Raising a child with a disability can be hard. Christopher always had to be treated very gingerly. He was pampered by both his parents and his teachers. They catered to his every need or want.
His parents were always afraid to be too tough on him. They let him have his way about everything, or else Christopher would throw a fit until he got his way.
Christopher had a condition known as cerebral palsy or C. P. The disorder caused a weakness and lack of coordination of the muscles. And while Christopher was mentally sound, he was limited physically.
Because of this condition, Christopher's parents were very protective of him. They were hesitant to be too harsh on Christopher when he misbehaved and often withheld some much-needed discipline.
His dad threatened to paddle him, but he seldom did. There were occasions, however, when Christopher did get a much-deserved spanking.
This is one such occasion.
Christopher was 13 at the time, and he was at the department store with his dad one Saturday afternoon. It was a few weeks after Christmas, and the store was crowded with shoppers returning Christmas gifts.
While Christopher and his dad were shopping, Christopher spotted a radio-controlled car on the shelf. He began to get all excited when he saw it.
"Dad!" Christopher exclaimed. "I want that."
His dad looked at the car, then he looked at the pricetag.
"I'm sorry, Christopher, we can't afford that right here after Christmas," his dad said softly.
"But, I want that," Christopher said again.
"Not this time, son."
Christopher was used to getting his own way. He let out an ear-splitting scream, "I WANT IT! I WANT IT!" Christopher suddenly fell to his knees and began to pound the floor with his fist. "I WANT IT!"
A crowd had started to gather. Christopher's dad was terribly embarrassed. This wasn't the first time Christopher had thrown such a fit in public.
"Come on, Christopher, don't act this way. Maybe we can get the car later," his dad said, trying to appease the boy.
That only made Christopher cry all the louder.
"You don't want to make a scene in front of all these people, do you?" his dad continued.
Even at 13, Christopher still acted and reacted as a child. He was crying and screaming like a baby. People around them didn't know what to think. They had never seen anyone Christopher's age throw such a fit in the middle of the Kmart.
"All right, Christopher, if you don't calm down right now, I'm going to spank you," the annoyed father declared.
Christopher knew that his father probably wasn't going to spank him right there in the store, so he continued to rage.
"I mean it, Christopher. I'll going to give you a spanking if you don't stop that!"
The people in the store also had never seen someone Christopher's age get a spanking in public before. Some were even willing to help spank the spoiled child.
One man came over to the now exasperated father. "I'll be happy to help you escort your son to the back," the man said.
The father made one last desperate attempt to calm the boy, but it was to no avail.
Turning back to the man who offered his help, the dad said, "Sir, I'd appreciate you helping me get my son to the bathroom."
The man nodded. "Glad to," he replied.
The two men took Christopher by the arms and pulled him to his feet.
"Let's go," the dad said.
The two began dragging the boy kicking and screaming to the back of the store. People all around were staring and pointing. The father had never been so humiliated.
They finally reached the men's room and pulled Christopher, who still was demanding the toy car, inside.
The restroom was also crowded. Spotting a bench next to the wall, the two men dragged Christopher over to it. The father sat down on the bench while the stranger still held Christopher by the arms. Christopher's father reached up and began unsnapping his son's pants.
Christopher began howling even louder. He had never expected his father to go through with the spanking. The father hadn't meant to actually spank him either, but now that the stranger had helped him get Christopher to the bathroom, he knew he had to go through with the spanking.
He grabbed hold of the waistband of Christopher's jeans and underwear and pulled them down together. He had never spanked Christopher bare-bottom before, but with the stranger expecting him to thoroughly thrash the boy, he knew he had to be severe.
The man helped lay Christopher across his father's lap, leaving the young boy's small, round bottom sticking straight up in the air.
The father took a deep breath.
"Son, you've had this coming for a long time,'' he said.
Then, the father raised his hand and smacked the boy's buttocks as hard as he could with the palm of his hand.
Christopher howled in pain. Again, the father whacked his bottom with his hand.
The boy was kicking and screaming so hard that the man helping finally grabbed Christopher's feet and held them. The father continued to pounce Christopher's bare backside.
Smack! . . . Smack! . . . Smack! . . . One after another, he delivered blows to his son's bottom. He was really letting him have it. Everyone in the bathroom stopped their business to watch the spoiled brat get what he deserved.
After about 12 hard swats, Christopher's bottom had started to turn pink.
His dad paused briefly to catch his breath.
"I wish I had my belt with me," he said. "I'd really wear you out."
The man helping him suddenly lifted his shirttail. "Be glad to lend you mine," he said, nodding toward his thick leather belt.
The father thought for a minute. He had never used a belt on Christopher before, although he had threatened to a number of times. Finally, he decided to really teach Christopher a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.
"May I?'' the father asked.
The man quickly stood up and took off his belt and handed it to the father.
"NO!" Christopher began shouting.
The father took the belt, doubled it over and began pelting Christopher's behind with it. As he laid the first stripe across Christopher's backside, it made a loud crash.
Christopher yelled out in agony. "Stop! Please!"
The dad, using all his force, put a second stripe on his son's bottom, then a third and a fourth. He was surprised at what a difference the belt made. Christopher's bottom quickly turned from pink to red.
The father covered both sides of Christopher's bottom, striking first one side, then the other. After a dozen or so licks, Christopher finally quit trying to fight it and just lay limp across his father's knees, crying.
His father wasn't anywhere finished yet. He continued to tenderize Christopher's naked bottom with the belt.
He gave Christopher about 10 minutes of the worst thrashing he'd ever had. Finally, after about 30 to 40 swats, he put down the belt and told Christopher to stand up.
Christopher quickly rose, but was in such pain that he immediately sat down in the floor and continued to cry.
"Son, if you want to stay here and cry, that's fine," his father told him. "But I'm going to finish my shopping."
He took Christopher by the arms, pulled him to his feet and led him over to the corner.
"Now, you just stand in that corner until I'm finished shopping. And you leave your pants down!"