Part 1
It is Christmas, 199-, and I sit here holding a picture that came in a card this morning. You know the type, the happy holiday family photo, produced by the hundreds, and sent out to all the people on your card list every year. This one, however, is unlike all the others I receive. It shows a family of four, the father, mother, and two teenage boys grouped together under a large spreading oak tree, photographed in the middle of summer, with the tree in full leaf, and the people wearing summer clothes, and smiling happily into the camera. The father is my old friend Evan, his wife Margo, and their two boys Ben, aged 16, and Ted, 14 this year. The tree is old, very old, and it is that tree that holds prominent center place in the photo, as I am sure that Evan intended. That tree....
The year was 197-, and I had just finished my sophomore year in college. I was attending the Citta Universitaria de Roma, in Rome, Italy, and planned to continue there through my undergraduate years. After I had graduated from Culver Military Academy, I had turned down an appointment to the Annapolis Naval Academy, much to the horror of my parents, and opted instead for further education abroad. Thankfully, my great-aunt had agreed to help finance college, so my parents had no active voice in my choice, and I was relieved of the burden of going to work after high school, or putting myself through school at some local, affordable university. I was eager to put as much distance as possible between my family, Culver, the whole U. S.A., and myself. My summer with my uncle, J. D., had been less than successful, but more than memorable, and I wanted to put distance there, too, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was my wounded pride.
Those first two years in Europe were exciting, as the world opened to my discovery, and I found out so much about European culture, and myself. My biggest discovery overseas was the realization that I was gay, and that in the context of Europe, it was just another facet of life, nothing to agonize over. Naturally, being a very young man, I agonized over it anyway, but to this day am thankful that my "coming out" period was not spent in the witch-hunt atmosphere of the U. S.A., especially of my small hometown. It took years for me to be truly comfortable with my homo_s_e_x_uality, and those young adult years were often filled with my vain attempts at being bi-_s_e_x_ual. Girlfriends came and went, and so did boyfriends, but I had "just" friends, too, and they often lasted far longer than my romantic entanglements. The best friend I had in Rome was Evan Andersson, my roommate in the dorm, and my partner in adventure. Evan was an amazing boy/man; 6'3" tall, around 195 lbs, a Scandinavian blonde with the purest, palest skin I had ever seen on a human being. His eyes were ice-blue, but somehow never struck you as cold, as his face was always animated by a lively interest in everything around him. Evan also had the most incredible shoulders I had ever seen on a man, broad and strong, and absolutely horizontally level, topping a perfect v-shaped torso that put most male models I had seen to shame. I thought he was spectacularly handsome, and so, too, did every female within line of sight. It was amusing and irritating, at the same time, to watch the way girls fell over Evan, but he was never less than cordial to them, although he never seemed to fix upon any one girl. He dated, a lot, but never fell for anyone. I am sure he did not lack for company in his bed, either, although I never knew for sure, as he never brought anyone back to the dorm, but would occasionally stumble in at dawn, exhausted, and with a grin on his face that told the whole story. Evan was absolutely assured of his _s_e_x_uality, and therefore was not afraid or intimidated by mine; I think he found it more intriguing and amusing than anything else, and in a good-natured way would often gently tease me about whatever particular torment I was going through at a given time. Naturally, I was hopelessly in love with him, but somewhere deep down had enough common sense to leave him alone, and to keep our friendship close I never tried to initiate anything that would ruin it. As our sophomore year began to wind down, Evan made his usual plans to return home for the summer. He was from Texas, and his father had a ranch between Weatherford and Mineral Wells, close by the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Evan's mother had died some years before, and his older brother and sister lived their own lives far from Texas, I never knew where. Evan's father lived alone at the ranch, and whenever Evan spoke of him, always called him "The Colonel", as he had been a career officer in the Marines before retirement. There was always love and respect in Evan's voice when he spoke of his father, and I envied him that; my father and I were light years apart, and there was no love lost between us.
My summer would be spent in a variety of places. I would visit home, but that was always an exercise in tension, and I only went to see my mother, brother and sister. The maximum time there would be two weeks, and then I would go and spend a month with my great-aunt. She was a wonderful woman, but very elderly, and as much as she loved having me with her, I always grew anxious and restive, and longed to be elsewhere. This year I was returning early to Europe, and planned on bumming around with a backpack for the month that would be left before school started again in September.
All my plans changed, however, in one night, as did my life and my understanding of myself, to a great degree. Evan and I went to our favorite cafe one evening after exams, to celebrate the end of term and, in an unspoken agreement, to bid farewell to each other for the summer vacation. We had an early dinner, and then sat on the Piazza Navona outside the cafe, and worked our way through two bottles of Chianti as Roman nightlife passed by. The wine did it's expected work, and by the late evening Evan and I were both feeling exceptionally mellow and nostalgic, in other words, a bit drunk. We tried to talk about our plans for the future, but our moods were low, and mine very so, as I watched Evan in the light from the cafe, and thought of how I would miss him. Then, as we spoke of this and that, Evan sat straight up, and said," Hey! Why don't you come home with me before you go home! You can meet The Colonel, and we can spend some time together on the ranch before you have to do your other stuff! I'd like you to see the place, and we wouldn't have to do much, I'm sure, except help the Colonel with the daily chores. It'd be great! What d'you say?"
"Gee, Ev, I don't know. I'd love to, but things are already planned, and from what you've told me about your dad, he might not like me showing up on his doorstep unannounced. But thanks for the offer, I wish I could!", and then, in a softer voice, " I'm really going to miss you, you know. I wish I could....".
"Aw, _s_h_i_t_, M..., c'mon! I mean it! You're not looking forward to going home anyway, and it won't matter if you're a couple weeks later there or not! Your aunt will understand, I know, and your folks, well....you've always said that the less time there the better. As for my dad, hell, he won't mind! If you'll say yes, I'll call him right now, and tell him! C'mon, say yes! Please?", this last said softly, with a grin that Evan had learned to use to manipulate me when he wanted something. He knew I was "gone" over him, and didn't mind, especially when he could use it to get something he wanted.
"Oh hell, Ev, I wish you wouldn't do that!", I laughed. "Okay, okay, just quit it with the teasing grin, okay?" What the hell, I wanted to go, and he was right; none of my plans couldn't be altered.
Evan jumped up from the table, and disappeared inside to call The Colonel. I sat there, nursing my wine, and feeling excited at the prospect of spending time with Ev at his home. I also felt a small and insistent fear, underneath the excitement, but put it down to being tipsy. Now I think that that small fear was a premonition, a warning of the events to come, but I didn't know that then. If I had, would I still have gone? I don't know....
My plans were easily changed, and I returned to the U. S.A. with Evan, bound for Texas. My mother had been disappointed, but secretly relieved, I think, to put off the inevitable meeting with my father, as she enjoyed the tension between us no less than I. My great-aunt, too, was disappointed, but had the patience of the elderly, and the fact that I was going to arrive two weeks later but stay a week longer, made her more accepting. I could always backpack through Europe next summer, if I still felt like it.
Evan and I had an unremarkable flight across the Atlantic, and after customs and a short layover, boarded our flight for Dallas to begin the last leg of the journey.
Halfway through the flight, Evan began a somewhat diffident conversation that was to mystify, and then alarm, me. "I haven't told you much about my dad, have I?" he started.
"No, not much. I know he's 'The Colonel', and that he lives alone on the ranch. And I know that you love him a lot, and respect him. Other than that, you've never said too much. Why?" I replied.
Evan squirmed in his seat a little, and turned to face me as best he could, so that he wouldn't have to speak loudly. He looked at me for a minute, a serious look, and said, "Well, I oughta tell you a bit about The Colonel. He's kinda different, a nice guy and all, but different. Now don't get me wrong! I don't mean he's weird or crazy or anything, but he's ..., well, he's old-fashioned. Yeah, that's it, very old-fashioned."
"What's that mean?" I asked.
Evan continued, "Well, Dad was born in the old country, Norway. His dad, Grandad Andersson, moved the family to Minnesota when Dad was about five years old. Grandad was a Calvinist minister, and the type of man that thought his children were his 'property', if you know what I mean. I've never heard The Colonel say one thing bad about his father, but then I've never heard him say much about him at all. We went to visit them once, in Minnesota, when I was about 7, I think. All of us, The Colonel, Mom, Eric, Ingrid and myself. The only thing I really remember about Grandad was that he was big, as big as Dad, and wouldn't speak English, even though he knew it well enough. Only spoke Norwegian the whole time we were there. And the other thing I remember is one time, at dinner, Eric, who was about 15, spilled his milk by accident at the table. Before anyone knew what happened, Grandad reached over and slapped Eric, hard, across the face, and then went back to his meal. We were all shocked! Dad yelled something at Grandad in Norwegian, but he wouldn't answer, just kept eating. We left the next morning, and I don't think Dad ever talked to his father again. Grandad died about five years after that, and Mom made him go to the funeral, even though he didn't want to go."
"Wow! Sounds like a hard-assed old guy!" I commented, thinking uncomfortably how similar that sounded to my father and me. I could picture that little scene perfectly, having played out it's like a thousand times in my own home.
"Yeah, he was." Evan continued."At any rate, I think it helps explain why The Colonel is so, well, hard at times. He was really hard on my brother Eric, which is why I think Eric never visits. Ingrid was always really close to Eric, and I think she resented Dad's treatment of him all those years, and now she doesn't visit either. Not since Mom died."
"What about your mom?""I asked. "You never say anything about her, at all."
Evan looked down, and I could see him swallowing hard. "Mom was great. Great. She was a really beautiful woman, you'll see her picture at the ranch. The Colonel met her when he was stationed in Germany. He took a trip to Norway, to see his native country, and met her in Trondheim, where she had lived all her life. They fell in love, and he married her, and brought her to Germany, and then the U. S.. She was everything Dad wasn't, soft, gentle, full of laughter all the time about even the smallest things. Dad worshipped her, and when she died, he almost fell apart. That was when I was in high school. She got cancer, and she was gone before they could do anything about it. Dad and I were alone at the ranch by then, and it was grim, I can tell you."
"Ev, I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say..."
"That's okay. We got on with things, and eventually Dad kinda got back to regular. But this is all beside the point. I wanted to tell you about The Colonel, and to kinda warn you."
"Warn me?" I asked, alarmed. _s_h_i_t_, what did that mean?
Evan continued, "Like I said, the Colonel's real old-fashioned. And from his Calvinist background, maybe you can understand. He doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't cuss, and knows the Bible by heart. When we were kids, if we did anything at all out of line, he was really hard with us...I mean really hard! Eric used to get punished the most, and the worst. Dad had a paddle, something he fixed up himself, like a ping-pong paddle, but all wrapped in leather and taped up with electrical tape, so it looked completely black. Poor Eric used to get that paddle a lot! So did Ingrid, and me, too, even though I was the baby and Dad's favorite. But Eric got it worst, and then, when he was older,....well, that doesn't matter. But anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that Dad's a stickler for the rules, know what I mean? Still is."
"Yeah, I get the picture." and I did. I knew exactly what The Colonel was like... he was like my dad. Except that The Colonel sounded like he liked Ev, and maybe that was going to make things different. I hoped so; and I wondered what Ev was going to say about when his brother Eric got older. I should have asked, now I know I should have asked!
The Colonel met us at the airport, and to this day I have a crystal-clear image in my mind of my first sight of him. He was a big man, very big, at least an inch taller than Evan, and more solid. He stood ramrod-straight, which made him seem even taller, as if he was still in uniform, with his legs slightly apart, and his hands clasped behind his back. He was at "parade rest", as I knew perfectly well from my days at Culver. His hair was pure blonde, like Evan's, but whiter, that odd shade that really pure blondes become as they age, and his eyes were the same ice-blue as Evan's, but without the innocence.
To tell the honest, unvarnished truth, he looked like some kind of Norse god come to life, standing there in that airport, as the "mortals" ebbed and flowed around him like water around a rock. Oh yes, he was beautiful, of course, but it wasn't the kind of beauty that drew people. It was the kind of beauty that frightened you, that made you think of Fate and Destiny, but definitely not Mercy.
I spotted him immediately as Evan and I deplaned, and in that one moment, before we met, I saw a brief, momentary flash of love and joy ripple across his face, like a cloud, as he saw Evan. Then it was gone, and we went through all the awkward formalities of introductions and greeting, with me being very careful to say "Yes, Sir" and "No, Sir", until finally he said, "Just call me Colonel, son, everyone does."
"Yes, Sir, Colonel Sir." I answered.
He laughed, "No..no, son, just Colonel'll do. Evan's told me you went to Culver. Know the place. They turn out some good men. I'm glad Evan's made a decent friend. I worried about him over there in Europe, I know what those people are like. No fear of God, or sin. But his mother insisted I send him there for school...."..he didn't finish. Just stopped cold, and I knew that his memory must still pain him.
No, no, no, no! my mind was screaming. Oh hell and _d_a_m_n_ation, no! I could feel it beginning in the pit of my stomach, that same feeling I had with J. D., and sometimes with Evan. No! Not now, not here, not with this man! No! Evan and The Colonel continued to chat, in subdued tones, on the ride back home. I sat there like a zombie, quiet and full of fear, afraid of myself and my feelings, and of the entire situation. I managed to splutter an occasional answer when asked something directly, but otherwise acted like a complete idiot, paralyzed and uncommunicative.
We reached the ranch, and it wasn't at all what I expected. There was a really nice single story house, spread out and set on a slight rise back from the road, and wooded hills in the distance. Green pastures surrounded the house, and over the roof I could see the top of some gigantic tree, in full leaf, towering up from the back. A barn and some sheds were off to the side, and the property was surrounded with a white slat fence that enclosed the entire area. It was really more of a country house than a ranch, and obviously wasn't intended to grow or raise anything serious like livestock or grain. There were a few horses in a paddock, but they were obviously more pets than work animals or breed-product.
Evan and I settled in, and I was surprised to find that I would be sleeping in Ev's room, with him in a big double bed. The other two bedrooms had long since been turned into storage and study space, so only Ev's and the Colonel's rooms were still in use.
Ev kidded me a bit about it, too."Now, buddy, just 'cause we're sleeping together don't get any ideas! I'll clip you one if you try anything!" he said, grinning at me with that grin.
"Aw, c'mon, Ev, give me a break!" I complained, a bit more seriously than I meant. The Colonel was still staring at me, in my mind.
"Hey, pal, I didn't mean it. Don't take it so seriously! I'm sorry." Ev said, instantly apologetic.
I was sheepish. "Don't pay any attention to me, Ev. I'm just bushed from the flight. I'm sorry I snapped at you."
Just then The Colonel walked in."You boys get cleaned up. Dinner'll be on the table in 10 minutes, and I don't like to eat cold food!" I guess this was his attempt at humor, because even though he looked as dead serious as he had all afternoon, Ev laughed. "Sure, Dad. We'll be there in a couple of minutes."
"Yes, sir, Colonel", I piped in.
After dinner, we cleaned the table and washed the dishes, while the Colonel went to his study and shut the door. Evan and I horsed around a bit, but Ev was noticeably more subdued than usual, and I assumed that at home he wasn't quite as rambunctious as he was at school.
The telephone rang, and it turned out to be some of Evan's old high school pals, who had known he was getting back that day. I could hear Ev laughing and talking, and then arguing a bit with someone on the other end. Finally, I heard him say, "Okay, but just for a bit, right? It's my first day back, and I don't want to ruin it for him." Then he hung up the phone, and walked into the living room where I was idly flipping through some magazines. "My buddies want to get together. They'd like to meet you, too. I told 'em just for a little bit, 'cause I don't want to disappoint the Colonel our first day here. That okay with you?"
"Sure, that's fine." I said.
Ev walked over and knocked on the closed study door. "Colonel? May I come in?" He disappeared inside for a bit, then walked back out, a little crestfallen, I could see.
"He said okay, but I think he's a little hurt. He understands how it is with pals, though." Evan stated.
"Ev, if you don't want to, I don't..."
He interrupted, "No, no, it's okay. He just wants us to be back before 11. He likes to lock up about then and lights out, you know?" I think Ev was a little embarrassed that we had a curfew, but I didn't mind.
"That's cool, Ev. It gives us an excuse to come back early, and I'm pretty tired, anyway." I said."And besides, I'm looking forward to getting into bed tonight!" I teased, getting my own back at him.
He laughed. "You _s_h_i_t_! Just you wait..." and then his face froze. He looked back at the study door, and was noticeably relieved to see it still shut. "Whew! That was close!"
My mind did a double-take, and suddenly I understood that Ev and his father still had definitely defined places in their relationship, and Ev was afraid to cross the lines. Part of me wouldn't admit that I knew exactly what those lines were, and that crossing them probably meant the same thing to the Colonel that it did to my uncle, J. D. I was going to be forced to admit it, though, and much sooner than I thought!
Ev's friends showed up at the ranch soon after that, and we went out with them to their old high school, which was deserted at this time of the year, and at night. They were all nice enough guys, definitely Texas boys, and still in awe of Evan , his high school accomplishments on the basketball team, and his new-found European sophistication.
A lot of adolescent kidding went on, and joking, and the tone of the evening eventually degenerated to the inevitable, that mix of swaggering masculinity and bravado common to young men of that age the world over. Soon enough, one of the guys brought out a six-pack of beer, and amidst much jeering and teasing, Ev and I were eventually egged into drinking a beer with them. One beer led to another, and then another, and soon enough we had to make a trip to the liquor store where we purchased another six-pack, one of the guys having false identification.
We were all a bit drunk when Evan looked at his watch, and yelped out loud! "Holy _s_h_i_t_! We gotta go, guys! It's 10 after 12, and I told my dad we'd be home at 11!"
One of the boys jeered, "Aw, hell, Evan, what's the big deal! Got a curfew?"
Evan shouted, "No! We just gotta go! It's our first night here, and I promised my dad! Let's go, now!" He was really upset, and his friends suddenly quit teasing him.
"Sure, Ev, okay, we'll go! Take it easy, man. We'll go!" the driver, Gene, said.
Evan was a nervous wreck on the way back to the ranch, and I was becoming uncomfortably sure that I knew the reason why. "Oh God, please, please let me be wrong!" I whispered to myself. But I was sure, deathly sure, that I wasn't. We pulled up to the gate of the ranch, and could see through the fence that the lights were still on in the house, and now the porch light was on, too.
Ev scrambled out of the car, jerking me by the arm with him, and turning to the open driver's window, whispered, "Go! Get outta here! Now!"
Gene, still half drunk and looking puzzled, just said, "Sure, Ev. It'll be cool, don't worry. See ya." and with that, turned the car around and was gone into the night.
Evan and I were both stone cold sober now, and Evan was still gripping me by the arm, so tightly that it actually hurt. He started up the drive, but I jerked my arm away, and said, "Hey, Ev, don't worry, it'll be..."
"Just shut up, M...!"he interrupted me. "Be quiet! And for God's sake, no matter what happens, don't interfere! Just be quiet, and do whatever the Colonel tells you to do. He's going to be pissed! Oh hell..." Evan moaned, because at that moment, the door opened, and the Colonel was standing there, watching us, as quiet and still as the Rock of Gibralter. My knees turned to water when I saw the look on his face, though; he was angry, very, very angry, and his eyes were the coldest things I had ever seen.
Evan and I reached the porch, and Evan began immediately, "Dad, I'm sorry! Really, Dad, we're sorry! We didn't notice what the time was, and we were having fun with the guys, and it just got away from us!"
The Colonel didn't say a word, but opened the screen door and let us scurry past him into the living room. He shut the door after us, and turning out the porch light, turned to stand there and stare at us, silently, waiting. He was wearing sweatpants and an athletic tee, and I can remember stupidly thinking that he had a magnificent physique, and shoulders just as straight, and even broader than Ev's. God, the things that run through your mind when it's panicked!
Evan began again, "Honestly, Dad, I'm sorry! I didn't realize..."
The Colonel cut him off. "I smell beer."
We must have looked like deer caught in the headlights. Not a word passed Evan's lips, nor mine. I felt Ev's hand shaking against my side, though, and that scared me more than anything else. What was going on? I knew, but couldn't admit it, that we were in trouble, big trouble, and what frightened me the most was to see and feel Evan reduced to this state of panic and terror. What did he know that I didn't?
"Yes sir, Colonel." came from Evan. Well, I thought, at least we don't have to keep our lies straight.
"It's 12:20 in the morning. You know that, don't you, boys."
It wasn't a question. It wasn't even really a statement, it was our sentence, and I could tell that Ev knew it.
"Yes, Sir," We both said, Ev's voice much more subdued than mine.
"I had hoped that we were through with this, Evan. But I can see now that we're not. I can see now that you've picked up some bad habits in Europe. Some habits you know I don't approve of, that I dislike. And your friend here, M..., obviously has, too. I can't worry about him, though, that's up to his family. But you, Evan, you I can, and will, correct. I'm sure you remember the talk we had before you left for school. You know I have always meant what I've told you, that I have always kept my word. Don't you?" the Colonel said.
"Yes, Sir." Evan whispered.
"Then go and get it." from the Colonel.
"Oh, please, sir, please! Not now, not here! Later, please! After M.... leaves...." Ev pleaded.
"Evan!" was all he said, but it sent waves of fear down my spine, and suddenly I wanted to be anywhere, even at home with my father, instead of here!
"Yes, Sir..."Evan whispered, and his voice shook. Ev turned, and clumsily made his way to the hallway, and then out of sight. I could here him going to the study.
The Colonel turned to me, and stared straight into my eyes. I became petrified, like a mouse looking at the eyes of a cobra. "Sit down, boy. There, on the sofa. You are at fault here, too, but I can't correct you. So you will witness Evan's correction, and understand that he will take your share of it for you. Do you understand?" the Colonel said to me.
I wanted to run, to turn and yell "Stop it! You can't do this! It isn't fair! Leave me alone. Leave Evan alone. Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" but I didn't. I didn't because I knew. I knew this was real, this was happening, whether I wanted it to or not. A very particular moment of truth had arrived for me, and I knew that this was going to happen when I had stepped off that plane and first seen the Colonel. That feeling, the one in the pit of my stomach, was fully alive now, twisting and turning, with a life of it's own, and oh god I liked it. I hated it and I liked it. I could feel my _c_o_c_k_ getting hard inside my pants, and I knew that was part of the feeling, too. I wanted this to happen, I wanted to see Ev "corrected", and I wanted to watch this Norse god do it. I felt my father, and Lt. Cuypers, and my uncle J. D. all staring at me, all smiling at me, and I wanted to beg this man to "correct" me too. But I couldn't do that, so I just said, "Yes, Sir," and went and sat on the sofa, facing the fireplace.
Evan came back to the living room, holding something in his hand that I couldn't see, trying to hide it from my view. He walked up to the colonel, and stood there with his head downcast, and I could see that he was shaking as he handed him whatever he was carrying.
"Evan," the Colonel began, "you knew what the consequences were for misbehavior when you left, and that those consequences would still be in effect when you returned. You made me a promise this evening that you would return by 11, and you didn't. You know that I have always forbidden alcohol to my family, and you drank. Perhaps worst of all, you involved your friend in your misbehavior, and then tried to evade the consequences. Is this correct?"
"Yes, Sir" Ev whispered. I could feel my heart beating, and my palms sweating, and when I heard Ev's voice, I could feel tears start into my eyes, as I knew what was coming. I could also feel my _c_o_c_k_ throbbing in my pants, and the mixture of fear and eroticism was indescribable.
"You are a man, Evan. But you are still my son, and I still have a God-given duty to guide you, and raise you as I see fit. I am still your father, and always will be. You are under my roof, and I am responsible for your well-being. You are going to be corrected for your misbehavior. And you will receive the correction for your friend's misbehavior. Do you understand, and agree?" the colonel spoke softly to Evan.
"Yes, Sir" Ev whispered even more softly.
"Then you know the procedure, Evan. Begin." from the Colonel again.
"Yes, Sir" Ev said, a bit more loudly. Then he stood straight and tall, and looking quickly at me, cast me a look that all but said, "If you are my friend, you'll stand by me." I was, and as Evan began the "procedure", I was filled with love and pride for him.
"Sir!" Evan began,"I have misbehaved, Sir! I came home late, Sir! And I drank beer knowing you forbid it, Sir! I deserve punishment, Sir! Please correct my misbehavior, so that I won't repeat my mistakes, Sir!"
I was stunned.
"Assume the position, Evan!" the Colonel barked.
Ev turned and walked to the fireplace, immediately in front of where I was sitting. Without looking right or left, he began to take off his clothes, piece by piece, folding them and handing them to me without looking at me. I had seen Ev naked, of course, but here in this room, in the dim light from the table lamp, and with his father standing behind him, waiting, I looked at Evan as if I had never seen him before. He was beautiful, and knowing that he was soon to be punished made me want him desperately. I was keyed to a fever pitch of eroticism, and as Ev was at last completely naked, I was overwhelmed, and felt myself breathing harsh and ragged, as if in _s_e_x_ual activity.
Evan stood at parade rest, naked, his _s_e_x_ softly dangling in front of him, and then reached forward to grab two andirons that were forged into the floor of the fireplace. This caused him to be bent over, his legs slightly spread, and his buttocks fully exposed and slightly open, excruciatingly vulnerable. The skin was snow-white, and the mere thought of the red welts so soon to be there almost made me climax, as I watched Ev tense and untense his muscles. He was waiting, and so was I.
"Evan?" said the Colonel.
"Please, Daddy, spank me hard, so that I won't misbehave again." Evan said, and at the word Daddy, I felt myself begin to throb, my _c_o_c_k_ beginning the long, slow spiral towards climax.
The Colonel stepped forward, and then I saw what he had been holding in his hand. It was a paddle, the paddle Ev had described to me on the plane. It wasn't a ping-pong paddle, though, as it was more elongated, about 6" wide and 18" long, thick with what I knew to be leather casing, and wrapped completely in electrical tape so that it was solid black. He took his position behind Evan, and swinging the paddle back, brought it forward with an incredible force and sound to land on Ev's quivering buttocks... WHACK!!!! the sound reverberated throughout the room, and I could see Ev visibly shudder and shake with the force of the blow. WHACK!!!! again, and WHACK!!!! and WHACK!!!! again, a bright red blossom of pain appearing immediately across Ev's snow white skin, as his knees involuntarily buckled a bit before he caught himself. WHACK!!!! WHACK!!!! again, and I heard a low moan escape Ev's lips as another welt appeared, as if by magic, across the lower cheeks of his butt. Oh, God... WHACK!!!! again, and WHACK!!!! again, and WHACK!!!! again, and WHACK!!!! again, and now a continuous low moan was coming from Evan, a steady sound of pain and humiliation, the sound of punishment...... WHACK!!!! WHACK!!!! WHACK!!!! WHACK!!!! WHACK!!!! WHACK!!!!WHACK!!!! WHACK!!!! WHACK!!!! WHACK!!!!
I heard a sob escape Ev's lips, and knew that he had reached the point of real crying, and tears, and that the punishment was becoming his universe, the paddle his only world...I looked up briefly at the Colonel, and saw, to my complete and utter amazement, tears streaming down his face, as he swung the paddle with considerable force against Ev's reddening ass. He was crying, too! Crying for having to punish his boy, crying at having to spank him like this, naked and in front of his friend. At that, when I heard Ev's sob, and saw the Colonel's tears, I, too, began to cry, and at the same time came violently in my jeans, the climax bringing a wracking groan from my own lips, thankfully unheard in the sounds of the paddle and Ev's crying.
"Stand up, Evan" came from the Colonel.
I watched as Evan shakily stood upright, his chest heaving with unspent sobs, and his arms trembling by his sides. His ass was bright red, and where the welts crossed each other, I could see small, brighter red lines that would be impossibly tender and sore.
"Turn around, son." again from the Colonel.
Evan turned around, and both the Colonel and I noticed at the same time Ev's monstrous erection, jutting out wildly into the air, trembling in time to Evan's ragged breathing. The Colonel seemed to ignore it, though, as he lowered the paddle, and wiped the sweat and the tears from his face.
" Well, son?" he said.
"Thank you for the spanking, D..D..Daddy. I was bad, and I deserved it. I'm s..s..sorry for my misbehavior." Ev's voice came out in gasps and stutters, and his hands crept back to hold his buttcheeks and tremblingly rub them while he spoke.
The Colonel turned, and pierced me with a glance as hot as his previous ice-cold stare. He said, "Well, son?"
I stood up, and the Colonel's eyes went immediately to my crotch, where the tell-tale stain of my ejaculation was patently apparent to all of us. His eyes came slowly back to mine, and I spoke; "Yes, Sir. I'm sorry for my misbehavior, too. I'm sorry that Evan had to be punished for my sake, Sir. I'm terribly, terribly sorry, Sir."
The Colonel stared at me for a while longer, and then apparently satisfied with my answer, turned back to Evan; "Son, I want you to know that I'm sorry I had to spank you, too. You deserved it, and I had to do it, but that doesn't mean I like it. Now listen carefully, son. Earlier this evening I heard you use profanity in this house. I suspect that you are in the habit of using it often. And I notice that both you and your friend have had certain reactions to tonight's punishment. I'm not sure what that means, but I don't like the outcome here tonight. So right now, I want both of you to go to bed, and get some sleep. But tomorrow, after chores, I want you to be at the Tree (you could hear the capital T). I'm sorry to have to do this, son, but I don't think I have any choice. Do you understand?"
I had no idea what the Colonel was talking about, but apparently Evan did, because much to my shock, he burst into tears, now, after the spanking was over! He began to cry like a little boy, a well-spanked little boy, and as I watched that beautiful body shake with his sobs, I had a terrible, sinking feeling that somehow it was going to get worse.
"Oh, D..D..Daddy, yes sir, I understand, but please, Sir, please...!!!" Evan pleaded, the tears running down his face, his burning bottom forgotten in light of this new and dire punishment looming on the dawn's horizon.
"No nonsense, now, Evan! Tomorrow, after chores, you and M... are to be waiting for me at the Tree!" the Colonel barked.
"Yes, Sir!" Ev whispered. With that, Evan picked his clothes up from the sofa, and turned to walk over to his father, and to my utter amazement, reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Daddy." he said.
I started to follow him out of the room, but was shocked to feel the Colonel grab my arm and stop me in my tracks. He reached down, and as I stood there numb and in terror, rubbed his had across the wet front of my jeans, looking at his palm. Then he looked up at me, and even now, twenty years later, I can still see his face, utterly inscrutable, as he stared at me, knowing I had come in my pants while watching him spank Evan. Staring at me, staring at me, and my stomach dropping to my feet, and my head feeling light, and his other hand on my arm feeling burning hot. He dropped my arm, finally, and looked away.
"Go to bed." was all he said.
I walked in to the bedroom, and shutting the door, began to undress by the single nightlight burning on my side of the bed. I could hear Ev still crying, quietly, in the dark, and in my mind's eye could see him bent over in front of the fireplace, receiving his spanking and the sound of that paddle echoing in my ears.
I crawled under the covers, and hesitantly, gently, reached over and put my hand on Ev's shoulder, shaking under the blanket.
"Oh, Ev, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. I didn't know...I didn't know. I'm sorry, Ev." was all I could say.
Then, as I whispered to him, to my complete surprise, Evan turned over and grabbed me, crushing me in his arms, and putting his head in the crook between my neck and chest, began to cry in earnest. As his sobs poured out, and his tears rolled down my chest, I held him, and kept stroking his back and head, muttering nonsense sounds, and whispering, "Go ahead, cry, it's okay, Ev, it's okay, I'm here, go ahead, it's okay..." over and over.
After the first round of his tears had passed, Evan quieted a bit, and said, "No, no, no....you don't understand, ...no, no..it's not over...it'll be worse, a thousand times worse.....oh god...no, no, no,....it's the Tree, you don't understand...." and then another fit of tears and sobs carried him away, and I just kept holding and stroking him.
Evan finally cried it all out, and exhausted, turned over and fell into fitful sleep. I kept my arms around him, and as I started to drift away, feeling the heat from his spanked buttcheeks warming my groin and stirring my _s_e_x_, I thought, "Whatever tomorrow is about, I swear Ev won't go through it alone. I swear he won't...Whatever it's about...whatever the Tree is....whatever.." and fell away into a deep but restless sleep. **** to be continued****