We Had A Bad Day
It was the summer right after I turned 14. School had been out for the summer for over a month and my brothers, Nick and Sam, and I were bored. We lived on a street with no other kids our age, except Sandy, so there wasn't anyone to hang out with except each other. Sandy is the same age as Nick and we've known her for as long as I can remember. But even she was gone for a few weeks visiting relatives. All we had was each other, and we were really getting on each others nerves. Our street was fairly secluded, so to go anywhere required a long walk or bike ride.
We were also getting on Mom's nerves too. I don't think a day went by where she didn't say "keep it up, and your butt is going to get beat" at least a few times. Normally Mom was pretty patient with us, but I guess after several weeks of hearing us bitch how we were bored grated on her nerves. The only enjoyment I had was picking fights with my brothers. Dad was working on a car theft ring (he was a cop) so his hours were pretty irregular. Normally he worked narcotics, but for whatever reason he got pulled into this car theft. Some days we saw him, other days we didn't.
One morning during breakfast, Mom assigned us each a list of things to do. She said since we were bored and driving her nuts, and that we couldn't find anything productive to do, she was giving us something productive to do. We had until the end of the day to do the things on our lists. Immediately I thought of all sorts of things I could have been doing.
Mom went to the gym to teach around 10:00am. She came home to find Nick and me fighting in the family room. We weren't wrestling, we were fighting.
"Hey! What's going on?" Mom yelled at us.
"He took the batteries out of my football game!" Nick accused.
"Did not!" I yelled.
"Did too!" he yelled back.
Mom turned away and walked to the cabinet. "Oh grow up already! Did either of you bother to look in the cabinet for more batteries?"
We both shook our head and said, "No."
"Didn't think so. Here," she said handing both of us a 4 pack of AA batteries. "Don't fight over something so stupid. You'd swear you guys were 3 and 4 not thirteen and fourteen. Now, are you hungry? Ready for lunch?"
"Yeah!"
"What do you want?"
"Grilled cheese!"
"Taco salad!"
"Sub!" All three of us yelled at the same time. Where did Sam come from? I didn't even see him come downstairs. Guess he heard Mom come home.
"Pick ONE thing, not three," Mom said.
We started arguing and shoving each other around. Mom stood there for a few minute shaking her head at us. "Guys, anytime today...." She was getting impatient. It's not like we didn't do this every day to her.
Suddenly, three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were placed on the kitchen table. Just like yesterday and the day before that, and the day before that, Mom ended up making whatever she wanted for lunch since we couldn't decide. "Sit down. Shut up. Eat."
We grumbled for about fifteen seconds, but then our stomachs got the best of us and we scarfed down the sandwiches.
For the next few hours, all three of us were back talking Mom about everything. We had several more shoving matches with each other and were generally acting like little assholes. I heard Mom slap Nick once and tell him if he did it again she was going "to take a brush to his butt". Mom was also having a hard time getting our names straight. For example, when yelling at Sam, she'd call him "Chr-Ni-SAMUEL". Heck, I even got called the dogs names a few times. Telling Mom "Ma, I'm Chris not Max" probably wasn't smartest thing to do, but it was fun. One time, when Mom started to yell at Nick, she called him Chris. He yelled to me, "Chris, Mom is yelling for you". I think Mom smacked his arm.
I was sitting on the chair in the family room when Nick blind sided me. Next thing I know, he's trying to pin me on the floor. He's yelling something at me, but I shut him up with a quick punch to the jaw. We roll into the jigsaw puzzle Sam had been working on. This pissed off Sam and he jumped into the fight. Normally we wrestle all the time, but there was anger behind our punches today. Sam had a slight bloody nose, Nick and I both had a busted lip when we finally heard Mom yell, "Enough!"
She shoved three towels at us. "Get in the bathroom, clean up and get back out here," she ordered. "And you might want to use the bathroom while you are in there."
That didn't sound good. I guess we were going somewhere. I was still annoyed with my brothers, but I did as I was told. I went in the bathroom downstairs, Nick and Sam walked upstairs to clean up. Mom was in the kitchen when I came out of the bathroom. Nick came downstairs, followed by Sam.
"I've had it with the three of you. Since you can't seem to get along, I'm going to make you get along," Mom said.
"Make us? Make us how? What are you going to do, handcuff us together?" Nick asked.
Sam and I looked at him in disbelief. Sometimes that boy doesn't know when to shut his mouth.
"Yes, that is exactly what I am going to do," Mom said. She pointed to two pair of Dad's handcuffs on the counter. "Hold out your hands."
"Mom! But.... You can't!" Sam shuttered.
"Yes, sir, I can and I will. Now, hold out your hands," Mom said.
I just stood there and looked at her. So did my brothers. My mother was going to handcuff us together? The woman was out of her mind!
"Dammit! Either hold out your hands now, or your are going to have a sore ass and then you'll hold your hands out!" Mom yelled. Yeah, she was out of her mind.
"Christopher!" she warned.
Silently I held my right arm up. She snapped the cuff on it. Then she grabbed Nick's left arm and cuffed it. Then she grabbed his right arm and Sam's left and cuffed them. "There. Now you have to get along if you are going to accomplish anything. If you hadn't finished the stuff on that list, I suggest you get going on it."
"But Mom, we're handcuffed together. How are we supposed to do anything like this?" I asked.
"Not my problem. Besides, you've had those lists since before 10:00 this morning. Surely you have finished them by now...." Mom said and then walked away.
We stood there. "I can't believe she handcuffed us together," I said.
"Isn't it illegal to use a cop's handcuffs if you aren't a cop?" Sam asked.
"Dunno, but you want to ask her?" I answered.
Sam shook his head.
"Yeah, but isn't it illegal to handcuff your kids together?" Nick asked. "What kind of mother does that?"
"Apparently ours," I answered.
I started to walk into the kitchen. Sam started to walk into the family room. Nick was pulled in both directions. "HEY! This is not working! I do not stretch like that!" Nick yelled at Sam and me.
"I want something to drink, we're going to the kitchen," I said.
"I don't, so lets go sit down and figure out what we are going to do," Sam said.
Both of us started off in different directions again. "HEY! HELLO? Look, we are stuck together and I'm in the middle. Stop pulling me around!" Nick said to both of us as he pulled us back towards him.
For the next few minutes, we stayed there argueing and shoving each other around. Mom walked in the family room to pick up a book.
All three of us started to tell her this was not working and to let us go. She laughed and said, "Not my problem. You got yourselves in this mess, work it out." Then started back upstairs.
"You're the one that handcuffed us together..." Nick muttered, probably a little too loudly. Mom has ears like a hawk.
"Excuse me?" Mom asked, as she turned around. "Did you say something?"
None of us answered her. You idiot, I thought. You know Mom hears everything.
Mom walked straight up to Nick and put her hand on his chin. "Care to repeat that?"
"No," he answered quietly.
"Good. Don't think that just because you are handcuffed to your brothers that I won't spank your sorry butt," Mom told him and then walked upstairs.
"Nice move, bud," Sam told Nick.
"Shut up," Nick said.
"Can we go into the kitchen and sit down?" I asked.
It took a little effort to get all of us a drink and sit down, but we managed it. "Did you do any of what was on your list?" Sam asked. "Mine's almost done."
"I didn't do any of my list," Nick said.
"Neither did I," I admitted too.
We compared lists. "That's not fair, Sam you only had three things on your list, I had eight,"I declared.
"Well, looks like all of us have fifteen things to do now," Nick said, counting up the total items we hadn't done. "How are we supposed to sweep the porch or deck like this?" Nick continued holding up his hands.
"I don't know, but we better figure it out or Mom'll be sweeping our asses," I said.
With a lot of effort and a small bit of contortionism, we managed to get a few things on our lists done, including the sweeping.
Mom came outside when we were on the deck.
"You missed a spot under the table,"she pointed out. "You seem to be getting long better. That's good."
Quickly, I said "Thank you, Mom," before Mr. Mouth started running his.
"Mom, can you release us, please? We've learned our lesson," Sam said.
"Really? And what exactly did you learn?" she asked. Cruel, my mother can be cruel.
"That we need to work together, and if we do we can accomplish any task. That we shouldn't fight amongst each other because that is counterproductive and it deteriorates our relationship," Sam said immediately. Nick and I just looked at him. Where the hell did he pull that from? "Deteriorates our relationship"??? Yeah, he pulled that out of his ass....
"Oh and if we don't, we'll end up pulling Nick in two different directions and he'll snap like a twig," Sam added.
"Snap like a twig? I'm not a twig" Nick muttered.
"Uh-huh. Going to make politics your career, Sam?" Mom asked.
"What?" Sam asked, all innocent and wide eyed.
"You know what. That is a bunch of bull _s_h_i_t_ and you know it. Now, you will be handcuffed until you are finished with your lists. Maybe longer. Get used to it," Mom announced.
"Oh, Chris, here is the key to the cuffs. You are NOT to used this unless there is an emergency. Finishing your lists is NOT an emergency. House on fire, that's an emergency. Understood?"
I shook my head, "Understood." I took the small key from her and put it in my pocket.
Knowing that key was in my pocket consumed my thoughts. I was so tempted to release us several times, but for some reason, I just couldn't do it. I knew I'd be breaking Mom's trust, along with disobeying her.
An hour after Mom gave me the key, Nick said, "Uncuff me, I gotta take a leak."
I reached in my pocket and touched the key. "Ummm... I don't know if that's an emergency."
"Ok, I gotta take a dump too," Nick said. "But, hey, fine by me if you want to be in the bathroom while I take a _s_h_i_t_ and wipe my ass."
"Which hand do you wipe your ass with?" Sam asked.
"This one, son!" Nick answered smiling, raising his right hand, pulling up Sam's left.
"Let him go! Chris, let him go!" Sam demanded.
"Can't you hold it?" I asked him.
"Nope, been holding it," he answered smiling at me.
"Why didn't you go when Mom said to?"
"Didn't have to take a _s_h_i_t_ a few hours ago, but I do now," Nick answered. "Not letting me go? Ok, lets go, boys..." He started leading towards the bathroom.
"Wait, wait," I stopped him. "This way." I pulled them towards the basement, where Mom was.
"Mom? Nick has to go to the bathroom, may I please release the cuffs?"
Mom smiled. "Is this an emergency?" she said sarcastically.
"Technically, no, but when Sam and I pass out while he is taking a crap, it will be," I answered.
"So, why didn't you just release him? Why ask first?"
"Because I knew it wasn't an emergency," I answered.
"Ok, since you asked, you may release him, but recuff yourselves when he is out. You two can use the bathroom after him if you need to," Mom said.
"After him? No way, I ain't going in there after him. Can I use a different bathroom?" Sam asked.
"Fine, whatever. You know what I meant," Mom said. She still sounded angry at us though.
"Dude, I gotta go. You can unlock these things any time now, or you are coming in the bathroom with me," Nick said to me holding up his hands for me to release the cuffs.
After the bathroom break, we goofed around and then hit a few more things on the list. We were sitting in the kitchen at the table trying to figure the next thing to do when Dad came home.
Dad saw us handcuffed together and asked "Having a bad day?"
Nick said, "I hope you brought home jewelry."
Dad said "Why? I didn't do anything wrong."
Nick responded, "We didn't think we did either, but apparently Mom thinks so. The mood Mom is in, flowers won't cut it, you need jewelry."
Dad smirked. "So, after talking to your mother, and I going to be kicking your butts later?"
We looked at each other. I hadn't thought about that. "Uh....Ummm.... I don't know. I don't think we were that bad," I answered honestly.
"Do you ever?" Dad asked smiling. He ruffled Nick's hair and walked towards the stairwell.
"Hey, are we in trouble? I mean, beyond this?" Sam asked.
"I dunno... I don't think so...." I answered.
The house was quiet and every once in a while you could hear Mom say "and YOUR son told me" and "YOUR son".... Hmmm....maybe I better rethink that are we in trouble' thing.
We were still sitting at the table when Dad came back down a few minutes later. Dad leaned against the counter and cross his arms in front of his chest. He looked kinda pissed off at us, but I couldn't tell the degree. He was definitely pissed off enough to lecture us, but I couldn't tell if he was pissed off enough to spank us. I felt myself sitting up straighter in the chair. I saw my brothers do the same.
Right as Dad started to speak, the phone rang. All of us looked first at the phone, and then to Dad. Dad shook his head and said, "Get it."
It was above Sam's head and he reached up with his free arm to answer it. "Hello?"
"Chris?" It was Uncle Jim --- Dad's old partner. He was talking really loud and Sam pulled the phone away from his ear. He wasn't really our uncle, but we've always called him that.
"No, Uncle Jim, it's Sam -" Sam started to say.
"Look, just put your father on the phone!" Uncle Jim yelled.
"Ah...yes, sir," Sam said, with a don't-jump-down-my throat attitude. "Dad, it's Uncle Jim for you," he said to Dad as he held the phone out to him.
"Yeah?" Dad said into the phone. "SON OF a BITCH!......No..._f_u_c_k_. I'll be right there!" Dad said and hung up the phone.
"What happened, Dad?" Nick asked.
Dad was mad about something. He shook his head and muttered, "Son of a bitch" under his breath. "I have to go back in," he said as he started to walk back upstairs. He stopped, turned around and came back to us. "Chris, you have a key to these cuffs?"
"Yeah, in my pocket," I answered him. Reaching in my pocket, I pulled it out and held it out to him. "Do you want it?"
"Uncuff yourselves. Don't give your mother any trouble, or else. Also, Chris tomorrow, I want you to change the oil in the 4-wheelers. You told me three weeks ago you'd do this for me an you haven't. Do it tomorrow. I mean it. You two help him. All the 4-wheelers are long overdue. DO NOT ride them until the oil is changed. Nick, I want you to sweep out the garage. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," I answered for all three of us.
"I'm serious, if your mother tells me you were anything but good, your butts are going to be in a world of hurt."
I nodded my head and said "Yes, sir."
"Nicholas -- you better reel that mouth back, boy. You hear me?"
Nick nodded.
"You hear me?"
"Yes, sir," he answered quietly.
We didn't see Dad the rest of the evening. We tried to behave - Dad didn't make threats lightly. I think we did pretty good. Even Mr. Mouth managed to keep his smartass comments to a minimum. Amazing how well behaved a kid can get when the threat of getting your butt kicked hangs over your head.
Dad had already left for work when I got up in the morning. Mom said he hoped to be home around lunch.
After breakfast we were kicking around the soccer ball in the front yard. Still bored, Nick suggested we hit the trails on the 4-wheelers. We had several acres of land on our property and we had made quite a few trails in the woods. Riding around back there was pretty fun. We rode the trails until about 2:00 when we got hungry. We parked the 4-wheelers outside the utility shed and walked up to the house.
Dad was in the family room, reading a magazine. He looked up when walked in.
"Hey Guys," he called to us.
"Hey Dad"
"Dad, is everything ok? Streets safe for women and children?" Nick asked.
"As long as you aren't on them," Dad teased.
At least he was in a better mood then yesterday. "How long you guys been riding? Your mom said you took off before she went to the gym this morning and hasn't seen you since."
"Couple hours," I answered.
"Did you have any problems changing the oil in them this morning? I put a couple extra quarts of oil in the garage. Which, Nicholas, I see you didn't sweep out, like I told you to," Dad said.
As soon as he mentioned the oil, I realized I had forgot to do it. Again. I also forgot that this time he said not to ride the 4-wheelers until the oil was changed.
I think my facial expressions gave away the fact that I didn't change the oil.
"Chris." Dad looked at me flatly. "Did you change the oil?"
Shaking my head, I said, "No, sir. I forgot."
"Dammit! Three weeks ago you said you would change the oil. I reminded you yesterday afternoon. And I told you two," pointing at Nick and Sam,"to help him."
"I know. I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I won't forget again."
"But you have. Several times. And I guess all three of you also forgot I told you NOT TO RIDE THEM until the oil was changed."
"I'm sorry, Dad," I said again.
"Christopher, it's been three weeks. I've told you over and over to either change the oil or don't ride them until I can get around to changing the oil. You said you would do this for me. ...."
Dad continued to lecture me on responsibilities and doing what you say you are going to do. I was started to feel kinda embarrassed getting chewed out in front of Nick and Sam. Judging from how worked up Dad was getting, I doubted a lecture would be my only punishment. You can only say "I'm sorry, Dad" so many times before it starts to really sound fake.
"And you two," looking at Nick and Sam, "I told you to help him. And I told all THREE of you not to ride them until the oil was changed. I don't know what your problem has been lately. All three of you have been copping some serious attitudes toward your mother ......"
Well, at least the lectured isn't completely concentrated on me now. Dad was really getting worked up. I knew the punishment was going to be distributed between all three of us. I've noticed when it's just me in trouble, punishment tends to be worse. I tuned out most of Dads lecture, but it seem to hit on all the basics -- attitude, mouthing off, disobeying. Not like I haven't heard this lecture my entire life. I did focus on it a little - just enough to answer a question, if I needed to.
Dad lectured for almost five minutes before he ordered us to go up to his room. _d_a_m_n_, I knew a lecture wasn't going to be it. He was going to kick out butts too.
We walked into my parents bedroom and Mom was sitting on the floor with a drawer in front of her. "What are you guys doing in here?" she asked.
"Dad told us to come in here," Sam answered.
"Oh..... What did you do?" She asked.
"I forgot to change the oil in the --" I started.
"Christopher! AGAIN? And you three when out on them all morning? What are you trying to do? Seize the engines? Those things are expensive, we aren't made of money, you know. You told your father you would change the oil almost a month ago......"
Oh great, same lecture, different parent. They hit on the same points too. What do they do, practice this?
Mom grabbed my arm and shook me a little. "Little man, don't you tune me out!" she yelled at me.
"I wasn't!" I defended myself.
"Bull _s_h_i_t_! I am your mother and I deserve a little respect around this house!" she yelled.
"Mom, I do respect you," I told her weakly. In actuality, her voice is starting to sound quite shrill. She must notice her voice does this, because after she gets shrill and nasally, she'll lower the pitch. It's just too easy to tune it out. She might be yelling, but all I was hearing was the sounds adults made in the Peanuts cartoon - whoa-wot-wot-wa, whoa-wot-wot-wa.
Mom was still shaking my arm when Dad walked in. "What's going on?"
"Your son is tuning me out. Again," Mom answered him.
Dad looked at me. He narrowed his eyes. Oh perfect, he was already mad, now he's madder.
"No, I wasn't! Dad, I wasn't!" I whined. Ok, so I was, but it was worth a shot.
"Oh yeah, then what did I just tell you?" Mom countered.
"That I should have changed the oil when I said I would. And that I should have listened to Dad when he told me not to ride them until I did," I answerd. Hey, this was easy, so I guess I started to get a little smug, "Oh and that the engine could seize up and they are expensive if we have to get them fixed and that we aren't made of money. Ummm....and that you deserved a little respect around this house...."
"Alright - Fine - Knock off that attitude!"
Me!!? She challenged me and then she tells me to knock off my attitude when she doesn't trip me up?? But seeing the raging bull, also known as my father, standing next to her, I spoke the wise answer of "Yes, ma'am. Sorry."
Mom and Dad looked at each other and then went out into the hallway.
"Nice going, dude," Nick whispered to me after we sat on the cedar chest. "And you think I have a big mouth and rile Dad up. What hell are you thinking? Pissing him off is only going to make him whip us harder. Thanks, bud, preciate that!"
"Sorry. Besides, not like you haven't got us in more trouble before," I whispered back.
"Do you think Dad is going to whip me with the belt for this too?" Sam asked. He hated getting in trouble and was looking kinda scared.
"Naah, you ain't thirteen yet. He'll probably just roast your butt with the brush this time," Nick told him. "Chill out, you'll be ok."
Sam always worked himself up when we got in trouble. This time was no exception.
"Dude, chill... Come on, suck it up," Nick gently reassured him. "Hey, this is only my second time with the belt."
Sammy nodded his head, but you could still see the fear in his face.
I leaned closer to Nick, smiled and whispered, "See, told you that you'd get your butt whipped again." After the first time Nick got spanked with the belt, he told me it hurt so bad he was never going to get in trouble again.
He smiled sideways at me and said "Shuddup!" Pausing, he leaned to me and said, "Why are we laughing? Dad's about to kick our ass and we're laughing."
"We're assholes, remember? Disrespectful assholes," I whispered.
"Yeah, ones that tune out our parents lecturing us. All I heard was whoa-wot-wot-wa (the adult cartoon Peanut character voice)," Nick whispered.
"Me too! Hey, you know, we could get Sammy so good right now," I whispered.
"Yeah, but that would be mean. Look at him, he's scared to death. And I have to live in the same room with him afterwards....we can't." Pausing, "Oh _f_u_c_k_ it, I'm already getting punished... Do it!" he whispered.
Glancing through the doorway, I could see Mom and Dad still whispering. Seems like only Sam was being quiet. Nick looked at me like "well, do it", but I had to think of something good. You'd think I would be feeling contrite since in a matter of moments my father was going to kick my ass, but I didn't. Ok, sure, I should have changed the oil like I said I was and maybe I should have been a bit less disrespectful to my mother, but what the hell. The wasn't the first time Dad's beat my ass, and I doubt it will be the last.
I just thought of the perfect way to mess with Sam. Leaning slightly in front of Nick, I whispered, "Sam?" He was staring at the floor, he didn't even hear me. "Sammy?!" I whispered a little louder. I looked at Nick and shook my head. Nick moved his leg to touch Sams. I said his name again. This time he looked at me. Then I saw his eyes get wide. I had to look to my left to see Sam. To my right was the door. Judging from the look on Sam's face, Dad must have just walked back in the room. _d_a_m_n_..... I could have got the runt good too.
I turned my head to watch Dad walk in the room and stand in front of us. Reality hit and my mood quickly turned serious.
"Do you know why you are about to get punished?" Dad asked me.
"Yes, sir. For not changing the oil when I told you I would, even though you reminded me about ten times and for disobeying you when you said not to ride the 4-wheelers until the oil was changed in them. And for my attitude and back-talking Mom."
"Nicholas?"
"For not helping Chris change the oil like you told me to; for riding the 4-wheelers when you said not to; for not sweeping out the garage; and for my attitude and back-talking Mom," Nick answered.
"Sam?"
"Ummm....pretty much the same reason as Nick, except for sweeping out the garage, because you didn't tell me to do that, sir," Sam answered. You could hear the stress in his voice, but he answered Dad's question.
Dad nodded and then went to the closet. He grabbed a belt. Then we went into the bathroom and grabbed the bath brush. Dad felt thirteen was the age where you start getting your butt spanked by a belt. Until then, it was usually the brush. Sam was twelve for another six months, so Dad was going to spank him with the brush; Nick and I were going to get the belt.
Dad pointed to the windows and said, "Nick, Sam." They stood up and stood by the windows. I stood up and looked at my father. "Turn around."
"Yes, sir." Thank God, this was going to be over my shorts. Suddenly I wished I had put on a pair of jeans and not shorts this morning. My shorts were last years soccer uniform shorts, they were pretty thin. But, pretty thin is still better then bare.
CRACK!
Ye-ouch! The first one always hurts.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
I started flexing my arms and holding my breath as Dad whipped me.
CRACK! "Ow" CRACK! "Owwww---owwww --ahhhhh" CRACK CRACK
I started crying and stood up just a little. We are allowed to cry all we want, but aren't supposed to stand up. I caught myself before Dad said anything to me and bend back over. Even over my shorts my ass was fried.
CRACK! "Ooohhhhhh....aaahhhhhhhhh" CRACK! CRACK!
I tried not to cry in front of my brothers, but I still did. Dad is not a weak man and he can swing a mean belt. I felt a hand on my back and Dad said for me to get up and stand next to Sam.
I wiped my face on the back of my hand and did as he said. I was sucking up most of my tears when I saw Dad put his arm on Nick's shoulder to whisper something to him. The last time Dad spanked him with the belt, it was outside. I guess he was telling him the inside rules --- bend over, stay that way until Dad says you can move, no standing up, and no begging. Dad felt begging was for cowards - you did the crime, now you are doing the time.
Nick nodded his head and then bent over the cedar chest. I looked at Sam. His face was steeled. I could tell he was trying not to cry.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
"Wwwwaaalllllll"
"OWWWWWWwwwww"
As Dad whipped Nick, I stepped closer to Sam and let my arm touch his. He turned his head and looked up at me and then looked back to the floor.
CRACK! CRACK!
"Owwww" Nick is crying and he is and shaking his legs.
I brushed my arm against Sam again and leaned down a little to whisper to him, "You'll live, it'll be ok." Nick once told me he reassures Sam while Dad is spanking me.
CRACK! CRACK!
I don't know why Nick and I felt compelled to tell him this when we get in trouble. When it is just Nick and me and we are waiting for Dad, we don't do that to each other. Maybe because he is the youngest and we feel protective? For my entire life, I've heard the "you're the oldest, you should know better; you should protect your younger brothers". Maybe some of it was sinking in. Or maybe because he looks so small and scared, like he is going to puke on the carpet.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Nick is hanging his head down and crying. I can tell he is trying not to, but he still is. He still has his arms tensed up, even after Dad stopped. I lost count how many times Dad whipped Nick, but I think it was ten times. Dad finished with Nick, stepped to the closet and put his belt away. Then he touched Nick's back and told him to stand up. Nicky wiped his face with his hands, and turned around towards Dad. He grabbed Nick's arm and said, "You better keep that mouth of yours in check, or you'll be feeling my belt on your ass a lot more."
"Yes, sir," Nick answered as he was choking back tears from the spanking. Nick normally didn't say "sir" except when he was scared or in trouble.
"Your mother told me how you've been mouthing off, I will not tolerate you disrespecting her like that," Dad told him.
"Yes, sir," Nick answered.
"And, when I tell you to do something, you _d_a_m_n_ well better listen to me. If that garage isn't swept out by dinner, you'll be getting another spanking tonight."
"Yes, sir," Nick answered a third time. His voice cracked like he was going to start crying again. My father can be a very intimidating man when you are on his bad side.
Dad lifted his chin with his finger. Very quietly, almost to quiet for Sam and me to hear, he said "I'm serious, Nicholas. Don't push your luck, boy. Understood?"
"Y-y-yes sir. Understood."
Dad let go of Nick's chin, put his hand on the back of his neck and gently pushed him towards Sam and me. "Stand over there." Looking at Sam, " Samuel?"
Sam walked to Dad. Dad sat down on the edge the cedar bench, by the corner. He pulled Sam across his lap and picked up the brush. Dad was left handed, so Sam was laying across his lap facing the bedroom door, his ass towards us.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! Sam started crying almost immediately.
I felt Nick bump into me as he was standing there. I looked at him. His face was red and he had wiped tear streaks down. He was biting his lips trying to settle down. "You ok?" I mouthed at him. He nodded to me in a jerky movement.
Dad continued to spank Sam. I counted thirty times. Sam was balling his eyes out but he didn't struggle or kick. He had his hands on the floor supporting his upper body. He had his head down and just cried. Didn't say anything, just cried. Dad let Sam lay across his lap a few minutes to stop crying before he let him up. Dad put both of his hands on Sam's face and put his head really close to him. I couldn't hear what he said, but I saw Sam nod his head and then say, "Yes, sir."
"Ok, boys. Chris, what are you going to this afternoon?"
"Change the oil in the 4-wheelers, sir," I answered.
"Nicholas?"
"Sweep out the garage, sir," Nick answered.
"Good. Chris and Sam, go to your rooms. Nick, stay here."
I looked at Nick before I left. He had a blank look on his face. I didn't know why Dad told him to stay here. I didn't think Dad was going to spank him again, but I was glad to be getting out of the room.
I went into my room and pulled down my shorts in front of the mirror. My ass was a beautiful shade of bright red. I slowly pulled my shorts back up and laid down on my bed, on my stomach. I rubbed my ass and then dozed off. Dad woke me up by rubbing my back. I rolled to my side to talk to him. After we are punished, my parents always come into our room and talk to us calmly. They'll hug and tell us they love us. I always thought this is childish, but it did make me feel better. Like the slate was clean again. As Dad was leaving my room, I asked, "Dad, why did you tell Nick to stay in your room?"
Dad smiled, and walked back to me. "Who wants to know?"
"Come on, Dad," I said. I shrugged and said, "I want to know."
"I told him to lay down on my bed," he answered.
I didn't say anything but I tilted my head to the side and gave Dad a quizzical look.
"What did you think? That I was going to spank him again?
"I don't know. Maybe??" I answered and shrugged.
"Well, I spanked Sam pretty good. When I let him up, I asked him if he wanted to be alone in his room for a few minutes. He said he did, so I told Nick to stay in my room for a few more minutes."
"Is Sammy ok?"
"Yeah, he's fine. I think your brother thought he was still in trouble. He looked pretty scared after you and Sam left. I told him to lay on my bed for a few minutes before going into his room to give Sam some time to compose himself. Nick ended up falling asleep and is still there. I'm going to go wake him up when I leave you."
"Oh." I didn't know what else to say.
"After I talk to your brothers, do you want me to help you change the oil in the 4-wheelers?"
"Naah. I'll do it. I told you I would do it for you almost a month ago. But thanks, Dad."
"If you change your mind, let me know," Dad said and walked out of my room. I got up and stretched. My butt ached, it'll probably hurt for a little while. I went to the bathroom, washed my face and then headed outside to do what I should have done three weeks ago.