Then, in his fatherly relief, his worry turned to towering rage and it all came pouring out.  All the old clichés, all the hackneyed parental phrases, all the scoldings with which worried parents have greeted their offspring for centuries.

“What time do you call this?  Where on earth have you been till this time of night, I’ve been worried sick, girl, worried sick!.”  On and on he went not listening to Sally as she tried to explain, good naturedly, what had happened, how she had been quite safe with half a dozen girl friends but how they’d missed their bus and had an hour to wait for the last service.  She tried to say how sorry she was to have worried him, how she’d be sure never to do it again.  She wanted to apologise for not phoning to tell him.  She should have, she knew that.  She was sorry! 

 It dawned on Sally that he wasn’t listening and her temper snapped too!

“Oh, drop it, Dad, for heaven’s sake!  It’s no big deal and I have apologised”  she shouted when he paused for breath  “I’m going to bed.  Good night!” and she turned to the stairs but Henry was now beyond reasoning.

“Don’t you turn your back on me, young lady!  I’ve not finished with you.  I’ll tell you when you can go to bed until then you stay here and listen to me!”

“Look, Dad, I’m tired and I’m going to my bed.  Now cool it, cool it!”

“Don’t speak to me like that!”  Yes, here it came  “You’re not too big to go over my knee, you know.  You’re  not too big for a smacked bottom!”

It was almost with a sneer, almost, that Sally snapped the traditional reply!

“You wouldn’t dare!”  

I think they both knew that this was the moment of truth.  It was also the very last chance for these two perfectly nice people to back off, to apologise, to kiss and make up.  But they did not.  It was almost as if they were both determined to see things through to their inevitable end!

Henry snapped back!  “While you live under my roof, my girl, you’ll abide by my rules.  Is that clear?”

Sally was becoming bored.  “Yeah, yeah, whatever” she drawled and turned away thereby sealing her fate!

“How dare you turn your back on me?  Come here!”

It was at that moment that Sally knew with absolute certainty that, old as she was, she was going to have her bottom smacked!  She gave up the fight, she didn’t apologise or beg for forgiveness, she simply turned and, saying, “Yes, Daddy” took the few paces between her and her spanking.

Henry, standing in front of the settee upon which she was to be spanked, looked into her pretty face.  A face no longer defiant or flushed with temper it bore an expression of total acceptance of his right to do what he was about to do.

“You leave me no choice, my dear”  he seated himself and patted his right thigh,  “You know how I want you?”

“Yes, Daddy”

Sally slipped gracefully into that position she remembered so well.  That intimate, explicit father/daughter juxtaposition designed for no other purpose than paternal chastisement.  Sally lay still resting her head on her folded arms and, lifting her bottom to receive his smacks, she surrendered.

 

 

Sally lay in her bed listening to her father going through the routine of securing the house for the night.  Soon, she thought, he will come to see me, Daddy would never let her go to bed without a forgiving kiss and cuddle.  He never had and he wouldn’t now.  She tenderly stroked the throbbing cheeks of her lovely bottom and she felt somehow content, fulfilled even, as if a bond between the two of them had been strengthened by what had just taken place.  As she waited she remembered the painful, wonderful, cleansing and so well deserved punishment he had given her.  Sally was a happy young lady.