A man now part two by John

---

Dad and I went back to the car, my neck felt very strange and naked. We drove off and dad turned up the air con and the back of my neck started to feel cold. We talked about this and that and as we were nearly home dad said that he and mum had bought me new clothes and that I would start wearing them today. Mum looked totally shocked when she saw me but managed to say how smart I looked.
"Run along and change ready to go to grandma's" she said
I opened my bedroom door and there hanging on the wardrobe door was a beautiful dark grey suit. I inspected it and discovered that it had a lovely silky lining and that there was also a waistcoat. Dad always wore such a suit and now I was going to as well. "Great" I thought.
Laid out on the bed were other things, a shirt, a tie, cufflinks, sock suspenders and a mysterious square box. It took me a moment to realise that the shirt didn't have a collar and was just like the ones dad wore except this one was made of stiff nylon like the barber's cape. On opening the box I discovered that inside were detachable collars. I picked one out and held it; it had a sheen which matched my Brylcreemed hair.
My mouth had gone dry as I imagined myself wearing all this stuff. dad poked his head around the door and said "Hurry up or we will be late"
I started to dress and felt excited as the nylon shirt slipped over my body. Soon I was in the shirt with the trousers and braces on struggling to fix the collar around my neck and onto the shirt. I knew how to do it as I seen dad do it hundreds of times but I didn't know how difficult it was. Eventually it clicked into place and the collar exerted its vice like grip around my neck, heightened as I tightened my tie in the mirror and saw the gleam of the collar and the shine on my hair.
By the time I had everything on I felt as if I was in some sort of prison but I loved it all and looked like a version of dad. Little did I know that what I thought was to be a high days and holidays way of dressing was to become my everyday attire. The shirt slithered over my body and the lining of the suit slid over the shirt making me feel very, I don't know what.
I went downstairs where mum and dad were waiting who both exclaimed on how very smart I looked. Dad said that maybe my hair should be a bit shorter still as the shirt collar was so very high. "Anyway, we can sort that out next weekend" he said.

---