"THE BABY-SITTER"
Sean Patrick Taylor was a lanky, handsome, eight-year old boy who liked to build things. Whether it was with sticks, or rocks, or Legos (his personal favorite), he enjoyed whiling away the hours of his playtime building houses, small forts, or anything else his fertile mind and active imagination dreamed up.
Sean was considered small for his age, about 4' tall, and about 52 pounds in weight. He looked very much like the boy in Norman Rockwell's "The Doctor's Office." He had a charmingly mischievous smile that could win over the most hard-hearted of grown-ups. Added to this were his dimpled cheeks, sparkling blue eyes, and freckles sprinkled across the bridge of his nose and his cheeks on both sides.
He was an adorable little boy, despite the fact that he was so mean and horrible to his parents. He simply would not do what he was told, and did his best to be as contrary as possible. Though he was possessed of a singularly sharp intellect, his behavior never quite matched his evident potential for achieving important tasks, a potential that would serve him in good stead in later years. He was, in a word, an obstinate, obsequious, spoiled brat who could find more ways of getting into trouble in a single day than most boys could in a year. Little did Sean know that the situation would soon change in dramatic fashion for himself and his parents.
It was a hot, July day around dusk, about 6:30 PM. Sean's parents were going out to dinner, something they had not done in a long time. A new baby would soon arrive, as Sean's Mom was pregnant with her second child. His parents wanted to celebrate the near occasion of the birth. Sean's usual foul mood was made even worse lately by all the relatives and strangers who would come to wish his mother well. All this fuss and to-do about the baby made Sean furious, because he resented not having all the attention for himself. He was extremely jealous, and wanted no part of being a "big brother," something his parents often called him when they talked about the baby.
Jim Olson, the family baby-sitter, saw the happy couple off. "Don't worry about a thing- we'll be fine," he said as his pint-sized charge stood in front of him at the door. He tousled the boy's hair, and put his arms around him. Despite Sean's continual bad behavior, he loved the boy like a son, and promised his parents that he would do anything for him, whatever it takes, to see that he grow up to be a fine, upstanding young man.
The car drove off, and now the two were alone. Jim crouched down, held Sean by the shoulders, looked straight into his eye, and said: "Now listen, and listen good. Your mother and father and I had a nice, long talk about you just a little while ago before they left. We have had just enough of your misbehavior, and we are at our wit's end with you. While they are gone, they have left me in charge, and they have given me permission to do whatever is necessary to keep you in line.
Jim's voice grew ominous, "that includes spanking, and I'm not talking about a couple of swats on the seat of your pants like your Mom does when you misbehave. I'll show you what a real spanking is like. Don't try to whine and fuss your way out of it like you always do, either. I am fully prepared to warm that little bottom of yours, so don't push your luck. Understand?" Sean was stunned for the moment by Jim's sternness and his commanding presence. He shook his head in agreement. "Good," Jim said, "and you can start by calling me 'Mr. Olson.'" Sean never respected his parents, but for some reason, he respected Jim, at least to some degree. Perhaps this was due to the fact that Jim had been baby-sitting Sean since he was an infant.
"Whatever," Sean shrugged.
"What was that?" Jim said sternly.
"Yes, Mr. Olson," Sean replied reluctantly. The two went in the house to have supper.
Jim cooked up a perennial favorite of Sean's: French Fries and hot dogs. They both feasted hungrily on the meal until they were quite full. Sean was particularly messy, spilling ketchup everywhere, nearly avoiding his overalls, until a big splotch from the hot dogs landed squarely in the middle of his chest, just under his chin. Jim was annoyed. "Do try to be more careful, young Sean.," Jim cautioned as he attempted to clean the spot off Sean's overalls with a wet dishcloth. Sean, for his part, sullenly pursed his lip and crossed his arms in protest.
He was wearing his favorite Osh Kosh B'Gosh pinstriped overalls, which were one piece with zippered shorts. He wore a white, Fruit Of The Loom T-shirt and a pair of white, Fruit Of The Loom underpants with a single blue stripe around the waistband under the overalls. These were his play clothes, which his Mom and Dad didn't mind him getting dirty. He wore ankle-length socks with a single red band around the tops of them. Sean resented when his Mom would comment on how cute he looked dressed like this, even though it was the attention he so craved.
Jim ended up doing the dishes, as Sean refused to help. "You are pushing your luck, little boy," Jim warned as he rinsed off a plate and put it on the strainer on the counter to dry. Sean pretended not to listen. Jim allowed him to play a while before he was to be put to bed. "Remember, 8:00 PM is bed time," Jim told him.
"Yeah, yeah," Sean murmured.
"I told you about that already," Jim chided, "and you will respond with a civil tongue or you will be in a world of trouble, young man." Jim wagged his finger disapprovingly at Sean.
"Yes, Mister Olson," Sean sighed bitterly.
He plopped down in the middle of the living room floor and dumped out his container of Legos, while Jim, sat on the couch and began to read his book quietly. Sean busied himself with building a house out of Legos. Soon, 7:30 PM came to pass, far to quickly for young Sean.
"All right, it is now time for you to pick up your toys and get ready for bed," Jim said commandingly.
"No, I don't wanna," said Sean defiantly.
"You have just one chance left to improve your behavior, little boy, or we are going out into the kitchen and you will get a licking," Jim warned.. "Now, I will be back in a minute, and I expect everything to be picked up." He left to go to the bathroom.
Sean, unwilling to do anything he was told to do, easily grew bored waiting for Jim, and sought out alternative sources of entertainment. He found a crayon among the Legos scattered across the floor. He quickly got up and ambled over to the nearest wall, sitting down again facing it. He began doodling with the crayon on the wall, just as Jim came back and caught the errant boy red-handed in the act.
"What in the hell do you think you are doing," Jim yelled as he quickly strided over to Sean and slapped the crayon out of his hand.
Sean stammered, "But, b-but, b-b-but."
"No ifs ands or buts, you have used up your last chance, and now all there is left to do is for the two of us to go into the kitchen, where I will give a spanking the likes of which you have never even imagined." Jim's temper was boiling with frustration and anger.
Sean continued to whine and fuss, pleading ineffectually, "Please, don't spank me, I'll be good, I promise, honest." Jim paid no attention to Sean's pleas for mercy as he grabbed the boy by the arm, pulled him up to a standing position, then scooted him along with a few well placed swats on his bottom as he dragged him kicking and screaming into the kitchen. "No, no, please, please don't spank me, I won't do it again, please," Sean continued to whine as they went into the kitchen.
Sean had a great deal to fear, for Jim's spankings were legendary, as Jim's son, Jonathan, would often tell Sean when he came over to play. Their potency for causing much pain and tears left an indelible mark on Jonathan, and he was all too willing to tell Sean all about it.
Jim sat down in a kitchen chair that he pulled into the middle of the kitchen. Sean stood fidgeting in front of Jim, trying unsuccessfully to stand still. "I usually say to Jonathan when I spank him that I would rather not have to do this, but I have no choice," Jim explained, "but in your case, I am actually looking forward to warming that little bare bottom of yours, and I do mean bare. I told you that this was going to be a licking that you would never forget, and I meant it!"
As Sean suddenly realized that he was going to be spanked on his bare bottom, Jim began to undo the shoulder straps on his overalls, scolding him further as he pulled down the overalls to Sean's knees, which fell in a heap around Sean's ankles. Sean was filled with apprehension and dread, as the spanking grew more imminent with each passing moment.
"I won't say that this will hurt me worse than it will hurt you," Jim continued, "because the truth is, you'll hurt much worse than I will." Jim quickly pulled down the boy's underpants, which also fell in a heap around his ankles.
"Step out of your clothes, NOW!" Jim barked at Sean. Sean reluctantly obeyed. Sean was very embarrassed to be disrobed this way, but Jim said, "No need to be embarrassed. I've seen you naked in the bath at least a dozen times, and I changed your diapers when you were a baby many more times than that." Jim ordered, "Now come over here beside me and get over my lap." Sean complied as best he could, still terrified about what would come next. Jim secured the boy with his left hand, which he pressed down on the small of the boy's back. With his free right hand, he took off his belt and wrapped it around his hand, leaving a good foot hanging out.
A loud SMACK was heard as the spanking finally commenced. Sean pretended not to feel the pain, even though the spank stung something fierce. SMACK SMACK, Sean winced as he fought to free himself from Jim's strong grasp. "Oh, so you're trying not to feel it, he?" Jim chided, "well, we'll just see about that!
Jim gave him five more whacks with the belt on his thighs, and the tops of his legs." SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! The belt found its mark, and Sean could hold it in no longer. He wailed aloud with pain, as he flailed about over Jim's knee, desperate to break free. SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK WHACK! CRACK! The last smack down so hard that Sean thought he was going to pass out with pain and anguish. Finally, five more smacks: SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!, and one especially hard and painful SMACK! squarely in the middle of Sean's already reddened and swollen buttocks.
"All right, you may get up now," Jim said. Sean got up painfully and slowly, his tear-stained and reddened face filled with pain, snot running down his nose.
"There you are," Jim said as he gave the boy some tissues to blow his nose and dry his tears. "You may wear your underpants, your T-shirt, and your socks tonight instead of your Pi's, if you would like, because it is still rather hot out tonight," Jim explained as he helped the boy step into and put on his underpants. Sean's little bottom was still very tender and sore, and he winced when the underpants rubbed against his behind. Sean continued to sob fitfully, his chest heaving in and out, his breath shallow and labored.
Jim took pity on the boy, and gave him a very warm and affectionate hug. "You know it's because I love you like my own son that I had to do that, don't you?" Sean wasn't so sure. "Well, trust me, it was. You needed to learn that you couldn't go through life being a spoiled brat. You're such a nice little boy when you are behaving appropriately, and I just can't understand why you want to behave so poorly lately."
Sean said, "Jim -"
"That's alright, you may call me Jim," Jim reassured him.
"Jim," Sean continued, "nobody pays attention to me anymore. All they want to do is talk about the baby, and the baby isn't even here yet. I want people to pay attention to me."
"Well," Jim said, "you know that the only attention that you will get if you keep on acting the way you did is negative attention, and I am sure that you don't want that."
"No, I don't," Sean said.
"Then promise me that you will be a good boy from now on, so that you don't have to get a spanking again, OK?" Jim asked soothingly.
"OK, I will," Sean promised.
"Just remember that your Mom and Dad and I love you very much," Jim reassured him, "and we want to see you grow up to be the best boy that you can be. That way, you'll be a really good big brother when the baby comes."
"I'm sick of everyone saying that I'll be a big brother," Sean said with resentment."
"Oh, but that only means that you are supposed to be more responsible and well-behaved now that you're growing up. I understand if you still want to stay little for a while," Jim said, "in fact, I felt the same way when I was your age."
"Really?" said Sean surprised. "Honest," Jim said. He tousled the boy's hair, then got up and began leading him up the stairs to his bedroom.
Jim tucked Sean into bed, then read him a nice bedtime story. He hugged him once again, kissing him on the forehead. "Get some sleep, little man, tomorrow is another day."
"OK, Jim, thanks," Sean said cherubically, reciprocating the hug.
"There, that's more like it. I think you'll be the best-behaved boy that your Mom and Dad have ever seen now. I'm sorry that I had to take drastic measures to make that happen, though," Jim said.
"Oh, that's OK," Sean said charmingly. "I love you."
Jim said in return, "I love you too, Sean." Jim turned out the light, leaving the night light beside his bed on.
Sean lay awake, thinking about all that had happened to him. When his parents got home soon after, Jim told them about everything that had happened. They went upstairs to look upon the boy. They found him half-awake and drowsy. They both hugged and kissed him and told him how much they loved him.
"I love you too, Mommy and Daddy," Sean said in a babyish way that was truly adorable.
"Get some sleep," his Mom said as they closed the door of his room, "See you in the morning." Sean soon drifted off to sleep.
It was a pivotal day for young Sean, and he slept, knowing that things would never be the same again. In one day, he had grown up most expediently, and it was a sure bet that he would never be like his former self again. For Jim, and his Mom and Dad, they only grew to love him more each passing day from then on. Sometimes, change is painful, but change means growth, and that can only be a good thing. Sean had indeed learned that lesson well.