The Life of Buddy

Chapter XXXVI

Seventy five year old Eleanor Candle was the oldest teacher at Adam's high. The white haired, blue eyed woman had been teaching Literature at the school since she was twenty two. She had not only taught Brian's father but his grandfather Hiram Johnson who was ten years her junior.  Many of the teachers at the school had been under her tutelage as well as their own parents and children. 
To misbehave in her class was consideredan egregious sin.  Even the spoiled jocks respected her enough to be on their best behavior in her class. And if they did not respect her enough they feared the wrath of the coach who threatened them with severe punishment if any of them did anything to upset her.
She was probably the most beloved teacher in the school and had been held in high regard by four generations of Johnsons. Which made Brian feel completely contemptible as he walked into her class fifteen minutes late.
He thought if his paternal grandfather was still alive he would take a hickory switch across his backside for showing her such disrespect.
Eleanor looked up from the podium which she sat at and said "There you are Brian."  She never referred to him as Buddy.
"I'm sorry that I am late." He said humbly.
She looked over her brown, plastic glasses as she said "Do you have your hall pass."
"No, ma'am."  He said.
"Oh." She said with disapproval in her voice.  She then reached over to her desk and picked up a sheet of paper. Brian waited as she wrote something on it."Here."  Brian took the paper from her. "Return this to me tomorrow with your parents signature."
"Yes ma'am."
"Take your seat." She said in a gentle, soft voice.
Buddy recieved an anxious look from his cousin Ethan as he sat down.  He guessed that he heard about his impending spanking from Kelly.  He sat in his seat with a small wince as one of his bruises touched the wood seat. He thought by the end of the night he was going to have several more bruises on his posterior.
Push that from your mind he told himself.  It was not going to do him any good to dwell on it all day. The only thing it will result in was getting him into more trouble.
Speaking of trouble he thought. He looked at the paper she had given him.  At the top written in the most immaculate cursive he had ever seen was write twenty five times "I will be on time for class".
A part of him could not help but laugh at how lenient of a punishment it was. If it even it could be called a punishment. He would call it a slap on the wrist but he had been slapped on the wrist on a few occasions and that was more severe than this.
He folded the paper and placed it his pocket.
"Please get your book out Brian." She said.
"Yes ma'am."  He reached into his book and pulled out the thick English lit boon.
"We are on page 445. "
As he flipped to the pages he thought how a more effective punishment would one hundred or two hundred lines. Not that he was going to complain.  He was content to do just twenty five sentences.
Normally he would have his momma sign a paper like this. His daddy's reaction normally would be the more severe one even though it would be just a stern lecture with threats of harsher punishment if it happened again. His mother would just say she was disappointed in him and let it go. But the mood she is in right now she would probably use it as an excuse to add more swats to his spanking.
He was pulled from his musings by Candle calling on one of the students to read the next passage.  He looked at his teacher and thought how she probably would have never tormented her children with something so trivial like his mother was doing to him. Yes she had been strict on her five children. Her youngest daughter and oldest grandson had been teachers of his and they had regaled him stories of her parenting.  She expected respect and was quick with the switch. But from what Brian understood she was fair.
And she would never came into his mind but found that he could not complete the thought.  She would never what he said.  An uneasy feeling formed in the pit of his stomach and his hands began to tingle.
He pushed the uneasiness away as he focused on the sound of his classmates voice. The unsettling feeling vanished from him and he began to relax.
As he followed along in his book another memory began to surface. One that had been long forgotten.
Brian had seen very little of Mason the next day.  He had spent most of his time in his room avoiding the family. When he did seem he was his old very obedient self much to his mother's delight.
The house was filled with tension between his parents that day. It was so thick it was almost suffocating. Evidently his father was not pleased with his mother spanking Mason. During one of the arguments he remembered Mason assuring his father that it was okay.
"What I did was naughty Burt, momma was right to spank me for it." Though his words seemed hallow and insincere.
On Monday Mason had picked him up from school and asked him if he wanted to go out for pizza. Excitement filled him at the prospect especially since Brandon and Esther were at afterschool activities and it would just be the two of them.  They went to Uncle Sal's pizzeria which was one of his favorite places to go to.
He could still smell the medium pepperoni pizza that they ordered that day.
Mason looked at his younger sibling uncomfortable as he said "I want to talk to you about what happened Saturday.'
"When momma spanked you."
His cheeks went a shade of red and he looked around to make sure that no one heard. "Dont say that too loud."
"Okay." Brian said as he picked up a slice.
'I'm sorry that you had to hear that little man."
"Its okay I've heard you getting spankings before."
"I know."  Mason studied his little brother's for a few moments. He looked like he was debating if he wanted to say something. "I need you to do me a favor."
"Okay."  He gave his brother a look of pure innocence as he bit into the pizza.
"Dont tell anyone what you heard that night." Mason said. "Not Esther, not Brandon, not Ben, not even your daddy."  Desperation was in his voice as he spoke.  "Can you do that for me little man."
"Yes I can big man."
An amused grin crossed his face. "Thank you."
Confusion filled him as he thought why did he want him not to say anything. His spanking was not a secret.  Everyone knew what happened and why.
He then felt a tap on his arm.  He looked down to see the person behind him holding a folded paper.  He looked back at Candle who was focused on the passage.  He took the paper and opened out of her view.
It read We need to talk. Boys bathroom after class Ethan.