refused to allow this lunacy to continue any further. Arms flailing at dislodging the cloth from Iris’ hands, he opened his mouth to object.

Noooooooa! Sutoppa!” He yelled at the top of his lungs to Iris’ face that was just over him. He was at the edge of his limit. He stamped his feet as he bellowed with all his might. Tears appeared at the corner of his eyes as he felt his self control slipping.

Iris did not react, but continued her methodical path with the washcloth. Her arm tightened slightly to keep him in place, but the cloth continued its route to his disgrace. Calling on the last of his abilities to deny defeat, Cal continued to yell as he tried to stop this ridiculous ritual. He pulled at her fingers as tears began to gather at the corners of his eyes. He bucked and kicked his legs, anything he could do to escape. In the next instant, he had lost the battle. He closed his eyes in defeat as he felt Iris move the washcloth over his penis and testicles.

Giving each a thorough cleaning and then to move on to in-between his legs. The cloth moved on to his thighs until they too were covered in lather and bubbles. It encircled his calves, before Iris pulled up each leg to pull up a foot to soap before letting it back down. It was too much. The last vestiges of self control left him as he began to cry like a child at Iris’ apparent victory.

Iris smoothly shifted the disputing body of Cal toward her. Pressing him up to the side of the tub, she held him there as the washcloth traveled over his buttocks. Cal pressed his hands against the side of the tub and used every bit of his infantile strength to free himself. He continued to bellow up to Iris as the continued to rub the cloth over his backside.

She had never seen a child throw such a fit during a bath. Obviously her daughter had allowed this little one to act out far too much. This baby could scream all it liked, but it would have to learn that she was in charge. She continued to disregard the stream of incomprehensible words from his mouth. She was intently staring over his shoulder as she pushed the cloth between the cheeks of bottom, making sure that no spot was ignored to Cal’s further continued outrage.

Finally, Iris dunked the cloth back into the bath water and squeezed it out. She again used it to sluice away the suds from Cal’s body. It took the same path that it had with the soap. Every little crevice was rinsed as Iris thoroughly finished the bath despite the vocal dispute from Cal.

Once the bath was finished, Cal stood there shuddering with shredded emotion at the inside edge of the tub, his skin slick and glowing from the bath. Iris reached over and pulled a towel over her hands. She reached over and pulled the upset and hiccupping Cal out of the tub.

Cocooning the towel around him, Iris began to briskly dry him there beside the tub. She pulled the towel up over his head and began to towel dry his hair. Cal fought against the towel and Iris, but his struggles were muffled by the towel. It only appeared to be nothing more than the typical struggles of a child. Iris reached up and grabbed a bottle from the cabinet. Pouring a small amount into the palm of one of her hands, she unwrapped the towel from around the small body in front of her with the other. Cal took a deep sigh as the suffocating towel was removed and draped over Iris’ lap. Intimidated, he stood there naked in front of Iris who was rubbing her hands together. He slowly looked up at her face and then felt the hands smoothing lotion onto his shoulders and down over his body. The lotion felt deliciously cool on his skin after the warmth of the bath.

The towel was wrapped around Cal once again, as Iris got to her feet and picked him up. All the fight had left Cal, exhausted and demoralized. Completely spent, he leaned his forehead against Iris’ cheek as she carried him back to his room. He was utterly defeated from their episode in the tub. Instinctively feeling the submission of the small body in her arms, Iris began to solidly thump him on the back as she made her way away from the bathroom as she made consoling sounds.

Once Iris arrived at his room, she did not turn the light on in the room as she pulled a fresh sleeper out of the drawer and along with a diaper from the bag on the floor and tossed both onto the bed. She bent over and placed Cal on his back on the bed. She soon had Cal in a diaper and sleeper in a matter of moments. Cal’s breathing was hitched as he sobbed slightly at how easily Iris had handled him.

She picked him up after he was dressed and she cuddled him to her chest. He pressed his face into the soft robe she wearing as she smoothed his back. Cal closed his eyes as he tried to calm down. He felt Iris momentarily lean over and then sit back up. He felt a soft item pressing at his lips. Automatically, he opened his mouth and suddenly it was smoothly placed inside. He recognized the shape immediately as his mouth closed around the almost velvety soft pliable object. He realized that Iris had placed a pacifier in his mouth. Once he would have been outraged at the infantile object, but now the comfort it provided was welcome. His mouth began to undulate with the steady motion of sucking on the pacifier.

For a few minutes, Cal curled up against Iris’ chest, supported by her arms, allowing the warmth and smell of her body flow over him. The steady rocking of her body diffused the lump of upset sitting in his chest and allowed him to relax. His eyes became half closed as he listened to the song that Iris was humming as she stroked his back in the darkened room. He was almost unaware as she shifted him to the bed, pulling up the sheet to tuck him in. She sat there for a few minutes as she patted his back. He fell into a trance as the rhythmic pattern on his back began to relax him. The last thing he was aware was the comfort that surrounded him before his eyes shut and darkness took over.