Ben There

Chapter 6
Easter; Eggs and Chocolate

---

Chapter Description: Ben and his family get ready for Easter

---

Chapter 6: Easter; Eggs and Chocolate

Ben and his dad went to the park on Saturday to try out Ben’s new remote control trucks, but they quickly learned that bringing Laddie on such an expedition was a real bad idea.

The dog kept trying to fetch the trucks, and then tried to herd them. It was funny to watch but didn’t make for much of test of trucks’ off-roading abilities, nor of their controllers’ controlling abilities. And when they tied Laddie up, she’d whine, and that made everything no fun at all. So they abandoned the trucks and started playing fetch with her.

A man that was walking his dog came over and said, "I wish my boy was that well trained; he does OK on the leash, but if I let him go, he’s gone."

Ben’s dad said, "Oh, for a second I thought you meant Ben. He isn’t nearly as well trained as our pup. That took us some work, but we got her there. Ben did a lot of it."

"Did you train her, son?"

"Uh-huh. Dad did most of the heeling, but I got this real long rope so I could give her signals at a long ways, and did it a lot."

"I’ll try that. I saw her chasing your cars too. That was funny, but maybe not for you. And, you’re pretty good with those remote controls. You must use them a lot, huh?"

Ben threw the ball for Laddie to chase and said, "Nah. They’re new. My girl friend’s brother’s got some that I’ve used though."

"Well, you handled them like a pro."

"I’m going to learn to drive a real car this summer."

"You are?" the man said, and then turned to Mr. Collins and said, "Do you have a country place? I used to drive out in the pastures at my grandfather’s farm, but I was a little older than him though."

Ben said, "I’m ..." And his dad interrupted him.

"Benny’s older than he looks, and can be a bit sensitive about it. We don’t have a farm but I think I’ve found a place where I can give him a few lessons."

"Oh. I’m sorry, Ben," the man said, "I remember when looking young was a problem. I wish I still had it."

"Yeah, his mom is one of those short people too, and I’m not exactly tall. That’s a big problem for him. -- Ben, two more throws and we need to get home before the girls have finished all the Easter eggs."

************

That afternoon they dyed two dozen eggs to make sure the Easter Bunny would have plenty to hide, and when they were almost finished, and his mom and Vicky had started to straighten up the kitchen, Kathy was trying to make an even pinker pink egg, and Ben decided to see what would happen to an egg in the green dye that had got some red mixed in.

It was an invention/inspiration! And with the help of a black marker, he created Franken-egg!

But when Vicky came to get the last dye bowls from the breakfast table she said, "Wow, Ben, that is one very butt-ugly Easter egg."

"Hey! Don’t tease my Franken-egg, Vicky!"

"You said it was a monster egg, so being butt-ugly would be a good thing, right?"

Ben was laughing when he yelled, "MOM, Vicky said my egg was butt-ugly."

"What but ugly, honey?"

"Huh?"

"You need something to go in front of the ’but’. Like ’funny but ugly’ or "interesting but ugly’ - two things for the ’but’ to separate."

"No, Mom, she meant the two T butt, not the one T but. Gah!"

A giggling Kathy said, "Yeah, Mama, it means like bottom-ugly."

Their mom said, "That can’t be right. None of my children would use a word like that. Besides most of the bottoms I’ve seen in this house are darn cute, not ugly. Wait till the eggs get dry, then put them in the carton and go play for a while," and then she went back into the kitchen to start supper.

Ben said, "Buns-ugly!" and Vicky rubbed his head annoyingly before she followed her mother.

Kathy whispered, "Tushy-ugly."

"Fanny-ugly," Ben said just as quietly.

"Back-cheeks-ugly."

"A-hole-ugly."

"Tush-ugly." That was cheating after using ’tushy’, but Ben let Kathy get away with it because she was a little kid.

"Crack-ugly."

Kathy got even quieter when she said, "Wiener-ugly!"

Ben wasn’t sure that was fair either, but he said, "Pussy-ugly."

"Titties-ugly."

"Nuts-ugly."

Kathy’s eyes got wide for "Dick-ugly!"

"Pubes-ugly."

"What’s that mean?"

"The parts down there."

"For boy or girl?"

"Uhh, ugh, not sure," Ben said, and then louder he said, "Vicky, com’here for something." When Vicky was at the breakfast table he whispered, "Don’t laugh ’cuz I forgot, but is ’pubes’ for a boy or a girl?"

Vicky did laugh, and she said, "It’s both; it’s the place that’s above the real bits. Where the hair grows on big people. OK? But some people mean those parts too when they say it."

Back at the stove their mom asked Vicky, "What are they giggling like that about?"

Vicky said, "They’re seeing how many bad body-part names they can put in front of ’ugly’. Kathy just learned what ’pubes’ means. Hey, it’s your fault, Mom; you knew what butt-ugly meant."

Her mother sighed before she said, "I think it is your fault, Vicky. Oh, geez!"

As her mother walked towards the table, Vicky said, "Don’t blame it all on Benji, Mom. Kathy ain’t a dummy."

Their mom said, "OK. Vicky and I will take care of the eggs. You two get outside and find something else to talk about."

Kathy said, "Can’t we go to Benji’s room? We’re buildin’ a’ airport."

"Yes, but play with the blocks; don’t play doctor! I’ll be checking."

"I don’t like to play doctor. People always stick those dumb sticks in your mouth," Kathy said.

On the stairs Ben told Kathy, "She meant not to look at our bottoms and privates."

"Yuck! We gonna build more runways?"

"Yeah, but I’ll start on the tower, and you build another hanger first."

"I’m tired of hangers."

"Wanna build the pay place for the parking lot? We gotta do more planes and cars too."

*************

That evening Ben was watching a TV show with Vicky, and his Dad came in to watch too. Then his mom called for Vicky from upstairs.

During the next commercial, Ben’s dad said, "Come over here, buddy. I want to talk to you about some things."

Ben was worried (as Ben was wont to be.).

He started to sit on the couch near his dad, but his arm was pulled on until he found himself in his father’s lap.

"Dad, I’m too old to sit like this."

"Yeah, you might be, pal, but more likely I’m too old for it and, if my leg goes to sleep, I’m going to push you off, OK? But let’s take the chance for a little while."

Ben stopped squirming. He wasn’t exactly looking in his dad’s eyes sitting like this, but he was tall enough that he wasn’t looking up his dad’s nose either. He leaned back and got comfortable.

"I just wanted to ask you how things are going these days, puddin’head."

"It’s ’K, mostly, ’guess."

"Do you like the idea of not taking classes in the upper school for a while?"

"Yeah, I don’t look right up there now anyway."

"Are the other kids more fun?"

"Kinda’."

The TV show came back on, it had been a short break, and nothing was said between them for ten minutes. During the next commercial Ben’s dad said, "Benny, I think you are doing great - wonderful even. Did you know that? You are having more fun, and you did well in your classes. I’m pleased. But I don’t know if you are pleased."

"It’s ’K, Daddy."

His dad squeezed him then, and Ben didn’t know why. He did remember when hugs by his dad were rare and for special occasions only though, and he could almost remember back to before they had become unusual.

"What is the biggest problem with all this, Benny?"

"I get treated like a little kid sometimes for no reason just because I’m not tall."

"You know what I think you should do about that? -- oops, there’s the program; can we record it for a while, pud?"

"’K."

"I think you just shouldn’t worry about being treated like that? What’s so bad about it?"

Vicky came in with a towel wrapped around her hair and said, "Mom wants to see you upstairs, Ben. She’s in our bathroom."

His dad said, "Tell her about five minutes, Vick. We’re still talking," then he repeated, "OK, buddy, what’s so bad."

"Well, like you made me ride in the backseat today to the park, and mom did last week, and that rule says it’s until twelve you have to ride in there, and I’m almost sixteen no matter how much I shrunk, but everyone makes me anyway. Even Danielle does. She says it’s for these boxes of Junior Prom stuff that won’t fit in da back, but I know it’s so I’ll ride back there."

"Benny, we can still talk to you in the backseat. Can’t you talk to us? Can’t you hear the music?"

"Yeah, but it sucks."

"My music sucks?"

Ben snickered and said, "No - well sometimes it does, but being behind Vicky will suck most when I’m oldest."

"Oh -- you and Vicky are doing great suddenly; don’t start fighting about something that dopey, Ben. The rule says ’twelve’, but the reason for the rule is because of people’s sizes. It’s safer back there, and she is bigger than you for right now. No one wants you to get hurt in a wreck. They really don’t want that, not even Vicky does. That’s the reason. Is it so bad?"

Ben didn’t say anything then. Instead he began to chew on his thumb nail as he thought about it.

His dad said, "Remember that man at the park today?"

"Uh-huh."

"You know you really confused him when you started talking about driving. You don’t look as old as you are right now because of the medicine you’re taking. I really think it would be a good idea if you don’t talk to strangers about how old you really are. Just go along with what they think. It will save us a lot of very long, complicated explanations. And cause a lot less aggravation, even for you."

"But I am! Right? This whole thing is only temporary? I am fifteen and a half already, right?"

"Benny, of course you are. You were born almost sixteen years ago. That can’t change, even if the documents do. All of these things are all temporary; we’ve told you that. You will be big again, much too soon for some people, including me."

"And I’ll drive this summer?"

"You will drive some this summer. I’ve promised you that too. But I think, until then, it’s best if you don’t talk about it to people who don’t know you. OK? Pud?"

Ben didn’t take his thumbnail from his mouth, but he said, "Yeah. ’K."

"Alright then; don’t correct people who don’t know you; and don’t sweat the small stuff, like riding in the backseat and such. Those things are just going to get in the way of you having fun, right, puddin’head? -- Now, you better get upstairs. If you hurry, I think you can finish your show before story time. And, hey! My leg didn’t go to sleep! We can sit this way more often."

As Ben climbed out of the lap, his dad gave him a hug, and he hugged back, hard, and his dad said, "That’s something else you do much better now than last month. Let’s do that more often too."

Ben grinned around his thumb and bit into its nail a bit harder.

**************

Ben knocked on the bathroom door, and his mom said, "It’s not locked," but Kathy said, "Mama, I’ still naked!"

"Now you’re being the silly-billy again, girl. Do you know that Ben and Vicky used to take baths together when she was about your age? And we both know both of you know all the names for whatever he will see, don’t we? All the wrong names at least."

Ben walked into the bathroom, and his mom was drying Kathy’s hair with a towel while his sister stood there with nothing on and not really caring what Ben could see.

His mom said, "Benji, I want to wash your hair tonight. Hop into the tub, and let’s do it now."

"Gah, com’on Mom! I can wash my own hair!"

"Kathy, do you see how many silly-billys I have to put up with? And only sometimes are you the worst. OK, scoot and get into your nightie, then get your daddy to brush your hair. -- Benji, I know you can wash your own hair, but I want all of you to look especially nice for Easter tomorrow. I washed Vicky’s hair, and she didn’t complain. And I might do your daddy’s tonight too, if he’s in the right mood."

"But you didn’t give her a bath - ’cuz she was still in the same clothes."

"I wasn’t going to give you a bath either, Benji. I did hers in the sink, but the tub will be a lot easier on both of us. If you want to do it in the sink, go into your daddy’s and my bath, where the sink is bigger, and take off your shirt and pants."

Ben walked to the other bathroom, unsure when he’d agreed to this, and waited for his mom to get there. He did not take off any of his clothes, however.

His mom came in and said, "Com’on. We don’t want to get your clothes all sopping. Let’s go."

"But, mom, why? I’m not a little kid."

"I know how old you are, Benji. I was there when you were born and started keeping track of your age before you did. Now, take that stuff off already."

"But why?"

"Once we get started, honey, and if you stop being so fussy about it, I’ll tell you. Now stick ’em up!" She pointed a finger at him with her thumb straight up.

He knew if he put his arms in the air, she’d try to remove his shirt, and might start doing that anyway soon, so he looked at the ceiling and then started pulling off his own shirt. "I don’t gotta get naked do I?

"No. You can keep your boxers on. And your socks too, if you want. And even your shoes if you can get your pants off with them on."

Ben actually did try to keep his shoes on but he realized, once his jeans were at his calves, that they wouldn’t fit over the shoes. He wound up needing, and getting, the help he was trying so hard to avoid.

His mom laughed and, as he sat on the floor and she untangled his pants and took his shoes off his feet, she said, "Very soon you’re going to pass Kathy in the silly-billy contest, puppy dog. -- OK. You’re going to have to kneel on this, honey." She pushed a stool that was usually by the makeup table over to the sink.

Ben could see that he was too short to get his head over the sink sitting on the stool, and it would be hard to bend that far over if he stood.

His mom patted his butt and said, "Get up there and be very still so you don’t fall. Do you see why I wanted to do this in the tub?"

Ben did see why, but he wasn’t about to get into the tub. As soon as his hair was wet, he said, "We’ve started. So why do I hav’ta do this?"

"Well, I told you, because it is Easter tomorrow, sweetie. We’re going to church and to a restaurant so fancy that it might not even have crayons for you to use while waiting. I want all my little ones to look great."

"But I’m not a little one!!! And I can do this myself!"

Ben’s mom said, "Oh, oh, Benji, Benji."

She stood him up and sat on the stool, which made them just the same height; then, though his hair had shampoo in it, she hugged him and held him close while she said, "Baby, I’m sorry I said ’little one’; I know how you feel about that right now, Puppy. But, honey, you were my ’little one’ when you were as tall as me. You will stay my ’little one’ if you get to be five feet taller than me. Do you understand? It’s not about your size, and I’m sorry, very sorry, that I haven’t told you that enough lately."

Ben stayed there letting his mom hold him.

She said, "Feeling better? Can I do my ’big one’s’ hair now?"

Ben got back on the stool, and once his hair was rinsed, his mom said, "I was worried about your clothes getting soaked and mine did. Next time we do this, maybe I’d better leave my shirt off, in case you need another hug, huh?"

Then she walked into the closet and changed her blouse and bra with Ben right there. Ben figured it was just because she was in a hurry, and he’d seen her breast pretty often before Kathy stopped nursing, which had only been about four or five years ago.

She said, "One more wash and then the cream rinse and that’s all there is. You know, some people love to have their hair washed by someone else. Vicky would let me do this every night if she could get me to."

"She’s a girl."

"Yes, she is. But is it torture for a boy?"

"Kinda."

"You mean, that having some one rub your head like this doesn’t feel even a little bit nice, honey?"

Ben had already decided that it felt great, but there wasn’t a way he could admit that. "It’s ’K, sorta," was all he could say.

She pushed his wet hair to the top of his head and kissed the back of his neck. "Benji, you have done really well about just playing since we talked at the store. Now here is your next mission: learn to let people do things for you. And let yourself enjoy them and admit that you do. I knew exactly when you started liking this by the way your shoulders looked, baby."

Vicky came in without even knocking, and Ben had no chance of hiding, so she finally got to see him in his underwear.

She said, "I’m gonna redo my nails and need the nail polish remover."

"It’s over there, Vick, but first, can you run to your bathroom and get the baby cream rinse real quick."

"Mom, why are you using baby stuff on me!?"

"You can be soooooo silly about some words, Benji. It is very, very gentle, and I want to use it because you have very fine hair. I used baby shampoo on you too, honey. But lots of grownups use it because it doesn’t hurt your hair. I do horrible things to mine trying to look younger."

"So baby stuff will make me look older?"

"No. It’ll just make you look wonderful-er."

Vicky said, "Here, Mom. Hey, Ben, what are you wearing tomorrow?"

"I don’ know."

His mom said, "Oh, it’s great! Dark blue slacks, but a sky blue coat and tie, and the tie has little yellow chicks and Easter eggs on it, and this bright, bright yellow shirt. Benji, you will hate it!"

Ben groaned loudly.

Vicky said, "I bet you look really, really cute, Ben." Then she pulled the elastic band on his shorts an inch from his waist and let it pop. "And I like your sexy, necked legs too. Now you can stop hiding them from me, huh?"

"Shut up! You said you weren’t gonna tease any more."

"I wasn’t teasing you. Come find me before you go to bed. I have something important I want to give you."

His mom said, "I think she was kidding, not teasing. There is a difference; she wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings, baby. Why don’t you ask her about it when you go talk to her later?

She started to work the cream rinse into Ben’s hair, and he said, "She just wants ta tease me some more, I bet."

"I don’t think so, honey. I really don’t. She’s been being nice, hasn’t she? Give her a chance."

"And why did you buy something like that for me to wear, Mom. I’m gonna look super dumb."

"I think you will look super fantastic and cute, and I didn’t buy it. Mrs. Stewart did last year, to humiliate Danny with."

"But I can’t wear Danny’s old suit. I’m bigger than he is." Danny wasn’t even going to be twelve till next month.

"I think it will fit, honey. You haven’t seen him that recently, and you wore his last year’s clothes today."

While the rinse was rinsed out, Ben thought of wearing Danny’s old clothes and what that meant, then he said, "How little am I gonna get?"

"No one is certain, baby, but I hope it’s little enough to like being cute." Then she patted him on the bottom again and said, "Time for your shower. Scoot."

***************

After knocking, Ben went into Vicky’s Bedroom and said, "Huh? Yeah?"

Vicky was sitting cross-legged on her bed, wiggling her fingers in the air and trying to read a book without touching it. She said, "My nails are still wet, Ben, so you gotta wait a few minutes before I can give you that thing. Come an’ sit on the bed."

She scooched towards the pillows to make room for him, and said, "I’m gonna get a full bed like yours as soon as Daddy has time to set up my birthday present. Then you and Kath can come visit me more often."

"Yeah," Ben said, but he was thinking about how unwelcome he had always been in this room -- until now.

"What do you think of my fingers?

"They’re blue!"

"They’re azure, but ’blue’ is close enough for a boy. Don’t you like them?"

"They’re ’K."

Ben was getting ready to be teased about something or other, but Vicky said, "Ehh -- it’s an Easter color, and matches my dress. Girls do that kind of silly stuff, you know?"

"Oh," Ben said.

"And guys never do silly stuff, right?"

"Uh-uh."

"OK, Ben. Why are you talking in short grunts? What are you mad at me about?"

"Em not."

Vicky wiggled her fingers to dry them and wiggled her eyes to think. Then she said, "Oh, because I said you had sexy, naked legs. But I still don’t know why you were you hiding ’em from me anyway?"

"Because I knew you would tease me. And you did too."

"Did not!"

Ben didn’t say anything.

Vicky said, "I was kidding about you not wanting to be seen in your boxers here, and not caring about it when you were at Amber’s house. That’s all. What would I tease you about about your legs?"

"’Cuz I don’t got any hair there any more, and you always teased about that stuff before."

"Ben, you know Mom would call you a silly-billy right about now. I told you I wasn’t gonna ever tease you again and, even when I was being a bitch to you all the time, I wouldn’t tease you about something a medicine caused. -- -- at least I don’t think I would have. - maybe, No - Yeah --- Really, no, I’m positive; I wouldn’t have, OK?"

Ben didn’t say anything again.

"Really. Is it OK, bro? Please. I’m sorry you thought I was being mean, and nothing like that matters to me any more."

"Yeah, OK."

"Hooray!" Vicky yelled and jumped off the bed. "And does that mean I can call you Benji now, because that’s what I call you to everyone else, and it’s real hard to say just ’Ben’ when talking to you."

Ben sighed and said, "I guess so, everybody else does."

"Goody. And my nails are dry, so I can give you that thing now. Stand up."

As soon as Ben was standing she gave him a hug and kissed him between the eyes.

"That’s all? And I had to wait that long."

"Uh-huh. And it’s perfect too, Benji, because your eyebrows are practically just at my lips right now, so that’s where I’m always going to kiss you, even when you’re all big again. It was just meant to be, Bro. And you have to come and get another one every single night from now on, because Amber told me she gets to give Danny one every night."

"How come you know Amber!?"

"We got a lot in common, Benji."

"Like what? We’re lots older than you, Vicky."

"Well, we belong to this club together, and we both must be insane because we’re both crazy about you." And Vicky kissed him - right between the eyes - a second time.

*****************

"Benji, are you ’wake?" Kathy asked with her nose inches from his.

"Yeah," Ben said, though he hadn’t been one second earlier.

Kathy put a two foot tall pink and white rabbit that had long floppy ears and a yellow vest onto the bed and crawled up after it. She said, "The Easter Bunny’s been here. Look at your basket."

Ben sat up, yawned, and said, "Kath, it’s still dark. What time is it?"

Kathy leaned across Ben to look at the clock next to his bed. She said, "Four-oh-seven. Don’t you want to see what he brought you?"

Ben leaned off the bed and pulled the basket up. On top of everything else there was a yellow and white rabbit that had long floppy ears and a blue vest. Ben put him on the other side of the bed, put some malted robin’s eggs in his mouth, and began unwrapping the second biggest rabbit from the basket.

"Can I have some of ya’ little eggs? I’ll pay ya’ back."

"’K."

"I liked you lots when you were big sometimes, but you’re even better now, Benji. What are you going to name your rabbit? Mine’s Floppy."

Ben bit the ears off the rabbit that they weren’t talking about and said, "Umm, Carrot, I guess."

"But he’s not orange, and he’s not holding one. Can I have some?"

"So? He likes to eat them though. -- Aww. You bit his nose off. That must hurt. I’ll put him out of his misery." Then, opening his mouth as wide as he could, Ben decapitated the hollow, earless, noseless rabbit.

"You’re Pizza then, huh?" Kathy tried to eat two feet in a bite but only managed one and a half.

"No, Chocolate. I wonder what color rabbit Vicky got?"

"Na-uh. I sneaked in; she only got some Easter egg ear rings ’stead."

"How come ya’ didn’t wake her up?"

"She woulda’ got real mad. How little are you gonna get, Benji?"

"Don’t know. But I’m still fifteen and a half, Kath. And I’ gonna be big again and drive this summer, you know?"

"Yeah, I know you’re not always gonna be little, but it’s nice for now, and mama says you might not be as grumpy as often when you’re big again."

After another two bites each, the rabbit without a name was a memory and a lot of smears on two faces. Kathy said, "You were a better babysitter than Vicky too, even when you were grumpy. Want ta split a cream egg?"

Ben nodded and Kathy bit through the middle of the hunk of chocolate.

Ben said, "Hey, don’t suck out all the goopy part. Was she real, real bossy?"

"’Bout like you, but she said there wasn’t any time to play any games and stuff. You always played." -- Kathy yawned and then lay down on top of the covers.

Her head was on the pillow that Ben usually put his arms across while he slept, so he had to hug Higgins and Carrot for the rest of the night. They worked very well for that.

 

---