FAT PAT
A short story
by
R.
Bromfield
Copyright © 2011 R. Bromfield
Smashwords Edition
School starts tomorrow so my big sister
Patricia has locked herself in her room and isn't coming out
because she says she's fat.
In fact, it looks like she won't go to school
ever any more. Mom's talking to her all the time through the door
but she's not going to budge. She has a chair wedged under the
handle and won't let anyone come in, except me. I'm Patricia's
little sister Katie. I'm only nine and, as everybody knows, little
kids are invisible so I can get to stay in Patricia's room with
her, even when the rest of the world is forbidden. I'm only going
into grade five tomorrow so that's no big deal. Not like high
school where there are all kinds of big kids from all different
neighborhoods. I can understand how it might be a bit scary for
Patricia -- especially if you're fat.
This situation started a few weeks ago but I
guess it really got bad last night when Mom asked her what she was
going to wear for her first day of school. That's when Patricia got
all mad and went stomping up stairs and started slamming doors and
everything.
Me and Mom went up and Mom said "Patty,
what's wrong sweetheart? Is it something I said?"
Patricia was really mad. "It's nobody's
business, and don't call me Patty."
Patricia hates to be called Patty or Pat --
even Patricia sometimes. I don't know what you're supposed to call
her because that's her name. Anyway, when Mom went downstairs for a
minute I knocked on the door really quietly and went "Hey,
Patricia, it's me, Katie." I was careful not to call her Patty or
anything.
"What do you want?"
"Nothing, let me in." After a few big clunks
and scrapes she opened the door and little bit and I squeezed
inside. Right away I saw that clothes had been thrown all over the
place and she'd covered both her mirrors with sheets, so she
wouldn't be able to see herself I guess. The blind was down and the
curtains were shut. I don't know if this was so no one could see in
or if Patricia just wanted to stay in the dark. I sat on the bed.
"What are you doing?" I was actually trying to make conversation;
you know, to lighten things up a bit.
"Did she send you in here to interrogate me or
something?"
"No, she's downstairs."
"Good." Patricia said then opened the drawers
on this nice little vanity she has and started taking everything
out and piling it on top; makeup, creams, eyebrow pencils -- she's
allowed to have all that kind of stuff. Mom says I'm still too
young.
It's no secret what the problem is, it's just
that no one can talk about it in front of her, which is pretty
silly really because, of course, Patricia 's not fat at all. One of
her friends said one time that she was big boned and got pushed
down on the ground for it. I was there and it was hard not to
laugh. Patricia 's got a pretty good sense of humor but there's
some things you just don't laugh about with her and her weight is
one of them.
Right now she looked pretty upset so I
figured I'd try to, you know, help. "I think maybe you should go to school
tomorr..."
"You can just keep your opinions to yourself.
You're here because I let you be here."
Then Mom's voice came through the door.
"What's that sweetheart? I didn't hear you."
"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to
Katie."
"Well please talk to me honey, I love you and Katie loves you too, don't
you Katie?"
Patricia gave me a nasty look so I didn't say
anything.
"Girls?" Mom said.
We didn't say anything.
After a minute Patricia's phone rang with
that singer she's in love with so much and she looked at the screen
then threw it on the bed beside me. I looked at the screen. It was
Mom.
When the phone stopped Mom said from outside
the door "I know you feel you're a bit overweight honey but it's
just not true. Actually you're very um..."
"What, pleasantly plump?"
"No sweetheart, not at all..."
"I caught it from Daddy. Everybody knows
that. And don't call me
A short story
by
R.
Bromfield
Copyright © 2011 R. Bromfield
Smashwords Edition
School starts tomorrow so my big sister
Patricia has locked herself in her room and isn't coming out
because she says she's fat.
In fact, it looks like she won't go to school
ever any more. Mom's talking to her all the time through the door
but she's not going to budge. She has a chair wedged under the
handle and won't let anyone come in, except me. I'm Patricia's
little sister Katie. I'm only nine and, as everybody knows, little
kids are invisible so I can get to stay in Patricia's room with
her, even when the rest of the world is forbidden. I'm only going
into grade five tomorrow so that's no big deal. Not like high
school where there are all kinds of big kids from all different
neighborhoods. I can understand how it might be a bit scary for
Patricia -- especially if you're fat.
This situation started a few weeks ago but I
guess it really got bad last night when Mom asked her what she was
going to wear for her first day of school. That's when Patricia got
all mad and went stomping up stairs and started slamming doors and
everything.
Me and Mom went up and Mom said "Patty,
what's wrong sweetheart? Is it something I said?"
Patricia was really mad. "It's nobody's
business, and don't call me Patty."
Patricia hates to be called Patty or Pat --
even Patricia sometimes. I don't know what you're supposed to call
her because that's her name. Anyway, when Mom went downstairs for a
minute I knocked on the door really quietly and went "Hey,
Patricia, it's me, Katie." I was careful not to call her Patty or
anything.
"What do you want?"
"Nothing, let me in." After a few big clunks
and scrapes she opened the door and little bit and I squeezed
inside. Right away I saw that clothes had been thrown all over the
place and she'd covered both her mirrors with sheets, so she
wouldn't be able to see herself I guess. The blind was down and the
curtains were shut. I don't know if this was so no one could see in
or if Patricia just wanted to stay in the dark. I sat on the bed.
"What are you doing?" I was actually trying to make conversation;
you know, to lighten things up a bit.
"Did she send you in here to interrogate me or
something?"
"No, she's downstairs."
"Good." Patricia said then opened the drawers
on this nice little vanity she has and started taking everything
out and piling it on top; makeup, creams, eyebrow pencils -- she's
allowed to have all that kind of stuff. Mom says I'm still too
young.
It's no secret what the problem is, it's just
that no one can talk about it in front of her, which is pretty
silly really because, of course, Patricia 's not fat at all. One of
her friends said one time that she was big boned and got pushed
down on the ground for it. I was there and it was hard not to
laugh. Patricia 's got a pretty good sense of humor but there's
some things you just don't laugh about with her and her weight is
one of them.
Right now she looked pretty upset so I
figured I'd try to, you know, help. "I think maybe you should go to school
tomorr..."
"You can just keep your opinions to yourself.
You're here because I let you be here."
Then Mom's voice came through the door.
"What's that sweetheart? I didn't hear you."
"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to
Katie."
"Well please talk to me honey, I love you and Katie loves you too, don't
you Katie?"
Patricia gave me a nasty look so I didn't say
anything.
"Girls?" Mom said.
We didn't say anything.
After a minute Patricia's phone rang with
that singer she's in love with so much and she looked at the screen
then threw it on the bed beside me. I looked at the screen. It was
Mom.
When the phone stopped Mom said from outside
the door "I know you feel you're a bit overweight honey but it's
just not true. Actually you're very um..."
"What, pleasantly plump?"
"No sweetheart, not at all..."
"I caught it from Daddy. Everybody knows
that. And don't call me
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