A Fair And Just Response
A Fair And Just Response
Mrs. Sinclair sat at her desk going over the daily attendance records of the first two classes. Occasionally she would make a mark by an absentees name to remind herself to call the girl’s parents to find out if an illness was serious. The intercom buzzed. “Yes, Rachel?” “Mrs. Sarah Winthorp to see you, ma’am” Mrs. Sinclair sighed to herself. “Very well, send her in.” Mrs. Sarah Winthorp entered the headmistresses office. She was in rare temper, it seemed. This was precisely why Mrs. Sinclair hated seeing the woman. She was a highly placed member of the board of governors to the school and as such, she used her position to constantly barge in on Mrs. Sinclair with the most trivial of concerns.
“Mrs. Sinclair, I would request that Miss Jennifer Bloom be caned immediately.”
This took Mrs. Sinclair quite by surprise. Both because Jennifer Bloom hadn’t received the cane in some years, and that Mrs. Winthorp had never before requested such a thing. “Why?” Mrs. Winthorp shook a piece of paper in front of the headmistresses nose. “I have been receiving at my home anonymous calls over the phone for some months. Last month I requested the phone service to do a trace of all of our incoming calls. I judiciously logged each call I received and compared them to the results. As you can plainly see, thirty calls alone came from Jennifer Bloom’s residence.”
Mrs. Sinclair could see no such thing with the paper being shook like that. Exasperated, she finally snatched the paper and glanced over it. She opened a drawer and pulled out a file containing the home numbers of her students. Yes, Jennifer Bloom’s number was featured prominently on the phone service’s report.
“What was the nature of these calls?” “Scandalous! The things said by this young woman are best not repeated.” Mrs. Sinclair suppressed a chuckle. Scandalous, to Mrs. Winthorp, could be anything from “bugger off” to “how was the movie?” “I’m afraid that I can administer no punishment unless I know the basis for the calls.”
Mrs. Winthorp repeated a few phrases that left Mrs. Sinclair’s ears burning. Mrs. Winthorp even produced a tape of one recording. When played, Mrs. Sinclair’s ears burst into flames. Of course, one couldn’t tell who exactly was on the other end of the tape. The person had judiciously used a rag or some such to disguise the voice. When the tape ended, the machine had added a time and date. Mrs. Sinclair glanced over the report and saw Jennifer Bloom’s number corresponded to that time and date. Mrs. Sinclair punched the intercom with a devastating force. “Send for Jennifer Bloom!”
Five minutes later, Bloom walked through the door. “Yes, ma’am?” Bloom was properly dressed in her uniform and proudly displaying her prefect’s badge. Mrs. Sinclair’s face was thunderous. She accused Jennifer Bloom of harassing a school governor and of using ’scandalous’ language. “Ma’am, I did no such thing.” Mrs. Sinclair’s ears began to smoke. She played the tape. Bloom just listened, her face growing hot. “What do you have to say for this?” “Ma’am, I didn’t do it. There’s been a mistake.” Mrs. Sinclair showed Bloom the report from the phone service, but Bloom again protested her innocence. Mrs. Sinclair had had enough of these lies. She started to sentence a caning when Mrs.Winthorp interrupted.
“Such a shameful display should be met with an equally humiliating display. I demand that she be caned on the bare in front of a school assembly!” Mrs. Sinclair didn’t feel one bit sorry for Miss Bloom. The girl had embarrassed the school, her headmistress, and certainly herself. She should be made an example. Mrs. Sinclair called her secretary to make the proper arrangements. Bloom was sobbing fiercely and protesting her innocence. Mrs. Sinclair would have none of it. Fifteen minutes later, the secretary called to inform that all was ready. Mrs. Sinclair grabbed the cane and marched Jennifer Bloom to the assembly hall.
Mrs. Sinclair made a twenty minute speech about this shameful act and publicly stripped Bloom of her prefect’s status. Then she had Mrs. Winthorp hold down the struggling girl and administered twenty vicious strikes to the girl’s bare backside. Mrs. Sinclair hadn’t been merciful in her strokes. There were several cuts that were openly bleeding. Mrs. Sinclair made her remain in position for twenty more minutes while she lectured some more about what had just been witnessed. Then all were sent back to classes.
The next day, Mrs. Sinclair received a call from Bloom’s parents. They blustered and raved about their daughter’s condition for fifteen minutes. “Permanent scarring” was a phrase that came up often. Mrs. Sinclair informed them that she, herself, had seen the proof of Jennifer’s misdeeds. That quieted them.
The following day, the parents were again on the phone making threats of legal action. They, too, had investigated and found nothing. Mrs. Sinclair informed them that an investigation by angry parents and one by the phone service were two very different things. Again they were quieted.
Over the next two months, Jennifer Bloom was constantly being reported for misdeeds by other prefects. Mrs. Sinclair had been expecting it. When a prefect fell, others swooped in to gain revenge for past incidents. By and large, Mrs. Sinclair administered punishment for the reportings. Prefects could, at worst, request that a student be paddled. Mrs. Sinclair saw no harm in paddling a student. It stung and brought tears, but no damage had ever been done by the paddle. Rarely a day went by without Bloom’s skirt up and panties down receiving a few whacks to her hind end. Mrs. Sinclair knew from experience that the reports of misbehavior would soon draw to a close. Also during that time, Bloom’s parents averaged about one call a week with threats of legal action. Each time, Mrs. Sinclair referred to the phone service’s report and they were silenced for another week. Finally Mrs. Sinclair had had enough of the irritating calls. Since Mrs. Winthorp had taken the report with her, Mrs. Bloom decided to call her to gain a copy of that report to forward to Bloom’s parents. Perhaps that would quiet them once and for all.
“Winthorp’s” “Mr. Winthorp. This is Jayne Sinclair, headmistress of Brighton’s Academy. Is Mrs. Winthorp available?” “No, I’m afraid she’s at a meeting. Can I be of assistance?” “Perhaps so. I am calling to request a copy of the phone service report that Mrs. Winthorp showed me a few months back.” “Phone service report?” “Yes, sir. Mrs. Winthorp brought it in as proof in a scandalous affair that led to the severe caning of one of our school’s former prefects.” “I’m afraid I have no knowledge of any of this.” “Mrs. Winthorp complained of several calls made to your residence by the girl. The calls were of a scurrilous nature and, as a result, Mrs. Winthorp commissioned a report done by the phone service.” “Mrs. Sinclair, we’ve received no such calls.””Perhaps they occurred while you were at work.” “Mrs. Sinclair, are you familiar with my occupation?” “No, sir, I’m afraid not.” “I’m a writer of fiction. A quite successful one, I might add. To gain that success, I work constantly. My office is here at home. I never leave except to do an occasional charity function or a book signing. In those instances, Sarah always accompanies me. There have been no such calls.” Mrs. Sinclair stammered. “But your wife played me a tape from your answering machine.” “My good woman. We have no such machine. Why should we spend the money when I am always here to take messages.” Mrs. Sinclair was in a state. “But…” “Mrs. Sinclair, who was the girl who was punished?” “Jennifer Bloom.” Thoughts of lawsuits immediately began circling Mrs. Sinclair’s consciousness. “Ah, that explains it, then.” “I don’t follow, sir.” Mr. Winthorp explained. “When Sarah, Mrs. Winthorp, was in grammar school, Patricia Welding, the mother of Jennifer Bloom, caused Sarah and Jessica, my wife’s sister, to receive a most pernicious caning on the bare in front the entire school. Sarah has never forgiven Mrs. Bloom for that humiliation. I’m afraid that this punishment was directed more toward her than toward Jennifer.” Mrs. Sinclair let out a gasp. She had been used as a tool of Mrs. Winthorp’s revenge. She asked if Mr. Winthorp would graciously arrange to meet with her this afternoon. Mr. Winthorp agreed and Mrs. Sinclair immediately called her barrister. Mrs. Sinclair was dismayed to learn that she, however unwittingly, had been an accomplice to this sorry affair and could be subject to lawsuit and possible termination. Mrs. Sinclair immediately phoned the Bloom’s and asked that they come in for a meeting.
The next day, a school assembly was called. Mrs. Sinclair didn’t relish the thought of the upcoming several hours, but to avoid a lawsuit and possible termination, she had agreed to everything. She faced the entire assembly. “Ladies, you are no doubt curious as to why you’ve been asked to assemble here. Some time ago you were called in to witness the caning of Miss Jennifer Bloom.” There were titters as the object of the speech was seen squirming in an attempt to sit on her still sore behind. “Many humiliating things were said about the former prefect and she received a most severe caning in front of all of you. I have asked you here today to hear me admit that what was done to Miss Bloom was a dreadful error.” Gasps and whispers were circulating throughout the hall. A few errors had been made over the years, but Mrs. Sinclair had never publicly apologized for such. “I want you to know that though I was an unwitting dupe in the whole affair, I am guilty of allowing her humiliation to be increased by acting on reports from current prefects as to Miss Bloom’s behavior. I know that when a prefect is stripped of her status, others are quick to avenge past incidents. I, myself, when in grammar school, did such things. Therefore, as a result of my experiences, I allowed the practice to continue here. I am now telling you that it will continue no longer. In fact, an example shall be made today of my disfavor of this practice.” Mrs. Sinclair read off a list of twelve names, all prefects, and told them to step up to the floor. All twelve girls nervously did so. “All of these prefects have reported Miss Bloom for various misdeeds. All of these reports were falsehoods. They were submitted to cause Miss Bloom to receive unnecessary and humiliating punishment. All twelve of these girls will receive twelve strokes of the cane applied without mercy and to the bare. The sentence will be carried out immediately in front of this entire assembly.”
Three of the twelve broke out in sobs immediately. “Since their actions were silently condoned by me, they shall retain their prefect’s status. However, any such false reports that are submitted in the future will result in a public caning of twenty- four strokes applied without mercy and to the bare and the loss of such status.”
Mrs. Sinclair took a deep breath. “Mrs. Winthorp, the school governess who brought out these false charges, has consented to receive a caning applied without mercy and to the bare. The caning will be an exact match to the one that Miss Bloom received plus a penalty of twenty strokes for causing such an incident as this to come about. You will also witness this shortly.”
