It was rent day. Mr. Scharon set forth with his little black bag to do the job as he often did for his ailing father. Since it was Friday he started late as that was payday for many of the tenants and best to let them have time to get home with their earnings after work.© Y Lee Coyote
Things were going well. Almost everyone had a pile of coins ready for him. He walked into each apartment, sat briefly at the table, counted the coins and wrote the receipt. What was less obvious was that he looked about each unit to check for damage. Occasionally, he mentioned that there was a complaint about something or other and to please make changes in their behavior.
It was in the Baranski’s apartment that things got very complex. They had been tenants only a few weeks having moved back east to New York from the wild west. There were, alas, several problems. They were short on the rent money, their kids made lots of noise when were harshly spanked and they had damaged a wall.
Mr. Baranski had all sort of excuses about being short but explained “I’m starting a new job tomorrow and please, Sir, allow me a little slack because it is difficult times.”
His plea did not fall on deaf ears. “As it is the first time and you have a new job but you had better have the money next week or you will be evicted.” declared the tough landlord magnanimously.
Mr. and Mrs. Baranski both thanked him for his munificence. “But there are a couple of other matters…” he explained “…from that sign you have nailed to the wall ●●
PUNISHED
NAUGHTY ↓ BOY
●● it is clear that you have a disciplinary problem with your boys. Unfortunately their howls and yells when spanked disturb the neighbors. You must keep the noise down and closing the windows would help.”
“We will close the windows and instruct them to be quiet when they are being spanked for naughtiness in the future.”
“Finally nailing things to the wall DAMAGES it and is strictly forbidden. You must remove it and repair the wall. It is a very naughty thing to do and invokes punishment.”
“Punishment?” queried Mr. Baranski.
“You obviously set the protocols yourself – and you enforce them harshly with your own boys. Being over thirty doesn’t entitle you to leniency. That would be unjust to the very kids you discipline so severely.” he paused. “Now drop your pants and bend over the table for your well-deserved stropping.” he said as he strode over to the sink and got the razor strop hanging from the wall. “Your strop is just perfect for this.”
“But…but…but….”
“No buts but your butt in position, NOW! Bare and up!” As trapped as he felt by the entire world he did not dare to refuse for the family would be out on the street. Mr. Baranski got into his subservient position and Mr. Scharon also found his position. He wondered about this as spanking was definitely going out of fashion here unlike wild west where the Baranski’s had come from.
He folded the heavy leather strop and swung hard. The expected red stripe appeared on the naughty tenant’s bottom like it had years ago when he was a teen and displeased his father. But, of course, one cut was far from sufficient so Mr. Scharon continued until he had applied a dozen memorable cuts leaving Mr. Baranski in great pain struggling and not totally successfully in keeping quiet.
“That’s all. I’ll return next week and you had better have ALL the rent money and have repaired the wall. Goodbye.” and Mr. Scharon departed with his money bag.
Mr. Baranski rubbed his butt and cursed that young whippersnapper barely old enough to vote who had treated him as a little boy.
Mrs. Baranski stopped gasping at events and rushed to get a dishrag soaked in cold water to try to cool both her husband’s fiery red bottom and his fierce temper.
* * * * * * * * * *
In the back room two boys were terribly confused. They had been listening ever since they had been sent to their room when Mr. Scharon came. They did not know what to make of the young Rent Man lecturing and even strapping their father like he was just a boy.
For the first time they saw an entirely different personality than the usual brash, loud, aggressive man they normally saw. Now he was submissive and deferential to the young landlord with all sorts of pleas and promises.
But most confusing of all was his getting strapped on his bare bottom like he did to them. They could not help but to rub their own bottoms that had felt his wrath just yesterday and wonder out loud if that might make things easier in the future.
But in their confusion they could not help but to smile as the razor strop caused their dad to howl like they did. There was, however, one thing they were sure about – it would bad to mention anything about what had transpired especially the stropping.