When I was nine years old, our family went to a barbecue at my uncle’s house – all my cousins were there, including Esther, who was then just five years old.
My uncle’s family had a swimming pool in their back yard, and I was really looking forward to splashing around and having some fun. Unfortunately, that particular day Esther was acting like a spoiled brat, and she tried to interfere with everything I wanted to do.
I went up to my mother to complain about my cousin but was told: “Laura, she’s only five, she’s just a little girl and doesn’t understand. Don’t pay any attention to her.”
I went back to the pool and climbed up the steps of the slide which was at one end of it. I had just put my bottom down on it when I saw that Esther had sat down at the base of the slide. I was unable to stop and unfortunately when I arrived at the bottom of the slide my legs hit Esther in the face.
The little girl’s nose started bleeding and she burst out screaming at the sight. Naturally, my aunt and mother came up immediately to see what the matter was. Esther told them that I had kicked her.
I had more or less tumbled into the pool and despite my protestations of innocence, my mother ordered me to get out. I resisted for a few seconds, but Mother threatened to spank my bare bottom in front of everyone at the pool party if I didn’t obey her.
Of course, that got me out of the water immediately. Mother took me by the hand and looked at my aunt, who nodded and said: “You can use Esther’s room for what you need to do.” I knew that meant a spanking and I began crying my eyes out.
Once we got to my cousin’s bedroom, Mother sat down on the edge of the bed, then said: “Take off your swimsuit.” I was angry at what I saw as the injustice of all this. I desperately tried to explain that Esther had deliberately got in my way but Mother only said: “I want you with your bottom naked and over my knee now! Or do we have to go outside to do this, as I promised you?”
I gave up and, already crying freely, I nevertheless stripped and bent over Mother’s lap. She took a few moments to adjust my bottom into the position where she wanted it, then the spanking began.
I cried, I kicked, I screamed but Mother didn’t stop the discipline until my small bottom was red as a cherry. To make things worse, as it was a hot summer day all the windows and doors had been left open, so everyone from children to adults had heard my punishment in progress.
Mother helped me back into my swimsuit before leading me back outside. Although most of the spanking was covered by the suit, nevertheless the bottom of both cheeks were on show, making it crystal clear to anyone even passing by that I had been a naughty little girl and had my bottom smacked.
At one point, I heard Esther point out that she could see my mother’s handprint on my behind, but my aunt – who by now, I think, was beginning to suspect the fault was not all mine – told her to be quiet unless she wanted her own bottom to look the same way. I was of course very embarrassed but my sister Cristina and my elder cousins – none of whom were strangers to a parental spanking – consoled me and in the end we spent a very happy afternoon, albeit that I alone went to bed with a pink bottom that night!
Contributor: Laura