By Missy Doright
“What’s the matter, Renee? You look like you just saw a ghost!”
“Remember the chem exam I took hung over, last Wednesday?”
“Um, yeah,” replied a puzzled Niki. Niki was Renee’s roommate and best friend and was forever trying to get her to relax and enjoy her college years more.
“I got a 42 on it … which brought my grade to a C-”
“Yeah, so? You’ll bring it up.”
“No, I won’t, unfortunately. I emailed Professor Yarren and asked if I had any chance of bringing my grade up to a B, and he said not even if I got 100s on the last two tests. Which means I’m dead.”
Renee dropped her head into her folded arms on her desk with a deep sigh of remorse.
“Oh c’mon, Renee! You’re not gonna be dead. Your dad might yell at you, but that’s about all. Besides, your mom won’t want anything to ruin Thanksgiving. You’ll be fine.”
“You don’t know my dad. Or my mom, for that matter. They hunt in pairs. And going to school here is costing them a fortune.”
“You’ll be fine. Trust me.”
“No, Niki. My dad said that if I got any more C’s, they were pulling me out of Duke and enrolling me at State.”
“Empty threats, girl. That’s all they are. My dad says crap like that all the time, but he doesn’t do half of what he says he’s gonna do.”
“Again. You don’t know MY dad.”
With that, Renee got up from her desk, picked up her suitcase, hugged her roommate good bye, and headed home. She had never had such mixed feelings about going home. And suddenly that party at the Kappa Kappa Gamma house that seemed so important at the time didn’t seem quite so significant. She reminisced about how the night just ended in a fight with her boyfriend anyway.
And where is he now? she thought to herself. With Brittany Selenas. What a douche. I just gave up my dream of graduating from Duke for a loser like Trent. Great job, Renee.
Renee was hard on herself when she made mistakes, but she came by it honestly. Her parents had taught her the value of working hard and staying focused.
The miles between campus and home began to fold into each other, and her heart rate accelerated as she inched closer to their ranch. She couldn’t even enjoy the symphony of autumnal colors that usually brought her solace because she was so lost in thought as she rehearsed at least a dozen different ways to approach her parents with the disappointing news.
Renee was temporarily distracted from the death knell of her own thoughts by the sound of children as they tumbled into their assigned school buses at the elementary school she attended. Renee became melancholic and sullen at the sight, knowing that her fate lay before her just a few miles away. She had wanted to surprise her parents with her arrival but knew she couldn’t pull off excited, so she texted her mom to tell her she’d be home in five.
At this point Renee was shaking and fighting back tears. She knew there would be no cajoling her dad into reconsideration. He made the rules clear by rote repetition: “You want to stay at Duke, then focus on your studies and keep your grades up. No more than 2 B’s, the rest A’s. NO C’s.”
She pulled into the driveway to find her parents, arm in arm, in anxious anticipation of her arrival. She wished she could have felt the same way.
After hugging them and chit chatting all the way into the house, Renee’s father started up the stairs with Renee’s suitcases in tow. Renee followed him up with her computer bag and backpack.
“So, honey, what’s eating you?” Steve asked, as he lunged her suitcases onto the bed.
“Whuhh? N-n-othing. I’m happy to be home and soaking it all in, that’s all.”
“You do remember I don’t like to repeat myself, don’t you?”
Well, I see Dad hasn’t lost his talent for cutting right to the chase, Renee mused to herself. He looked intimidating yet concerned. He was still dressed from his day at the office, and Renee had forgotten how dapper he looked when he was in his business attire.
“Yes, sir. I remember.”
Steve knew his daughter was tormented by something because she could hardly look him in the eyes. It was his telltale sign of trouble from the time she was a toddler and first figured out how to hide things from him.
“It’s my grades.”
“I’m listening.”
Renee leaned against her dresser, more for something to do with her hands than anything. Turning her attention to everything in the room except her father’s etched face, she confessed in a near whisper, “I got another F on a chemistry test and now have no chance at a B in the class.”
“And what, pray tell, were you DOING that was SO much more important than studying for your chemistry test, young lady?”
Renee’s heart rate spiked and her eyes darted nervously as she searched for the right words.
“Renee Marie, answer me this instant!”
“I went to a party …”
“Eyes up here.”
Renee willed her eyes to face her accuser and punisher.
“I got drunk the night before, Daddy. I’m sorry.”
“Not as sorry as you’re going to be; I can assure you that.”
“Yes, sir. I know I blew it big time.”
When Renee looked back up at her father, she didn’t see the anger she was braced for; she saw deep disappointment. He had been saving for her college education since before she was even born. And then gave up his own business, which he loved, to go work as a software engineer, so he could make more money — money he funneled into her college fund so he could send her to Duke. He gave up his dream willingly to support hers.
Renee’s brain couldn’t process any more guilt, and she burst into a tsunami of hot tears. “I love it there so much! I was SO stupid, and I’m so sorry! I know you worked really hard to send me there!”
As much as she wanted to beg him to relent on the punishment he laid out for her, she couldn’t do it. She knew she deserved to be pulled out. She knew the rules and blew them off. And hurt her dad in the process.
Steve was proud to see his daughter taking responsibility for her choices. If this is what it took for her to “get” that her choices carry consequences, it was worth it to him. But this was no time for a kumbaya hug. He wanted to drive home his point.
“I believe your remorse is genuine, Renee. But remorse isn’t enough. Feelings are flimsy and unreliable.”
“Yes, sir,” Renee replied meekly. Her father knew her way too well. Unfortunately.
“Now I want you to turn around and put your hands on that dresser that seems to be holding you up,” he ordered sternly.
“Wha–”
“Without a worrrd.”
Renee’s heart felt like it would beat right out of her chest. She was too scared to cry. Or speak. Or do anything to anger him.
“Feet back here,” he said, tapping his foot against her shin. “And bottom out.”
“Oh my Go–”
“I SAID without a word!”
Renee obeyed immediately, then clenched her eyes shut, afraid to move. Until she heard the swoosh of his belt being pulled out from its holster. She gasped, grabbed onto the dresser for dear life, and waited. Waited for what seemed to be an eternity.
Interrupting the awkward silence was the sound of leather snapping hastily through the brisk air. Then SMACK! Renee’s knees buckled on impact. It had been a long time. The night of her junior prom, to be exact. Nuff said.
She looked at her father with begging, confused eyes but was too terrified to disobey one more time by uttering a peep.
“Get back into position, young lady.”
Without a word, she assumed the position and waited for the next one. It came much faster than the first. WHHAAAACK!
“Owwwww!”
Then another. And another. And two more in rapid succession.
“Owwwww, Daddy!!!! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’ll study and work hard!!!”
“You better believe you will, missy! I had to put myself through college and was still paying off MY debts when we had you! I am NOT going to allow you to disrespect that. Do. You. Understand?”
“Yes, sir! I promise I’ll work REALLY hard!”
“Did I tell you that you could get out of position???” he barked.
“No, sir!” Renee snapped into position and drew a deep breath.
WHAAACK! CRAAAACK! SNAAAAP!
Renee sobbed as he snapped his belt back and forth repetitively. One right after the other. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m SORRY!!!” The last one hit her thighs, causing her knees to buckle. Then she let go of the dresser instinctively and reached for her throbbing thighs and bottom, rubbing desperately to ease the sting.
“What did I say about staying in position???”
“Nooo, Daddy! I learned my lesson! Pleeeeease, no more! I learned —“
“You don’t tell ME when YOU’VE had enough and learned your lesson, young lady!”
“But I HAVE, Dad! I really have!”
At this point insanity had set in, and Renee was grasping at straws to convince her father that his lesson had really sunk in this time.
“Okay, jeans down. NOW! Without. A. SINGLE. Word.”
Scared out of her mind, Renee looked at her father to see if there was even a hint of room for persuasion. But seeing his steely green eyes penetrating her will, she decided that the only way out of this was to obey. Immediately and completely. She unfastened her jeans with her trembling hands and pulled them down below her bottom.
Her father walked over beside her, placed the belt on the dresser in front of her, pulled them down to her knees, retrieved the belt, and stepped back into his position. She instinctively assumed the position once again, though she was involuntarily dancing a bit in position, trying to anticipate how much more his belt was going to hurt against her red, striped and swollen bottom.
Then just as she expected to feel the belt again, she felt a tug on her panties. Her father had hiked them up to expose more of her skin.
“Bastard!” she protested. Silently, of course. But she painted her face with her anger, stiffening her jaw and bracing herself to absorb whatever he had left in him.
“He NEVER said anything about spanking me tooo!” her silent protest continued. “This isn’t FAIR!”
But her change of countenance did not go unnoticed. In response, her even stronger willed disciplinarian took a half step back and to the left, to allow for a fuller swing. “Fight all you want; you will not win,” he replied to her telepathically.
SMAAAAAAAAAACK! The belt landed right on the dreaded sit spot and looked as if it took the top layer of skin with it, leaving an angry red strap mark across both cheeks.
“OWWWWWWW! I HAAATE YOUUU!” Renee screamed. But as soon as the words escaped her mouth, she regretted them. And not because they sealed her fate for quite some time but because they were so harsh. And without even a hint of truth. She loved her father BECAUSE he didn’t let her settle for mediocre. She didn’t WANT to be like so many of the kids at Duke who had little-to-no appreciation for the sacrifices their parents made to send them there. But it was too late. There was no unringing that bell.
“You might as well, honey, for the way you despise the sacrifices we’ve made for you.”
With that, he grabbed her by the arm, pulled her away from the dresser, and over the end of the bed. Renee buried her head deep into the mattress, in vain anticipation for what was about to happen to her inflamed nether region. Then he repositioned himself, pulled the belt back a little farther and SMAAAAAAAAAACK!!! Then three more with comparable intensity.
“OW, OWWW, OWWWWW!” she cried.
“Let me tell you something, young lady! I don’t hate you. In fact, I’m doing this because I love you too much to let you throw your potential away!”
“Yes, sirrrr! I’m sorrrrrryyyyyy!” she cried. Then broke. Really broke.
Knowing that she was close to being fully punished for now both her irresponsibility AND her foolish words, Steve pulled the belt back again, hesitated briefly to give Renee a chance to get as much of the comforter in her hands as she could, and then finished with a flurry of eight straps. They were hard and fierce, and Renee was crying out in anguish.
“Okay, enough. It’s over. Pull yourself together.”
As much as Renee wanted to spring up and cover the target, all she could do was stay in position and sob. Getting up would mean facing her father, and she felt too horrible for what she had done and said.
Her father went over to her, put his strong hand on her back, and whispered in her ear, “I know you don’t hate me. That last round was for lying. In this house, we say what we mean and mean what we say.”
Renee felt much better knowing that her father knew she didn’t really hate him. “Yesss … s-s-sir,” she managed between the tears and syncopated breathing. “I love you so much!”
“I love you too, honey. Now put yourself together.” Steve had seen enough of the war zone. Her bared bottom was three different shades of red, with distinct strap lines reaching across her right cheek, where the belt bit with its greatest ferocity.
Renee obediently but gingerly hoisted her body up from her bed and immediately pulled her panties out from her bottom. Her white panties looked neon compared to the deep red color of her very punished behind.
After glancing penitently at her father momentarily, she bent down and pulled her jeans up, pausing to gently navigate them over her fiery buttocks. He, in turn, returned his belt to its resting position around his dress slacks.
“Get over here, kid,” he said, pulling her into his strong arms. Renee cried weakly in his arms and told him how much she loved him and sincerely thanked him for punishing her. Her conscience was purged.
“Now, when you go back,” he said with a calm but firm voice and cupping her chin in his hand, “you are grounded for the remaining three weeks of the semester. No parties, no social activities, no nothing. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir …” Renee answered, bravely looking into his eyes without any attempts to pull away from his hand or his gaze.
“And you will be in bed by midnight each night and will not consume ANY alcohol whatsoever. Clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
Wow, I think this is a record for her looking into my eyes uninterrupted, her father thought to himself. Yup, I’d say I got her attention.
“Oh, and one more thing,” he added, squeezing her face in his hands a little firmer and pulling it closer.
“Yes, s-sir?”
“If you EVER bring home another C as a final grade again, you better plan on spending the first week of the following break on pillows. Understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Renee gasped. “Waaai–“
“Um, yesss?”
“Waaait! Does this mean you’re not pulling me out at the end of the semester?!?!”
“Yes, that’s exactly what this means. BUT it also means that anything less than two B’s at the end of each semester will mean BIG trouble for you! And next time there will be no jeans OR panties. Have I made myself perfectly clear, young lady?”
“Yes, sir! Thank you, Daddy!!!” she cried out excitedly in a stronger Carolinian drawl than usual. “Thank you SO much!!! I’ll work really hard and will get STRAIGHT A’s from here on out!”
“You’re welcome. Just do not even THINK about disappointing me like this again. And for now I want you to spend some time in your room thinking about what changes you will make to see to it that you never find yourself in this position again. I’ll call you down when dinner’s ready.”
“Yes, sir.” With that, Renee gently climbed onto her bed and sunk into her pillow.
Her father paused briefly to sit next to his precious, contrite daughter and rubbed her back. As hard as Renee worked to stay focused on the lessons her father had laid out for her, she sank into a deep sleep almost immediately. Renee’s mother came up to the room to check on both of them, just to find her daughter sound asleep, arms lying limp on her pillow.
“Somehow I’m seeing Magna Cum Laude in her future,” Renee’s mother said with a compassionate smile.
“I hope you’re right, honey. For ALL of our sakes.”