Sisterly Love (NOT MY STORY- WRITTEN BY URSON, FOUND FROM DIAPER STORY ARCHIVE)

Chapter 9

Throughout the drive to her daughter's house, Mrs. Cauldwell prayed that the girl who phoned her was playing a joke, or mistaken. She didn't want to think Lydia was that spiteful toward her little sister. Her hopes died, as she pulled around the corner, onto the street where her daughter's house was. She saw a group of four girls, pushing a stroller, and she recognized Lydia and in the stroller was Carrie. Mrs. Cauldwell was furious. She pulled up to the curb next to the girls and rolled down her window.

"LYDIA THOMPSON! You get in that house right now and take your friends with you, I'll be in to deal with all of you in a few minutes!"

Lydia was shocked to see her grandmother, veins almost popping out of her forehead. "Grandma? Please, let me explain."

Carrie's eyes were wide. She'd never seen her grandmother so angry before.

"Are you deaf, little girl? I said get in that house!" Mrs. Cauldwell could barely see straight, she was so mad at her granddaughter.

Angie saw that the old woman's attention was on Lydia and tried to sneak away, but Mrs. Cauldwell was too sharp for that.

"Don't you move either little girl!" She said, pointing at Angie "I'm going to be contacting each of you girl's parents. I don't think any of you are going to be sitting down for quite some time."

Tammy looked Mrs. Cauldwell in the face and said, "I don't have to listen to you. You're not MY grandmother. You don't have any authority over me, and you can't do anything to me."

Mrs. Cauldwell was so shocked, she almost let her temper get the best of her, but she calmed herself.

"You're right little girl. I don't have the authority to do anything, but you're a guest in my daughter's house until she gets back tomorrow, so I'm responsible for you. I'm going to call your mother and explain that I'll be getting the police involved. At the least, you'll spend a few months in the juvenile detention center. That will be the least of your worries. I'm sure my daughter will be filing a law suit against each and everyone of you for what you've done to Carrie here." Mrs. Cauldwell could feel the pounding of a headache beginning.

Tammy was shocked. How could this old woman involve the police in this? It was just a prank. Nobody got hurt, did they?

Lydia quickly ran into the house and the other girls took the hint and did the same. Carrie was crying as Mrs. Cauldwell got out of the car and ran to her youngest granddaughter.

"Grandma!" Carrie cried "I was so scared that Elk couldn't get a hold of you. I thought it would be just like the last time."

Mrs. Cauldwell managed to get Carrie calmed down and carried the girl into the house, her ire raising with every word of Carrie's story of what had been done to her.

Once inside, she put Carrie down and told her to go upstairs and get out of the baby clothes. She didn't want to hurt her granddaughter's pride, so she thought it best that Carrie be allowed the dignity of taking off the diaper and baby clothes herself. When Carrie was safely upstairs, Mrs. Cauldwell walked into the living room. The girls were all there, talking to each other, trying to find a way out of the situation they were in.

Mrs. Cauldwell scowled at her oldest granddaughter and her friends. "Ok you juvenile delinquents. I'm going to give you two choices. One, I can call each of your parents and have them come get you. When they get here, I'm going to tell them exactly what has been going on and let them deal with your punishment. The second choice is I call the police and tell them what has happened. I can then let them call your parents. Be assured that either way, you're all going to get what's coming to you." She then fixed her eyes on Lydia.

"Lydia, I thought that you were above this. I know some of the pranks you've played on Carrie in the past, but this was... was... despicable. I thought I knew who was the more mature of you two, but it seems that I was wrong. Carrie told me about the pictures. I want them NOW!"

Lydia was terrified and sad at her grandmother's disappointment and anger with her. She quickly pulled the camera out and gave it to Mrs. Cauldwell.

Mrs. Cauldwell turned back to the group and said, "Ok girls, what's it going to be? The choices are before you and it's time to make a decision. Do I call your parents, or the police?"

Gabby spoke first, on the verge of tears "Mam? My parents aren't home. Please don't put me in jail."

Mrs. Cauldwell studied the cringing form of the girl for a moment. "Well, since your parents aren't home, there's not much choice..." Just as she was about to pronounce judgment on Gabby, the phone rang.

Mrs. Cauldwell gave the girls a "STAY PUT!" glare and walked into the kitchen to answer the phone.

"Thompson residence." She said as she put the receiver to her ear

"Mom? What are you doing over? Is something wrong?" Mrs. Thompson sounded very worried

"Gloria? Oh, I'm glad you called. I've got some news and I don't think you're going to like it."

"What? What news? Are the girls ok?"

"Oh the girls are fine, for the most part, though Lydia and her little pack of hyenas are in for it when I call their parents"

"What? What happened Mom?"

With that, Mrs. Cauldwell proceeded to tell her daughter what had occurred during her absence. When she finished, she could almost hear the grinding of her daughter's teeth over the phone.

"Mom, I'll be on the next flight home. I was just calling to say I'd be home early anyway. I got the job and was going to spring the good news by taking the girls on a Mother-Daughters day out tomorrow. The events of the last two days seemed to have changed my plans. Make sure that all of Lydia's friend's Parents are contacted, I'll deal with Lydia and Carrie when I get home tonight."

"There's a small problem honey, one of the girls parents aren't home right now. I was just going to call the police and have them hold her until her parents got back, but what do you think I should do?" Mrs. Cauldwell asked

"That would be Gabby. Her parents are away for the weekend, she was going to stay until Monday. That won't change. I have authority to deal with her, and I'll take care of it when I get home. If they still have the playpen up, put her in it and make sure she doesn't move till I get home."

After getting instructions from her daughter, Mrs. Cauldwell went back into the living room to deal with the girls. When she got back, the girls were still sitting, just as they had been told. Mrs. Cauldwell walked up to Gabby.

"Well little girl, it looks like you lucked out. That was my daughter on the phone. She said that because your parents gave her permission to punish you this weekend, she's going to take care of you when she gets home tonight. Until she gets back, you are to sit in the playpen you had set up for Carrie."

Gabby looked at the old woman in shock. "You're not going to treat me like a baby, are you?"

"I'm not going to say, the thought hadn't crossed my mind, but my daughter just wanted you in the playpen when she got home, so SIT!" The old woman grabbed Gabby's arm and led her over to the playpen and helped her in.

Mrs. Cauldwell then turned back to the other girls. "Now, I want both of you girl's home phone numbers. If you decide not to cooperate, then I'll phone the police and then you can call them, from the police station."