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00:00Saddle sore. Chapter 3, Jamie rides again. Part 2
00:05Eager to get started teaching horse riding, Jamie wolfed down the rest of her flapjacks.
00:10Mama gave Jamie the mom look.
00:12Chew before you swallow, Jamie.
00:15If I have to save you from choking, you're going over my knee as soon as I'm finished giving you the Heimlich maneuver.
00:23Jamie sipped on her orange juice to help wash down the last of her breakfast.
00:27Yes, Mama. So, how old is my birthday girl?
00:31Mama smiled mysteriously. She's ten.
00:35Connelly Mording. You remember Conrad Mording? It's his little sister.
00:41Joanne smiled wickedly.
00:43Conrad? You mean Jamie's babysitter?
00:46Jamie nearly choked on her orange juice, but fought down her gag reflex through sheer willpower.
00:51He was not my babysitter. We were co-babysitters for you.
00:56When Jamie was 11, she'd been left in charge of a 9-year-old Joanne for an evening, which resulted in disaster.
01:03After Joanne broke some minor house rule, Jamie took it upon herself to spank Joanne,
01:08only for an all-out brawl to erupt, which ended with Jamie hiding in the bathroom.
01:13After that fiasco, Jamie was not permitted to spank any of her younger siblings without
01:17explicit approval from Mama or Papa, and 12-year-old Conrad was hired as a co-babysitter.
01:23Jamie and Conrad had been playmates in Sunday school,
01:26but they hadn't seen each other much since Conrad started high school a year before Jamie.
01:31Joanne swirled the dregs of her orange juice at the bottom of her glass.
01:35I seem to remember Papa telling him he could spank you if you caused him any trouble.
01:40Papa chuckled as he bit into his breakfast sausage.
01:43Now that you mention it, I did.
01:45Jamie felt her cheeks burning.
01:47That was a joke. You were laughing when you said it. He laughed too.
01:51Papa pretended to think hard about it.
01:54Hmm, maybe it was a joke. But I don't think you ever gave him any trouble, so it must have worked.
02:00Joanne winked at Jamie.
02:01Better take good care of his sister today.
02:04If you screw up, Conrad might take Papa up on his offer.
02:08Jamie's fist twitched, but she controlled her instinct to deck Joanne.
02:12Daddy, tell her to quit teasing me.
02:15Joanne narrowed her eyes.
02:17It's just a little joke. Don't be such a rabbit ears.
02:21Dad sat down his silverware and silenced both of his daughters with a look.
02:25That's enough, both of you.
02:27Yes, sir.
02:28Squeaked both Jamie and Joanne.
02:30Papa let the moment hang, waiting to see if either of them would defy him.
02:35Satisfied, he nodded.
02:37Jamie, you can always choose to ignore Joanne's ribbing.
02:40The more you react, the more fun you make it for her to tease you.
02:44Learn to take a joke in stride.
02:46As for you, Joanne, I want you on your best behavior while the mornings are here.
02:50No embarrassing Jamie in front of her old friend.
02:54Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
02:58Capisce?
02:59Capisce, answered both girls at once.
03:02After helping Mama clear the table and wash the dishes,
03:04the Schmitt siblings were excused from the table to enjoy their second day of summer vacation.
03:10On pins and needles, Jamie made her way to the stables to prepare for her first class of the
03:15summer. As she caught sight of the woodshed, she formed her plan of action for the day.
03:19Finish the horse lessons, then I'll bring a saddlebag over to the woodshed.
03:24If anyone asks, I can say I need some spare reins from the shed.
03:28Then I can throw the hairbrush and belt in the saddlebag and bring it home.
03:33And no one's the wiser.
03:34There was a risk that Papa would use the woodshed for hobby work today,
03:38but as long as he didn't look too closely behind the saddle rack,
03:41the damning evidence might escape his notice.
03:44Jamie took a calming breath.
03:46It'll all be okay.
03:47Just concentrate on teaching your class.
03:51Jamie heard the sound of stomping behind her and turned to find Joanne,
03:54stumbling out of the front door, pulling on her cowgirl boots over her gray overalls.
04:00I'm helping out at the stables today.
04:02Jamie narrowed her eyes.
04:04Pop said you're free for the day.
04:06What are you up to, Joanne?
04:08If you heckle me while I'm teaching a class, so help me.
04:11Joanne held up a hand as if saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
04:15Yeah, yeah, you'll take me to the woodshed yourself to warm me up
04:19before I get a licking from Papa's belt.
04:21Look, I just want to help out.
04:24Honest, do unto others, and stuff.
04:28Jamie stiffened at the mention of the woodshed before shaking her head.
04:32Suit yourself.
04:33Help me get the corral ready.
04:35The girls will need the basic safety course,
04:37so I'll need a spare saddle for them to practice on.
04:40Joanne spun on her heels and strolled toward the woodshed.
04:44There's a saddle rack in the woodshed.
04:46I'll fetch it for you.
04:48No!
04:49Jamie squealed as she grabbed the back straps of Joanne's overalls.
04:53Nearby, the chickens spooked at the noise and started squawking in protest.
04:57Jamie quickly let go of Joanne, then added,
05:00Uh, I've got one out there already.
05:02Jamie prayed that she really did have a spare saddle rack at the stables.
05:06Joanne looked at her with annoyance, before shrugging.
05:10Okie dokie. You're the boss, hoss.
05:13Jamie sighed with relief when she found the spare saddle and rack in the storage room
05:17of the stables, and the two sisters set to work.
05:20For the next hour, Jamie was almost in heaven.
05:23Joanne bustled around the stables helping her do anything she asked,
05:27and Jamie finally forgot about the woodshed.
05:30They both checked Sir Hamilton's hooves, and prepped his saddle.
05:33Jamie had taught the How to Ride a Horse 101 class so many times,
05:37she could do it in her sleep.
05:39But no matter how many times Jamie did it, it never got old,
05:43seeing the expressions on the girls' faces as they rode a horse for the first time.
05:47When she taught the girls the safety basics, she'd give each girl a turn
05:51lunging, walking the horse in a circle around the corral.
05:55The birthday party arrived, and Jamie was relieved to see it was only a small group
05:59of five girls, between the ages of nine and twelve, led by Mrs. Mording,
06:03a stolid, middle-aged woman with sharp chestnut-colored hair.
06:08All right, young ladies, be on your best behavior for Miss Schmidt.
06:12Behave yourself? thought Jamie.
06:15Whenever she was in the presence of someone her parents' age,
06:18Jamie had a habit of smartening herself up.
06:21It wasn't merely that she'd learned to respect her elders since infancy.
06:25Whether it was at church or school, Jamie would always imagine adults
06:28taking her across their knee for a spanking then and there, if she spoke out of turn.
06:33Mrs. Mording was no exception.
06:35Jamie shook her head to dispel the stupid vision
06:38of being spanked bare-bottomed by Mrs. Mording in front of all the girls.
06:42Yes, Mrs. Mording, answered Connolly's birthday guests.
06:46Yes, Mama, added Connolly, who shared her mother's chestnut-colored hair.
06:51Anything I can do to help, Jamie? asked the young man's voice.
06:54Jamie twisted to find Conrad Mording leaning against the railing of the corral.
06:59He shared the same distinct rusty, red-black hair color with his mother and little sister.
07:04In the years since they'd played together after Sunday school at the First Reformed
07:08Baptist Church of Redfield, Jamie had grown two feet, so that she now towered six inches of her
07:13Conrad. Remembering the teasing remark about Conrad being her former babysitter,
07:18Jamie's eyes darted to Joanne, but Joanne watched silently.
07:22Joanne smiled as if to say,
07:24See? I'm behaving myself.
07:27Jamie adjusted her cowboy hat to hide her nerves,
07:30then turned her attention to her former co-babysitter.
07:33Conrad? I'm good, just make sure your sister pays attention to the safety instructions.
07:38Conrad gave her a thumbs up.
07:40You got it, Miss Schmidt. You hear that, Connolly? Turn on your listening ears.
07:46Connolly's listening ears burned red as the other girls giggled behind her.
07:50Conrad, I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm ten years old now.
07:55Conrad lifted Connolly's pink cowboy hat and ruffled her hair,
07:59ignoring her cries of protest.
08:01Stop it!
08:02Conrad set the hat back down over Connolly's eyes,
08:05then clapped his hands to silence the rest of the giggling birthday guests.
08:09Okay, I'll stop. You're a big, grown-up girl now. Hey! The rest of you, settle down.
08:16Connolly's four girlfriends stood at attention.
08:19Yes sir, Mr. Warding.
08:21Based on the girls' reaction, Jamie had a sneaking suspicion Conrad had babysat
08:26each of them at one point or another. She couldn't help but wonder if he'd
08:29been granted spanking privileges. Mrs. Mording cooed as she pinched her oldest son's cheek.
08:35Conrad volunteered to help me wrangle the littles, today.
08:40Don't know what I'd do without having a man around to use the dad voice on them.
08:45Now it was Conrad's turn to look flustered.
08:47Jamie caught his eye, before he coughed and adjusted his hat.
08:51Okay, let's all listen to Miss Schmidt.
08:54As the girls started giggling again,
08:56Jamie put her fingers in her mouth and whistled shrilly to get their attention.
09:00Connolly looked up at Jamie wide-eyed.
09:02Whoa, I didn't know people could whistle that loud.
09:05Thank you, Mrs. Mording, thank you, Conrad.
09:09Raise your hand if you want to ride a horse today.
09:12All the girls' hands shot up. Jamie crossed her arms.
09:15Okay, now raise your hand if you know how to check a saddle.
09:19The girls faltered and lowered their hands.
09:22Well, I can't let you ride a horse until you know how to saddle it, so let's get to it.
09:27Having successfully gotten the girls' attention, Jamie's lesson progressed as usual.
09:31She walked each girl through the process on the saddle rack,
09:34then introduced the girls to the horses.
09:37Since Jamie was most used to riding Sir Hamilton, she escorted him to the corral.
09:42Jamie carefully ignored the rack of antique horse whips and riding crops her parents owned.
09:47In the Hollywood business, historically accurate props were a major commodity.
09:52She fantasized about spanking herself with each and every one of them in the past,
09:56but Jamie forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand.
10:00Can't think about spanking myself. Focus. You've got a job to do.
10:05Joanne was suspiciously helpful, bringing Jamie anything she needed,
10:09and helping brush down Sir Hamilton to prepare him for the saddle.
10:13Papa had personally tamed Sir Hamilton,
10:15but the stallion still had Bronco blood in his veins.
10:18Jamie understood his personality and loved his energy for barrel racing,
10:22but he could be a bit much for new riders.
10:25Jamie's plan was to use Sir Hamilton for her safety demonstration,
10:29then bring out a gentle mare for the girls to saddle and ride for the rest of the day.
10:33She quizzed the girls as she attached the saddle to Sir Hamilton.
10:37And who knows which way I put this on. Connelly.
10:40Connelly bounced on the balls of her feet, her hand in the air.
10:44The horn goes by his head, on top of the, uh, the pocket?
10:48That's right. The wither pocket is right here. It's easier to feel than to see.
10:53Who wants to feel it? Oh, everybody? Okay.
10:57After Jamie lifted each of the four girls and turned to feel the wither behind Sir Hamilton's
11:02shoulders, she turned to find Conrad had joined the group. Jamie beamed at him.
11:07After Jamie lifted each of the four girls and turned to feel the wither behind Sir
11:11Hamilton's shoulders, she turned to find Conrad had joined the group. Jamie beamed at him.
11:16Want me to give you a lift, shorty?
11:19Ignoring her jab at his height,
11:20Conrad lifted his hand and immediately found the wither on his own.
11:24It's so smooth, I can barely see it. Is it different for the mares?
11:29Jamie beamed.
11:30Horses are all as different as people are, but they all have one.
11:34Sir Hamilton here is a bit of a musclehead so his is easier to feel.
11:38As if insulted, Sir Hamilton turned a glance at Jamie and snorted.
11:43Conrad patted Sir Hamilton between the shoulder blades.
11:46I think you wounded his pride.
11:48Jamie shooed Conrad away as she cooed Sir Hamilton.
11:51He's smart. He knows it's a compliment. You're a big musclehead. Yes, you are.
11:57Conrad ushered his sister and her friends back behind the gate.
12:00Jamie tightened and secured the straps, calling on girls to name each part of the saddle as she went,
12:06and made a point of double-checking the rings.
12:08Like she'd done a thousand times before, Jamie prepared to mount Sir Hamilton,
12:12easily securing her left boot in the stirrup as she prepared to kick her right leg up and over his back.
12:18Now, it's a little scary, but you want to do it in one smooth.
12:22As Jamie kicked up, the welch from the belt whipping she'd given herself last night stretched
12:27and flared up.
12:28Motion?
12:29As she winced, the toe of her right boot kicked Sir Hamilton's hindquarter.
12:33The fact that Jamie had done this safety demonstration thousands of times
12:37only helped her appreciate what was happening, as it happened in slow motion.
12:42Sir Hamilton bolted at the kick, and Jamie felt herself rolling backwards towards the ground,
12:47landing right on the seat of her pants.
12:49She felt something tugging at her left boot, and instinctively shielded her neck and face.
12:54She could make out the sound of girlish screams,
12:57felt sand scratching against the back of her neck and knew she was being dragged.
13:01A boy's voice shouted,
13:02Whoa there!
13:03With a quick twist of her foot, Jamie pulled her boot loose from the stirrup, and came to a halt.
13:09Her first thought was of Sir Hamilton.
13:11Joanne! The bridle! Before he hurts himself!
13:15Jamie picked herself up to find, not Joanne,
13:18but Conrad running to calm Sir Hamilton and take the reins.
13:22Whoa! Easy there, fella!
13:24Jamie felt someone grasp her by the shoulders from behind,
13:27and saw Joanne had rushed to her side.
13:30Anything feel broken?
13:32Jamie took a few deep breaths as she felt herself.
13:35Her shoulder was sore but nothing felt broken.
13:38But her ass was both throbbing and numb at the same time,
13:41and she realized it must have taken the brunt of both the fall and being dragged.
13:45Looking behind her, she guessed she'd been dragged at least 20 feet before shaking herself loose.
13:51Experimentally, Jamie stretched her legs and tried to stand up.
13:54Um, Joanne? Could you check, my pants?
13:58Your pants? Hey! Quit trying to stand up! If something's broken you need to-
14:04Jamie tensed as she saw Conrad wave at her and start leading Sir Hamilton toward them by the reins.
14:10Nothing's broken, Joanne, just check my pants! Please! Do it quick!
14:16Joanne opened her mouth to argue,
14:18then her eyes went wide with dawning comprehension as she spotted Conrad.
14:22Oh, your pants! Well, they look a bit…distressed?
14:27Jamie's hands flew towards her bottom,
14:29before she remembered that the whole point was to avoid attracting Conrad's attention to it.
14:33Distressed? What does that mean?
14:36You know, like, those jeans kids at school get with rips in them.
14:40Crud! Is there a hole? Can they see my panties?
14:44Jamie hissed.
14:45Mrs. Mording, Connolly, and the rest of the girls called her name as they circled the corral gate.
14:51Joanne's head bobbed up and down as she tried to inspect Jamie's behind without making it obvious.
14:56It's not a hole. It's more like it's…weathered. There's a little threadbare patch about…
15:02Jamie? You okay?
15:04Called Conrad, as he approached them steadily.
15:07Jamie stood at attention, towering over Conrad.
15:10Good save, Conrad!
15:12I jumped in the corral as soon as I saw him dragging you.
15:15But you got out of the stirrups on your own. That was amazing!
15:19Jamie reached for her cowgirl hat, hoping to hold it behind her back to cover the seat of her pants,
15:24only to discover her hat had gone flying off her head 20 feet away.
15:29Jamie felt Joanne brush up behind her and wondered if Joanne was trying to
15:32strategically place herself to hide the little threadbare patch.
15:36Too scared to turn around, Jamie coughed and accepted the reins from Conrad.
15:41No! You did great! If a horse spooks and goes running,
15:45they can catch their reins on something and hurt themselves. You're my hero!
15:50Conrad blinked, then patted Jamie on the shoulder.
15:53Oh, glad I could help. Guess I was just in the right place at the right time.
15:58Trying to sideshuffle around Sir Hamilton to keep her rear out of view,
16:02Jamie turned to face Mrs. Mording, Connolly, and the rest of the birthday party girls.
16:07All right. Who can tell me what I did wrong there?
16:11After finishing the safety lecture, Jamie excused herself to return Sir Hamilton back to his box,
16:16and took an opportunity to inspect the seat of her pants.
16:19Sure enough, it looked a bit razzled, but it was intact.
16:23After feeling the little threadbare patch Jamie argued with herself about whether it
16:27was worth running home to change into fresh jeans.
16:30Whatever, I already look like an ass. If they notice it. Serves me right for not paying attention.
16:36After Jamie brought out Peace, their gentlest,
16:39mildest mare, the girls got to brush and saddle her.
16:43Some of them were nervous about riding after Jamie's unforgettable safety demonstration,
16:47but Connolly volunteered to go first, and they all were able to mount and ride Peace without
16:52incident. Jamie felt like kicking herself for the entire lesson. But Connolly surprised her
16:58with a hug, thanking her for the best birthday ever, and Mrs. Mording promised to bring Connolly
17:03back for regular riding lessons in the future. Joanne pretended to whisper in Connolly's ear,
17:08but made sure her whisper was loud enough for Jamie to hear.
17:12First lesson, don't fall off your horse.
17:15Jamie imagined Clothesline tackling Joanne to the ground,
17:18but then imagined herself getting a well-deserved spanking for starting a fight.
17:22Remembering how Joanne had come to her aid before, Jamie willed herself to ignore Joanne's barbs.
17:28Second lesson, don't screw around.
17:31Conrad turned to tip his hat to her.
17:33Thanks Jamie. Thanks Joanne. Connolly had a great time.
17:37Jamie felt her mouth moving of its own accord.
17:40Thanks Conrad, I had a great time too. I had a great time too? What the heck does that mean?
17:46Thought Jamie. Joanne made it worse by side-eyeing her. Conrad chortled.
17:52Ha! Well, that makes three of us. See you at school, Jamie.
17:57At lunch, Papa fixed Jamie with a look of mock sternness.
18:01So I hear you took a nasty fall today. What happened? You weren't screwing around, were you?
18:06Jamie hung her head, not because she felt Papa was angry with her,
18:10but only because of how stupid she still felt.
18:13No sir, I just flubbed them out.
18:16Joanne interjected.
18:17I saw the whole thing. Jamie wasn't messing around, it could have happened to anyone.
18:23Papa nodded.
18:24Thanks for sticking up for your sister, Joanne.
18:27Accidents happen at a horse ranch, but no screwing around was an ironclad rule.
18:32When Jamie was 13, she playfully slapped her rear end while racing Joanne,
18:36only to lose her footing and fall backwards off her horse.
18:40That incident had resulted in a serious talking-to in her bedroom.
18:44First, she'd laid across Papa's lap to endure a spanking from one of the old,
18:48reliable hand paddles across her jeans.
18:51Then Mama had opted to use a more creative implement, a horse brush,
18:55which she strapped to her palm before ordering Jamie to bear her butt and get across her knee.
19:00The stiff bristles from the brush had prickled and stung like mad.
19:04While there were a few consistent implements,
19:06Mama and Papa didn't hesitate to grab a weapon of opportunity whenever the need arose.
19:11Jamie was pretty sure she wouldn't be spanked for making an innocent mistake,
19:15but the memory haunted her anyway.
19:17Of course, if I hadn't spanked myself yesterday,
19:20I probably wouldn't have screwed up the mount, so in a way, it is my fault.
19:25In her heart of hearts, she prayed for Papa to order her to lay across his lap
19:29to get the spanking she deserved right then and there.
19:32Instead, Papa put a supportive hand on her shoulder.
19:35Well, I'm glad you're all right, Firecracker.
19:38Jamie savored Mama's meatloaf, looking forward to her summer afternoon.
19:42Having finished her lessons, Jamie was free for the rest of the day.
19:47Juniper made a fuss about eating her green beans, and after spitting one out was
19:51unceremoniously pulled across Mama's lap for six firm swats with a wooden spatula.
19:56Mama seated Juniper right back in her seat at the table and pointed emphatically.
20:00Now you sit there and clean your plate, and no spitting,
20:04or I'm taking you to your room for a serious discussion next.
20:08Juniper wailed and sniffled, but more from sorrow than from the pain.
20:12After finishing her green beans, she was congratulated and offered dessert.
20:17With that, Juniper was back to her old self, as if the spanking had never happened.
20:22Good job, Juniper. I knew you could do it.
20:25Cheered Jack.
20:26Now you get ice cream, which is so much nicer than a bare-bottom spanking.
20:31Observed Jill.
20:32As Joseph fetched the mail, he announced that their final grade
20:35reports had arrived from Redfield Christian School.
20:38Jamie noticed that Joanne's eyes went wide at this news,
20:41at least the single eye that wasn't hidden behind her lanky hair.
20:45Papa accepted the envelopes, each stamped with the school seal.
20:49Perfect, let's see what you kids learned this year.
20:52Jamie spotted the rack of spanking implements on the kitchen wall,
20:56still remembering her trip to the woodshed from her freshman year in painful detail.
21:00Hopefully, no one would need to learn an additional lesson today.
21:17Jamie kicked herself at the mention of B+.
21:20She'd hoped to bring that class up to an A- after her final exam.
21:24I could have studied harder. I deserve a paddling.
21:27She thought.
21:29With a nod of approval, Papa handed Jamie's report card to Mama.
21:33Great job, Jamie. That's two years in a row of a solid A average.
21:37Mama used one of Juniper's alphabet magnet tiles to
21:40display Jamie's grades on the refrigerator with a big, red letter A.
21:45Next, Joanne. I see we have a B- in Bible, B's in English, History and Physical Science,
21:51an A- in Art class. Great job. An A- in Geometry.
21:57You had a study hall, and a C- in Home Ec?
22:00Joanne swallowed. Earlier in the school year, she'd been sent home with D's in Home Economics
22:05and a note describing her unhelpful attitude in class. That had resulted in a serious talking
22:11to in her room, and she'd been threatened with a trip to the woodshed next if she didn't improve
22:15her work ethic. I really tried to get that one up, but I sort of burned the muffins on my final exam.
22:22She said everything else was solid except for that.
22:26Papa considered the grades.
22:27Well, I already spanked you once for Home Ec, and you did improve quite a bit over the year.
22:33Great work, Joanne. I think this deserves a place on the fridge, too.
22:38Mom used a yellow B- magnet to pin Joanne's grade report in place.
22:42Papa read through Jack and Jill's report cards, offering warm praise.
22:46The elementary school didn't use the traditional letter grade system for Juniper's first grade
22:51class, but she received a note indicating she was either on track or exceeding expectations
22:56in all her subjects. All three letters quickly found a proud place on the fridge.
23:01Joseph, I already saw your transcript from Calvin College. No spanking for you,
23:06but also nothing to put on the fridge, I'm afraid.
23:09Joseph leaned back in his chair.
23:11Aw, bummer.
23:12Although Jamie and Joanne were frequently reminded that,
23:15you're never too old for a good spanking, they suspected that Joseph had successfully outgrown
23:20spanking by virtue of the fact that he had never done anything to merit one since his last trip to
23:25the woodshed, six years ago. Papa reached for the final envelope.
23:29That leaves us with Jessica.
23:31But Jessica snatched up the envelope and opened it first.
23:35Jamie had a strange feeling Jessica was trying to be nonchalant, and failing badly.
23:39Oh, not too bad. One of my final exams was rough, but overall-
23:44Jessica, no need for the pregame analysis. Let me see.
23:49Jessica's freckles stood out in sharp contrast with her pale face as she handed over the report.
23:54Papa read it silently, breaking his custom of commenting on each subject in turn.
23:59Jessica, how did you manage to get a C- in Bible class?
24:04That's down from a B- on your last report card. What happened?
24:08Jessica faked a laugh as she rested her arm on the table.
24:11Funny story. The final exam sort of threw me for a loop.
24:15See, I thought we were doing a take-home exam, so I prioritized cramming for all my other classes,
24:21so imagine my surprise when- You bombed your final exam.
24:25Hold on, I remember you explicitly telling me you were all caught up when you went to the
24:29senior movie night with your classmates. Jessica's lip trembled as she looked from
24:33her Papa to her Mama, then to each of her siblings in turn.
24:37Jamie felt Jessica's pain as she met her eyes, but what could she do?
24:41Jessica forced herself to keep a stiff upper lip,
24:44subconsciously switching from speaking casually to being strictly formal.
24:48That wasn't a lie, sir. I thought I was caught up,
24:51because I was under the assumption I'd have a take-home exam.
24:54I only found out it wasn't a take-home exam the day before,
24:58and I spent all night cramming, remember? This is Mr. Jones's Bible class? What gave
25:03you the impression that you were going to get a take-home exam?
25:07Did he tell you that, then change his mind later? Jessica froze, then took a deep breath.
25:13No, sir. I don't think he said anything about it being a take-home exam.
25:17I think I heard Marcy say something about him doing take-home exams this year, and just assumed?
25:23Well, you assumed incorrectly, and that was no reason to procrastinate on studying until
25:28the last day before your final exam. Jessica's voice went shrill,
25:32and she forgot to keep a defiant tone out of her voice.
25:35Well, I'm sorry, Daddy. I just studied so hard for all my other subjects
25:41that one class sort of fell by the wayside. Usually, the Schmidt children all called their
25:46father Papa. The girls only called him Daddy as a cute baby name, or to willfully tease him,
25:51long after the joke ceased to be funny. It had only taken a few spankings to stop the latter
25:57usage. Papa sat down Jessica's grade report, so that she could see it, and folded his hands on
26:03the table. You've got a bad case of senioritis,
26:06Jessica. That one class is Bible class, which is the heart of the curriculum. And you've got a B
26:12minus average overall, so if you sacrifice Bible class to study for your other classes, I'm not
26:18seeing it. You had an A average junior year. What do you have to say for yourself?
26:23Don't do it, Jessica. He's giving you an L. Just apologize and promise to do better.
26:29Don't pull a Jamie and make it worse. Thought Jamie.
26:33Unfortunately, Jessica couldn't read Jamie's mind.
26:37What's the big deal? I've graduated. I'm already accepted to college,
26:41on scholarship. They aren't going to rescind the offer.
26:45Papa stood up slowly. They might have, Jessica,
26:48if you'd failed to graduate high school at the last minute. And you came within a hair's breadth
26:53of doing just that. Go to your room. I'll be along to speak with you shortly.
26:58Jessica quailed. You're gonna give me a spanking?
27:02We don't have to discuss that here, in front of your siblings, if you don't want to, Jessica.
27:06Jessica's buck teeth flashed as she bared her fangs. Jamie always had the impression that
27:12Jessica was a cross between Dolly Parton and a rather irate but voluptuous squirrel.
27:17Hold on. That's not fair. Joanne got a C+, and she's not getting spanked. You put her
27:24up on the fridge. Joanne sank into her chair,
27:27silently wishing to be left out of this argument. Papa's voice wasn't angry,
27:31but it had a controlled edge that Jessica recognized.
27:34Joanne was spanked once already for poor grades, and made the effort to raise her
27:38worst grade from a D- to a C+, and improved all her grades across the board.
27:44You have not been spanked because you started the year off with an A average,
27:47which you managed to blow up in your last semester in high school.
27:51It's not the grades themselves, it's your attitude that merits a spanking.
27:56Now, I'm giving you a choice, Jessica. We can discuss your attitude in the privacy of your room,
28:01or I can give you a spanking right here in the kitchen, before I take you to the woodshed.
28:06Which will it be?
28:08Jamie saw the flash of fury in Jessica's eyes, before reason prevailed.
28:12I... I'm sorry, Papa. Please don't take me to the woodshed.
28:16Papa pointed towards Jessica's room.
28:19I don't want to do that if I don't have to. March straight to your room, Jessica.
28:23Your mother and I will be along shortly.
28:26Jessica's face said everything. She knew she was doomed, but Jamie had a feeling Jessica was
28:31trembling with relief, not fear, at the news she would at least be spared a trip to the woodshed.
28:37Spankings were a daily occurrence in the Schmidt household,
28:39but no one earned a trip to the woodshed without working hard to earn one.
28:44You practically had to ask for a trip to the woodshed,
28:46and the whole purpose of the trip was to make sure you wouldn't ask for another anytime soon.
28:51The squeak of Jessica's chair against the floor broke the stony silence,
28:55and Jessica sniffled as she tried to hold her head high and marched to her room.
29:00She was 18 years old, and she knew she had a bare bottom spanking to look forward to.
29:05Thanks to her arguing, Jessica didn't even have the dignity of pretending she wasn't about to
29:09be spanked. All her siblings would have easily guessed her fate anyway, but at least she could
29:14have had plausible deniability. Papa sighed. He hated having to punish any of his precious children.
29:21Jack, Jill, Juniper, go outside and play. Jamie, Joanne, you girls need anything out of your room?
29:29Jamie snapped to attention as she heard her name called.
29:32Oh, I was going to do some reading today. Get a jump start on my summer book report?
29:38In fact, Jamie had made no such plans today, but for some strange reason,
29:42she didn't feel like procrastinating on her homework for another minute.
29:46Papa nodded. Go get what you need.
29:49I suspect you'll want to read outside so as not to be interrupted.
29:53Jamie and Joanne nodded, understanding they were being politely ordered out of the house.
29:58Spankings were no state secret, but Papa clearly didn't want to add any extra
30:02humiliation to Jessica's ordeal. As Jamie passed by Jessica's bedroom,
30:08she caught a glimpse of her older sister weeping softly on her bed through the cracked door.
30:12A small, nasty voice at the back of Jamie's head urged her to pretend to be slow finding her book,
30:17so that she could stay and eavesdrop on the start of the spanking, but Jamie told the devil to shut
30:22up. Walking on autopilot, Jamie scooped up her Walkman and her favorite book, Anne of Green
30:28Gables, before remembering that she'd already written a book report on that one. Looking at
30:33the pile of great books for next year's English class, she grabbed a thick one from the top of
30:38the pile. It had a sticky note from Mama recommending it highly, but Jamie didn't
30:42bother to examine the cover. Jessica's weeping had given way to ugly sobbing by now, and as Jamie
30:49whipped out the hallway and through the kitchen, she couldn't help but overhear a bit of Mama and
30:53Papa's whispered discussion. Don't think she needs the belt, do you, Papa? No, but I am using the hand
31:00paddle. Oh, of course that, at least. We need to nip this in the bud before she starts college.
31:08If you give her a warm-up, that will give Jess time to calm herself down and steel herself up
31:13for the paddle. Think you could do that, Mama? Mama rolled up her sleeves. I hate to do it, but I can
31:20and I will. Jamie threw on her moccasins and stepped outside before flopping down one of the
31:25front porch chairs with her assigned reading. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky? recited Jamie
31:32as she examined the cover. Why do I get the feeling I'm going to relate to this book somehow? From
31:37within the house, Jamie could make out the muffled sounds of slaps and Jessica's cries of pain as
31:43Mama administered what was surely only the warm-up's spanking. Curse this house's thin walls!
31:48Jamie hadn't gone far enough away. Ahead of her, she saw the woodshed, which Jessica had so narrowly
31:55avoided. Jamie muttered to herself, Jeepers! If Papa had taken her to the woodshed, he'd have moved
32:02everything around. He could have. Jamie trailed off as she caught sight of Joanne, resting against
32:08the railing on the opposite side of the porch. Not within earshot of Jamie, but probably within
32:14earshot of the half-muffled sounds of Jessica's spanking. Jamie and Joanne's eyes met. Something
32:20about the look in Joanne's eyes bothered Jamie. Does she think I'm trying to listen in on Jessica's
32:25spanking? Well, I'm not really, and even if I am, she's doing it too, right? As the claps of Mama's
32:32hands spanking built to a steady rhythm, and Jessica's yelps and promises and apologies all
32:37melted into a long trailing wail, Jamie kicked up her heels and opened her book. Jamie spent the
32:43next few minutes staring at the title page as she overheard most of Jessica's spanking. Finally,
32:48there was a pause and Jamie turned to Chapter 1. On an exceptionally hot evening early in July,
32:54a young man came out of the garret in which he lodged. The dense crack of a hand paddle against
32:59the bare backside of a B-average student broke the silence, and Jessica's screams renewed with
33:04fresh pleas for mercy. Jamie guessed from experience that Jessica would get 36 whacks
33:09from the implement, the number of strokes equal to twice her age in years, assuming Jessica behaved
33:15herself and endured the spanking bravely. After exactly 36 swats, the sounds of the paddling
33:21disappeared. The walls were just thick enough to hide any sounds of Jessica's penitent tears,
33:26additional parental lecturing, or words of comfort that surely followed the chastisement.
33:31Jamie stared at the first sentence of crime and punishment for another few
33:35seconds before tossing it aside. Screw it, I'll do my homework tomorrow.
33:40As Jamie flipped to a random page of Anne of Green Gables, not caring where she started,
33:45she glanced up at the woodshed. Twisting on her seat,
33:48Jamie felt the lingering welts on her sit-spots buzzing softly.
33:52It should have been me.
34:01You may spank it, once.