The weather was changing fast and not for the good.  The principal had called the bus operator to come early to get the kids safely home before the full vengeance of the storm struck.  That was good until one bus failed – half the fleet – and could not be used.© YLeeCoyote

It was a small town and everyone knew everyone else and their business.  There was one other vehicle in town that could be used.  It was a hand-me-down from the big city police department – a police van which in times past was called a Black Maria.  They really didn’t need it but it was free and made the police chief happy.

A couple of quick phone calls and a few minutes later there was the one functioning yellow school bus and the blue-and-white patty wagon parked in front of the school as the snow fell.  The police sergeant decided to have the rare pleasure of driving it.  The kids (well at least the boys) were thrilled at being prisoners under arrest in a real paddy wagon.  It was far better than the games they played.  The regular bus driver rode shotgun to direct the sergeant and to operate the back door to make sure the kids got off at the right stops.

Everything worked perfectly but we will follow one lad.  Like the others young Mickey was dropped off at his house and his mom waved to the familiar driver as the boy ran up to the porch.  She let him in and told him that Dad was on his way home having gotten the early train and she had to rush off to her hospital job.  That was extra important because of the high risk of traffic accidents due to the snow.  The twelve-year-old was not worried about being alone.  While waiting he even prepared the snow shovels and the deicing salt to prove to his dad that he was RESPONSIBLE and not a baby.

Alas, he should have been for he had forgotten his school bag in the patty wagon.  It was noticed and put into a regular patrol cruiser to dropped off as they past his house on their patrol route.

* * * * * * * * * *

Mickey’s dad was horrified by what he had seen as he turned the corner into his block – a police vehicle pulling away from his house – as he walked from the station.  There could only be one reason for that.  That was to bring his most errant son home.  He was immediately furious.

Try as he might to avoid her he was caught by old Mrs. Stout who was in her yard dispite the snow and desperate to talk and talk and talk.  It was almost twenty minutes later that he could move on.

He entered the house and immediately roared that Mickey should get into the corner with his hands on his head.  “But why father?” the lad started to say but was cut off.  The confused and scared boy waited as his enraged father changed into casual clothes, checked the mail and then had a slug of whiskey because he had skipped stopping in his favorite bar after work.

It was a few minutes later when Dad reappeared with strap in-hand.  Some incoherent yelling about the police just confused the boy.  He tried to ask but could not get a word in edgewise as the man loudly railed on and on.

Soon the boy’s pants and undies were at his ankles and he was lying over the end of the couch.  Dad folded the heavy belt and swung hard at his target yelling more about the police.

The boy screamed loudly.  A harsh red stripe formed almost immediately across his small bottom.

This was repeated several times turning the target bright red and putting the lad into great pain.

It was a fortunate timing that just then that a policeman was walking up to the porch with the school bag.  He ran up to the door and rushed in.  “STOP!” he commanded loudly.  “STOP!” he repeated ready to draw his side arm if necessary had there been an intruder.

The mayhem ceased.  Soon the cop had elicited the reasons from the angry man.  Only then would the man listen and learn what had happened.

“I could arrest you for such brutality but we are in for snow trouble and the force will be swamped so I’ll give you the choice of summary punishment now instead.”

The man accepted.

“Give me the belt and get into position over the table with your ass bare.” he ordered and snapped the belt.  It seemed light weight compared to the razor strop that his grandfather had used on his father.  The boy now with his pants back up watched unsure if he could believe his own eyes.

The boy almost rejoiced.  He watched saucer-eyed as the cop swung the heavy belt causing his dad’s bottom to display hot red stripes that soon merged turning the entire canvas crimson.  He realized that was what happened to his own butt when he saw it glowing red in the mirror.  He knew it was painful just as his own tail ached so he thought that it was just.

The belt was raised and swung hard a score of times turning the man’s tail into a fiery pain center.  The man almost cried.

The cop left.  Dad carefully pulled up his pants.

The two confused red-tailed males were left alone.

It took a while before the man spoke to the boy and then with hesitation.  “I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have strapped you without knowing the facts.  Please forgive me.”

The boy did not know what to say.