Once we were back in the kitchen, I said, "Go cut a switch." Without a word, Tex nodded, grabbed a paring knife and headed back outside. I could see him walking through the yard to the orchard, just as Johnny pulled into our yard and honked. My brother waved, but kept walking. Johnny parked and jogged over to join him.
I was surprised to see that Tex continued on with his task. As Johnny talked animatedly, Tex broke off a branch and began peeling the leaves and little limbs off it. Once it was clean, he walked back toward the house.
As they approached, I could hear Johnny saying, "He made you cut a switch?"
"What, like Cole would be cool with you getting suspended for three days?" Tex said rather fiercely.
"Hell no! He'd blister my butt and then sell me to the army or something. It's just I didn't know Mace would actually whomp you."
"Well, he has and he's going to. So…I gotta get back inside."
"Ok, man. Good luck. See you…soon," Johnny hollered and walked back to his truck.
"Hey, Johnny! Um, don't tell Jaime, okay?" Tex called, sounding embarrassed.
"Never!" the boy promised.
Tex walked in and handed me the switch. He then turned to the kitchen table, unbuttoned his jeans, pushed them and his boxers to his knees, and bent forward.
"Why are you getting this whupping?" I asked.
"Because I forged your signature. Lied a lot. Was disruptive in school. Got in trouble and tried to hide it. And I skipped school."
"You forgot something," I said firmly.
"Um… I don't know. What?"
"You got suspended for three damn days!" I roared.
"Oh yeah, and for getting suspended. For three days." Tex put his head down on the tabletop and clenched the edges.
"You're getting seventeen licks, Tex."
He nodded, but said nothing.
I raised the switch and brought it down swiftly across the boy's bare behind. A red stripe appeared, and Tex jerked and stifled a whimper. I knew the switch hurt more, so I was careful not to put too much force behind each swing. By the fourth lick, Tex's shoulders shook and I could hear him sniffling. He started doing a reflexive jig, shifting his weight from one leg to the other by the tenth whack. The switch fell seven more times, each blow eliciting a yelp and then wails. When it was over, I broke the switch in half and tossed it in the unlit fireplace. I walked back to the kitchen to find that Tex had not budged.
"Look, I know you're hurting, but you might want to get dressed. Jamie Collins is coming up the walk."
"What?" Tex bolted up and tried to run to the bathroom; however, his legs were manacled by the pants at his feet. "Tell her I can't talk, because I'm in trouble. Don't tell her you whupped me though, ok?"
"What? I was gonna start with that."
"Mason! Please!"
"Jeez, Tex. I was joking. I'm not going to."
Jaime knocked and I waved her inside. "Hey, Jaime. What's up?"
"I just came by to see if Tex is OK. Johnny said he was in a lot of trouble but wouldn't tell me more. I heard at school he got suspended."
"Yeah, he did get suspended and he is in trouble. But he's in the bathroom now. You can be his last visitor before I lock him in the basement."
"Very funny, Mason," Tex called from the bathroom. I got Jaime a glass of water, and she sat down at the kitchen table. About 5 minutes later, my brother came strolling in. Clearly, he'd washed his face and brushed his hair. I couldn't help smiling.
"Your grounding starts in 5 minutes, so make it a quick visit," I said. Then I went to take a shower. As soon as I closed the bathroom door, I threw up and started trembling. In the shower, the cascading water washed away my tears. I promised myself that I'd never use a switch on Tex again.