"Im going to wear you out, Boy," said Mr. Adams to his teenage grandson, Tommy. "I raised four boys by myself and have never before had a neighbor complain about the foul language that you were heard using this afternoon."
Tommy looked sheepishly down at the floor. He had been showing off to some other kids, unaware of the presence of two of their mothers. The bad thing about it was that he was normally quiet and well behaved; he regretted his lapse of good judgement.
"Go upstairs to your room and wait for me, Son. Ill be up soon to deal with you," said the silver-haired man. Henry Adams took his time finishing the paper work he was doing and went to his room to change out of his three-piece suit into the khaki pants and crisply pressed shirt that he normally wore at home. Henry regretted that his own son, Tommys father, was on deployment in the Navy and was not home to take care of the situation himself. However, Henry had never hesitated to discipline his own sons or the two grandsons left in his care.
Tommy sat apprehensively in his room waiting for his grandfather to punish him. He felt guilty because he knew he had been wrong, but his teenage hormones had acted up and caused him to express his manliness in an inappropriate manner.
Henry, an imposing man of 60, trim and fit, appeared in the doorway of Tommys room. "Come with me to the bathroom, young man," commanded the grandfather.
Tommy, still dressed in gym shorts, T-shirt and white socks, immediately obeyed. He was surprised at the order to go to the bathroom, as he had expected the usual over-the-knee, pants down, long and hard hand spanking.
As he entered the bathroom he saw his grandfather liberally soaping up a wash cloth. The washcloth stretched over his finger and was accumulating a heavy coating of Ivory soap. Tommy blanched at the thought of having his mouth washed out.
"Take your shirt off and come here, Son," commanded Henry as he continued to coat his washcloth-covered finger.
Obediently Tommy pulled the T-shirt over his head and off and approached the imposing man. "You will learn not to embarrass yourself, your father and me with filthy language and bad manners in the presence of ladies." Tommys knees were involuntarily shaking.
Henry grasped the teenaged boy at the back of his neck and held him still. "Open your mouth wide, Son, and keep it open," Henry ordered.
Tommy opened his mouth and his grandfather inserted the soapy, washcloth-covered finger into the boys mouth. He relentlessly scrubbed the boys mouth, occasionally re-soaping the cloth with the softened soap. Soapsuds ran down Tommys chin and onto his developing chest. He sputtered and gagged as the grandfather continued the punishment until he was satisfied that the boy had learned his lesson.
Finally Henry released the sobbing boy and allowed him to spit. He took a towel and wiped the soapsuds off the boys face and chest. He handed Tommy the T-shirt to put back on and ordered the boy to the master bedroom.
"Granddad, Im sorry, I promise it wont happen again," said the boy between sobs.
Henry rolled up the sleeves of his crisp, white shirt. "Your punishment is not yet over, Son," he said, as he moved to the bureau and removed the well-used leather strap that had been introduced years before to his own sons.
Tommy gasped. His grandfather had only hand-spanked him before.
"Take off your pants and briefs, Son," ordered the grandfather. Trembling, Tommy hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his gym shorts and underpants and slid them down over his muscular butt, baring himself for the punishment to come. As the boy faced his grandfather, dressed in only the T-shirt and white socks, Henry noted the boys considerable development of body hair and decided that he was correct in switching to the strap.
"Please, Granddad, dont strap me," begged the boy.
"Youve earned it, Tommy," said Henry. "Now lie down on the bed."
Tommy turned and lay face down on the bed for his punishment, bare bottom upturned, and a soapy taste still in his mouth.
His grandfather followed him and leaned over to adjust the boys T-shirt halfway up his back, fully exposing Tommys muscular buttocks. He had to admire the fact that the boy didnt try to lie his way out of the situation nor did he try to weasel out of being punished as so many boys do.
"Tommy, tell me why youre being punished," said Henry.
"I was wrong in showing off to the other kids and using foul language, and for embarrassing you and my dad" said the boy, looking back at his grandfather holding the strap and seeing his bared bottom presented for punishment. He knew that Henry would tell his dad about each of the punishments that Tommy had to have, and that on his dads return from sea duty he would be spanked again.
Henry raised the strap and brought it down on the boys bare bottom. Time after time the strap flew through the air, turning Tommys butt cheeks solid pink, then red. Henry had whipped boys butts many times and knew the technique to spank a boy without causing welts or bruises but causing a terrible stinging sensation and a deep soreness that could last for days.
Tommy gritted his teeth and sobbed at the same time, pleading with Henry to stop. "Ive learned!" he cried out. The grandfather continued the strapping, going down onto his upper thighs to punish the tender "sit spot." The boy squirmed and writhed but knew better than to put his hand back or to move his butt from position.
Finally Henry decided that Tommy had been punished enough and laid the strap back on the foot of the bed. Tommy continued to cry and apologize. His grandfather sat beside him on the bed and comforted him. Despite the punishments that Henry administered on occasion, the boy felt strangely safe in the strong arms of his grandfather and did not resent the actions taken.
As Tommy climbed off the bed his grandfather rolled his sleeves down and buttoned the cuffs. Henry picked up the boys briefs and shorts and motioned for Tommy to come to him, then helped the boy back into his briefs and back into the bathroom to use some mouthwash to rinse out the lingering soap.
Tommy ate the next few meals standing up, and with every attempt at sitting down was quickly reminded of the hard lesson he had learned.