Robert Williams had got into a spot of bother at school for which he got six of the best. His mother and the Assistant Headmaster decided that Robert needed some lessons in self discipline and so enroled him at Lester House, a Weekend School designed to help boys that needed purpose in life. Robert's mother had driven him to the school and introduced him to Mr Northrop who in turn handed him onto Mr Heslip. Mr. Heslip after giving Robert a brief run down of what was expected went to the door and called for a boy named Gooder.
Now read on:
When Gooder arrived Mr Heslip said, "Gooder, this is Williams. You are to mentor him this weekend. Williams, this is Gooder. He will teach you what goes on around here. Also if you do anything that deserves punishment Gooder will take the punishment. And before you say anything, the same will apply to you when it is your turn to mentor someone. This way we ensure that all boys learn quickly what the rules are. Right boys, I'll leave you to get on with it." He left them and headed back down the corridor towards his own room.
After he left, Gooder turned to Robert, "You are going to laugh, but my name is Bill, actually William, but no one except my mother calls me that."
"I'm Robert. What was that bit about you being punished if I do something that breaks the rules?"
"You read the prospectus didn't you?"
"Yeah, well for all that plus if you play up in class or play the fool on the field. Also if you are cheeky to one of the teachers. Depending on the crime you can be belted or caned on the backside.."
"What bare?"
"No, but they make you change into your sports shorts with no underpants, so it is just about as bad as getting it bare. You always get it after dinner before you do your evening work. These chairs here are uncomfortable after a dabbing. Now we have time before dinner so I'll show you around. My room is next door, but we share the bathroom between us. Now if I'm having a shower you can come in and brush your teeth, but if I'm sitting on the can, I'll lock the door. Ok?"
"Ok I'll do the same." Now along here are the two classrooms. There are comunal toilets here as well so you don't have to rush back along to your room. Straight after breakfast Mr Northrop will read out your name and tell you which room to report to. Don't muck about or you get whacked. They are very hot on doing things straight away with no questions.
Dinner is in about 10 minutes and after that you hand in your weekly assignment. As you don't have any this week, you will get off scott free."
"I got the cane at school on Tuesday, six and I'm still feeling it when I sit down."
"When we get back to our rooms later you can show me after showering. If we are caught wanking or any thing fishy you get a real thrashing."
Robert resolved to be careful. They went downstairs to dinner. Bill showed Robert the lounge and the common room. This is where all the whacking is done, in front of all the staff and all the boys. Usually one or two a night get it. The most I have seen on one occasion was five, after they had been caught smoking. By the way if you get told you are on report, then you must wear your sports shorts, without underpants, to dinner and into here after dinner."
"So everyone will know you are going to be whacked?"
"Exactly. These guys make sure the build up is terrible so that the hiding when it comes is a relief and they are hoping that by the time you are finished here you don't want to get into trouble again."
"The times when I've been caned there was only my friend Roger and when I got six the other day I had to wait outside while he got it first then it was my turn."
"That must have been rough."
"Yes, when I got home my undies were sticking to my bum and I found that I was bleeding in a couple of places."
"Were you bare?"
"No I was wearing what I'm wearing now, shorts underpants, shirt and jersey."
"Well you will feel it when you get whacked here, but they have never made anyone bleed." Just as Bill said this there was a muted chime that sounded. "There's the dinner bell. You'll find that the food is plain, but good."
"I don't have any fancy tastes." They went into dinner.
When all had assembled at the tables, Mr Northrop said grace. Before eating however he welcomed Robert.
"Robert Williams please stand." Robert stood feeling his face go red with embarrasment.
"Gentlemen, this is Robert Williams. He is with us for the next eight weekends. Robert, you will get to know the boys and us masters over this weekend. Here we try to teach you the right and good things in life, and steer you away from the bad. Carryon with dinner boys." Robert sat thankfully.
After dinner all the boys handed in assignments including Bill. Then they went to the lounge and watched the news on TV. After the news there was a current affairs program on and just as it started Mr Northrop came and called for Gerald Thompson.
"Ah, said Bill, "his assignments been marked and he will either get praised or punished depending on the result. If he is to be punished he has to go and change into his sports shorts and wait in the passage outside the common room until all assignments have been gone through." After ten minutes and Gerald had not come back, Mr Northrop reappeared at the door.
"Benjamin Brown." Rolling his eyes a boy with bright red hair got up and left the room. In five minutes he was back smiling.
"I did very well." Mr Northrop was right behind him.
"Clarance White." Again Clarance came back in five minutes with a grin. Over the next 15 minutes the rest of the boys were called and all came back smiling with relief.
Then Mr Northrop called, "William Gooder, and bring Robert Williams with you." The two stood and looked at each other. They followed Mr Northrop along the passage and entered his office.
"Gooder, normally when I talk about assignments it is only you and I. However as I am sure you remember from your first weekend, when you are mentoring someone, they come with you to see what happens. Williams, I want you to watch how we do things around here this weekend closely.
"Yes Sir."
"Right Williams. Gooder, I am not very happy with the work you have done over the last week. It is apparent that you have not even tried to do the set assignment even halfway."
"Sir, I had to do extra cricket practice for a game coming up against Bexley College....."
"Enough excuses you were told when you first came that games and practices for games were not an excuse. You are still expected to complete the assignment. You may get ready to receive punishment. I want you to join Thompson in the corridor. Go." Williams, you wait in the corridor also, you will not be punished this time, but as I said I believe that if you see what happens to those that don't do as they are told, it will spur you on to perform properly." While Mr Northrop was talking, Bill had left the office with a bright red face. Robert left after Mr Northrop motioned for him to go. He went out into the passage and waited with Thompson who stood in a white Tee shirt, white cotton shorts, socks and trainers. A short time later Bill came up dressed the same and stood quietly.
Mr Northrop came up with a cane and a tawse in one hand. The tawse had twin fingers about halfway along it as far as Robert could see. The three boys followed him into the room.
"Williams, normally when you do something to get on report you are punished in front of the whole group. But, for not doing your assignments during the week, you are punished just in front of the other non performers. Thompson, go to the chair."
Gerald Thompson looked briefly at Mr Northrop and then walked over to a sturdy straight backed chair. He turned it so the the seat was facing away from him and then bent over the back.
"Down further than that Thompson."
Thompson bent over till his hands were gripping halfway down the front legs. Mr Northrop picked up the tawse from where he had placed it.
"You are going to get four strokes of the heavy tawse Thompson." With that he stepped up behind Thompson and a loud whack sounded as the leather met the tightened seat of the shorts. There was a pause and another whack sounded. Robert saw Thompson clench his buttocks and try to move forward. Mr Northrop waited until he was still and then the tawse was raised for the next stroke which came crashing down even harder than the first two. There was a subdued yelp from Thompson. The last stroke was administered and Robert saw it land right down near the hem of the shorts.
"Yooouch," cried Thompson, but didn't try to stand until told.
"You may stand and go and wait by Williams. Gooder go to the chair." While speaking Mr Nmorthrop put down the tawse on the lecturn and picked up the cane and flexed it. Bill bent over the chair and Robert marvelled at the wonderful sight of his buttocks that filled the tight shorts.
"Gooder you are to receive six strokes as this is the second time in a month that you have not done your assignment correctly and up to standard." This time Mr Northrop stood a little to the left of Bill and slightly behind him. He raised the cane. With a transfer of weight to his forward foot he brought the cane down in a smooth wide arc. The cane swished through the air and landed with a loud whack. To the watching Robert, it seemed as though the cane had momentarily disappeared into Bill's stretched bottom, then as it was lifted away, he could see exactly where it had landed as the weal showed through the thin material. Bill stayed still.
The second stroke landed just above the first. The third landed below the first. This time Robert saw Bill's hands tighten on the chair legs. The fourth landed this time below the the third. Robert could see that Mr Northrop was working his way down to the crease where buttock meets thigh. Each weal showing through the thin material of the stretched shorts. Mr Northrop could see exactly where to lay the next stripe. The fifth landed just above the crease, then the sixth right on the crease. There was a pause, Robert could see Bill's buttocks moving slightly as he tried to deal with the pain that had been inflicted upon his backside.
Finally Mr Northrop spoke, "You may stand up Gooder. Next time do your assignments properly and remember why you were sent here." With that he turned towards the door picking up the tawse from the lectern where he had laid it, "You all may go to your rooms and do any homework that you have." He left the room leaving the three boys looking at each other.
As soon as the doorway was clear, Bill grabbed at his buttocks grimancing as he did so, "Christ that lot hurt." He looked at Robert, "I'll see you upstairs in a minute."
"I've got some Solarcaine that might be helpful," said Robert, and with Thompson left to his own devices they left the room. Upstairs Robert went to his gear and got out the Solarcaine and took it into the bathroom. Bill was already there with his shorts down, looking over his shoulder at his bum in the mirror.
"Here's the Solarcaine, if you rub it on the affected area it will take some of the heat away," he told Bill with a smile.
"_s_h_i_t_ Bob, I couldn't get you to do it for me could I?"
"No way buddy, I don't want to be dragged into more trouble than I'm in now." However Robert watched while Bill carefully massaged his burning behind with the soothing cream. "Ok, I'm going to get my homework done. I'll see you in the morning." There was no reply from Bill. After seeing Bill get the cane he was not going to get into trouble if he could avoid it. He forgot about showing Bill the bruises still on his buttocks from the caning he had earlier in the week. He settled down at the desk and did his homework from school.
The next morning a bell ringing in the passage outside his door woke Robert. Looking at his watch he quickly leap out of bed and rushed to the bathroom to shower and go to the toilet.
He had just finished his shower when Bill poked his head around his door and asked, "Are you decent?"
"Yeah, come on in. I'm beautiful enough, I don't have to primp any longer."
"Listen to you. I'll see you in fifteen minutes for breakfast."
"Ok. Say after breakfast is there time to do things before lessons start?"
"What do you want to do?"
"Number 2."
"Number 2? What is that?"
"You know.....sit on the toilet........I always go after breakfast."
"Look at you your face is as red as a beet." Then relenting, "Yeah there's time for that."
After breakfast Mr Northrop announced where each boy was to spend the first period. Then Robert went to the toilet and then got ready for the day. He went to the designated classroom and found Bill and Gerald Thompson already there. Two other boys came in just after Robert. One was Ian Goldsmith and the other was John Timins.
Mr Northrop came into the room and the lessons were set. Robert found himself with a geography assignment and was told he could go to the library where there was an extensive collection of books, to do some research for his assignment. After finding exactly where the library was Robert went there and soon found himself immersed in an interesting article about the country that he was studying. After one hour he had made copious notes and when the bell sounded he went back to the classroom as he had been instructed.
Mr Northrop asked Robert for the notes that he had made. "I will go over this and make comments, meanwhile here is your history assignment. Let us see how you go with that."
"Thank you Sir."
At the end of the history assignment there was a short break and then an hour of exercises led by Mr Heslip. Robert found he was really enjoying studying as he had been left to his own devices instead of being interupted all the time. It was already evident to him that there were very clear guidelines on appropriate behaviour and what happened to your bum if you stepped out of line. Instead of feeling angry at his mother and Mr Williams, the Assistant Head at Bexley, he was starting to think that they may have done him a favour by sending him the Weekend School. Then it was a quick shower and then a 45 minute period for maths, before lunch time.
After lunch there was more of the same until the last period of the day which was a review of the day with questions having to be answered about what they had studied durring the day. Robert was pleased to learn that he had made it through the day without getting into trouble and that he was doing well. He was able to answer all the questions put to him in a very satisfactory way and Mr Northrop smiled his approval. Gerald Thompson was not so lucky. He was told that he was on report for 'not trying hard enough' and 'I know you can do better than that.'
Then with, "Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes boys," Mr Northrop left the room.
Heading upstairs Robert passed Gerald in the passage. Gerald was looking mournful and was rubbing his backside with his left hand as though he was already trying to take the sting away. Robert went into dinner with Bill and enjoyed the meal. There was one other boy to be punished as well as Gerald, Don Smart. After dinner Mr Northrop told them all to go to the common room.
In the common room, Bill showed Robert where to stand and then they waited, the two boys to be punished standing apart from the rest. Mr Northrop entered to room carrying a cane.
"Thompson, go to the chair and bend over. For wasting my time as well as yours, you are to receive four strokes." By now Gerald was bent over the chair and the four strokes were administered, all on the lower part of the buttocks. "Get up boy. Smart, go to the chair." Don went to the chair and bent over. For being insolent to Mr Greenslade, after being warned twice to stop, you are to receive six strokes." This time Robert could see that Mr Northrop put his weight behind each stroke and by the time the last stroke had landed Don was well done.
"Get up Smart." The watching boys could see the tears falling silently down Don's cheeks. "Let that be a lesson to any of you here that nonsense of the type that Smart tried today, will not be tolorated. The movie tonight is _d_a_m_n_ The Defiant, I hope you all enjoy it." With that he left the room. Robert was wondering if he would offer the Solarcaine to Don, when Don rushed from the room.
"Probably gone to cry in his room," said Bill looking at Robert.
Sunday was a repeat of Saturday's activities and Robert was rather glad that he got two assignments that he was to have finished by next weekend. Mr Northrop told him that he could take two books with him from the library to help with the assignments and that he expected the same amount of work from Robert that he had shown he was capable of this weekend.
Then it was 5pm and his mother's car arrived to take him back home.........