The inspiration for this story came from a picture I stumbled across on the web. It is located on www. oddworldz. com 2tonimus Misc Allen02.jpg
12 year old Martin had been playing football for his school team. His father had told him he would collect him when the game finished and Martin had been told to wait by the school gates. Boys, however, will be boys and after changing out of his school football kit back into his casual clothes of t shirt and shorts he had joined in an impromptu kick about with 4 of his schoolmates.
Martins father, a very strict parent, had duly arrived in his car at the school gates and was annoyed not to see his son waiting. He had parked the car in the road and then, after slamming the car door, had walked briskly to the playing field behind the school. He was annoyed to see his son sitting with the other children and immediately vowed to teach the child a sharp, painful and immediate lesson for disobeying his instruction to wait for him at the gates.
The boys had their backs to him and were unaware of his presence until, when a few feet away, he bellowed at his son to stand up. Martin immediately stood and turned to face his furious father.
"Where did I tell you to wait for me," his father yelled.
"By the gate dad" replied the lad, head bowed, "Im sorry, I forgot"
"What happens to disobedient children, Martin?" his dad asked.
Martin lowered his head and whispered "They get punished dad".
Martins father began to remove the leather belt he wore around his waist and continued addressing his son.
"I think we shall have to show your friends what happens to naughty little boys. Bend over and touch your toes" Father had now removed his belt and was folding it double. Martins friends were watching wide eyed. Martin bent over.
"Properly Martin" his father ordered.
"Oh dad, please not like at home" the boy, now tearful, pleaded.
"Yes Martin, like at home." His dad went on.
The boys friends obviously didnt know what was meant by "like at home" but soon found out when Martin slowly removed his shorts. He looked pleadingly at his dad as he stood in his red briefs. His dad glared back at the boy and Martin not daring to antagonise the man further then removed his briefs, placing them on the ground on top of the shorts. The boy bent over again.
Father moved behind the child and immediately snapped a hard belt lash across his sons bottom. Martin yelped. His friends were staring at the spectacle unfolding before them. They had been punished by their fathers but never as embarrassingly as this. A second lash, then a third. Martin was crying loudly now. The fourth lash caused Martin to call out a pitiful "Please dad, no more!!" but the man was determined a lesson would be taught and administered a further four before ordering his son to stand. He told his son to put his hands on his head. Martin, now crying loudly in great heaving sobs caused by both the pain, the humiliation of being thrashed, and now being forced to stand half naked in front of his school chums put his hands on his head.
His dad simply picked up the boys discarded shorts and briefs. The only words he uttered were "Follow me to the car".
Martin, hands on head and naked from the waist down, followed his father. They passed one or two other children on the way back through the school grounds who, as boys do, nudged each other and tittered as they pointed out their school chums reddened and bruised backside.
The children who had witnessed the incident first hand, and those who saw the chastened boy following his father to his car could not have realised but Martins punishment was not over. When father and son arrived home the boy was ordered to his bedroom which was duly visited by father a few minutes later carrying the bamboo cane which was used often on Martin and his younger brothers. Again the child was ordered to bend over and a further eight strokes were laid on.
As was the custom in this family Martin was obliged to remain naked from the waist down for the rest of the day. His father considered that acted as an example to the other children.
AUTHORS FOOTNOTE
Apart from the last two paragraphs which I have added the above is a true account of an incident I witnessed approximately 25 years ago. Even the two paragraphs may well be a true recollection as I remember the man clearly saying to the child that he would finish his lesson when they arrived home. I had been to see my own son play in another game at the same school (a more senior game). This game had finished later and I was waiting for my son to get showered and changed when I saw everything which I have described. The boy whose picture I refer to bears an uncanny resemblance (in both appearance and attire) to the child whose thrashing I have described.