Since arriving at my home the last day of the Easter holidays the boys had, as far as I could tell, been trying very hard at school. I was also pleased with their general attitude. I had not had any complaints about them from Miss Fowler, the housekeeper, and I was satisfied with the standard of schoolwork they were all producing. Their work was not of a particularly high standard but, allowing for their previous upbringing with parents who could not care less about their children, I was reasonably satisfied. I had told them all they must do their best, which was all I could ask, and they appeared to be doing so.
On the Friday of the second week of term I was met by Miss Fowler on my return home and told that the eldest boy, 12 year old Victor, had not returned on the school bus with the other two children but had arrived home about an hour later and had not offered a satisfactory explanation. I thanked Miss Fowler and decided I would raise the issue with the child at dinner. After finishing the evening meal it was the childrens' responsibility to wash and dry the cutlery and crockery which had been used but on this occasion before telling them to do so I told Victor to stand up. "Why were you late home this evening Victor ?" I enquired and noticed that the boy appeared unable to look me in the eye. He shuffled uneasily without answering and so I spoke again, more firmly this time. "When I ask you a question child I expect an answer. Now WHY WERE YOU LATE HOME ?" Victor stared down at his feet and my patience began to wear thin. "Look me in the eye, boy, and tell me why you were late home".
Victor raised his head to look me in the eye and mumbled "I stayed behind to help, dad". The boys had decided to call me dad rather than sir when they decided to stay with me instead of going into care.
"To help who and doing what" I demanded.
"To help clear litter, dad with two other boys from my class"
"Why did you not tell Miss Fowler or me you were going to be late?" I asked. This question was met by another downward stare. It suddenly dawned on me the boy's decision to clear litter was not his but that of a teacher, Iwas sure Victor had been put in detention and decided to probe further. Craig and Robert, Victor's younger brothers were sitting quite silent and motionless, fearful of the fate that was surely going to befall their elder brother. I pressed on with the interrogation "I asked you why you told no one you were going to be late".
"I don't know, dad"
"Very well, I shall phone the school tomorrow and tell your form teacher that in future if you decide to stay behind to clear litter or perform any other task out of the goodness of your heart I expect to be told. What do you think Mrs Styles (the boy's form teacher) would say to that"?
The boy could not look at me and I noticed him wipe a tear from the corner of his eye. I ordered him to look at me and asked him straight out "Were you given a detention Victor?" Victor nodded. "Why were you given a detention"? I pressed on.
It turned out that Victor and the two other boys had been kept behind because they had kicked over a litter bin in the playground during break and had been seen by a member of staff. As was school policy the detention was to take place the following day. The offence had happened on Thursday and the children were expected to tell their parents of the detention the following day. Victor however had not mustered sufficient courage to do so. Consequently I lectured him for around 5 minutes on the importance of telling the truth and of facing the consequences of his actions. Finally came the words he had been dreading. "After you have helped Craig and Robert wash and dry the dinner things you will report to my study". Immediately after saying this I rose and proceeded to my study to decide on the severity of the punishment I was about to administer.
The dinner crockery and cutlery dried Craig and Robert entered the lounge and sat in front of the t. v. Victor had to proceed past the lounge to the next room, my study. The two younger boys decided not to turn on the telly as they wanted to hear, through the thin wall, what was about to befall their older brother. Victor, meanwhile, knocked on my study door. "COME IN", I boomed "and close the door behind you". Victor approached the desk behind which I sat. "Do you remember what I said when you first arrived here about behaviour?" I asked. The boy nodded. "Do you remember what I said would happen if you misbehaved"? Another nod. "Then tell me what I said on the day you arrived".
"You said we would be punished severely, dad" the child replied. I asked if he remembered the instrument of punishment which would be used. He nodded and I ordered him to tell me what I had said on his first day. "You said it would be the slipper for the first time, then the cane, then the riding whip". I reminded him I had not quite said that.
"I told you for MINOR misbehaviour I would use the slipper, Victor. Not for the first time you misbehaved. I consider kicking over a litter bin at school to be a disgraceful piece of behaviour and one which deserves the cane, not the slipper. What do you have to say about that?"
"Oh please dad no. I won't ever do it again, honest. Please can't I have the slipper"
"No, definitely not. I will not tolerate this sort of nonsense. Also as you are the eldest I expect you to set an example to Craig and Robert. Now strip naked." The last three words I spoke in a shout to ensure that the other 2 boys, who I felt sure were straining to hear every word through the wall which separated my study from the lounge, were aware what would surely happen to them if they transgressed.
"Oh No! Please not naked, dad" Victor protested.
"NAKED ! NOW !!" I ordered. Slowly Victor removed his white t-shirt which he folded and, as instructed, placed on my desk Then he took off his white ankle socks which he placed next to his t shirt. Then slowly he lowered his black soccer shorts finally stepping out of them and put them onto the desk with the other clothing. He stood facing me now clad only in tiny green briefs. "When I say naked I mean NAKED !!!" I roared. Victor, tears running down his cheeks, slowly lowered the mini briefs and finally stepped out of them and they joined the other articles on my desk. I rose from my chair and strode to a leather armchair in the corner of the room. I pulled it to where the naked boy was standing and noticed with satisfaction that the arms of the chair were approximately the same height as the boys waist. I then strode quickly to a cupboard in the corner of the study, opened the door, and withdrew a long bamboo cane with a curved handle. I walked back to where the now sobbing boy stood flexing the fearsome instrument. "Bend over the chair, Victor," I commanded and the child obeyed bending over one arm with his hands outstretched clutching the other. "You will remain in this position until I tell you to get up. If you make any attempt to move or to cover your bottom with your hands I shall begin the punishment again from number 1. Do you understand". The boy sobbed his understanding and I stepped back to take aim and also to allow the boy a few moments of respite before his punishment commenced. I then drew back my arm and, with a flowing movement ending with a flick of the wrist, cracked the cane against the exposed 12 year old backside which elicited a howl of pain. I repeated this action on 5 further occasions. Each stroke bringing forth a scream of distress from the child. After administering the sixth and final stroke I commanded the child to stand with his hands on his head facing me. "Have you learned your lesson, Victor" I enquired. The boy was sobbing too much to answer but he nodded vigorously.
"Very well. You will now pick up your clothes and take them to your room. You will not put your clothes on but will remain naked for the rest of the evening. I want Craig and Robert to be aware of what will happen to them if they misbehave and the red stripes across your backside will, I am sure, act as a deterrent against naughtiness. Now get out."
Victor shuffled from the room and, having put his clothes upstairs, returned naked to join his siblings in the lounge. Craig and Robert, who I could hear through the thin wall, were excitedly interrogating their older brother about his ordeal. I was gratified to hear Victor remark after a while "I'm never ever going to do anything naughty again". But I doubted if this noble sentiment would in fact prove to be the case. Boys, as they say, will be boys and I fully expected further sessions in the study would be necessary before these particular children, given their previous upbringing, would become model citizens. As time would later prove how right I was ! .