Jeff
kept replaying the incident at Target over and over in his mind. He
wasn't sure why he snapped at his wife Karen over the decision to buy
organic peanut butter versus their usual Jiffy brand purchase. He was
the one who ate the majority of peanut butter in the house - so he
should have the final say on the matter.
But with his nose
pressed in the corner of their master bedroom, Jeff was reminded who did
have the final say. It was Karen. And since they had the house to
themselves - kids were off to the movies for the afternoon - Karen
wanted to make an immediate impression to correct Jeff's behavior. On
the way home from their shopping trip, Karen explained to Jeff that his
outburst was uncalled for and needed to be dealt with. And in the
Harrington household, that meant Jeff could find himself draped over
Karen's laps on the receiving end of a spanking. A position he found
himself routinely during his childhood at the hands of his mother. And a
position that Karen took very seriously since she took the reigns in
her relationship with Jeff.
It started innocently enough -
almost 20 years ago - when Jeff and Karen began dating. The first time
Karen visited Jeff's childhood home to meet his parents, a wooden paddle
hanging in the kitchen near the chalkboard and phone caught her eye.
Jeff's mother, Pat, noticed Karen's glance and smiled to herself.
"I
couldn't have raised the boys in this house without that. It helped
settle many a disagreement and put an end to any misbehavior around
here. Still serves as a nice reminder," Pat disclosed to Karen.
"I think you and my mother were cut from the same cloth," Karen chuckled.
"Sounds like a smart woman," Pat replied as Karen nodded in agreement.
"Jeff
probably was on the receiving end a bit more than his brother Steve but
it it sure was effective in keeping him in line," Pat continued. Karen
and Pat settled into the kitchen to chat over coffee while Jeff and his
father Raymond caught up over a football game in the Den. Pat divulged
everything to Karen, about Jeff's childhood but more importantly his
child-rearing.
Pat was the matriarch and disciplinarian of the
family. She dealt with any improprieties with a stern and steadfast trip
over Pat's knee in the form of a spanking. As long as you lived under
Pat's roof, you lived under Pat's rules. If that meant a paddling,
corner time or an early trip to bed - so be it - it was more than likely
well-deserved. Pat only warned once which was usually enough to adjust
attitudes most of the time. But if that line was crossed, Pat would
usher the errant Harrington boy by the ear to the nearest corner of the
house.
Spankings were not always given but if pants were
unbuttoned, unzipped and pushed down to knee level - then one was
imminent. From here, a nose would be pressed into the corner and hands
were to remain at either side. Pat thought that some reflection time by a
naughty boy with his white briefs on display was necessary to humble
the miscreant before the paddling. Corner time usually lasted anywhere
from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. And it did not matter who was present,
punishments were given on the spot - so any member of the family,
neighbors or whomever was at the house would be witness. Most spankings
were delivered on a Harrington lad's upturned, brief-clad bottom - but a
bare-bottomed paddling did occur on some occasions. All spankings were
followed by corner time.
20
years later, Jeff still found himself in a corner, pants in a puddle at
his ankles, hands at his side, underpants on display by the instruction
of his wife. Karen entered their master bedroom and moved a chair from
the wall to the center of the room. She made her way to Jeff with the
Harrington family paddle which his mother took the liberty of passing on
to her. Pat thought that it could come in handy for Karen and plus - no
Harrington boy was ever too old for a good old-fashioned spanking.
Karen
approached Jeff and rubbed the smooth wooden paddle across Jeff's
briefs. She didn't say a word and then gently began to tap Jeff's bottom
with the paddle. This always made Jeff squirm because he knew that
shortly he would be over Karen's knee like the naughty little boy that
he was.
"Young man. Have you had time to think about why you are in the corner," Karen opened the conversation.
"Yes Ma'am. I have had time to think," Jeff replied.
"And?"
"I'm sorry. I just got-"
"I'm sorry what?" Karen interrupted.
"I'm
sorry Ma'am. I should not have been rude and disrespectful towards you
at the store earlier. In the future if I have a differing opinion I will
talk to you about in a respectful manner," Jeff apologized.
"Very
well. And now let's get down to business. What happens to naughty boys
who are disrespectful and cause a scene - in a Target of all places?"
"They get punished Ma-am," Jeff said softly.
"That's right. And how are they punished?"
"They are spanked Ma'am," Jeff answered.
"Very
well," Karen replied as she made her way to the straight-backed chair
in the middle of the room. "Now, come on Mister, you've got a spanking
coming!"
And with those words, Jeff shuffled from the corner to
the side of Karen. Karen ushered Jeff over her lap and began with a
sharp smack to the seat of his boyish white briefs. Karen's face was
determined as each smack was delivered with deliberate precision and a
good stern lecture thrown in from time to time. As for Jeff, his face
grimaced as his dear wife applied the Harrington family heirloom to his
rear-end.
The gift that just kept on giving for our dear Jeff.
