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Thread: Further education
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02-06-2008, 06:56 PM #1Contributor
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- Apr 2008
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Further education
Fiction sory set in 1950's Scotland.
I had enjoyed every aspect of life at university until now. I left school in Edinburgh a few months before and secured a place at St Andrew's University. I loved the quaint old town but there was plenty to do in the evenings - student life was very entertaining indeed. It was the end of my first term and a few chickens had come home to roost. I had enjoyed the student life too much and my ability to keep up with my studies had come up well short of expectations.
The first set of end of term exam results had been published - I had scraped a few passes but was well below the expected standard. My tutor had summonsed me for an interview and told me that he had to put in a strong appeal to the faculty to allow me to be kept on at the college as he felt that I had the ability to get a degree after the 4 year course but had been led astray by other students during my first year.
He informed me that I was on my last chance to prove myself. He recommended that I leave the student halls of residence and take up rooms with a local landlady who regularly took in students. He said that this landlady was an teacher and her husband was a depute headmaster at the local Grammar school and they had a good reputation for mentoring students and had a high success rate of encouraging young lads who boarded with them to go on to achieve great success in their degree courses. The alternative for me would be to pack my bags and leave the university - like 90% of my fellow drinking student pals had already been asked to do.
Realising that I had no real choice and ashamed at blowing my first chance to prove myself, I agreed to go and visit this landlady to see how things shaped up. I had been informed that her rates were fairly cheap and I could afford to pay my board from the part time job I held down in the eveinings at one of the local pubs.
The boarding house was close to the University - it was a large Victorian 3 storey house and it must have had about 15 bedrooms. Mrs Lamont was in her late 50's (or so she appeared to me) and was quite tall (about 5' 9") and although not slim could not be described as being stout or too overweight - matronly might be an appropriate description.
She invited me inside and we chatted over a cup of tea and scones. She was very interested in learning all about me although she knew (presumably form my tutor) that my mother had been widowed a few years ago when my dad was killed towards the end of the war.
"Your mother must be disappointed to learn that you have been struggling with your studies" she chided me.
I blushed with embarrassment "I haven't told her yet - she would upset to hear I'm not doing well as I'm the first in the family ever to go to university. She is so proud of that and never gets tired of telling everyone how proud she is of me". My voice trailed off to a whisper with shame at the end of my admission.
"Mr Lamnont and I can help you get back on the straight and narrow" she said confidently. "Let me show you the house and your room first and you can decide if you want to stay here. I'll go over the rules with you later".
The house was large and the rooms very comfortable. She explained that breakfast was served at 7:30 and there were 12 other students ranging from age 19 to 23 in the house. I met some of them passing on the stairs and the greeted Mrs Lamont with a broad smile and said hello to me in a very friendly and unassuming manner.
After a tour of the house and Mrs Lamont telling me what the weekly rent was (very reasonable charges indeed - I had fallen on my feet here I thought) Mrs Lamont then turned to the house rules. As she spoke, my jaw dropped in amazement at first then I could feel my face flush with embarrassment, blanche white at other times and return to a hot crimson glow at her next statement. I began to fidget and could not look at her as she spoke as she set out her various terms and conditions.
She let me know that I had been referred to her lodgings as I needed close mentoring. Every other student in her house had been referred to her for the same reason. It was felt that I had potential but lacked self discipline so Mr and Mrs Lamont were there for me to offer me guidance, support and, if necessary, discipline.
She went on to explain in no uncertain terms that their disciplinary methods would involve corporal punishment if necessary.
"That is preposterous" I argued. "You cannot be serious - I'm nearly 19 years old and too old for that sort of thing" I said.
"On the contrary, you have not yet attained the age of majority of 21 so in the eyes of the law you are still not classed as an adult. Besides, only a few months ago you were at school - what if you broke any of the school rules, could you been belted for the offence" she asked.
"Well I could - but that is because I was still at school" I said. "I've left school at that no longer applies" I argued.
"Nonsense - you obviously are not able to discipline yourself. You are still in the education system and my husband and I have years of experience of dealing with young lads who need discipline. If you can't act as an adult, you don't deserve to be treated as one. You have proved yourself to be immature and should be treated accordingly. You are not too old to get the belt - or put over the knee to get your bottom smacked either" she said with a final nod off her head.
"Your choice is very simple - live hear and you cna continue your studies. Refuse and you can pack your bags and go home. The university referred you here as your last chance. Turn us down and you are out of here"
My head was reeling. I could not believe this turn of events. "I have to go outside for air" I said, my face was burning up and I could not look her in the eye any more with embarrassment.
I stepped outside and found a seat in the garden. I had no choice - I realised that but it wa a bizarre situation to be in. AS I was going over things in my head, a ginger haired lad, about six feet tall came bounding out of the house. I recognised him as a boarder I met earlier.
"Hello there" he shouted cheeirly "Jim isn't it" - I nodded. "Im Bert, are you coming in to stay with us" he continued.
"I'm not sure" I gulped "I'm thinking things over".
"You'd be mad not to stay" he said. "It's a good number here. The Lamont's are fine people and have helped all of us find our feet. I think I have been lucky to end up here and if you think things through then you will jump at the chance of staying here"
"But what about their um, er ...... methods" I said.
"Ay yes - they are very old fashioned when it comes to discipline but it works. I was embarrassed at first by the whole thing but it never bothers me now. All the other lads are the same. We were wasting our time here through all sorts of nonsense but a spell here with the Lamonts soom put us right. We know that if we don't keep up to their standards then there's a price to pay. We accept that, it's our fault if we stray off the right path and the Lamonts know how to put us in our place" he said matter of factly.
"But you don't mean that you still get punished by them" I said.
"Of course I do - we all do. If it's just a small infraction, they will have no hesitation in taking you into their study and asking you to hold your hands out for a belting. By the way, they can really lay it on - both of them. Sometimes, you get a couple on the hands and told to bend over for a couple of strokes on the backside as well - or they'll use their cane. More serious offences and they'll have no hesitation in putting you over their knees - after they've taken your trousers and pants down. It's painful, embarrassing as hell and no-one likes it but it works for us. We'd have lost our chance to finish a reat education without them - believe you me, you will never regret staying here. I have to dash - see you later, do yourself a favour and stay" he waved and shot off sown the road to catch a passing bus.
I mulled things over for five minutes and went back inside. I informed Mrs Lamont that I intended to stay and would accept her conditions.
"Good lad - let's get you settled in. Just to reinforce the life you'll face let's get a couple of things clear. You have been referred here because of past misdemeanours. You should be punished for these - we'll start as we mean to go on. Put your belongings in your room and come back down here to the door opposite this room. That is our office or study. I will give you 6 of the best which is well deserved I would say. Don't be embarrassed about this - I have over 30 years teaching experience behind me, I have no problems about belting young lads, you should accept your punishment was you would at school. Tonight, you will meet my husband - you'll be introduced to his discipline methods as well, a well smacked backside before bedtime will remove all doubts that we mean business"
Five minute later I was in her study - a large double pedestal desk was in the middle of room. She retireved a brown 3 tailed tawse from the drawer - "right Jim, up with your hands, both of them, palms flat. you'll get three and I want you to keep your hands straight out then swap over after three".
I nodded and was not even aware of the tawse whislting through the air. The blow was awesome - the pain shot through my hands and I droped them to my side.
"Up boy - get those hands up" she insisted.
The next 2 blows came swiftly - I was struggling to keep my hands up. I slowly swapped the over but saw that my right hand wa crimson from the belting so far. My hand was numb - I had forgotten the sensation of a belting as it was 2 years since my last punishment
My left hand got three strokes and I was glad the whole episode was over. My eyes were moist but I was glad to be able to hold the tears back. She went on with a brief lecture about knowing what to exoect in future when the numbness started to recede and the pain kicked in.
"Off to your room - dinner is at 6. We'll see you then. Remember that you have only received your first punishment today. My husband will see you later"
I was glad to for the chance ofputting my hands into a basin of cold water for 10 minutes to ease the pain which by that time was increasing in degrees.
"What the hell have I got myself into now" I thought. I was having serious thoughts about calling it a day there and then but I pictured how devastated my mother would be if I was kicked out of the University after only 1 term - an abject failure and would ever be a disappointment to her.
"Oh well, maybe I've just got what was coming to me after all" I thought. "I can't say I didn't deserve to get a belting - I can't even argue that I don't deserve to get smacked either". I tried not to think how embarrassing that was going to be. I could remember my dad but only just. I was only 7 or 8 when he was killed. I never remembered him hitting me at all. My mum used to threaten we with a "good skelping" from time to time but she never did anything more than the odd slap to my head.
I was squirming at the thought of being put over somone's knees - and me complying with the whole thing - and allowing them to smack my bottom. What a mess I had got myself into - there was no way out this time. I had to face the consequences of my actions it was maybe going to be an embarrasing experience but the ultimate rewards of still having a degree opportunity was to much to pass over the sake of adolescent pride and vanity.
After all I've not attined the age of majority yet, getting your bottom smacked is not an unknown experience for a young lad. I brought it upon myself so I'll just have to get through it as best I could.
I wonder what Mr Lamont is like?................
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