Rubber Bathing Suit   

 

          With the top down, we rode the Gardner, toward Sound Beach.  Before leaving, Edythe’s mother gave her a bathing suit she bought in Klein’s bargain basement.  She had not tried it on or viewed it at home.  She was wearing her new bathing suit under her dress.  I had my swim trunks on under my pants.  We parked the car near the entrance and carried a blanket and a bag of edibles to an open area among the sun worshippers and bathers.  I shed my shoes, slipped out of my pants and took off my tee shirt and watched Edythe remove her slippers and dress.  She had on a flesh-colored rubber swimsuit that seemed molded to her body.

 

            People stared and I ogled her remarkable exposure.  She was unaware that the flesh-colored rubber suit adhered and caressed every curve and musculature of her torso, her nipples were sculpted marvels mounted on perfect mounds, even the mons Venus was in bas-relief.  She raced to the water, her long shapely ballerina legs gracefully propelling a nude appearing beauty to the surf.  People were watching her, particularly the young men and envious females, as she dove into an incoming breaker.  Her head reappeared and as she tried to swim her stokes became slower and more labored.  She stood up and started to come out of the water,

 

            A grotesque metamorphosis had taken place.  The rubber suit filled with water was the catalytic agent that transformed the statuesque beauty into a monstrosity, a pregnant shape with Hottentot stegeophegus buttocks and huge swollen breasts was staggering ashore.  She was clutching the upper edges of her suit to avoid it being pulled off and exposing her real breasts.  Water trickling out of the bottom of her bathing suit seemed like she was urinating.  People were roaring with laughter as she staggered along and gathered and gripped the top of her suit with one hand while her other hand reached down to the side of her crotch and gently stretched the rubber suit to release water more rapidly.  The huge swollen, sagging breasts were shrinking and her swollen rear and pregnancy was vanishing as the water urinated out of the confines of her rubber suit.  Without breaking stride, amid cheers and laughter, she grabbed her shoes and dress and headed for the car.  I grabbed my clothes, blanket and uneaten sandwiches and followed her.   I keep a picture of her in that flesh-colored rubber-bathing suit in the photo book in my office.  When things are glum I look at it and it cheers me up.