My name is Jeremy. At home they call me Jerry. At school they only use surnames, so I am called Carter, because that is my name. It they knew I was called Jeremy, they would tease me. Or might try. But not for long, because I am strong for my age, or so people say. I am 12 now and will soon be 12 1 2. I am fairly good at work, especially maths. But not art. The thing I am best at is games, football and gymnastics. I would like to do weight lifting when I am older. And I forgot swimming. I am very good at swimming. People watch me swimming, especially when I am diving from the top board. If there is one bad thing about me is that I am a bit naughty. Well a lot naughty if you must know. I seem to be in trouble all the time. The headmaster says "Not you again Carter? Do you never learn?" And I never seem to!
The trouble is that I can't help playing tricks. Like when I put that cup of water on top of the door just before matron came in. I didn't mean the cup to cut her face. Well it did. There was a stink after that all right. And it wasn't a bad cut, just a scratch really. In know it left a bit of a scar but she is pretty ugly anyway so what's a bit of a scar? Anyway, Piggy, that's the head master (he used to be called pig face but it got shortened), he just about went mad. He phoned up my dad and of course my dad backed him up. Piggy said that my Dad had said, "Do whatever is necessary". So he did. The marks lasted for over 3 weeks. I know because the thing happened on my birthday, so could tell how long it had been. Then there was the time we went swimming in the night. It was so hot none of us in the dorm could sleep so I said lets go for a swim. So we crept out and went down very quietly to the pool. There was a moon so we could see. We stripped of our 'jamas and got in, very quietly so as not to splash. It was lovely feeling the cool water on our bodies. Then we got out but we didn't know what to dry ourselves on because the changing room was locked and none of us had brought a towel, and we couldn't put our 'jamas on again because the wet would wet the beds and matron would know. Then we saw a light in the study. Then the door opened and Piggy came out and stood there looking a the moon. We froze. If he went in again he wouldn't see us. But he came out and started to stroll up the terrace. Then he saw us! Five naked boys on the grass by the pool. He looked as if he could hardly believe it. Then he shouted out "Carter?"
I said "Yes, sir".
"Wait there all of you," he said and he went back inside. We all knew what he had gone for and we were right. He did it on the grass. He made us kneel down on the grass, one by one, still wet from swimming. Next morning Matron said, "You have dirty nails, Carter". I'm not surprised! We all had, from digging our fingers into the grass from the pain. I had a look the next day. I could see the marks on the grass where boys had dug their fingers in as he swished us. There was lot of sobbing into the pillows that night.
Mind you it isn't only at school that I get in to trouble. There was the time I put a piece of string across the path and hid behind the bushes and watched. Mrs Peterman came up to path, to see My Mum. Head over heels! Straight in to the roses. Her face was scratched too, but not badly. Dad took me into the shed and used a garden cane but of course it was no good and broke. Garden canes are useless. The ones at school are special wood I think. So he took me in doors and used his gym shoe, over his knee. I thought he would never stop. My Mum saw me that evening as I got out of the shower. She said "Your bottom is the same colour as the towels - she had bought new ones, bright red. She was right. I looked in the mirror to compare the towel with my bottom. Mind you, after a few hours the redness changes to blue in the middle, when the deep bruises begin to show through. My Mum was not a bit sympathetic. She said it's what I need. She always backs Dad up when he punishes me. She is religious and says it is in the Bible that Dad should wack me. Not just me I suppose but boys generally. It was because of that kind of thing that they said I was out of control and sent me away to school. They chose this one because the bumf that came about the school said it specialised in dealing with boys with behaviour problems. It didn't take me long to find out what that meant!
Last half term my Mum and Dad came down to see me and stayed at the Red Lion for 2 nights. On the Saturday they took me out to tea at in Frindlesham. Dad could tell that I had been in trouble from the way I sat down carefully. My Mum told me to use a cushion from a spare chair at the table, but Dad said No. But I still enjoyed the tea. The next day he and Piggy had a long discussion as they walked up and down on the grass by the main quad. My Mum and I sat and talked on a bench by the grass. I couldn't hear much of what they were saying, but Piggy was doing most of the talking and Dad kept nodding. But one thing I did hear was when Dad said "What that boy needs is stick." And I heard him say, " I don't want to take him away from here, but unless you are able ..." I didn't catch the rest of it. But I know what it meant. In fact I learned the next day when I knocked Mrs Bacon (that's Piggy's wife) over from running in the corridor, which you are not supposed to. Sent her flying! So it was the old story. In to the study. "Get the chairs out, Carter". Which I did. They are put back to back and you kneel on one and bend over until your head is on the seat of the other. You can see along the edge of the second chair where boys have chewed into the wood. Then he took ho coat off and rolled up his sleeve, right up to the shoulder so I could see his muscles. Then he selected the longest cane and polished it with a cloth and waxed it a bit and polished it some more. Then he positioned himself and began.
There is something else I should tell you, but I had better leave it for a second account, when I have time to write it. Yours (tenderly), Jerry