That morning in the coffee shop was one of those chance encounters and unexpected meetings that got Jeb to planning. He was going to have Aaron around Friday evening through Sunday morning. That was more than enough time to introduce the young man to some really good discipline. No question that was where his thoughts were now.
But it was Ma who had been more interested in what Pops and Jeb were talking about that morning. She had quizzed him in her kitchen, her source for all inquisitions, when she got home and she used that kitchen again to her advantage. Now Pops was always open with Ma. They had lived like that for years. But this time he was not saying much at all. As close as he got to saying anything really was when he remarked, ¡°Just let Jeb handle the boy. After all, he did a pretty good job with his own boys.¡±
Ma knew that was true. When those boys lived with Jeb on his ranch, they were the most polite and helpful kids in the whole valley. It was too bad the marriage had broken up. Ma never did understand why Jeb¡¯s wife left him. Jeb was such a nice family man and so helpful for anyone who ever needed anything in the community.
¡°You know Aaron¡¯s not had anyone in his life to bring him up the way he ought to be,¡± Ma pointed her finger at Pops and began to let him have it. ¡°He¡¯s like the other kids around here these days. Maybe he¡¯s a slight bit more respectful to his elders but my friends and I talk about all that¡¯s going on these days and that boy needs some attention before it gets too late. You need to spend more time with the boy,¡± she went on. ¡°You remember how you used to stay on top of our own boys when they were growing up?¡±
Pops nodded he did and for sure he did indeed.
¡°Well, what¡¯s wrong with you now?¡± she continued, ¡°Aaron needs the same attention as all boys do during their growin¡¯ years. You need to talk with him more often and correct him too,¡± she said with all the authority that only a retired school mar can muster. ¡°If you don¡¯t,¡± she seemed to add almost as an afterthought, ¡°then I guess it will have to be up to me. I¡¯ve already told him what I expect from him around here,¡± she kept lecturing Pops who was becoming increasingly uncomfortable under her wagging finger, ¡°so why haven¡¯t you done the same and why aren¡¯t you enforcing things?¡± Ma was on a roll.
Pops sat there listening as she berated him unmercifully. He just was not sure what to say. He knew what Ma was saying was right. Aaron was the slowest boy Pops ever knew, especially when it came to getting the work done around the place. Maybe he should be far more active with the boy. A good red tail under his own boys¡¯ jeans always got his own sons working better when they were young and living on the ranch years ago. He had always made a point of correcting them whenever they needed it back in those days and the fact that both boys knew that always kept them working up to snuff. He smiled to himself when he thought back to those days. Why he remembered that one time when the older one was fixing to go to the high school dance that weekend and the two of them were arguing about whose turn it was to feed the hogs out behind the barn. Pops had stumbled back on them and heard them arguing; but while they were all hot and bothered and arguing about it and how the older of them did not have time that night cause he had to take a bath and get ready to be on time, it was the poor hogs that had not been fed yet and did not stand much of a chance of getting fed either until the two of them stopped arguing and just did it. Pops had not hesitated for a moment when he rounded the back of the barn and heard them arguing back then. He remember how surprised they both were when he simply sat down on an old rail back there and took down both of their pants and boxers and spanked both of them over his knees. He smiled to himself remembering how surprised they both were and how quickly both of them began to go for the hog feed, but in those days Pops was not shy about giving his boys what they both needed. Both of them stood still while he took their clothes down and then the one waited patiently if uncomfortably while he had the one bare assed over his knees and vice versa. Pops knew how to tan ass back in those days, he remembered. In fact on that occasion he remember he had spanked them not only! with his bare hand but also with a hard wooded plank that happened to be handy right there. Pops welted both boy¡¯s bare bottom and good. Their tears and promises gave him a good indication of just how good he had spanked them too! When it was all over, the older went to the dance that night with a real red bottom under his fancy duds that Saturday night. The younger went out with his friends just the same too. From then on, those hogs were always fed on time.
¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± she wagged her finger at him, ¡°you¡¯re too old to handle him?¡±
Ma was right, but Pops was older now. Still it was only mid-week. Plenty of time for Pops to exert himself and get a few things settled before Jeb came over to take Aaron for the weekend. And, there were also plenty of planks still lying around behind the barn and out in the fields by the sheds out there too!
But Pops was not responding to her tirade. ¡°You¡¯re not a man anymore,¡± she yelled one final invective as Pops cowered.
His self image sunk even further. He knew some of what she was saying was right but not this stuff about his not being a man anymore. He had to do something to get back in charge of things. He knew that now for sure. But there was no use arguing with Ma who was continuing nagging him and pointing out his failures not only with young Aaron but with everything it seemed. Nothing seemed to satisfy her anymore!
But Ma was not happy either cause she was thinking things were all dropping into her lap to bring up the young man Pops was failing. She had already taken her ruler to the boy and she could certainly do it again if things continued out of control. Aaron was not a bad boy but he was too slow and too inattentive. It was Pops responsibility, but if he did nothing then she would for sure!
Aaron was caught between the two of them. He knew they were talking and he was pretty darn sure they were talking about him. He just did not know what they were talking about specifically! The summer just had not been going like he thought it would. It was not the fun getaway from the city that he wanted. He never knew either of them to be this so strict or demanding before. Ma had never spanked him before like she had that first morning the other day. And Pops! Well, Pops had never before taken him inside a shed and strapped him either. But even though the summer was just beginning both of them had punished them now. OK, he had deserved that one from Ma for not being on time after she had told him many times, but still, his ass bare over her knees? That had not been right in his young mind. And then the whole thing over at Jeb¡¯s house was just something he had mixed feelings about. There was something about that man, his manner, and all and especially the way he had taken his clothes down and pulled him over his lap the way he had done that time. It had really hurt! But, still, something about it and with Jeb and all. Aaron could not stop thinking about that even though he had tried!
But for the moment, that night, Aaron focused just on the one thing he could do to have some control over his future. He memorized Ma¡¯s list to make sure he did not have to suffer that embarrassment again! He memorized it so thoroughly he knew ever punctuation mark on that list she had written out and handed to him. And he followed everything she had written down for him too!
And because of that, Aaron was shocked when Ma came in his room two nights later. She never had just walked into his room unannounced before but she did this time. He was really surprised as he was just lying there on the bed and reading a sports magazine when she barged in. He looked up at her, but it was her words that shocked him to his core. ¡°Aaron, I think a good spanking will do you some good,¡± she said.
¡°But why? What have I done wrong? Why?¡± Aaron looked up at her, but she looked strict and unhappy and, to make things even worse, she had that old school ruler in her right hand and was patting it against her other palm.
¡°It¡¯s your attitude, Aaron,¡± Ma spoke back quickly, ¡°something¡¯s bothering you, Aaron, and I don¡¯t know what, but you¡¯re not acting like you¡¯re a part of this family anymore. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with you, but I think a good spanking will be good for you, help you get things out and all and back as a member of our family. It always worked for my boys, now come on, get yourself up off that bed and let¡¯s get it over with¡± she spoke like a woman determined. ¡°Now.¡±
¡°But I didn¡¯t do . . .¡± he started but she cut him off.
¡°Now, I said, get over here,¡± she had sat down on the other side of the bed and was impatiently waiting for him. ¡°Do you want me to get the paddle too?¡± she added almost as an afterthought.
Aaron stood up and just looked at her. Was she serious? She could not be! After all, he had done nothing!
But if the truth be known, yes, she was serious, very serious. That conversation in her kitchen the other day with Pops was one thing, but she had also talked more with her girlfriends on the phone. Everyone was in agreement.
¡°Well, my Chester spanks his boy about every other week,¡± she told them all with authority. ¡°It¡¯s just something about teenagers these days. They don¡¯t understand right from wrong. You can¡¯t be too careful with them. Jimmy¡¯s never gotten into any trouble and Chester is sure it is because he stays on top of the boy. I think he¡¯s right too. Why did you see those kids smoking and playing with fire crackers on the square the other night? Chief Jones had to go . . .¡± her voice faded in the distance, but Ma was thinking.
¡°You know it didn¡¯t used to be like this with kids and all when we were growing up,¡± Elsie Mae reminded them. ¡°I mean fathers were stricter with their sons and insured they grew up with proper respect. We used to keep our strap hanging just inside our back door and Tom used it a lot too!¡± she continued. ¡°It¡¯s just not right what these kids get away with. Why in my day . . .¡± And Ma knew she was right.
¡°Why it¡¯s like Katie, next door,¡± Ellen went on about. ¡°She spanks those boys of hers and she spanks them right. She¡¯s got a paddle. I think it is one of those things from a ping pong set. And she uses it too, let me tell you. Why the other night she paddled that older boy within every inch of his life. I know. I could her him screaming for her to stop, but Katie¡¯s a good woman, you know, and she just continued paddling him. Katie believes he benefits from it every now and then so I don¡¯t know what he might have done or if she had just decided it was about time, but she sure gave it to him. Nice boy he is now, too! . . .¡± She continued.
¡°Benefits from it every now and then . . .¡± were the words that stuck in Ma¡¯s mind.
Then she looked up at Aaron.
¡°Now you come around here like a big boy and let¡¯s get these pants down for you so you can crawl across my lap now.¡± She spoke matter of factly now. She had made up her mind and was going to do it! There was nothing going to prevent that now!
When Aaron got close enough to where she was sitting, Ma reached up and unbuckled his belt for him. He hated that! He hated that so much for it made him feel like such a little boy again but she had his buckle unbuckled before he could say anything, and then it was his button and his zipper came down too. He was wearing his slightly too tight boxers and with her sitting there right in front of them, he just hoped she was planning on letting him leave them on! She did! She helped him over her knees. He could feel the material pulling tight against his buns and he wished he had been wearing looser ones, but this was better than nothing. And then she paddled him with her ruler. It hurt, the ruler hurt a lot, but he could take it! At least she had left him keep his boxers up! The ruler landed again and again and again and she lectured him about his attitude the whole time. Soon he began to yelp, but stoically, he refused to cry!
When she did let him stand up, he apologized for his attitude as contritely as possible.
¡°So, Aaron, maybe this will help you and remind you to be better around here from now on?¡± she asked.
¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, I promise!¡± Aaron said and he meant it! Standing there in his briefs with his eyes red, he meant it for sure!
¡°Good, for I intend to give them too you more frequently from now on,¡± she said. ¡°And don¡¯t get all smug about my allowing you to keep those boxers on. That will not be my habit.¡±
Aaron¡¯s heart sank.
¡°And we need to get you some larger sized one,¡± Ma said while smiling. ¡°Those are far too tight for a boy your age.¡±
Aaron knew what she meant as he stood right before her. He was so embarrassed, but at least it was over.
It was Friday afternoon. Pops was still out in the barn finishing up with things. She spanked him, but he knew she had not really hurt him!
On the next spread, Jeb was hiking himself up into his truck for the drive over to fetch Aaron for the weekend. He was looking forward to spanking the boy tonight! ¡°Take it slow. Take it slow,¡± he kept telling himself. ¡°Slow, hell,¡± he told himself as he turned the key in the ignition and turned around in his drive to go get Aaron, ¡°tonight I¡¯m going to slap me some ass!¡±
Jeb drove down his driveway ready for this one for sure! He would do by the grocery store and get those things he needed to make sure there would be no reason to leave the place until Sunday morning.
¡°Dinner in a few minutes,¡± Ma called out as she left the young man there rubbing his nicely spanked bottom.
Aaron watched he go. It has stung, not hurt; but it sure had been embarrassing! He was glad no one had been around for sure. But he wasted no time in washing up a bit in a frantic attempt to insure there was no redness on his face to alert Pops! He did not want Pops to know for sure!
To be continued . . ..