The 10 year old trembled as the policeman rang the doorbell. The door opened and the boys father, a huge man, stared at the scene before him.
"May I come in sir", the policeman asked. The man agreed and policeman and boy entered the house. The man asked what his son had done to cause him to be brought home by the police.
"He was caught stealing sweets, sir" the policeman replied. "We are not going to charge him but obviously you have to be told".
"Thank you officer. I am sorry for your trouble." The man said. And then turning to his son he growled "get to your room and wait for me there". The boy turned and trudged to his bedroom.
The policeman was shown out of the house and the man closed the door behind him. He turned and strode purposefully up to his own bedroom, next door to where his son, now tearful and fearful, waited. The man opened a cupboard and studied the instruments of correction lined up there. He believed in strict, harsh discipline. He regularly thrashed Andrew, the 10 year old now awaiting his attentions, and his brothers 7 year old Gavin and 12 year old Martin who were both out at the moment. There was a long tawse, two springy rattan canes with crooked handles, and the instrument he chose on this occasion, a 36 inch riding crop.
The man, crop in hand, turned and made his way to his sons bedroom. He flung open the door. Andrew, as was the custom when waiting for punishment, had stripped naked and was stood facing the wall, hands on head.
"On the bed boy" the man ordered. Andrew knew the procedure well. The command "on the bed" meant he was expected to assume a position on his back, knees up to his ears, with legs gripped by his own arms. This was not always the position the man chose. Sometimes the command was "over the chair" which meant bending over a hard backed wooden chair. Sometimes it was simply "touch your toes" which meant a traditional schoolboy beating. "On the bed" was the one all the children hated most as it completely stripped them of any dignity they may otherwise have had. Also they could see their fathers face as he laid into them. Fathers face was a picture of fury at times like these.
Andrew obeyed his father and lay on his back, legs held back so that his backside and genitals were fully exposed.
"You are a THIEF boy. A nasty little THIEF." Father yelled. "I will teach you what happens to thieves in my house. Ten lashes today and ten lashes each day for one week, one of these punishments will be watched by your brothers as an example to them"
Without further comment the first lash was applied. Anyone listening would have heard the zzzing of the crop flying through the air, the snap of the crop against the boys buttocks followed a split second later by Andrews pitiful scream. The second lash fell, then the third. Andrew screamed and cried. He knew it was no good pleading with his dad. He also knew he had to stay in position or the count could begin again from one.
Eventually the ten lashes, todays instalment, had been administered. Father ordered the boy to stand. He ordered his son to fetch the family bible. He selected the passage about the TEN commandments and ordered Andrew to sit at his desk, still naked, and write out the entire chapter.
Andrew knew this meant he would be questioned about the commandments and if he had not learned the subject well his punishment over the next few days could be worse than the 10 daily lashes he was promised.
Still weeping openly he started to write as father left his room and replaced the crop in its cupboard where it would wait until the next time.