Dave's hand shook as he handed the letter to his mom. The thin athletic 12 year old had not read it but pretty much knew what was inside. Sensing her sons nervousness, she slowly opened it.
"Dear Mrs. Blake, This is to inform you that your son has been suspended from school for two days. Because we realize that it may be difficult for you to arange supervision on such short notice, the suspension may be served on any two consecutive days over the next two weeks. David was involved in a fight on school property. When Mrs. Sanders attempted to break it up, David hit her and shouted obsenitites. In addition, he was found to be in the possession of Cigarettes. Please sign this note and return it immmediately indicating when which days he will be serving his suspension. Sincerly, Mr. Peter Wiggins Principal
She looked up from the page with tears and anger in her face.
"David James Blake, I don't know what I am going to do with you. You are getting out of control. I will have a long talk with your father as soon as he gets home. I can guarantte you will not like the outcome"
David gulped, he knew he was in for it, probably grounded for life and possibly even felling his dad's hand on his butt with in the next hour.
"Get up to your room and stay there until your father gets home. No TV, no music, no computer, no reading. I want you to sit and think about your behavior"
David immediately went up stairs, ashamed of himself but hoping against hope that he would ge off easy. His parents were, as a rule pretty easygoing and because of this he had been pushing the limits progressively further for the last year. Spanking, while not unknown, was seen as a last resort. He had not had one in almost a year, but then again he had never blown it this big before.
As far as he was concerned Tim Carter had started the fight. He was always a bit of a bully and had a tendency to pick on him and his friends. Nothing serious but lots of taunting and general nastiness. Dave's temper, always a bit on the short side, had gotten the better of him. He had landed a few good and probably lucky shots on Tim, giving him a bloody lip, just before he felt his shoulder being grabbed. He swung around and hit Mr. Sanders in the stomach before he even knew it was him. When he realized it he yelled "oh _f_u_c_k_". Mostly because he was angry at himself when he realized what he had done. As for the butts, what was dad going to say, yeah he had told him many times not to smoke, but he did it himself, the hypocrate. Hell, they were his smokes that he had lifted from the carton.
Dave continued to sit in his room, rationalizing his behavior and feeling that the school was being very unfair in suspending him. He had almost gotten himself to the point of beliving that he was the victim and that his dad would agree and feel sorry for him, although deep in his heart, he knew this would not be the case.
Finally he heard the garage door open and his dad come in. He went over to the door and tried to listen. The conversation started out quietly but became more and more aggitated as it went on. He could hear his mom crying and his dad get ting more and more pissed off, although he could not make out all the words. Then came Dad's footsteps up the stairs. Dave quikly went back to sit on his bed. The look on Dad's face when he came through the door instantly told Dave that any hope of sympathy was misplaced.
"David, are you allowed to fight in school?"
"but Dad..Timmy st"
"Just answer the question."
"No"
"Have I told you not to fight?"
"Yes but Timmy"
"I don't care about Timmy, he isn't my son, you are"
"But Dad"
"Im not interested in any buts Mr., except yours which is in very hot water... Listen, yout attitude lately has been awful, but this just tops it all. Fighting, disrespecting adults, hitting your teacher, swearing at adults, and smoking. Where did you get the butts?"
"I don't know"
"Now we just added telling lies to the list. Where did you get the smokes?"
"There yours, you smoke, what business do you have telling me not to, why can't I?, half my friends do."
"And stealing... I can smoke because I am an adult, you are a child. I wish I had never started but once you are hooked it is almost impossible to stop. I've tried to quit many times. Im not going to let you get hooked, I love you too much for that and I've told you that a thousand times. You just have a hard time using your ears and a hard time doing what you are told. Thats going to change right now. Your mom can't get off work to babysit you, but fortunately, I can rearrange my schedule next Wednesday and Thursday and do some work on my computer. I can guarantte you will not enjoy your days off"
"Listen Dad, Im sorry but"
"You don't even begin to know the meaning of the word, but you will. I have been much too easy on you and have been neglecting my duty to you as a father. You have been taking advantage of my easygoing nature. This lack of discipline is showing up at school, in your grades, the condition of this pigstye you call a room and in how you treat the rest of this family. Life is going to change big tme for you, and I've already talked to your mom about it and she agrees, although she does not really want to see it. I was hoping I would never have to do it again, but you have given me no choice, you are going to start being spanked again"
"But Dad, I'm too old for a spanking, I'm not a little kid anymore"
"Nonsense, your not too big for a spanking, and you will not be for a long long time with your current attitude. You are right that you aren't a little kid anymore. From now on your spanking are going to be far worse than anything you have ever had before. I'm not just going to slap your underwear like I used to. Now I am not going to spank you right now because I am just too angry with you. Your mother has made Lasanga, which I know is one of your favorites, but you are not going to have any. You will stand in the corner of the dinning room while tha rest of the family eats. While you are there you will quitely think about your behavior and attitude. About who puts a roof over your head and feeds you. While you are doing that I will be talking to your mother about how to punish you and get you back on the right track."
Dad turned and headed out the door
"this _f_u_c_k_ing sucks" David mumbled
"I heard that, you just don't get it do you Mr. You know better than to use that sort of language in this house, especially when you are in the sort of trouble you are in now. If you can't keep your mouth clean, I'll jst have to do it for you."
Dad grabbed Dave by the arm, just above the elbow and propelled him down the hall to the bathroom. He grabbed ahalf use bar of Ivory soap and ran it under the tap.
"No Dad, you can't be serious"
"I can and I will, now open up"
"No please"
Dad grabbed a hairbrush and his strong right arm crashed it down on Dave's butt three times, causeing Daves mouth to open in a shout. The shout was quickly muffled by the soap filling Dave's mouth. Tears started to well up in Davids eyes, partly from the pain in his backside, but more from the new horrible direction his life seemed to be heading. Dad took the soap and ran it between the teeth and cheeks, then he scrapped it over the teeth and rubbed it on the tounge. Dave tried to spit it out but Dad would have none of that and brought the brush down once again harshly on Daves butt.
"Take a bite...now chew...thats right...don't spit and don't swallow...now take your toothbrush and brush hard...more...more, get the back... (Whack) I said don't spit...Now put the rest of the bar in your mouth and keep it there, don't you dare take it out before I tell you to...now get your self downstairs and into the corner of the dinning room."
Dave ran down the stairs with tears streaming from his eyes and foam coming from his mouth and rushed into the dining room. Dad followed and shoved him into a corner. He then reached around and started to undo Dave's belt and pants.
"Dad what are you doing" David said as best he could with a bar of soap still in his mouth.
Dad said nothing as he pulled Davids pants and underwear to just below his knees. David was horrified but knew there was nothing he could do. What had become of his nice easygoing pushover of a father he wondered.
Tommy, Dave's nine year old little brother, who was setting the table, looked on at the sight with a look that mixed bewilderment, horror, shock and just a little bit of humor.
"Don't bother setting a place for Dave tonight, he already has his dinner. I will explain it to you while we eat."
To be continued..