An Old-Fashioned Education (5 page)

But she was not aware of how bad the switch would hurt. She heard the “whish” of it and almost instantaneously felt the burning line of pain on her bottom.

“Aaaeeeiiiii!” She screamed.

He ignored her, bringing it down again. The wicked little branch blazed another line across the fullness of both cheeks. She screamed again; this time it ended in a bawl that became a string of bawls as Walt began to methodically and vigorously do just what he’d said he was going to do.

“Tear your ass up.” Those had been his words and Polly knew now that was no exaggeration. The pain continued to build. The burning lines of fire were turning into scalding welts that became the backdrop for more welts. She kicked her legs, feeling helpless and exposed as her actions caused first her jeans and then her panties to inch down her legs, exposing thighs that were now targeted by the switch as well. Polly was bucking now, her pelvis slamming down on his lap in a most undignified manner. Her brain screamed “PAIN, PAIN, PAIN” over and over. She could not catch her breath. Her eyes and nose were running like sieves. The floor beneath her was wet with tears.

She wasn’t even immediately aware that he’d stopped until Walt pulled her up by the neck of her sweater and led her, stumbling and sobbing incoherently, to the corner of the room.

“You stand here,” he said, and raised the hem of her sweater, tying it in a knot. “You’re going to keep that bare ass on display, and if you hear anyone come in I don’t want you to turn, to look or do anything. You just stand here. And if you even think of feeling sorry for yourself, you stop and think of the Hart Family and what your stunt almost cost them. And then you think of Peter and what you almost cost him. Understood?”

“Y-ye-yes,” she choked, only to be rewarded with a hard, open-handed slap to her welted bum that elicited new renewed howls of pain.

“Yes, what?” he prompted.

“S-s-s-sir,” she replied.

“Good girl.”

Boots stomped out. A door slammed. Polly was alone. Her bottom throbbed and pulsated with pain. She shifted from foot to foot, sobbing into the space where the walls joined. She heard the door open and close softly. There were two people in the room. Their voices were low, approving. She could not look, didn’t want to. Her face felt as hot and red with shame as her bottom felt with hurt.

The people left. More came in. Was it the same people? Different one? Had Walt invited the whole bloody community to examine her striped bum? She started to hate him, but then remembered the Harts and how afraid Greta must have been when her baby was born not breathing. She thought of Peter, so confused at being accused of breaking the radio. She began to sob anew.

He made her stand there for two hours. Her legs hurt. Her bottom wasn’t just burning now, but itching. She wanted to rub and scratch the welts but was afraid he’d come in and catch her trying to relieve the pain and punish her anew. Polly felt miserable. She wished she’d never, ever heard of Pepper’s Hollow. She wished she’d never arrived with her condescending ideas about their culture and her secret plans to “educate” them. She’d been the one who needed an education, and she was getting one. Only it wasn’t anything like she’d imagined. This was terrible, and there was no escape from Pepper’s Hollow or from Walt Springer’s discipline, at least not for a very long time.

As Polly had stood in the corner of the Criner’s cabin with her welted bottom throbbing and on display, she’d imagined nothing could be worse.

She was wrong.

When she was finally allowed to pull up her pants and emerge from the cabin, she realized almost immediately that she’d become a social pariah. The other residents met her with angry glares and judgmental shakes of the head. Even Noni—the one person who had been the kindest and most welcoming in all of Pepper’s Hollow—met her hopeful gaze just briefly before turning away.

It was dinnertime and Polly had missed lunch. She knew she should be hungry given that she’d spent the lunch hour with her nose in a corner. But as she headed to an empty table in the back of the dining hall, she didn’t know if she had any appetite for the food on her tray. Even the children who had come over to speak to her that morning stuck close to their parents.

Polly pushed the food around on her tray, the lump in her throat too large to allow anything else to pass.

“You need to eat something, Polly.”

She looked up, surprised. Polly had not even heard Walt Springer approaching.

“I’m not hungry,” she said, pushing the tray away. He sat down across from her and slid it back in front of her.

“I’m afraid refusing food is not an option in this community unless a person is sick. We aren’t a wasteful people.” He nodded towards the tray. “Eat.”

When she didn’t immediately comply, he leaned towards her.

“Eat or be spanked over my lap. Your choice.”

Her face reddened deeply. She could see others glancing in their direction. She was sure they could tell he was scolding her. Polly picked up her fork and stabbed a piece of chicken.

“You’ll thank me tomorrow when you have enough energy to teach your class.”

She swallowed the bite of food and stared at him in disbelief. “Mr. Springer, you surely don’t expect me to be able to continue to teach here. The parents hate me now. Even the kids are distant. I quit.”

“No, you don’t,” he said. “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.”

She shoved the tray back to him, angry now.

“Fine,” she said. “I’d rather starve. I don’t want to be here anyway.”

She rose and rushed from the main hall, Walt Springer following. He did not quicken his pace. The community had seen enough drama this day to set tongues wagging for months. They hardly needed more. Besides, how far could she get in the snow?

The answer was not far at all. There was nearly a foot on the ground and it was starting to come down again. Even with sheepskin-lined waterproof boots and thick socks her feet were cold within minutes. Each breath of cold air she took burned her lungs. The only warmth came from the tears coursing down her cheeks.

“Polly,” he called after her.

She glanced back over her shoulder. “Leave me alone!”

“Polly!”

She stopped, knowing he was just going to catch her if she kept going. He walked around to stand in front of her.

“Look,” he said. “I know this isn’t easy.”

“Don’t pretend to commiserate, Mr. Springer,” she said, her voice quavering with anger. “You’re not the one who’s been beaten. I am. And don’t tell me that it’s okay because everyone here accepts it. You should have disclosed this community’s beliefs and practices before you called me out here. I never, ever would have come if I’d known this would happen to me. In fact, I can see now why your wife left!”

The look of hurt on Walt Springer’s face was not as satisfying as she’d thought it would be. In fact, it made Polly feel even worse for taking a cheap shot when he was clearly trying to be more understanding.

“That was part of it, yes,” he said. “When we came here she was in full support of what we were doing. But then she changed. She decided it wasn’t for her and left me and the kids.”

“You wouldn’t change it to keep her?” Polly asked.

Walt looked down. “I never got the chance. She took off in the middle of the night. I think she just … snapped. But you have to understand something, Polly. My wife loved our children. She knew the community’s philosophies were no longer for her but trust me; if she thought they were bad or dangerous, she’d have never have left the kids.”

“But why did she leave them?”

“The note she left said they would be safer here. She knew she had a lot to learn on the outside. Their friends are here, everything they know.”

“Has she been in contact with them?”

He shook his head. “No, and that’s the hardest part, for me and for them. I know here in my heart–” He put his hand on his chest. “–that she’s safe and doing okay. I know that at some point she’s probably going to fight me for custody. Who knows, she may even use the community practices as ammunition. But I can’t think about that. I have the responsibility of not just my family, but every other family, on my shoulders. If I’m overly strict, that’s why. If one link breaks it all crumbles.”

Polly pondered his words.

“I know what I did was reckless,” she said. “I’m sorry. You have to know that I didn’t intentionally break the radio.”

“I do know that,” he said. “But when you realized that you had, you should have come to me.”

“I was afraid,” she said. Her teeth were chattering now. “That’s part of the problem I have with this place. How honest is someone going to be if they know they’re going to be punished?”

“Very honest,” he said. “Especially since lying doubles the penalty for whatever the miscreant is trying to hide.”

“You’re right,” she said. “This is going to be very hard for me to understand.”

“There’s something else,” he said. “Something I don’t think you’re going to understand any better. I suppose I should tell you, but not out here. We need to go to your cabin.”

He turned, and Polly had no choice but to trudge along behind him. She didn’t think he was going to spank her again, and at least in the cabin she could get warm. But as she entered through the door, she stopped cold.

“Is that everything?” Walt was asking Noni.

“I think so,” Noni said quietly, motioning towards several cardboard boxes containing Polly’s belongings.

She looked at Noni. “What’s going on?”

But the other woman didn’t even acknowledge that she’d been spoken to. “I’ll be going if there’s nothing else you need.”

“There’s not. Thank you,” Walt said.

Polly felt a surge of hope. “Does this mean I get to leave after all?”

Walt shut the door and turned to her.

“I told you, Polly. There’s no way out of Pepper’s Hollow until the spring thaw. But you are leaving the cabin. We had a meeting at lunch, the whole community. They insisted on it. You’ve upset a lot of people, and the general feeling is that you are too much of a loose cannon to be left unsupervised. But everyone else is too upset with you to have you stay with any of them. So, you’re moving in with me.”

He fell quiet, allowing the words to sink in. Polly felt rooted to the floor by her still thawing feet. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Now she wasn’t just trapped in the community, but she was being forced to live with the very man who had twice spanked her.

“Please, Mr. Springer. I won’t do it again.”

He sighed. “It was a community decision,” he said. “That puts it out of my hands, Polly.”

She crossed her arms. “Well, I don’t think it’s a good idea to move another woman into your house with Aidan and Kerry just months after their mother’s gone. Have you even stopped to think about them?”

“The kids have to learn early that everyone makes sacrifices for the community. People talk, and they know what’s going on and why you will be staying with us.”

She shook her head. “This is not a good idea,” she said. “Not at all. It’s not a good idea for me to stay with you and it’s not a good idea for me to keep teaching. The people don’t respect me. The students don’t respect me.”

“They’ll do what they’re told,” he said.

Polly gave a harsh laugh. “Do you really think you can just demand that people respect you?”

“We’re not telling the kids to respect you, Polly. We’re telling them to act respectfully towards them. If you want their respect—or the respect of their parents for that matter—you’re going to have to earn it.”

He leaned down and picked up a box. “Come on. I’ve got some guys coming over to bring the boxes to my cabin.”

“I can carry my own things,” she said defiantly, reaching down to pick up the largest one. It was heavy, but she was determined to trudge through the snow with her load and did just that. Walt Springer didn’t stop her. He picked up another box and followed, and then followed her back to help her retrieve the other boxes.

When they had taken the last of them to Walt’s cabin, he directed to her to a small room. The bed and dresser from her cabin was already in there.

“This was my home office,” he said. “Aidan and Kerry are going to share a room now since I took Aidan’s room for that purpose.”

“How do the kids feel about that?” she asked.

Walt Springer shrugged. “Kerry all but worships Aidan, so she’s excited. Aidan’s less than thrilled, but we have the biggest cabin and plenty of his friends share a room with their siblings. He’ll hardly be the only one.”

That didn’t make Polly feel any better, but she was weary of engaging in an argument she was sure she would never win. She excused herself to her new room and began unpacking her belongings. Outside, the snow continued to fall. It was already dark and Polly felt as though spring would never come. She wanted nothing more than to sit on the bed and have a good long cry. She’d never been so depressed.

She thought about Walt Springer’s wife, and wondered how she could have supported the community. She thought about how hard it must have been for her to make the decision to leave. Melissa Springer must have been very desperate to leave to go without her children. Walt Springer seemed sad when reflecting on her departure, but it also seemed to be something he didn’t dwell on.

She heard the front door open, heard the sounds of children. Their father was telling them to mind their manners and be polite; she knew the conversation was about her. She was tempted to lock the door but instead she found herself getting off the bed and leaving the room. Aidan and Kerry were getting out of their coats. The conversation had turned to the play date they’d just had with Peter Criner. When they saw Polly, the fell silent.

“Kids, remember when I told you that we were going to have a guest? Well, it’s your teacher. Ms. Perkins is going to stay with us for awhile.”

“But Peter said his mama said she’s a bad person.” Kerry whispered the words to her father, but Polly heard them just the same.

Walt Springer’s face grew grim.

“Peter’s mama shouldn’t gossip,” he said. “And you don’t pay any mind to what Peter said. Ms. Perkins is our guest, and your teacher. So you’ll treat her with the respect you’d treat any other adult, understand?”

“Yes, Papa,” the kids said in unison.

“Now go say hello,” he ordered.

Aidan and Kerry walked over. Kerry had her thumb in her mouth. Polly’s heart twisted with sympathy. She felt sorry for the little girl who had to deal with her mother’s departure. Walt likely had his hands full dealing with the community. She wondered how much time that left for the kids.

“Hello,” she said. She leaned down and tapped Kerry’s chest. “That’s a very pretty dress.”

“My mama made it,” she said.

“She won’t take it off except on washday, and then she cries until Papa gives it back to her,” Aidan said.

“Well,” Polly said. “We all get attached to our most favorite things, don’t we? Did you know that I still sleep with my stuffed dog Roscoe?”

“No you don’t,” Aidan said skeptically. “You’re just saying that to make Polly feel better.” He was scowling and Walt started to step forward. Polly stopped him with an imploring look.

“Wait right here,” she said. She went into her new room and emerged less than a minute later with a threadbare brown dog with one button eye and a patched ear.

“Here he is,” she said, leaning down again. “I got Roscoe when I was six. I was very sick. I had a disease called leukemia, but I was very lucky. My doctors caught it early and they cured me. But being in the hospital was scary and because my parents had to go home some nights to take care of my sister and brother. They got Roscoe so I wouldn’t be scared and lonely. He was a good protector.” She held him up and looked at him. “Some people just see a toy when they look at Roscoe, but I’ve always felt he was real. That’s the power of a child’s love. It can make amazing things happen.”

Kerry smiled. Even Aidan seemed interested now.

“Can I hold him?” he asked.

“I want to hold him!” Kerry objected.

“You can take turns holding him while you sit,” Polly said, motioning to the couch. “Just be careful. He’s still magical, but he’s an old dog now so we need to treat him gently.”

The kids retreated to the sofa with the dog.

Polly looked up to see Walt staring down at her.

“I didn’t know you had leukemia,” he said.