The Watcher (part 5)

-- read part 1 here --
-- read part 2 here --
-- read part 3 here --
-- read part 4 here --

"Elena, hurry up a bit please. Your appointment is at 2 o'clock!"

Elena did her best to increase her pace. I could loosen the drawstring around her knees, of course, but that would spoil the fun. Elena did her best to take quicker steps. Even while walking ahead of her, there was much to enjoy. I heard the swishing sound as her Moonboots rubbed together with every hobbled movement and her labored breathing inside the thick down hoods.

After my little setup in the train, Elena's dresscode had become more severe. She now wore the yellow and black expedition down suit under her blue Parkasite mantle. Both hoods were tied so that they left only a slit for her eyes. Elena also wore the heavy mittens that made her hands useless and that she couldn't take off on her own. As further insurance, all her clothes were locked on. This meant that she had to be accompanied all the time, and for that, Oskar had hired me full-time. Although I liked Yvonne, it wasn't hard to give up my part-time job at the cafe for this opportunity.

Today, Elena had an appointment at the hairdresser. The bus had been delayed, so when we finally got off we only had ten minutes to reach our destination. That was the reason I was now urging Elena on. Well, to be fair, arriving five minutes late wouldn't quite be a major disaster - but it was nice to see her struggle. And after all, there was something else we needed to do afterwards.

Anyway, I managed to deliver Elena in time. Once we were inside, I took off her down mantle and took my time to hang it on a peg. Meanwhile Elena was still in her down suit with the hood up, while all the customers and hairdressers no doubt looked at her in the various mirrors. I then unlocked the hood, but kept the zipper locked, so she had to keep the suit on and zipped up all the way. I then untied the sweatshirt hood she wore underneath and took both hoods down. I figured the hoods would still be somewhat in the way for the hairdresser, but it would be manageable. How Elena would explain that she couldn't take off the down suit was up to her.

"Elena, when you're done here, ask someone to help you with your clothes. Make sure everything is tied as before. I'll be in the cafe down the street, come to me there."
And with that I left Elena there, a bewildered look in her eyes.

---

When Elena entered the cafe, it took her some moments to find me, as there were quite a few occupied tables in the cafe. Then she approached me. I greeted her and told her to take a seat while I finished my coffee. "Are your clothes all done up properly?" I asked.
"I think so," Elena's muffled voice came out of the hoods. "I'm not sure about the drawstring around my knees. I couldn't see what she was doing. For my hoods I had to ask her several times to tie them tighter, she could not believe I really wanted them that way. I was very ashamed. She had been asking why I wore such thick clothes already."
"What did you say?"
"I said I'm not used to the cold here. Which is true, but of course it couldn't really explain my excessive clothes. Especially the down suit I was wearing indoors."
"Well, you'll have to get used to that."

At this point, my coffee was finished and an attentive waiter approached our table. "Can I get you anything else?" he asked. "Why not?" I said, "we still have plenty of time. I'll have another coffee. And you, Elena?" "Um, coffee as well." But Elena had not spoken very loud and the sound did not get through her hood very well, so the waiter did not quite understand her. "Sorry?" he asked. "Coffee, please," Elena repeated as loud and clear as she could. This time the waiter heard her and left us.

"I'll get you out of your mantle first," I said. Just like at the haidresser's, I took off Elena's mantle and her hoods, but she remained in the zipped-up down suit. Everyone in the cafe could now see her layers. We then drank our coffee, and afterwards of course I had to wrap Elena up and once again she was exposed to incredulous looks and whispered comments.

But the day was not finished - we had one more thing to do. Since Oskar had decreed that the down suit, which I normally wore in the morning to watch him run, was now Elena's everyday clothing, he saw it as only fair that I'd get a replacement. He had told me where they had bought the down suit, given me his credit card, and told me to get another one. So that's where we were headed next.

---

We took the elevator to the third floor. "Clara, can you take off my hoods please?" Elena asked. "Soon," i promised. I wanted to show her off in her hoods just a little bit longer. When we entered the outdoors department, I quickly approached a young sales assistant.
"Hi, I'm looking for a down suit," I said.
"Sure, did you have anything in mind?" she asked with a friendly smile.
"Yes, I'd like a suit like my friend Elena is wearing. I'll show it to you." I untied Elena's hood and took it off, then unzipped the mantle, revealing her heavy down suit. The sales assistant's eyes went big and she was stunned for a moment when she saw Elena's clothes. But she quickly recovered when I turned back towards her.
"That's the Feathered Friends expedition suit," she said. "We have them in stock. I'll bring you one."

Moments later I was wearing the same suit as Elena. The assistant helped me put it on and she put my hood up as well. She even tied it just like Elena's. "There," she smiled, "now you look just like your friend. Except she is wearing a down mantle as well. I'm afraid we don't have that brand though. But I could find you another down mantle if you like?" That was unexpected. But I like down clothes and I was curious to see what the girl could come up with. Just trying something couldn't hurt, I thought, so I said yes.

She came back with a nice thick down mantle. It was completely black so it wouldn't stand out too much. The girl helped me into it and with practiced movements she put the hood up and tied it tight. In addition to the mantle, she had brought a pair of mittens and a pair of Moonboots. Both were red. "I figured since you want to be dressed like your friend, I should bring you these as well," she explained. I felt this was heading the wrong way - I preferred it when Elena was the one dressed so heavily in public. But I had come this far, and there were no other people around, so I didn't object.

Now, from one thing came another, and I have to admit this young sales assistant was doing her job really well. Before I knew it she had directed me to the cashier and I was paying for the whole lot with Oskar's credit card. I'd had to take everything off again, of course, and put on my own shoes and purple down jacket again. I had of course no intention of going outside like that. That would be way too embarassing. So after paying, I put Elena in her mantle again, making sure to tie the hood and hem drawstrings tightly.

"So now it's your turn," the shop assistant smiled. To my surprise, she had not wrapped up my purchases. Instead she was holding up the down suit.
"I, no, I'm not going to wear that now," I said.
"Don't be silly. I see you want to be dressed just like your friend. Come on, take your shoes off."
My mind was reeling. Somehow, in a daze, I did take off my shoes and stepped into the down suit. Why did I obey this girl? I guess deep down, I wanted to do this. I was just too scared to do it on my own. But now, with this girl taking charge, it came almost easily.
"Wait, I have to take off my jacket," I said when the suit was up my legs.
"The suit is big enough, it's supposed to allow for a jacket underneath. Arms in now," the girl said. She zipped my suit up and put the mittens on my hands, tying and knotting them. I won't get out of those, I thought. I felt panic, somewhere, but it was buried under that sense of unrealness. Meanwhile I was getting wrapped up further. Both hoods, of her purple jacket and the down suit, went up and were tied. The Moonboots went on my feet. And finally she put me into the mantle as well. Just like I had done for Elena, she took care to tie the hood so tight it only left a small slit for my eyes, and she tied the hem so tight I could only take small steps.

"There, I'm sure you won't be cold now, right?" And with that we were off.

The elevator was empty when we got in, but on the first floor it halted and people came in. They looked at us as if we were a pair of aliens who had just arrived on Earth. I was absolutely mortified. But it was much worse once we were outside. We had to make our way through  busy streets full of shoppers. Our tiny steps meant that we advanced very slowly. Because the hoods restricted our vision, we couldn't even see each other, so we had to hold hands (or mittens, actually) to stay together. I felt helpless and ridiculous as we walked towards the nearest bus stop.

---

Oskar smiled. He had just had a phone call from Silke, the shop assistant at the outdoor department. She had succeeded in wrapping up Clara just like Elena. He had suspected she would not object to that. Clara would make a perfect companion for Elena now.






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