NOTE: We are Italian, so please forgive our grammar mistakes, we hope you enjoy equally reading it.
PROLOGUE: Stefano Leone is an Italian writer 34 y. o. who lives in US. He adopted Michel, a French boy 13 y. o. The story starts during the first Michel's night in Leones' Home.
Michel woke up in the middle of the nigth. His biological time was again at European timezone, so the boy could not get sleeply again. He turned on the light, trying to think about next days: how many things he wanted to ask to dad, how many doubt, how many things to DO with him... Then the boy began to read his book but after some 30 minutes he needed to go to the bathroom.
He opened slowly the door of his room. The house was in the deep silence, quickly Michel went to the bathroom, he did what he had to do then while he washed his hands the boy had an idea in his mind... ' mmmm... pourqoi pas n'aller dans le caveau, pour regarder le vines de papà... regarder ce n'est pas boir, tout à fait...'
TRANSLATION: Michel thinks: why do not going to the winery to look Dad's wine? Looking is not drinking, isn't so?
Then Michel, very slowly and in the absolute silence, went downstairs until basement, opened the door of the winery and turned on the ligth.
"Wow!!! This place is fantastic!", and he started to explore.
In the right side there was white wine's zone, in the left red wine. In the middle, at bottom of the room, Michel saw bottles bigger... 'Il parait champagne.... allons-y regarder...'
TRANSLATION: Michel said "It seems Champagne... let's go see"
Yes, it was Champagne. Michel was excited looking the big, dark and dusty bottles. Some of the names on the label were familiar for the boy, he had always had a strong interest in wine, and it wasn't strange being France the homeland of Michel. In the silence of the winery Michel lookeed at many of the bottles and read the labels: St. Emillon, Chateaux Margaux, Chateneuf-du-Pape, Boche du Rhon, The Alsacian white wine, the Vin de Pays from Borgogne, Vin de Lorraine, Turenne, and the Italian wine: Barolo, Chianti, Brunello of Montalcino, .. and also an American section: California wines, and Michel thought that woul have been great to taste *everyone* of this wine!!!
After California, he found South-Africa and Australia, and then again in Europe, with Deutche and Hungarian wine. "It would took a thousand of years to drink all this wine" says Michel During the tour Michel of course took some bottles in his hand reading the label, being carefully... but not enough carefully.
'let's come back to bed, now. but before another look to the champagne...' Michel took a bottle of Taittinger, 1958. Full of dusty and with a beautiful label...then
CRASH!
Michel became pale as a dead, and he felt his heart missing a heartbeat. "oh _s_h_i_t_! _s_h_i_t_! I'm a stupid, stupid, stupid! Stephan will *kill* me for that! How could have i been so stupid! I found a dad and I'm *already* in trouble, and in so stupid way!" He would have started to cry, but he knew tears will not make the bottle undamaged... Michel gave a look around, then started to think how he could remedy to the disaster he made.
First of all he went to the stairs, no sound from upper floors. Stefano didn't heard the crash of the bottle, and this gave Michel sometime to clean floor and to hide broken glass. The boy, frightened and worried, but also angry with himself for his stupidity, began to remove broken glass, then he began to dry with some tatters. The floor was now a little dryer, but the smudge persisted. Michel found also a plastic bag, then he put in there broken glass and tatters. "where _f_u_c_k_ing i can put this _f_u_c_k_ed bag ? "
Michel could not go outside and hide in the garden, then he did the only possible thing (or so it seemed to him): the boy turned off the light, closed the door, climbed the stairs until first floor then went to his room. Inside the room, with door closed, Michel put the evidence of his brat on the top of the cabinet, helping himself with a chair. It seemed invisible, but the boy knew that he had to find a better place, or to find the way to get into trash. "merde, if Dad finds that i'm in a big trouble" said Michel with a wisper of voice, laying down in the bed and feeling a thousand of butterfly in his stomach.
And, to try forget the whole matter, what better of a plunge in the Middle-Earth? Michel restarted to read, and soon he slept again dreaming Legolas, Aragorn and a broken bottle...Maybe dad will not be Sauron!
A new day started. It was sunday morning in Leone's home.
Stefano got up at 9.30 am, that sunday he decided to skip his weekly jogging because he didn't want to leave Michel alone. Maybe next sunday Stefano would have invited Michel with him, but that day he preferred let sleep his boy.
Stefano looked in Michel's room, he was sleeping and Stefano didn't wake him. The Italian man went in the bathroom, he shaved off his short beard and washed. Then he dressed and went downstairs in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
"What do French people eat for breakfast" He asked to himself. He forgot to ask Michel what he liked. Stefano drank a glass of ice-tea, boiled water for tea and he warmed some milk, so Michel could choose between milk and tea. Then Stefano put biscuit tin and pancakes on the table. It was time to wake up Michel.
Stefano went upstairs and came in Michel's room, he sat on the bed and called sweetly:"Michel it's 10 you sleep a lot, had you good dreams? I hope now you are trained to US timezone"
"Mhnfhfhnnnfn" it was the first answer of the boy, who rubbed his eyes, looking Dad and trying to remember who was...where he is...and first of all WHEN he is...
"Good Morning Dad...." then Michel said, smiling at the man. "10? well, yes, i've slept a lot... dreams... i don't remember very well..."
Michel woke up and let him sat down on the bed, near to Dad, then he gave a look to the room: his clothesweare everywhere on the floor, that was the result of his search for swimsuit the previous day...The boy could not avoid to think to his previous home: a mess in his room should had as result a beating, for sure. It was not incidental that he NOT called "dad" his previous legal tutor...Stephan seemed, not, Stephan WAS another kind of man.
"Dad, excuse me for this mess. After breakfast i can put my clothes in the closet... " Michel said.
Stefano smiled "Well Michel, and after breakfast you should make your bed, so this room can again have a proper look"
After Michel answered Stefano said:"Bathroom is free, if you want you can have a quick shower. In the kitchen there's a breakfast wich was waiting for you. Do you prefer milk or tea?"
"Yes, a shower is what I need, for sure. Tea, daddy, please. I like also coffee, but Tea is ok. I go take shower and come quickly downstairs. " Michel answered.
Then Stefano accelerated Michel's waking up clapping hands with a smile and saying "Come on Michel, there's a shining sun outside"
"Ok Dad. Sun is good. Maybe we come back to the pool after breakfast... "
"If you eat pancakes and biscuits it's better if you don't go in the water. We can play ping-pong in the garden. Come on Michel, I'll wait you in the kitchen" Stefano repeated.
"Ping - Pong ? You bet I win with you, for sure! You're too old for this kind of game, Dad! " Those wee the last words of the boy, then bathroom's door is closed.
Stefano left Michel's room and went into the kitchen he turned off the gas under milk because Michel chose tea and Stefano didn't like milk. He put a tea bag in the boiling water and prepared a teacup on the table.
Michel then stood up, took a boxer and a shirt and went to the bathroom, giving a furtive and short look to the top of the closet: the bag with the broken glass was still invisible.
After the shower Michel went to the kitchen, where Dad and the breakfast wait for him.
Michel start to eat, soaking biscuit and pankake into his tea's cup. Then, between a bit and another the boy tolk to his Dad.
"Dad, you've to explain me about school, if you have already an idea about. Yesterday, at the Boy home, I read some brochure of the schools of this town, and I found it *all* very strict and not pleasant... Military Academy, for example. You DO NOT mean to send me there, don't you, Dad ?"
Stefano smiled, he never thought to enroll Michel in a military academy: "Don't worry son, you will not go in a military academy, I don't like having a soldier son. You'll go in a normal school". Stefano tranquilized him.
"Mhnnnnmmm.... a school were pupils give spanking to teachers?" Michel asked with a comic expression
"No Michel, I'm against corporal punishment in school. I think only a dad can spank his son. Naturally, I hope I don't have to do it". Stefano answered.
Then Stefano added:
"I remember yesterday you said you would like to watch 'Lord of the Rings', I'd like too, so we can go to the cinema this afternoon and after movie we can go round to Home Boys when I'll confirm your adoption. Is it ok?"
"Coooooooooool, Dad! I've seen the first episode at least 5 times, and I like it so much. But seeing the second one with *you*, well... it's another thing!", and Michel gave to Dad a 32-tenth smile...
After Michel finished his breakfast they went in the garden for ping pong match. Stefano offered to Michel a bat and got in position: "So do you believe to defeat me easily? We'll se about that, when I was a teen I was a good player and I didn't forget how doing that".
"Ok Dad, but you *were* a teen, and i'*am* a teen, so you're the looser one and I'm the winner one. That's the way." Michel said
Stefano was a very playful person and he did 3 matches against Michel: he won first 25-16, Michel won second 25-22 and Stefano won the last 25-20.
Michel didn't like to loose, but a defeat from Dad was not the same taste of those from friends...
"Dad, I let you win because you're my Dad and i respect you. Next time I'll engage myself at 100%, and for you it'll be another story...and then, old men need some satisfaction from life..." Michel said
Stefano teased with Michel: "Of course, you are very nice with your old dad".
When challenge was over Stefano said: "Good Michel, you're a hard challenger. We'll play together again, but now it's getting lat, I go inside and prepare steaks with potatoes for lunch. You can stay outside, but remember: don't go in the pool, you've just had breakfast and you could have a congestion. Ok?"
"Ok Dad... you're the boss, at least for the moment!" Michel teased so his Dad, but thinking that a quickly dive in the pool, with the fresh and inviting water... "I'll tell dad i fall down, i don't think he get angry for this, he likes joking!" the boy thought
"I'm the boss forever" Stefano teased too.
Then, after Dad disappeared into the house, Michel cut off his t-shirt and with a sound SPLASSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH he dived into the pool.
"Ahhh... that's better, my dives are pretty good!" Michel thought.
In the meantime Stefano came back inside and went to the kitchen. Stefano took two steaks from refrigerator and and put them on a frying pan. Stefano thought:"With this steak I need a good red wine" so he went downstairs to the winery.
He turned on light and went near bottles, but he felt something odd under his shoes. His right shoes was lightly pasted on the floor as it's dirty. At the first moment Stefano didn't understand what it was, then he bent down and he could see a sort of stain, he took, it was gluey. Stefano smelt his fingers and he immediately recognizes wine smell. That was a wedding invitation for a detective stories lover like Stefano. The solution was simple: somebody poured wine on the floor. Stefano looked for others clues and he found some very small piece of glass.
Now solution was clear: somebody broke a bottle of wine and it was easy discovery the guilty because day before when Stefano took white wine for dinner there isn't any stain. So Stefano could imagine Michel went to winery during the night and he broke the bottle. Stefano controlled bottles and he found the place when old bottle was placed, it was a Taittinger of 1958, a very good wine.
Stefano was very angry in that moment, Michel disobeyed him. Stefano said him to stay alone winery, but Michel didn't listen to him, he broke a bottle and hid everything. Stefano didn't want to punish his new son, he just arrived, but surely Stefano would have given him a good scolding.
He came back upstairs and went to garden looking for Michel, when Stefano found him he could not believe at his eyes: Michel was in the pool."This is enough" Stefano thought he was very mad like he never was been. Stefano went towards pool and shouted: "Michel!! Are you gone crazy?? I told you not going in the pool, come out immediately".
After Michel was out, Stefano gave him a towel and said:"Come inside, we have to do a long chat"
Michel, worried, came out from the water, grabbed the towel and tried to explain... also if he began to think that his little secret about winery disaster was no a secret anymore... dad could not be so angry only for a dive in the pool...
Trembling, pale, but not for the bath in the pool, Michel followed Dad in the house, and he started to defend himself
"Dad... i can explain...don't be angry, please. "
The eyes of the boy were always wet. He didn't want to cry, but he felt so miserable, and now Michel were afraid to get punished... and he did not want it!
The boy kept some meters between him and Dad, he didn't know what Dad wanted to do...and it was better to have some distance from Dad's hands...
"It was hot, and the water so fresh... i'm sorry to have disobeyed you...Please, don't be angry with me." Michel said.
Michel's mind was now full of image of his past, and neither nice. He knew Dad is another man, he knew he loves him... but *all* his fears came on the surface of his feelings, so he stopped near the door, ready to run away in the garden if things should go to the worse...
"Just a moment Michel, you have a lot of things to explain me, more than you think" Stefano said referring to winery question too.
He was very mad at Michel, but he was silent for a couple of minutes calming down himself.
He could forgive a broken bottle even if he said Michel to stay far from winery, but he could not forgive the second defiance: he explicity told Michel not going in the pool and after 5 minutes boy was in the water. For Stefano that was a leg pull and unfortunately Michel deserved a punishment for that.
"Michel if I remember right I told you not going in pool, but you voluntarily disobeyed me. I didn't told you that because I'm wicked and I don't want you enjoy. I told you that because you ate a lot of pancakes during breakfast and if you went in the water you could have a congestion. You risked your health. It's a very dangerous and stupid thing, I hope you understand you ran a great risk, because you were in the pool alone".
"Dad, but it was just *ONE* dive! And you were in the kitchen, not so away!" Michel answered, trying to minimize the matter. He didn't think that he disobeyed to Dad also if it was 'only one dive', and disobeying is not a good start for his new family
Stefano stopped giving Michel the chance to answer, then he continued: "And I have another question for you. How did you spend this night? Do you sleep well? Do you have to tell me something about this night?"
Stefano waiting for Michel's answer, it will decide the size of his punishment, because Stefano could not tolerate another lie from Michel.
Michel became pale, and lowered his head and eye. He started to play with towel in his hands, he felt butterflies in his stomach without knowing what he had to do.
But, for how hard punishment will be, he could not start life with dad with a lie. For how hard the confession will be, he had to tell Dad what he did in the night, and he had to try to convince Dad to not whip him... because, on his previoous experience, he was sure he would have got a whipping, probably with the belt, and the boy *HATE* this with all his forces.
"Dad... " the boy began "Dad... please believe me that... it was an accident..." and first tears appeared on Michel's face "I do not do that deliberately... yes, I was in winery tonight... I was awake, because timezone, I went to the bathroom then I made a round in the house, until basement... I...I..."
"Go ahead, Michel" Stefano said looking at his son
"I went into winery, just to give a look... I like that place, with all the bottles.... I've been there for at least an half hour, and nothing happened... but at last moment i take... I take... that bottle..." Michel again lowered his head, incapable of continuing.
"And the bottle broke, right?" Stefano added.
"Yes, Dad. " answer Michel. And the relief of the boy was evident. One thing said was half forgiven...
He was relieved hearing Michel told the true, and now he is calmer.
"Michel, I can understand you wasn't sleepy and you wanted to visit the home and the winery, but when you broke the bottle you had to call me. I'm your dad and you haven't to be afraid of me. If you called me you would have got off with a little scolding, hiding the true you made worse situation and now you're going to punish". Stefano said
"Ouch" Michel thought.
'How can I punish him?' Stefano thought. He hoped a dad could only enjoy with his son, but now he understood there were also unpleasant moments. That was the first time he was in that situation, he never punished a boy and he didn't like doing it. Maybe he could cancel cinema from programme for afternoon, but he remembered Michel really wished to watch Lord of the Rings, so Stefano found an alternative, he would have given Michel a loving spanking, he believed it was better than a reclusion.
"I'm not mad because you broke a bottle, a bottle can be bought again, but you disobeyed me twice above all when you dived in pool because you risked your healthy. Michel I love you, but I'm sorry I have to spank you" Stefano said.
"Oh my God" Michel thought, "he wanna spank me!"
He sat on the divan and looked at Michel with a loving and sorry glance:"Michel come over my knees" he said unwillingly
Michel looked at Dad, he didn't know what doing: from one side he thought Dad has been lenient, his previous foster-something (Michel really could not think to that man as a dad) would have applied the belt to the bare bottom, like he DID many times; by the way, hand spanking was for little boys...
"No... No..." said Michel, wagging his head, then the boy followed a very stupid inpulse: with a leap he went out of family room, ran on the stairs and then in his room, but there was not key in the keyhole, so Michel could only slam soundly the door, and then the boy lay down the bed, crying. "Stupid, stupid, i'm only a stupid" said Michel. He knew he made things worse.
Stefano saw Michel running upstairs. The man shaking his head, he managed to not lose his patience because he could unserstand Michel's reaction. The boy has just come in a new home and he didn't know if Stefano will punish him with love. In any case, Stefano could not change his mind, he would have spanked Michel and he would have give him another chance to not make worse the situation. He went upstairs in Michel's room and sat on the bed, putting a hand on Michel'back. He talked again sweetly, but that was the last time.
"Michel don't cry. I don't enjoy myself spanking you, but I believe you are old enough to understand you did a mistake and you deserve a punishment. A boy like you can mistake sometimes, and dad's job have to help him even with a spanking if it needs. I don't want to spank you roughly, but you are forcing me to do it. So I give you the last chance to show your maturity and to accept your deserved punishment".
Michel was at the end. In the deep of his heart, and of his mind, he knew Dad was right, and his acts were very stupid, but he was terrified.
Slowly, he turned back his head, facing Dad.
He did *NOT* see an angry man face, as he was customed from his past, but a worried and unhappy Dad: unhappy because he had to do a thing he *clearly* didn't like, but he felt necessary... "maybe this time" thought Michel "I get my bottom red, but I get also something i'never felt before..."
"Dad... let's get it over with." and Michel went over the knee of his Dad, for the firs time. He grabbed the legs of Dad, and prepared himself for the first swat.
Stefano relieved:"Good son, better get this over with"
Stefano put his fingers on Michel's swimsuit waistband and pulled it down.
"DAD!!! Bare bottom! " Michel was a little embarassed, but he was not in the position to negotiate...
Stefano looked down at the boy's rounded bare buttocks over his knees and put his left arm across Michel's back to keep him in place. Stefano stopped for a moment. He felt himself in a stranger situation, he never thought about spanking a boy. "Am I doing the right thing?" Stefano asked to himself. Then he remembered Michel's double defiance and he convinced himself Michel deserved a loving spanking.
Stefano took a breath, raised his right hand and hit Michel's left cheek.
SMACK!
It wasn't hard.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
"MMMmhhmm..." Michel wanted to be brave and strong, did not want cry or shout
At the beginning Stefano hit weakly, then he increased intensity:
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
The boy grabbed with more strength dad's legs, tightened the cheeks and still did not say a word.
Stefano hit Michel's butt without an exact succession.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
" Mhmm... Dad.." is the first sign of Michel's pain
Michel's bare butt was becoming red.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
Stefano thought it was enough he didn't to be too strict and he gave Michel last two good slaps
SMACK! SMACK!
He stopped and caressed Michel's head "Don't worry Michel, everything is over". Stefano pulled Michel's swimsuit up and put him to sit. Stefano looked at his son in the eyes and said:"Michel, I really hated spanking you, but I hope you learnt lesson. If I tell you to stay alone pool I have a good reason, and if you broke something you have not to be afraid telling me. It's better to confront problems and their conseguences than to cover them. Are you agree with me?"
Michel was happy spanking was over, and he felt a strange feelings: surely a pain in the bottom, Dad's swats were not light; but also he understood that *all* the matter was over, and there was not grudge in Dad's words, expression or feelings, and that's all Michel asked for.
"Yes Dad, I agree. I'm sorry for what I've done, but first of all for because I had not confidence in you" Michel answered looking also Dad in the eyes.
Then, after a moment of silence, Michel gave to Dad a strong and affected hug, to demonstrate he understood what Dad told and did him.
Stefano hugged Michel too and gave him a kiss on forehead. Now spanking was over Stefano felt better too.
"Dad, will we go to the cinema after lunch? or punishment is also cut-off our programs?" Michel asked, ready to start again (and better) the day.
"There's no doubt about that Michel. We'll go to the cinema and we'll watch 'Lord of the Rings' with a large size of popcorn. A good spanking is enough like punishment" Stefano smiled and ruffled Michel's hair.
"I love you, dad." It was the simply boy's answer.
"And I love you too" Stefano replied.
"But Michel, out of curiosity: where glasses of bottle are? I didn't see in the garbage can, I think it's better if you throw off them".
"Erhgh... Dad..." Michel answered becoming a little red "I put it in a bag... and the bag is on the top of my closet" Michel said pointing to the high, then the boy grabbed a chair and took the bag, giving dad it not without a little embrassment...
Stefano smiled taking the bag: "If Consuelo (Leones' maid) found it she went crazy. I'll throw glasses off".
Then Stefano said:"Come on Michel, downstairs there are two steaks and they are waiting for us".
"Ok Dad" Michel answered.
Dad and Son went downstair and they spent a very great day together.