    "New Kid on the Block"

    Part 1 - "The Expected and the Unexpected"

    	It was a late August afternoon that portended the end
    of summer and the start of Fall. For the last week Jeremy
    Rosen was busy helping his family move into their new home.
    The Rosens had just moved to the town of Stubenville upon
    his father's job transfer. Jeremy was so busy helping with
    boxes and putting things away that he had no time to become
    acquainted with his new friends and schoolmates.
    	On this particular afternoon, seeing how hard Jeremy
    had worked, his mother Abby, suggested that he go outside
    and explore the neighborhood and perhaps visit the nearby
    playground and athletic field. Jeremy, who was ten years old
    and entering the fifth grade, was quite eager for this
    opportunity. After being ordered about by his mother,
    father, and 16-year old sister, Cindy, he needed the break.
    	Upon leaving his new Bay Street home, Jeremy headed
    directly to the town's recreation fields where he hoped to
    meet some new kids. Arriving at the facility, he quickly
    viewed five boys who he was sure were about his age. Jeremy
    was a very personable and outgoing youngster who had no
    trouble making new friends. These five kids were on a grassy
    field tossing a football among themselves in anticipation of
    Fall. Without hesitation Jeremy approached the kids and
    quickly introduced himself.
    	 As is always to case, these five fellows knew that
    Jeremy was the new kid on the block. At different times in
    the past week they saw the flurry of activity at the Rosen
    household and knew they would have a new friend in Jeremy.
    The boys quickly introduced themselves to Jeremy, and they
    all sat on the grassy field to talk. Jeremy spoke of his
    former town and school while the others told him about his
    new school, which would be opening in a few short weeks. As
    the lazy summer afternoon wore on, the talk turned to other
    subjects which included sports, television, video games,
    computers and Internet stuff.
    	While they were seated and talking, Jeremy could see a
    boy in a wheelchair on the running track at the far end of
    the athletic/recreation area. From his vantage point Jeremy
    thought that this kid was about his age, and was surprised
    that he hadn't joined the group. Although Jeremy had no
    direct experiences with handicapped children, Jeremy was
    sure that this kid had to be just like everyone else.
    	As time went by Jeremy's curiosity about this kid
    continued to mount, until finally Jeremy asked, "Who's the
    kid in the wheelchair over on the running track?" To his
    surprise his question was met with slightly muffled derisive
    laughter from among his new friends.
    	"That's 'Stinker Man'", responded Dennis Hopkins.
    	"Don't you mean 'Poopy Pants'?", snickered Frank
    Cardelli.
    	"No," said Cal Smith. "You know who that is. That's
    'Diaper Butt'."
    	At this point Jeremy couldn't understand why they had
    such mean names for someone in a wheelchair.
    	Finally, Bill Freedland answered, "That Michael
    Stingling. He's our age and he's in our classroom at school.
    He's very smart, actually the class brain and teacher's pet,
    but he has to wear diapers all the time."
    	"Diapers? How come?" asked Jeremy.
    	The boys giggled again as Jeremy asked this question.
    The boys really didn't know the exact reason but they were
    of two opinions on this matter.
    	"I think that he can't get out of his wheelchair to use
    the toilet," offered Cal Smith.
    	"That's only part of it," said Dennis Hopkins. "I think
    he's too lazy to tell anyone when he needs to go to the
    bathroom. I overheard my mother talking to Michael's mother
    one day at a school function. I heard Mrs. Stingling say
    that she can't get Michael to take an interest in managing
    his own bathroom needs. In school, the teacher has to remind
    Michael to go see the school nurse during recess to have his
    diapers changed..."  "Anyhow," interrupted Frank Cardelli,
    "all I know is that he smells bad most of the time and we
    don't like being near him. All of us have stories about him,
    if you want to hear them."
    	"Well...gee...I'm not sure...," said Jeremy. "This
    sounds awful personal...I don't know if we should be talking
    about this...I mean...you know, we wouldn't like it if it
    was one of us...you know?"
    	 "Just one story. Pete Spangler has a good one. Go
    ahead, Pete, tell the museum story," said Bill Freeland.
    	 Pete Spangler had been sitting there quietly since
    this topic came up, although he did partake of the laughter
    when Michael was first mentioned.
    	"Oh...I don't know...I think Jeremy's right. We
    shouldn't be talking about this. Besides, the museum thing
    is a little unpleasant and a little embarrassing for
    Michael. We shouldn't be talking about his private
    business..."
    	"I'll tell it, if you won't," volunteered Dennis
    Hopkins.
    	"No, it's my story," said Pete, "and I'll tell it, but
    I think we should drop it after this." All of the boys who
    knew the story laughed knowingly as Pete got ready to tell
    it.
    	"There isn't very much to the story," Pete began. "Last
    spring we went on a class trip to the science museum,
    Whenever we go on a trip, Mrs. Stingling has to come with
    Michael so she can take him to the bathroom, and take care
    of his diapers. Well, anyhow, it was early afternoon and I
    needed to use the bathroom. I went looking for a men's room
    and when I went in, I saw Michael being changed. That's
    all."
    	"C'mon Pete," said Dennis, "tell the whole story."
    	"Okay, but it's not very nice. When I went into the
    men's lavatory, there was a strong odor of doo-doo. Michael
    was out of his wheelchair, standing up in front of, and
    holding on to a sink. His trousers were lowered to the
    floor, and his rubber panties were pulled down over the
    metal things he wears on both of his legs, leg braces I
    think. There was a wet diaper on the floor, I caught a
    glimpse of it and it didn't appear to be dirty. I went to
    the urinal and did my business and I tried not to pay any
    attention to Michael and his mother. But the odor of poop
    seemed very strong, like someone went to the bathroom and
    didn't flush. When I finished I looked in one of the stalls
    and saw a wad of dirty toilet paper in the commode. So I
    figured I was right about someone not flushing..."
    	"Yeah, but it was grosser than that," snickered Cal.
    "Tell Jeremy what really happened."
    	"Okay, " said Pete. "I was going to finish the story.
    As I left the bathroom and walked past Michael and his
    mother, who by now was putting a new diaper on him, my
    attention was somehow directed to the bathroom floor. Again
    I saw his wet diaper on the floor, like next to him and off
    to the side. But on the floor, almost directly behind him,
    there were two large poops, like you would see in the toilet
    after you go. Then I quickly left the bathroom."
    	Jeremy really didn't like this story and saw nothing
    funny about it. Hoping that this was the end of it, Dennis
    said, "Tell him the end of it, Pete."
    	"That's it," said Pete, now a little annoyed with
    himself for having retold this for what seem the twentieth
    time.
    	"No it isn't. I'll tell the rest," said Dennis. "Just
    before getting on the bus to return home, Pete overheard a
    conversation between Mrs. Stingling and our fourth grade
    teacher, Miss Skougar. Mrs. Stingling told her that after
    taking Michael to the bathroom she had to go looking for a
    janitor to mop up part of the bathroom floor because Michael
    had a bowel movement while his diaper was being changed.
    Isn't that disgusting...I mean he's right there in the
    bathroom and he couldn't tell his mother that he needed to
    use the toilet ?"
    	By this time Jeremy knew that he had heard enough, but
    couldn't help asking, "What did the teacher say?"
    	"Nothing. She had a frown on her face, almost a look of
    annoyance with Michael's mother for telling her what
    happened, but she didn't say anything," said Pete.
    	"Well," said Dennis Hopkins, "don't be surprised if his
    mother calls your mother. She's always trying to get someone
    to be Michael's friend. I'll tell ya, you might visit with
    him once or twice, but you won't want to be around him after
    you get a good whiff of him. And wait til school starts and
    you see the way he stinks up the classroom and the school
    bus."
    	By this time much of the afternoon had passed and the
    boys knew that the dinner hour was rapidly approaching. The
    boys disbursed to go home, and on his way home Jeremy
    thought about Michael and Michael's situation. Jeremy was
    easily toilet trained, and as the youngest of two children,
    had never been exposed to diapers or bathroom accidents in
    children. Although he had seen some of his younger cousins
    and neighborhood children in diapers, he had never given
    these matters much thought. While he could imagine the
    unpleasantness of being in a wet or dirty diaper, he wasn't
    sure that this was a reason to shun the fellow. So, while it
    seemed that learning of someone like Michael was unexpected,
    he also thought that maybe being friends with him wouldn't
    be so bad.
    	Meanwhile, Michael had long since departed the running
    track and wheeled himself home. When he saw the boys
    laughing and occasionally looking his way, he instinctively
    knew that they were talking about him and his inability to
    control his bathroom functions. By now, Michael had come to
    expect this, thinking that another chance for a new
    friendship had just been ruined.

    Part 2 - "Thoughts and Afterthoughts"

    	When Jeremy arrived at home, his parents and sister
    were preparing to sit down for dinner. Quickly, he ran
    upstairs, got cleaned-up for dinner, and hastily returned to
    the dinner table. Dinner was always a family event in the
    Rosen household. Larry Rosen, Jeremy's father, was always
    eager to talk about everyone's day.
    	For the Rosen women, wife Abby and daughter Cindy, it
    was just another day of trying to get settled into their new
    home. The moving-in job was nearly completed, but there were
    still additional odds and ends to be performed. After Abby
    and Cindy described their day, it was Jeremy's turn.
    	Jeremy talked about meeting five new kids down at the
    athletic fields. Jeremy didn't have much to say about these
    fellows individually, as they were only engaged in small
    talk about the things of which pre-adolescent boys speak.
    	"There was also a boy in a wheelchair," Jeremy offered.
    "I think they said his name is Michael Stingling, and he
    goes to my school. He's going into the fifth grade and they
    say he's very smart. One kid called him the teacher's pet."
    	"That's interesting," said Jeremy's father. "Did he
    come over to join the rest of your group?"
    	"No," said Jeremy. "He kept to himself on the running
    track, sort of racing in his wheelchair."
    	 "Hmm, I wonder why he didn't join with the rest of his
    friends?" mused Abbey. "I mean if they all know each other,
    you'd think he'd come over to be introduced. Maybe you'll
    get to meet him once school begins,"
    	"I don't know," muttered Jeremy. "They didn't say a
    whole lot about him and he wasn't there for very long."
    	Jeremy was now anxious to drop this topic. He wasn't
    about ready to discuss the diaper-talk he had heard at the
    dinner table. However, Cindy could tell from Jeremy's tone
    of voice and facial expression that Jeremy was holding
    something back. Cindy made a mental note to pursue this with
    Jeremy later.
    	Mr. Rosen was in a good mood and as dinner came to an
    end, he said, "Your mother and I'll give you a treat
    tonight. We'll do the dishes tonight. You can enjoy the rest
    of this beautiful summer evening. In another week or two
    you'll both be doing homework again."
    	After putting their own dishes in the sink, Cindy and
    Jeremy headed out to the front porch. Jeremy wanted to look
    at the computer magazine his father brought home from work.
    Cindy was right behind him, anxious to hear the whole story
    about the kid in the wheelchair.
    	After getting settled on the porch, Cindy said, "So
    little brother what's the rest of the scoop on this
    handicapped kid you saw?"
    	Jeremy hated to be called "Little brother," as this had
    always been Cindy's way of asserting her self-assumed
    superiority over him. Nevertheless, he just drew a deep
    breath, and let it pass.
    	"Nothing," mumbled Jeremy, as he began thumbing through
    his father's magazine.
    	"I don't know," continued Cindy. "You sure seemed
    anxious to drop this after bringing it up. I agree with Mom.
    It's odd that he didn't join you and your new friends,
    especially since they go to school together, and he's
    supposed to be so smart."
    	"I don't know...it just wasn't a big deal to me. Maybe
    he's just shy, or maybe he has a hard time meeting new
    kids...", Jeremy trailed off, again eager to drop this
    subject.
    	"And they didn't say anything else about him?"
    persisted Cindy.
    	"No!" Jeremy snapped. "Will you give it a rest, Cindy!"
    	"Okay, okay, I'll drop it. But I know you, Little
    Brother, and there's more to this and it must be pretty
    unusual since you won't talk about it. This kid sounds like
    an outcast to me and there must be a reason for it."
    	Jeremy just ignored her, and with that Cindy departed
    the porch to take a walk.
    	Jeremy read on the porch until darkness fell and his
    eyes had gotten too tired to read. By this time everyone
    else was in the living room watching television and Jeremy
    decided that it was his bedtime. After getting washed and
    dressed for bed, Jeremy flopped on the bed and quickly
    turned-off his bedside lamp. It was a warm but pleasant
    night with a nice breeze blowing through his open window. As
    he drifted off to sleep, he began thinking about Michael.
    	Jeremy was very bright and very logical, and as he
    mulled over what he had heard, it occurred to him that maybe
    none of this made any sense. After all, Jeremy thought, why
    would he need to wear diapers if he simply needed help
    getting out of his wheelchair to go to the bathroom.; if he
    could stand up to have his diaper changed, he could stand up
    to use the toilet. Being too lazy to tell anyone he needed
    to go made even less sense. No one would endure the
    embarrassment of wetting or messing their pants if they
    didn't have to. If we was smart enough to be the class
    brain, surely he was smart enough to get help to use the
    bathroom. No, Jeremy was sure they made up this "diaper
    thing" and that it probably wasn't true. But, why would Pete
    Spangler say he saw Michael being changed and pooping on the
    floor. Surely, it would take a vivid imagination to make
    that up. As all of these thoughts whirled in Jeremy's sleepy
    head, Jeremy realized that he was quite fascinated by all of
    this, and that he wanted to get to the bottom of it. Maybe
    Michael's mother will call my mother, maybe I could be his
    friend, at least for a little while...
    	Michael's bedtime had also arrived, too. As Mrs
    Stingling got Michael ready for bed, Michael told her about
    seeing Jeremy.
    	"I think there's a new kid in the neighborhood and I
    think he's my age," said Michael.
    	"Oh?" said Mrs. Stingling as she got Michael out of his
    wheelchair and onto the his bed. "What makes you think he's
    about your age?"
    	"I saw him at the play field and he was talking to
    Dennis, Frank, Cal and those guys."
    	By this time Mrs. Stingling had removed the jogging
    pants Michael had been wearing and she began undoing the
    velcro straps which fastened his leg braces around his legs.
    As she untied his shoes and prepared to remove his
    orthopedic hardware, she couldn't help but imagine what
    transpired between this new boy and this group."
    	"Did you go over and join them?" she asked.
    	"No. I think they saw me wheeling about, and they were
    talking about me...so I didn't go over to where they were,"
    he said.
    	Her worst suspicions about these kids were being
    realized. "You can tell me more in a minute, let me get some
    things from the bathroom." With that, she went into the
    bathroom to get some wipes, a pair of diapers, and a change
    of plastic pants. At this point she was sure she could
    imagine all of the terrible things they said about her son,
    including the nicknames that had gotten back to both of
    them.
    	As she entered the bedroom, she asked, "So why do you
    think you were being talked about?"  "They were laughing
    among themselves, and they kept looking over towards me...it
    was like they were making fun of me...I could tell by the
    way they were laughing..."
    	Mrs. Stingling had removed Michael's rubber pants and
    had begun to unpin his diapers, which contained a small
    bowel movement. She felt very sorry hearing this from her
    son. She didn't think she would ever adjust to the shunning
    and teasing he had to endure, nevertheless, she thought that
    this might be another good time to talk about these matters
    with him.
    	"Did you know you had a BM?" she asked.
    	"I know it now," he said as the odor had wafted about
    his room.
    	"No, I mean did you know it when I began changing
    you?," she said a little sternly.
    	"I'm not sure," he said. "Maybe I did smell something,"
    he said a little disingenuously, hoping that she'd drop this
    subject, but knowing that she wouldn't.
    	 "Hmm...well I knew it the minute I pulled your pants
    down...that's why I brought these wipes back with me." As
    she began cleaning him up, she continued, "You know,
    Michael, it breaks my heart that you have to cope with this
    problem, and that you're teased and shunned by other kids.
    But, as I've said before, you have to learn to help
    yourself..."
    	Michael knew what was coming, as he had heard it all
    before from his mother and grandmother, especially since
    starting school...
    	"First and foremost, you have to tell me, or grandma,
    or your teacher, or Miss Rodgers when you've had a bowel
    movement. I know that you can't feel it or control it, but
    there's nothing wrong with your nose. The minute you smell
    it, tell one of us that you need to be changed..."
    	"But I was in a chat room on the Internet talking to
    another kid, and..."
    	"...I don't care. You need to get into the habit of
    telling someone when you need to go to the bathroom.
    	 Likewise when you're wet and you can smell it, tell
    us. Don't wait till everyone within 30 feet knows you've
    gone to the bathroom in your pants. When all of us know we
    need to use the bathroom, we go; nobody has the luxury of
    putting it off indefinitely, and you're no exception. You're
    not going to have any friends until you do a better job
    keeping your private business a secret..."
    	By this time Mrs. Stingling had finished changing
    Michael and getting him into his pj's. Gathering up the used
    wipes, his rubber pants, and soiled diapers, she wished him
    a good night. "Michael, I love you very much, you're all I
    have, and I only want what's best for you."
    	Michael now lay in his darkened room, drifting off to
    sleep. He was very content to have others look after his
    bathroom needs, and so what if others didn't like the way he
    smelled, it wasn't his fault that he was completely
    incontinent, people would just have to accept him the way he
    was.
    	As Mrs. Stingling rinsed out Michael's dirty diaper in
    the commode, and got ready to wash out his rubber pants, she
    thought about the new boy in the neighborhood. She thought,
    "Maybe I'll try again to get a new friend for Michael.
    Perhaps this boy will be different, a little more
    understanding, a little more tolerant...tomorrow I'll go
    looking for him."

    Part 3 - "The Visit"

    	The next morning dawned as the beginning of yet another
    beautiful late summer day. Michael had been awake
    daydreaming about the end of summer and the start of the new
    school term. Although he enjoyed his summer and the many
    outings he had with his grandparents, he was looking forward
    to the start of school. Michael was an excellent student who
    loved school right from the start. In spite of his social
    problems he managed well in school. Actually, although the
    boys were tough on him, the girls at school were much nicer
    to him, although they could keep their distance too at those
    times when Michael was noticeably wet or soiled.
    	Michael's mother came into the bedroom to get their day
    started. Mrs. Stingling was employed as a paralegal, but had
    taken this week off from work to do those back to school
    things with Michael.
    	"Are you awake?" she asked as she entered his bedroom
    with a change of diapers from the bathroom.
    	"Yeah, I've been awake for awhile. I was going to get
    in my wheelchair and get on the computer for a while, but
    then I decided to stay put till you came to change me," he
    said.
    	"Okay. Well you can play on the computer while I make
    breakfast. When you're done with breakfast I'll get you in
    the tub so you can take a bath. Afterwards, you're on your
    own for a while, I have some errands I want to run. In fact,
    when I'm running the water you can sit on the toilet for a
    few minutes and we'll see if you can have a bowel movement.
    You've been going at midmorning the last few days, except
    for that mess you had last night."
    	"Do I have to?" he asked, clearly annoyed.
    	"Yes. I'm going to be gone for several hours and I
    don't want you sitting here in dirty diapers, if you don't
    have to."
    	By this time she had changed his diapers. As usual he
    was soaking wet first thing in the morning, and the smell of
    his urine began to permeate the bedroom. After checking his
    bed clothes to make sure they had stayed dry, she sprayed
    his room with a little air freshener and disposed of his wet
    diapers in the diaper pail in their bathroom. Michael had
    pulled his pj bottoms back up over his rubber pants and had
    transferred himself into his wheelchair and was now at the
    pc.
    	As Mrs. Stingling fixed breakfast, she thought of her
    hoped-for encounter with Jeremy's mother. As she did on
    several other occasions, she planned to fully explain
    Michael's disability and suggest that the boys might get
    together for lunch. She did this in the past and always with
    what was becoming a predictable outcome. Parents were always
    eager for their kids to meet Michael, and they always got
    along fine until Michael had an unpleasant accident...and
    then no one wanted anything more to do with him. If only he
    would tell me when he knows he needs to be changed...she
    thought.
    	After breakfast Michael headed into the bathroom to get
    washed. Mrs. Stingling got Michael ready for his bath, and,
    as threatened, sat him on the toilet as the tub filled.
    Although his bladder voided uncontrollably as he sat there,
    he hadn't pooped by time his mother lifted him from the
    toilet and placed him in the tub. "Oh well," Mrs. Stingling
    thought, "yet another messy diaper to look forward to later
    on."
    	When Michael was done bathing and dried off, his mother
    got him back in his wheelchair and tossed a towel over his
    lap. Michael wheeled into his bedroom and slid back into bed
    and waited for his mother to come in and diaper him. Mrs.
    Stingling was right there and after taking care of him, he
    finished dressing himself.
    	"Mom?" he asked, after his mother took care of his
    personal need.
    	"What, honey?" she replied.
    	 "Can I go without my leg braces today. I think I'll be
    more comfortable...," he said.
    	 "Well you shouldn't, in fact you need to start
    practicing your walking with your crutches, you know what
    Dr. Moore said..."
    	 "I know..but I just want to..."
    	 "Okay, just today...but we need to get down to work.
    I'd like to get you out of that wheelchair by the time you
    become 11 (I'd also like to get you out of diapers by
    yesterday she thought). Listen, I'm going out for a while.
    If you need anything call grandma or grandpa, they're both
    home today. Also, if you need to be changed , one of them
    will come to take care of that too."
    	"Right," said Michael, somewhat unenthusiastically.
    	With that Mrs. Stingling left the house hoping to find
    the Rosen's new home. It dawned on her that the Hassinger
    home in the next block of Bay Street had been up for sale,
    and perhaps that's where the new kid lived. As she walked
    down the street she was pleased to see Larry and Abby Rosen
    working on the shrubbery in front of their new home.
    	 Mrs. Stingling approached them, holding out her hand.
    "Hi, I'm Linda Stingling, welcome to the neighborhood..."
    	 "Thank you, I'm Abby Rosen, and this is my husband
    Larry," Abby said.
    	 "Howdy, Linda," said Larry, as he put down his spade
    and extended his hand to her. "We've been here for about 10
    days and there's still plenty of work to do..."
    	"I can imagine," said Linda Stingling. "Tell me, do you
    have any children?"
    	"Yes, we have a son and a daughter. Cindy's the oldest,
    sixteen, and Jeremy just turned ten and he's starting the
    fifth grade. Cindy's going to be a senior, she's an
    "advanced placement" kid, and she'll be graduating a year
    early," Larry said proudly.
    	"That's very good. I guess we have something in common.
    I have a son who's almost 11 and he's also starting the
    fifth grade.  Actually he's very bright, but he's a little
    behind for his age. You see, he's disabled and he missed a
    year of school because of hospitalizations. But he does very
    well," offered Linda. "His name is Michael."
    	"Oh, I think Jeremy saw him the other day at the
    playground. Does your son use a wheelchair?" asked Abby.
    	"Yes, and he frequents the playground often. He likes
    to race in his wheelchair on the track there," said Linda.
    	"Why don't the two of you go inside and have coffee and
    Danish and get better acquainted," suggested Larry. "It
    seems like the two of you will have much in common."
    	 The two women liked that idea, especially since the
    sun had gotten quite warm, but not unpleasant. The two
    ladies retreated to Abby's still not quite settled kitchen.
    	"Don't mind the way the kitchen appears, I'm still
    moving things around," apologized Abby.
    	"Think nothing of it, it all takes time I know,'
    replied Linda.
    	"I hope you don't mind," started Abby, "but Jeremy
    mentioned your son at dinner last night and Larry and I were
    a little surprised the lad didn't interact with Jeremy and
    the other boys at the playground the other day and..." Abby
    trailed off.
    	"Well, I'm not surprised, and in fact I was hoping we
    could talk about that, if you don't mind," said Linda
    Stingling, a little timidly.
    	"Sure," said Abby.
    	"Well Michael was born with a birth defect known as
    spina bifida, sometimes called "open spine." When he was
    developing, prior to birth, his spinal cord didn't close at
    a certain point, and so he's paralyzed from his waist,
    down..."
    	"I see," interjected Abby.
    	"So, he wears leg braces and uses a wheelchair,
    although we really think he can learn to walk with crutches.
    And he's....ah...well...he's completely incontinent....he
    has no sensory awareness of, or control over, his bowel and
    bladder functions.  And so, ah....well...he needs to wear
    diapers, and so, this has created some social acceptance
    problems for him.."
    	"Oh,' said Abby a little uncomfortably.
    	"Most of the time the others don't like to socialize
    with him because of his odors, even though we try to get him
    changed frequently. And, of course, when he's had a
    noticeable accident, he gets teased and shunned. I must say
    he can be his own worst enemy at times because he often
    knows after the fact that he needs to be changed, but he
    doesn't tell me, or his teacher in school. The school nurse,
    Miss Rodgers, attends to his diaper changes in school.
    Actually, he's at an age where he should be attending to his
    own diapering, but he won't even tell us that he needs to be
    changed, so there's no way he's going to change himself...."
    said Linda.
    	"Yes, I see," said Abby, now hoping to get off this
    subject.
    	"He's really a good kid," continued Linda, "And this
    isn't his fault. I sometimes think that he's being punished
    for my sin. I was single when I got pregnant with Michael.
    Michael's father was going to marry me, but we had pre-natal
    testing done, and the test showed the Michael was going to
    have this birth defect, and his father wanted no part of a
    defective baby, so he got a job elsewhere and moved on. I
    never knew there were such kids with these kinds of
    problems, so this has been an amazing experience for me. I
    mean everybody's kid can walk, except for those kids you see
    on posters or telethons. And every kid gets toilet trained
    by the time they're three or four; I mean, I never thought
    I'd be changing diapers on an almost eleven year old
    kid...you know, he's already showing signs of the onset of
    puberty...he's getting pubic hair...and..you know...."
    	By this time Abby Rosen was beginning to feel some
    sympathy towards Linda Stingling's plight.
    	"Well, if I can ever help you..." Abby began.
    	 "I got a lot of help from my parents. They live
    nearby. In fact, I'd be in utter poverty without them. They
    paid my tuition for paralegal training and I got a good job
    with the biggest law firm in town, and my boss is wonderful
    too. But as far as Michael is concerned, I very thankful for
    my father. He does everything for him. He's a retired
    engineer and he built Michael's p.c., which he just loves.
    Also, he takes Michael to museums and Cubs games and he just
    great about attending to Michael, even in public restrooms
    where there's almost no privacy. I'm sorry, I know I'm
    rambling, on and on.... Anyhow, I was wondering if maybe
    Jeremy could come by for lunch and meet Michael and..."
    	"Well...yes...sure...why not. They'd probably have much
    in common and they're going to be classmates. Actually,
    Jeremy's a very good student too, and loves computers and
    the Internet, and all that stuff that I don't understand;
    he's also a Cubs fan too. Should I explain Michael's
    condition to Jeremy, first," Abby asked.
    	"No.  I want to see if I can get Michael to pay more
    attention to his bathroom needs. Maybe, Jeremy will be the
    catalyst for this. Let's not inform him, and let's see how
    this works out," said Linda.
    	"Okay. That's your decision. How about the beginning of
    next week, say the Tuesday after Labor Day, perhaps noonish
    or one o'clock?" suggested Abby.
    	 "Great!" said Linda. "This will be good."
    	Cindy Rosen had been standing in the dining room,
    behind the kitchen doorway and had overheard almost all of
    the conversation. "So, no wonder this kid in the wheelchair
    is an outcast. I wouldn't want to be around anyone in smelly
    diapers, especially a big kid; it's bad enough when I baby
    sit I have to change a baby. I can imagine what it's like
    for a big kid. Gee, what if Jeremy wore diapers; yuck, it's
    bad enough when he finishes sitting on the pot. Hmm, I
    wonder if Jeremy knows what's going on with this kid...maybe
    that's why he didn't say much at dinner last night...I'm
    going to find out," she thought.

    Part 4

    	Soon after Linda Stingling left the Rosen household,
    Larry came into the kitchen where Abby was cleaning-up after
    their lunch and conversation.
    	"So how did you and our new neighbor hit it off?" asked
    Larry, in his typically affable way.
    	"I don't know," said Abby, "I may have agreed to
    something that I shouldn't have, or at least not without
    talking to Jeremy first."
    	"Why do you say that? What could you have done that's
    now so regrettable?" wondered Larry.
    	"Well, it's kind of hard for me to talk about this.
    Remember at dinner last night when Jeremy was talking about
    Linda's son, and it seemed to us that it was strange that he
    didn't interact with Jeremy and those other boys?" reminded
    Abby.
    	"Sure, I also call that we commented further on it to
    each other while we were doing the dishes," said Larry.
    	"Well, there is a reason for this. I'm a little
    uncomfortable talking about this, so try to bear with me,
    "started Abby.
    	"Sure, go on, you know we can discuss anything between
    us," Larry said, reassuringly.
    	"I'm not sure I completely understand all of this.
    Linda Stingling talked quickly, and in sort of a jumbled
    way, like she was embarrassed. Anyway, Michael has a birth
    defect, I think she said spinal bifida, or maybe it was
    spina bifida, and he's paralyzed from the waist down," Abby
    continued.
    	"I see," Larry interjected.
    	"And he has another difficulty which is possibly more
    problematic for him. Apparently, he cannot be toilet trained
    because he has no bowel or bladder control, and so, he wears
    diapers, and ..." Abby trailed off.
    	"Yes, I can see where this could be a big problem,"
    interjected Larry again.
    	"...and I guess for the obvious reasons, he's shunned
    and humiliated by the other kids, and I guess he's very
    isolated socially. He's a very good student in school and is
    really into personal computers, and...," said Abby.
    	"But what does this have to do with Jeremy?"
    interrupted Larry.
    	"....Well, Linda essentially wants a friend for
    Michael, and she wanted to know if Jeremy could stop by
    before school begins to meet Michael. It sounds like they'll
    both be in the same classroom in school," said Abby.
    	"And what did you say about Jeremy visiting with her
    son?" Larry asked.
    	"I said yes, and they're supposed to get together next
    Tuesday, after Labor Day, just before the start of school.
    But now I'm starting to have second thoughts..." said Abby.
    	"Because...?" said Larry.
    	"Because Jeremy's only human too, and I don't know if
    we can expect him to be friends to someone he might not be
    comfortable being around. I mean, you know, what if Michael
    has an accident and messes himself while they're together,
    and suppose there's an unpleasant odor. Can we expect Jeremy
    to just sit there, and do the super human, by just ignoring
    it. You know what goes on now between Cindy and Jeremy when
    one of them leaves their "signature" in the bathroom... I
    don't know. I don't want Jeremy to tease or humiliate this
    boy, I do want him to be compassionate, but, I don't expect
    him to endure something that could be quite unpleasant..."
    Abby explained.
    	"Well, I'm sure by this time, Michael asks to be
    changed the minute he realizes he's had an accident, or
    maybe he takes care of it on his own, after all, he's what,
    ten or eleven, and he probably wants to take care of his
    private business, you know? So maybe it's not as bad as
    you're imagining it to be," offered Larry.
    	"That's not the impression I got from Linda. For
    starters he apparently doesn't change his own diapers; she
    and her parents do it when they're with him and the school
    nurse takes care of him in school. What's worse, if I
    understood her correctly, he's very unconcerned about his
    bathroom needs and apparently doesn't communicate the need
    to be changed. It seems like everybody has to be responsible
    but him. Linda works full-time as a paralegal. So if Jeremy
    and Michael are alone and he has an accident, well you see
    my point..." Abby said.
    	"I do, so what are you going to do?"
    	"Well, I don't want to renege on my promise. So, I'll
    just ask Jeremy to go visit Michael. But, if there's a
    problem and Jeremy doesn't want to socialize with him, I
    don't think I can force the issue," Abby said. "I plan to
    ask him during dinner tonight."
    	"And are you going to explain this aspect of his
    handicap, to him?" inquired Larry.
    	"No. Linda wants to use the start of this friendship as
    a vehicle for getting Michael to better deal with these
    issues and I agreed to go along. However, I wouldn't be
    surprised if Jeremy's already aware of this since he talked
    with those other kids at the playground the other day."
    	"Well, you may be right about that. We'll just have to
    see how this works out." concluded Larry.
    	Larry and Abby both thought that this topic had been
    exhausted. Larry wanted to return to his yard work and Abby
    had errands to run before starting dinner later that
    afternoon. The Rosens became quickly preoccupied with their
    afternoon tasks and didn't give any more thought to Linda
    Stingling's visit. However, Abby's thoughts returned to it
    as she began to prepare dinner.
    	As the dinner meal began Cindy Rosen and her father
    were both apprehensive to see how this topic would be
    handled by Mrs. Rosen. Of course, neither Mr. nor Mrs. Rosen
    had any awareness of Cindy's knowledge of Linda Stingling's
    visit. After much small talk around the dinner table, Abby
    Rosen, a little apprehensively said, "Oh Jeremy, we had a
    visit today by Mrs. Stingling, she's the mother of the boy
    in the wheelchair you saw yesterday..."
    	"Oh," said Jeremy, not expressing much interest.
    	"Apparently," Mrs. Rosen continued, "he's about your
    age, maybe a little older, and he's going to be a classmate
    of yours when school starts."
    	"Yeah," said Jeremy, "the other boys told me that
    yesterday..." Jeremy hadn't given his playground encounter
    much thought, although it seemed that his memories of his
    conversation were quickly returning.
    	"You and Michael have much in common," interjected Mr.
    Rosen. "Michael's a big Chubbies fan like you and he's into
    computers, and he's a very good student."
    	"Hmm," said Jeremy, trying not to express much
    interest.
    	"Jeremy, Michael's in a wheelchair because he has a
    birth defect and he's paralyzed below his waist. But other
    than that he's very normal and...well.. his mother would
    like the two of you to become friends and she thought maybe
    you could have lunch with him next Tuesday...", Abby's voice
    trailed off.
    	"That's a great idea," said Larry. "I'm sure they'll
    hit it off just great."
    	It occurred to Jeremy that this is exactly what the
    boys said would happen. Jeremy was a little surprised that
    everything was happen so fast, too.
    	"Gee, I don't know," said Jeremy, "Well...I mean...I
    suppose....I guess it couldn't hurt to visit him
    once...I..."
    	Cindy sat there quietly observing the conversation.
    Jeremy was usually very outgoing and not shy about meeting
    new people, adults and kids alike. It immediately occurred
    to her that Jeremy probably knew what she knew, and she was
    going to find out.
    	"Good!," exclaimed Abby. "I'll call Linda back tomorrow
    and let her know you'll join Michael for lunch."
    	"Mom, Dad, " interrupted Cindy. "I was wondering if we
    could get another break from the dishes tonight. I heard
    there's a nifty ice cream parlor near the mall. I wanted to
    take Jeremy for some ice cream."
    	"What's this?" chuckled Larry. "A new found love
    between brother and sister? Are you treating Jeremy, or am I
    going to pay for this outing?"
    	"No, " said Cindy. "I'll pay. It's another nice night
    and I wanted to check this place out."
    	"Well," said Abby, "I guess it's OK, but I don't want
    you guys to forget how to do the dishes, it took me too long
    to get you two trained."
    	Jeremy was completely confused. Since when did Cindy
    ever want to take him anywhere. But for ice cream, Jeremy
    wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Cindy and
    Jeremy had pretty much finished eating and dutifully took
    their plates and utensils to the kitchen sink.
    	"What gives Cindy," asked Jeremy as he put his
    dinnerware in the sink and ran some water. "Nothing, can't I
    treat my brother to some ice cream. Look, I need to hit the
    bathroom, I'll meet you on the porch in a few, OK?" said
    Cindy.
    	"Fine," said Jeremy as he headed towards the front
    porch. At this moment Jeremy had a vague feeling of
    uneasiness. In the back of his mind he wasn't sure if he
    really wanted to visit this kid in the wheelchair who was
    supposed to wear diapers. And why did Cindy want to take him
    for ice cream. What gives, he thought.
    	As he pondered these thoughts Cindy returned carrying
    her sweater. "Ready to go, little brother," she asked with a
    bit of teasing in her voice.
    	"Not if this is about picking on me," Jeremy said with
    some annoyance.
    	"This isn't about anything," said Cindy. "I thought we
    could visit this ice cream place. I promise not to talk the
    whole time."
    	With that they venture off and want turned out to be a
    circuitous walk of over a mile in the approaching darkness.
    After a time Cindy asked, "So what do you know about this
    crippled kid?"
    	"Not much, only what Mom and Dad said tonight..."
    Jeremy ventured.
    	"I thought those other kids talked about him the other
    day at the playground...." she wondered.
    	"No...not really..." Jeremy said a little reluctantly,
    recalling the diaper talk that he was not going to share
    with his sister.
    	"Oh," said Cindy. With that they walked another block
    in silence.
    	"You know," Cindy said finally, "it's a shame he can't
    walk and needs to stay in that wheelchair. It must be pretty
    tough..."
    	"I suppose...," responded Jeremy
    	"I wonder how he goes to the bathroom," she inquired,
    almost as though she was thinking aloud.
    	"What?" asked Jeremy, incredulously. "Why would you
    think of that?"
    	"Well, if he can't walk and if he can't get out of his
    wheelchair, I wonder how he handles it. Maybe somebody has
    to help him or maybe he wears diapers ?" she suggested
    quizzically.
    	"Diapers ! Why would you say that? Big kids don't wear
    diapers unless they're retarded or something. Why did you
    even bring this up?" he asked with a combination of surprise
    and curiosity.
    	"I don't know. I think I saw a disabled girl on TV on a
    telethon once and she was on crutches and they had her walk
    across the stage and it looked there might have been diapers
    under her dress...her dress stuck out over her back side and
    I think her father told the host she was incontinent, and
    ... "
    	"Incontinent? What's that? " asked Jeremy.
    	"It means you can't control when you have to go to the
    bathroom...like older people get that way. My friend Suszy's
    grandmother was like that and she wore those diapers that
    you see on TV...Suszy's mother had to take care of her and
    everything..."
    	"Oh," said Jeremy in a voice that clearly indicated his
    desire to drop this subject
    	"Well, I was just wondering about this new kid, and
    ..." said Cindy.
    	"I'm sure he goes to the bathroom just like everybody
    else, and I'm sure he doesn't wear diapers, so let's drop
    this, OK" said Jeremy somewhat scoldingly.
    	"That's what you think. Boy are you in for a surprise
    the first time you smell his wet and messy diapers." Cindy
    thought to herself.
    	By this time they had made their way back home, ice
    cream eaten, both ready to hit the hay. After exchanging
    good nights with everyone Jeremy quickly went to his
    bedroom. He wasted no time in getting himself ready for bed
    and even he was surprised by how quickly he had completed
    his bedtime preparations and found himself in bed.
    	As he lay there he found himself again thinking about
    Michael, his impending visit, and Cindy's expressed
    curiosity. How did Cindy know about his diapers? Did one of
    her new girlfriends tell her? And why didn't Mom mention it
    at dinner? Maybe this boy's mother never mentioned it. At
    this point he found himself getting drowsier and he began
    think about being in diapers. I wonder what it's like to wet
    or mess yourself. I wonder what his mother says to him while
    she's changing him, and what it looks and smells like. As he
    drifted off to sleep he realized that he was more curious
    about this than he realized, and that his private body part
    was getting large and firm while he pondered these things.