This story is fiction, based on things that happened around me as I was growing up in the late fifties early sixties in the Waikato area of the North Island of New Zealand. Of course names and places have been changed. Although I did not live in Te Awamutu I knew the town well, living in an other town in the Waikato a couple of hours away from Te Awamutu. The High School that I attended played against Te Awamutu College for games, football, cricket for the boys and softball and netball for the girls.
Bryan's 13th Year. By Ted B.
Chapter 1
Bryan Johns is a stocky 12 1/2 year old. He lives in the Waikato, in the central area of the North Island, New Zealand, in a town called ' Te Awamutu' which has a population of 6,500. Te Awamutu is surrounded by rolling country and the local industry is predominately dairy industry. His father, works the night shift at the dairy factory sleeping through the day, leaving Bryan's mother to deal with him and his younger brother Tom for any misdeeds they may do or have done. They only saw dad at dinner or at the weekends.
Bryan and 11 year old Tom were reasonably well behaved, but like all boys occasionally they would get into trouble. At first his Mum had spanked Bryan with her hand, then as he got older she had started to use one of his father's belts. From the time he was 9 years old when Mum was giving him a "good belting," as she would put it, Bryan had to go to the bedroom he shared with Tom, bend over the end of the bed and mum would leather the seat of his jeans or his school shorts. If he had done something to really get Mum mad at him, she would march him to his room tell him to drop his pants and bend over and she would give 8 hard swats with the belt across his underpants. So far Tom had had only one session across the end of the bed and he only got 6 swats with the belt across his jeans, which was enough to make him rub his behind while he wiped away his tears with his other hand.
Then in the second week of January, in the middle of the summer holidays, Bryan's dad told him that when he went back to school, he would be going to the local rural high school. Te Awamutu College is a mixed school for boys and girls. It has about 670 students on the roll with mixed men and women teachers. Bryan's father said, " Son, you might as well know now if you misbehave at high school you don't get the strap, they use a cane. And speaking from experience it will hurt quite a lot." Girls at the school don't get caned they just get detentions which you will also get for minor misbehavior." Coll as it is known locally is forms 3 through to form 7. Forms 1 and 2 go to Intermediate School.
Bryan had passed through primary and intermediate school getting strapped only once in form 2. It was September and spring had arrived. The temperature was around 20 degrees Celsius. He and two of his friends had gone into a shrubbery area which was out of bounds and a duty teacher had seen them coming away from the area back to the playing field during lunch break. During the first period after lunch, a school monitor had come to the class and told Bryan's teacher Miss Fredericks that the headmaster wanted to see Bryan in his office.
Bryan walked along the corridor towards Mr. Smith's office wondering why he was told to go there. Just outside the office his two friends were also waiting, Willie Baldwin and Selwyn Richards. Mr Smith came to the door of his office and saw the three boys waiting. With a frown he quietly told them, "Come in boys". They followed him into the office.
Bryan suddenly realized that he was in trouble. It was obvious that he, Willie and Sel had been seen going into the shrubbery which was out of bounds. The three looked at each other, but didn't say anything. Mr Smith sat behind his desk and glared at the friends for what seemed to be a long time. Bryan had a sinking feeling in his stomach. so far he had avoided getting whacked at school and suddenly it was going to happen. Mr Smith said," You three were seen going into the shrubbery, what have you got to say for yourselves." Willie just looked stricken. Sel and Bryan glanced again at each other. Mr Smith said, "I'm not interested in lies, but if you have a good reason for going into the shrubbery I'll take that into consideration before deciding how to punish you all for breaking bounds." Again the three friends looked at each other, then Bryan spoke, "Please Sir, we have no reason, we just went into the shrubbery to see what was there."
"Well", replied Mr. Smith, "at least you are being honest, so you will have 4 strokes each, instead of 6 which is the normal punishment for breaking bounds." So saying he pulled open a drawer in his desk and extracted the strap. The strap was about 2 1/2 inches wide and about 2 1/2 feet long and it seemed to Bryan to be thicker than the one which mum gave him a whacking with.
Mr Smith said to Willie, "Baldwin hold out your left hand at shoulder height. You will have two strokes and then change to your right hand. If you pull either hand away before completion of the punishment, you will get more. Do you understand?"
Willie nodded looking miserable. Mr Smith stood in front of Willie and drew the strap over his right shoulder. Then with a swing and a slight rise onto his toes, he brought the strap crashing down onto Willie's up turned palm. Willie's arm dropped a little from shock and all the colour rushed from his face. Then with another whack the second stroke landed. Willie turned bright red and tears began to squeeze out from his eyes. He grabbed his hand and thrust it under his right arm pit. Mr Smith watched for about 10 seconds and then said, "Get the right hand up smartly now". Willie slowly extended his right arm and then uncurled his hand. His arm was visibly shaking. Whack. Willie pulled his hand away. Mr Smith grabbed Willie's hand and pulled it into the required position. As he drew the strap back over his shoulder he let go Willie's hand. Willie pulled his hand away again. Mr Smith went red and a vein started to pulse in his neck. He told Willie, "Get your hand up and you are now going to get two more. Willie just shook his head. Mr Smith caught Willie by the shoulder and pushed him down over the end of the desk. He then brought the strap down across Willie's behind, three licks in quick succession. Willie let go with a howl at the second lick and then with a cry like a bashee at the third.
Mr Smith let Willie go and told him to stand over by the wall. He then said to Bryan, "Right its your turn, left hand out". Bryan watched as his hand went out and then watched as Mr Smith drew the strap over his shoulder. He shut his eyes, hoping that it was a dream. Whack, suddenly he was aware of pain shooting up his arm. He could feel tears at the back of his eyes. Whack! The pain got worse. Dimly he heard Mr Smith telling him to get his right hand out. Whack. He could feel tears starting to trickle down his cheeks. He just managed to keep his right hand out when WHACK!!!, it sounded much louder than the other three, the last stroke landed. With a cry Bryan snatched his hand down and thrust both hands under opposite arm pits trying to block the pain.
He was told to join Willie over by the wall. From a distance he heard Mr Smith tell Sel to put up his left hand. Two whacks followed then silence for a few seconds then two more whacks. As Mr Smith put away the strap he told them, "Next time it will be six of the best. Now back to your classes."
Bryan went back to his class. His palms gave off heat waves and were a dull red in colour. An hour later they had started go a light purple. When he got home he told his mother that he had got the strap. Mum was not too pleased at all. She had a look at his hands and said, "Well it sounds as though you deserved it by going out of bounds. I'll let you off your chores tonight, but tomorrow it is back to normal".
For the rest of the year until school broke up for the summer holidays on the 13 December, Bryan and his two friends stayed out of trouble.
Chapter 2
Bryan, Willie and Sel had played together all through primary (elementary) school and as they had grown older were still friends.
It was the week after Bryans dad had told Bryan about going to Te Awamutu College and there was still two more weeks of the holidays to go before going back to school. The friends were at Sel's home. Both Sels parents worked so they could talk or fool around with a bit of freedom. They were in Sel's bedroom. Bryan's parents had given him a new bike for Christmas and Bryan was saving his pocket money so that he could buy some gears for the bike. It was an English Phillips, with 26inch wheels, fire engine red with white mudguards. Bryan was very proud of the bike. Sel and Willie had also been given bikes. Sel's bike was a Raleigh and Willies a Hercules.
A friendly argument broke out between the boys about various merits of their bikes and their voices became raised with excitement. After winning the argument over who had the best bike, Willie said, "I vote we go down town and look at gears and stuff at Vonno's Bike Shop." The other two agreed. So they rode down town.
At Vonno's Bike shop they looked at lighting sets, gears, carriers and other accessories for their bikes. At last John the salesman told them, "Look you guys, we appreciate the custom, but if you are not going to buy anything can you let me get on the job.." And he went back to dusting and polishing bikes.
Willie said, "Lets go back to your house Sel." so they set off towards home. Just before they got to Sels house they passed a corner shop. Willie said to the others, "Do you guys want to try smoking?"
"How?" asked Bryan. "We are too young so the shop wont sell them to us." Sel said, "I'll tell them they are for my dad. He smokes Benson and Hedges." Sel went into the shop and came out a few minutes later with a gold packet of Benson and Hedges. He said, "Lets go home."
They got back to Sels home and went to Sels room. Sel opened the box of cigarettes and motioned to the others to take one. He produced matches and they lit up. At first they just held the cigarettes in their hands, taking little puffs at them to keep them alight. Then Bryan gaining confidence said, "If we smoke properly you must inhale". He put the cigarette in his mouth and sucked on it. He immediately started to choke and gag. Feeling sick he rushed towards the bathroom and just made it over the toilet in time to spew up what was left of his lunch.
With all the excitement of Bryan being sick, the other two boys didn't notice Sel's mother arrive home. Bryan was still in the toilet with the door open retching while Sel and Willie were still in Sel's room puffing on, laughing about Bryan showing off and then being sick.
Suddenly, "What are you boys doing? My God you're smoking. I've come home from work early with a headache and find you three getting into mischief.. Willie, head for home now and I'll be talking to your mother on the phone. Bryan, same for you. And it serves you right that you were sick. Smoking is bad for you. As for you Sel, just wait till your dad gets home."
The three friends mumbled quick goodbyes, Sel staying in his room waiting for his father and the other two heading for home and knowing that they had an unpleasant time waiting for them at home. Bryan arrived home 10 minutes after leaving Sels.
When he went inside he could hear his mother on the phone talking. Then he heard his mum say, "Thank you for telling me Jean, I'm sure Bryan will be dealt with and he wont be smoking again for a while." Bryan didn't like the sound of that at all. Then his mother saw him.
"Bryan, I am disgusted and disappointed with you. Go to your room and I'll be there shortly." Bryan went to his and Tom's room knowing that he was going to get a good belting. Already in his mind he could feel the fire of the belt on his bum. He wondered if because he was wearing thin summer shorts, he would have to take them down and be belted over his underpants or maybe mum would let him keep them on. Mum had sounded pretty angry.
"Right Bryan," came his fathers voice, "what have you got to say for yourself." Bryan said nothing and just stared at his father. He was in big trouble and he knew that if Dad had been woken up from his sleep, it must be pretty serious. Then Mum came into the room behind Dad. "Bryan, it is obvious that you are getting to old for my hidings to be effective so Dad is going to deal with you now. You know that we dont smoke and we have spoken about people who let their 15 and 16 years olds smoke and yet you were caught by Mrs Richards smoking with Sel and Willie. I'm really very angry and you have got to learn that smoking is bad for you."
Bryan stood there looking at his parents. Then he said, "Sorry Mum, sorry Dad I just didn't think. It seemed like a fun thing to do."
"Well Bryan we may as well get it over with," said his father. "I'm going to give you 12 licks of the belt and if you are caught smoking again I'll double it next time. Turn around and face the end of the bed, drop your shorts and your underpants and bend over and touch your toes. If you try to stand up before I've finished or cover your behind with your hands, you will get extra."
Bryan just looked at his father. He wondered what it was going to be like being belted on the bare bum, and dad was a lot stronger than mum. He hoped that he could stay bent over so that he wouldn't get any extra licks. He turned around let down his shorts then his underpants and bent over as he had been told to. As he was bending over he could see his father with the belt. It wasn't the one mum had used last time, but a longer and heavier belt that dad used when he was wearing jeans.
There was a short pause, then Bryan heard a slight hissing sound followed by a whack!!. For a few seconds there was a tingle across his bum where the belt had landed and then pain. Whack!, the second one arrived. Bryan let out a gasp. He didn't know if he was going to be able to stand another 10 whacks. Whack whack the next two arrived in quick succession. Bryan thought that his bum was on fire. All he could feel was pain and as well he could feel tears at the back of his eyes. He was determined not to cry out. He wanted to show dad that he could take what was coming to him.
His father could see the welts on Bryan's bottom where the belt had landed. He decided to make the next few lower down, just above the thighs so that Bryan would feel them for a while when he was sitting down. So he did just that. As they landed Bryan gasped out, "Ouch that hurts." Then as the sixth landed he cried out.
The welts now covered the whole of Bryan's bottom from side to side, top to bottom just above the thighs. Bryan's buttocks were bright pink and you could almost feel the heat coming off them.
Dad said "Well son have you decided you aren't going to smoke again?" Bryan started to stand up. "Stay bent over we haven't finished yet. We are only half way through." Bryan bent down again. Tears started to trickle out of his eyes.
Whack!!! number seven arrived. Bryan's dad decided to start at the top of Bryan's bum and work down. This time the belt landed on already glowing flesh and the sting was very intense. Whack!!! then a few seconds later an other whack. By now Bryan was past caring if he cried or not. Tears were flowing down his face and onto the carpet. Thank goodness there were only three more. Whack!!! ---- Whack!!! only one more Whack!!!!! right across the tops of Bryans thighs. Bryan cried out aloud.
His father said, "You took that hiding well, but remember next time if you are caught smoking it will be double what you got today. And if your mother has got to wake me up again to deal with you, it will be at least what you got today. Do you understand?"
"Yes Dad."
"Right straighten yourself up and you can stay here for a few minutes until you are fit enough to go outside again. Ok? Bryan, I didn't like doing what I have just done, but you have got to stop and think before you do things that you know Mum and I dont approve of." With that Bryans dad left the room.
Bryan was standing there his hands carefully feeling his bum. It seemed very hot. Bryan pulled up his underpants and shorts and went across the hall to the bathroom. By standing on a chair and looking over his shoulder he was able to see his bum. The pink and crimson marks stood out from the white flesh of his bum specially the welt across the top of his thighs. It was really stinging. Tears were still trickling from his eyes. He pulled up his shorts again and washed his face with cold water, and started to feel calmer.
Next day when he went to meet his two friends Willie and Sel he said, "I got a hell of a hiding from my dad yesterday. My bum is still sore and its black and blue where Dad's belt landed." The others had similar stories so they went to Sel's home to talk.
In Sel's room they had a discussion about their hidings. It turned out that Willie and Bryan had been belted while Sel had had the cane. Sel said, "My Dad has a cane which he got from my Uncle who is a teacher in Hamilton, and he gave me six with that." Willie had got eight from his father with a belt. Bryan chipped in, "Well I got twelve on the bare bum with a belt, and it made me cry out specially the last couple. But dad said that I had taken it well." "You show me yours and I'll show you mine," said Sel. Bryan turned so his back was to his friends and eased his shorts and underpants down below his behind. They looked at his bum which from the top to just above his thighs had light purple bruises. "Your bum looks worse than mine," said Willie as he dropped his shorts and turned around. Willie's behind was pink and angry looking. "I got my hiding this morning because dad wasn't feeling well last night when he got home from work. Lets see yours now Sel."
Sel turned and dropped his jeans and pants. Bryan and Willie could see six lines running across Sel's bottom from the middle of his bum down to the the top of his thighs. They were a deep purple colour. Sel said, "Its still sore and I have got to sit down very carefully." "Gee, will our behinds look like that when we get the cane at school?" asked Willie. "Yes," replied Sel. "My dad was a teacher at Auckland Boys Grammar before he bought his shop here in Te Awamutu. He told me that next time I do something stupid like smoking I'll get whacked on the bare bottom instead of with pants on."
The friends vowed to stay out of trouble for the rest of the holidays.
Chapter 3
First day of the new school term, 2 February. It was going to be a hot day. The three friends met at Sels house and then biked to school. On the way they talked about what had happened over the holidays and wondered what was about to happen at school this term. Fifteen minutes later they got to Te Awamutu College.
At the gate there were prefects who showed the new third formers where the bike shed was, where the toilets and washrooms were and then took them to the assembly hall and warned them to sit quietly. They could talk, but no larking about. The Headmaster would start assembly at 9am sharp and then they would be broken up into groups after assembly and they would then be told which form they would be in. The prefects were from the 7th form and were both boys and girls.
Bryan and his friends were in the front row just in front of the stage. In the same row there were boys and girls that they recognised from Intermediate school plus quite a few strangers that he had not seen before. They wondered where the strangers had come from. At 9am the door at the side of the stage opened and a man wearing a suit, a gown and carrying a book and some papers came onto the stage followed by teachers. The leader strode up to the lecturn and announced, "I am the Headmaster, my name is North, you can call me sir. After assembly as a prefect has already told, you we will break into forms and go to class. Those who are new entrants to the school, no mater what form you are going into please stay in the assembly hall and you all will go through induction procedures and then be told what form you will be in."
assembly started with a hymn and a prayer. The Head then introduced two teachers that had joined the staff for the new school year then dismissed the school to their classes reminding the new entrants to sit still. He then left the stage followed by most of the teachers. Three men and two lady teachers were left on the stage. They then came down from the stage onto the floor of the hall where one of the men who held a clipboard said in a loud voice. "Third formers on this side of the hall in the first two rows, the rest over the other side." About 70 students were left in the hall and 60 of them were third formers. One of the lady teachers went over to the other group and took them away to an other room. The man with the loud voice said, "No noise, no talking and we will get through this quickly as possible.."
"I will read out your names. Answer with 'present sir', then I'll tell you what form you will be in. The names are in alphabetical order, so listen carefully." He started reading out the names. Soon he came to Willie. "Baldwin William J" "Present Sir," said Willie. "Form 3 M," said the teacher continuing to call names and then the forms. Then Bryan and Sels names were called. The three friends found that they were all going to be in the same class. By the time all the students present had had their names called there were 23 boys in the same group as the three friends.
"Right, you lot, your form teacher is Mr Bloudon. Mr. Bloudon these are your 3rd form boys. You can take them to their classroom now."
"Right boys follow me. No straggling, no talking or skylarking." With that Mr Bloudon left the hall and went off down a corridor. "This is your form room. Remember where it is and its number. It is room 6 in block C or C Block room 6 whichever way you like." He went into the room.
Bryan noticed that the desks were of a modern type of a table and chair rather than the old wooden desks that they had had at intermediate school.
Mr Bloudon said, "Right boys pick a desk and sit quietly. I will call the roll and then the rest of the period I will explain the layout of the school and issue you all with a plan, I will also tell you about a few of the school rules. In the next period I will tell you how the school operates and that will just about take us to lunch time."
Mr Bloudon called the roll, each boy answering, "Present Sir."
He then went on to talk about the school rules and to hand out sheets with copies of the rules and the layout of the school. He went on to explain, "Each period is taught in a different room depending on the subject and who the teacher is. You are allowed five minutes between each period to get to the next class. That is ample time and there is no need to run. If you run inside the buildings and/or the corridors you will be punished. There is no warning, no detention. If you are caught running inside you will get the cane from me at the end of the school day. There are other things that you can be caned for such as failing to turn up for detention, bullying, insolence to a teacher, caught smoking. If I list them all at the moment you wont remember, but I've given you the main ones. You can also get detention for minor infringements of the rules. Prefects can also give detentions. Detention can be given for being late for school. Be late three times in term without a very good excuse and you will see the assistant Head for a well warmed bottom. Now I will show you a cane."
He went to a cupboard beside the blackboard and took out the cane. "This is a middle weight cane to be used on boys up to 15 years old." The cane was about three feet long (a metre) and about 3/8ths of an inch thick at the thickest end. Mr Bloudon flexed the cane bending it almost double. "It is quite supple," he said. "Boys over 15 get this or the senior cane or if you are sent to the Headmaster he may decide to give you the senior cane depending on what you have done." Mr Bloudon went back to the cupboard and produced an other cane. It was thicker and slightly longer than the first and it was not quite so flexible. So don't tell me that you were not warned."
"I will be teaching you all English and history here in this room. As I said earlier this is your form room. You return here at the end of each day at 3.25pm."
Just then there was a ding-dong from a large bell.
"That signals the end of a period," said Mr Bloudon, "Now we will go on and talk about the timetable and who and where each of the subjects are taught." He handed out more sheets.
After lunch the boys were issued with the text books that they would need and then taken to the school stationary store where they could buy the exercise books, pens, rulers and other necessary things.
For the rest of the week until Friday things went on as everyone settled down to the new routines of learning their way around the school and who the different teachers where and what was expected. Bryan and his friends found it a little strange because until now they had only had one teacher for the whole year, now the had 5 or 6 each day depending on the timetable for the day.
On Friday afternoon Bruce, one of the boy in Bryan's class was caught running along to a class by Miss McKenzie one of the lady teachers. She stopped him and asked his name and what class he was in. Bruce told her and was allowed to continue to his next class. During the rest of the afternoon he had heard nothing so he thought the matter was over. However at 3.25 when the last period was over and they were told to return to their form room it happened.
Mr Bloudon walked into the room and checked that they all were present and then said, "Bruce Smith stand up please. Miss McKenzie has reported that you were running in the corridors. Now I warned you all about that and the consequences of that. Have you anything to say?"
"No Sir, said Bruce.
"Well come up the front here." Mr Blouden went to the cupboard and got out the cane and flexed it. "I want you to bend over with your fingers touching your toes, do not stand up until I say so."
Bruce bent over as instructed. Mr Bloudon tapped the cane across the middle of Bruce's buttocks to get the distance and aim right then raised the cane and brought it down so quickly that it was just a blur. There was a swish and a sharp crack as the cane connected with Bruce's shorts that covered his rear end. Bruce turned red and his backside shuddered a little. There was an other swish crack. This time Bruce's bum shuddered and rolled with the stroke.
"Right stand up and go back to your desk."
Bruce stood up and made his way back to his desk his face red trying not to show that he was hurting. However he was rubbing his bum with both hands.
"Right boys, you have all seen what happens when you break the rules. Class dismiss."
The following week Bryan had not done his homework for English or geography. Mr. Bloudon was not happy at all.
He stormed at Bryan, "What is the reason for not doing your homework?"
Bryan replied, "Please Sir, I had to help my mother with some chores and I didn't get enough time."
"Well Johns, This is your last warning. You have got detention after school and I expect you to complete the set homework as well as the homework that you will get today."
"Yes sir."
Bryan went to detention after school and got through most of his homework. On the way home he stopped off at Sels home and they talked and listened to some music. Then he went on home. When he got home his mother told him off for being late home from school. Bryan told her about getting detention, but he didn't say why.
"Right Bryan get your chores done before you start playing about and do your homework as well," his mother said.
Bryan went to his room and changed into his jeans and an old jersey then went and did his chores. Today was mowing the lawns which he usually enjoyed doing. He was careful not to mow around the back of the house where his father was asleep in the spare back bedroom. He had just finished when he heard his mother call him.
"Bryan, Bryan come here at once. How many times have I told you to hang up your uniform after school. Uniforms cost a lot of money and we cant afford to have you throw it down as though it is old rubbish. Go to your room pick up your uniform and fold your shorts and hang up the other clothes. I'll be in directly to see how you are doing and to deal with you for not doing as