Chapter 1

Mrs. Victoria Waxerman, the neighborhood gossip, busy body and general shrew, knelt at her own dining table, dressed in her Sunday best with her brand new fiancée, three nephews and a niece all looking at her. For the first time in years, she was quiet, with no scathing comments on her lips, her moist eyes downcast.

Eventually, she spoke again. “I’ve been a poor excuse for a Christian and I didn’t even realize it. I’ve done everything I could to mould my nephews and niece into smaller versions of myself, yet I’ve been a very poor example of a good Christian. If it takes a beating with a birch limb to change my attitude, I guess that is what it’ll take.” Mrs. Waxerman looked into Doctor Hooker’s eyes for the first time, steeling herself for what she was about to add.

“Doctor Hooker, sir, would you do me the honor of providing my correction? I know it’s a lot to ask and I’m sure the idea of beating sense into an old woman is as repugnant to you as it sounds, however you’d be doing my brother’s children, myself and in fact the whole neighborhood a service. I’m throwing myself at your mercy.”

Doctor Hooker looked very pleased with Victoria. “Now THAT is the sort of apology I expect to hear. I knew you had humility inside you somewhere, dear heart. I do believe that with the proper guidance, you’re going to be a pleasure to be associated with. Your ideas of what a good Christian is, need to be expounded on and lived out. First of all, I agree to provide your immediate correction, for your own good. Then we will sit down as a family and discuss some immediate changes that need to be made around here,” he finished by thumping his palm on the table and making the silverware jump.

“So aunt Victoria is gonna get a whipping? Zeke asked in disbelief. “Can we watch?”

“It’s going to be your responsibility to not only watch but to learn as well, young man,” Doctor Hooker replied with a smile. “You three boys need to learn to become responsible men. That means that while I do not want to take away the joy of childhood for you, there will soon come a time when you have to act like adults more than children. You’re all at an age when you are or have recently experienced changes in both your bodies and minds. These changes can either be healthy or detrimental to your development.”

“What about me, doctor?” Delilah asked sweetly. “I’m not a boy so I’m not going to become a man.”

“You’re quite right. As a female, you will grow into a woman. Whether you grow into the kind of woman that benefits society or leeches off it will be one of the topics of conversation after we get done disciplining your aunt. I’ve frequently heard your aunt quote a scripture out of the Bible that goes, ‘spare the rod and spoil the child.’ Your aunt has been spared so much that she’s been spoiled and now together, we’re going to remedy that situation. In fact, all of you have been spoiled in one form or another.”

“So we’re all gonna get a beating? That’s not fair! I didn’t do anything!” Jimmy whined.

“You most certainly did do something young man, although until this moment, you were unaware of it. It’s another topic for discussion later. Just to ease your young minds though, the answer is no, I’m not going to whip you all. Just dear Victoria here. Do you actually have a birch tree in your yard? I know I don’t in mine and I do not recall having seen one in yours either. In fact, the closest birch tree would be in the Taylor’s yard, correct?”

The boys looked at each other, then at Delilah, and finally at their aunt. None of them knew what a birch tree looked like but were certain they didn’t have one or they would have climbed it to get a better view over the fence into their neighbor’s yard.

Seeing the looks of disappointment on the boys’ faces, Doctor Hooker grinned and explained that a birching could be just as easily be administered with the cord off an electric frypan or a section of garden hose.

“Are you ready for your penance my dearest?” James asked his fiancée.

Mrs. Waxerman was already having second thoughts about what was to come. It wasn’t so much the beating she’d have to endure. She’d been beaten regularly by her father when she was a child. It was the humiliation of it, since the doctor had confirmed that it’d take place in front of her family and she was no longer a child without modesty.

“Doctor Hooker, I know I agreed to this and in fact I asked for it, however it would be improper to administer such punishment under the watchful eye of children! Isn’t it enough that I’m willing to submit to it at all?” She pleaded with him.

“My dear, for this to be a proper learning experience, it must be done without secrecy. Until it’s done, you’ve learned your lesson and behave in a manner to which your station in life dictates, you really must remember to call me sir. You accepted my marriage proposal this afternoon and as such, I feel obligated to treat you as my future wife. As your husband, you should be aware that I will brook no disobedience from the children or my wife.”

The children, hearing Doctor Hooker state so blatantly that he was marrying their aunt, could not control their curiosity. What? When did this happen? Why? How long have you been engaged? All these questions were thrown at the pair simultaneously. Doctor Hooker raised his hand and did his best to answer them.

“This dinner tonight was to celebrate our engagement. I asked your aunt for her hand this afternoon. I see a strength of character in her that not too many others possess and I believe we will be good for each other,” Doctor Hooker said, looking around the table.

“It was not however a requirement that I ask your permission to marry her and that is why you’re only finding out about our plans now. Your aunt was herself quite surprised at my proposal. I guess it surprised me as well. I was, after all, just visiting her and getting to know her better. At our age, love is not the most important motivating factor in a marriage. Companionship is. Having said that, I believe I do hold some love as well as admiration for your aunt, as she does towards me.” Again he looked around the table, hoping to see understanding in their young faces. Eventually his gaze fell to Victoria. He sat quietly until she raised her eyes to meet his.

“If you are seriously willing to change and become a better person, then you will accept your punishment with joy. It will be humiliating as long as you continue to put yourself first. Once you accept that your needs, wants and desires are to make your future husband happy and show repentance to God, the humiliation will be a small price to pay. And yes, it will be painful no matter what, however I will not damage you and I will respect you more for it.”

“Will you at least allow me to change my clothes first, sir? What I’m wearing is by best suit and I’ll need it for church tomorrow.”

“Did you forget that I said you’d have to disrobe to prepare yourself for your birching? Your clothing will not be ruined because you will not be wearing any.”

“But the children!” Victoria gasped, scandalized. “And we are not yet even married. I can’t disrobe before someone whose not my husband!”

“The children all have raging hormones, that’s true. It’s why it’s been hard to drag them away from the neighbors fence of late. I doubt however that you’ve got anything they or I, for that matter, haven’t seen before and to them, adults of our age would more likely be considered gross than exciting. Your arguments are based solely on your pride, Victoria. Once you’ve put your pride in check, you’ll have earned a valuable lesson.

“I understand what you’re saying sir, but I just can’t,” Mrs. Waxerman wailed, a tear falling from the corner of her eye.

“Would it be better if you were bound? Then whether I stripped you or left your coverings or lack of them would be well and truly out of your control. I do understand your plight. In future, you might be stripped and beaten and expected to stand there and take it without restraints but this first time...”

“Would you sir,” Victoria actually sounded a little excited at the idea, seemingly having missed the part about future punishments. “I know I deserve this and more, but I’m just too weak to do it by myself.”

“That’s settled then. Are you wearing stockings or pantyhose under that skirt this evening, dear?” James asked the kneeling woman. It took a very long time for her to answer his question and he’d just about been ready to ask again when she finally replied.

“Pantyhose, sir,” she said in a whisper, her cheeks bright red in humiliation.

“Good. Be a sweetheart and slip them off for me, will you? Thank you honey.

With a great deal of reluctance and some fidgeting, Mrs. Waxerman eventually did as she’d been instructed, handing them to him without meeting his gaze.

“Please stand up my dear. We need to get you situated and kneeling on the floor is not going to work well for our purposes.”

Mrs. Waxerman slowly got to her feet, using the edge of the table to support herself lest she fall. It was obvious she was not looking forward to any of it. Despite that, she held her head high and made her way to the kitchen door at the back of the house, James, the boys and even Delilah following along behind. At the door she paused, took a deep breath and stepped outside, the concrete cool on her naked feet. Doctor Hooker paused too, spotting an electric kettle cord hanging from a hook in the kitchen. It was just what they needed, so he casually plucked it off the hook as he passed.

Doctor hooker scooped up a couple of pebbles in his other hand, from the flower garden next to the back porch, then dropped one into each leg of the pantyhose. Seeing what he wanted, he was able to throw the weighted ends over a beam supporting the porch. Then, feeding the feet through the ‘V’ made by the gusset of the hose, he was left with a workable restraint that he stood Mrs. Waxerman in front of.

“Lift your arms and clasp your hands behind your head, dear heart, and I’ll secure you.”

“Please, sir...” Mrs. Waxerman began to plead for him to change his mind but seeing the look in his eyes, fell silent and raised her arms instead.

“In order to preserve your outfit for church tomorrow, I’m going to have to either enlist the assistance of the children or find an additional binding. I won’t make you choose dear. I’m just going to carefully wrap these pantyhose around your neck temporarily so that your arms can remain free. Then I won’t have to cut your clothes off you. Do you understand?”

Mrs. Waxerman let out a quiet sob and nodded her head. Doctor Hooker efficiently secured her neck with the pantyhose, then began to unbutton her dress behind her. Once unbuttoned, Doctor Hooker roughly pulled the dress forward off her shoulders, making her elbows come together in front of her.

“Release your hands dear and let your dress slip down.”

“I can’t,” wailed a heartbroken Mrs. Waxerman.

“That’s okay dear Victoria. It’s not unexpected. Delilah, Zeke, please take your aunt’s hands and hold them tightly.”

Each grabbed a wrist closest to them, pulling them away from her head. The action caused the dress to slip down to Victoria’s waist and the sleeves to bunch around her held wrists. Zeke and Delilah quickly freed the sleeves from their aunts arms. Under the dress, Victoria was wearing a cream colored silk slip and under that, her bra straps were visible. Doctor Hooker roughly yanked the dress down so that it pooled at her feet.

“Dear, step out of the dress and Jimmy, please take it and neatly drape it over the chair there.”

“Yes sir,” Jimmy acknowledged with a boy scout salute.

Mrs. Waxerman’ thighs were trembling as she slowly raised first one foot then the other. The process was repeated with the slip and presently, Mrs. Waxerman was standing there in just her brassiere and underpants, or more specifically, bloomers, for that’s what they looked like.

Doctor Hooker took some time admiring his fiancée. Her legs were actually quite toned, probably from all the dog-walking she’d done over the years. Her brassiere, while exceedingly plain, covered a substantial bust. Never having had children of her own, her belly was flat and unmarked by and surgical scars. The body that she’d hidden under such conservative clothes, was more like a 40 year old’s than a woman in her 50’s.

“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it dear?” Doctor Hooker asked.

Victoria gulped, held back another sob and just nodded.

Doctor Hooker untied the nylons from around her neck and one at a time, replaced a child’s hand on her wrist with a knotted pantyhose leg as close to the beam as he could. The effect was to pull her arms up and stretch her.

“Boys, would you like her to be naked or not?” He asked them, specifically denying Delilah any input.

Their answer surprised him. After looking at each other, they silently agreed then Jimmy said, “For such an old lady, she is kinda good looking. But it wouldn’t be right for her to be nekkid, right?”

“And why not, Jimmy?” Doctor Hooker asked. “After all, the neighbors seem to be naked all the time.”

“But they ain’t aunt Victoria. It just seems wrong to see her like that.” Zeke added.

“And yet your aunt agreed to disrobe and be birched to atone for her wrongdoing. Would it still be wrong if all we were doing to her is fully implementing the terms of her punishment?”

“Umm...” Zeke said, trying to figure out what Doctor Hooker had just said.

Delilah came to the boys’ rescue. “She said she wanted to be stripped and whipped. If she ain’t stripped, she’s not getting her full punishment. You’d be doing her a favor by getting her britches off her.”

“Oh,” the boys all said at once, understanding coming to them.

Jimmy shrugged, stepped up to his aunt and before she could say anything, jacked her underpants down to her knees. They didn’t come all the way down because Victoria had her knees pressed so firmly together. Her bush was a wild one, liberally peppered with grey hair, yet overall a very dark black. There was so much hair it sprouted onto her thighs and came up to within a couple of inches of her belly button. Zeke giggled, Delilah gasped and Doctor Hooker let out a humming sound, like he was pondering something. Mrs. Waxerman sobbed in shame.

“Why is your pubic hair so dark?” James asked the crying woman.

Not getting an immediate response, he continued, rubbing his chin at the same time. “Is it possible that you actually dye your hair my dear? I don’t mean the forest between your legs, but the hair on your head.”

Mrs. Waxerman continued to sob and didn’t answer his question again.

“Ma’am, I’m talking to you! Do not be so rude as to ignore me at this point, please. As a Christian, you have a duty!” He raised his voice for the first time.

Mrs. Waxerman’s head snapped up, her eyes meeting his. Her sob caught in her throat and she hiccuped. With some difficulty, she regained control of herself, despite her shame. She worked her mouth for a moment before finding words. “A Christian wouldn’t be seen in the nude by her nephews and niece, or for that matter, her fiancée and neighbor!” She spat out, some of her righteous indignation returning.

“It does not say that in the Bible, to my knowledge. It does say something about planting seeds in fertile ground, not sand and rocks. Your Christianity has been like the seeds planted in sand and I’m sure you agree that you’d do whatever it took to change that.” Doctor Hooker paused, noting her reaction. She stood a little taller, her chin lifted a little almost in defiance.

“I’m not here to judge you, my dear. I’m hear to help you. It is you alone who can change your attitude and you must not just participate, but take an active role in your own retraining. I don’t doubt that you’ll be teaching me a thing or two within the coming weeks and months.”

“What you say has a ring of truth to it Doctor Hooker,” Mrs. Waxerman admitted, sounding strange talking more like her haughty self even though standing naked but for her bra, with her hands tied above her head.

“The devil infected Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, turning Eve into a wanton slut and for that, God punished womankind with a monthly curse and the pain of child birth. To be closer to God, it is a woman’s place to suffer and to overcome. As you say Doctor, it is easy to compare Christianity to seeds planted in sand and much more difficult for a woman to please God by doing as little as a man needs to do.”

“A man’s responsibilities differ from a woman’s my dearest,” Doctor Hooker insisted. “As you’ve surely realized, being a surrogate parent to three boys and a girl, you’ve attempted to play the role of father to them and have failed miserably, only because you are a woman. You were simply unable to bear the burden a man must carry, as it is so foreign to a woman.”

Talking about God and the roles of males and females in the world seemed to trip a switch within Mrs. Waxerman. She sniffed, clearing her nose, and seemed to gather strength from his words. The boys, Delilah and Doctor Hooker looked on as Mrs. Waxerman returned to her former self.

“I am a sinner, Doctor Hooker. All women are sinners. Sinners must be punished and I’m about to be punished for just one or two of the many sins I’ve committed within just the last few hours alone. I am ready to repent and it’s your Christian duty as a man to see to my penance.” As she spoke, Victoria’s stance became almost defiant. She pushed her shoulders back, her chest out, and shuffled her legs apart a little, her underwear slipping the rest of the way to her ankles.

“A man must take charge, and lead a woman in the path to righteousness and the love of God. This you understand clearly, whereas I knew it but ignored it. A man receives his rewards piecemeal, whereas, because of original sin, a woman will only know true grace by pleasing man. The more penance I pay now, the closer I get to God.”

“We agree fully, it seems, Victoria. So now that we are on the same page, please answer my previous question. And while you’re at it, please do refer to me as sir, until such time as I say otherwise.”

“Yes sir. I apologize for not using the term of respect you requested. Please take that into account when you provide me with the punishment I look forward to. The more I can take, the more Christian I can become. To answer your question, I dye my hair gray. It is vanity. I have done it weekly for years to gain respect. I believed people would think I’m older and wiser if my hair was steel gray.”

Looking at her with this new information, Doctor Hooker realized that maybe Mrs. Waxerman was indeed not as old as he’d originally thought. “While I know it is generally uncouth to ask a woman her age, I think it is important to know how old you are. It will not change the fact that we are to be married, but I do need to know.”

Relinquishing her real age seemed more difficult for Mrs. Waxerman than to be standing almost naked in front of her family. “I’m ... on my last birthday ... umm ... next month I’ll be 49, sir,” Mrs. Waxerman admitted, her cheeks getting pink.

“You see dear heart, that was not so difficult, was it? I do however think that going forward, I want you to continue dying your hair. I would prefer people to believe you’re somewhat closer to my age than you really are, but more importantly, I really like it the way it is right now. I would never lie to anyone that asked, however society has a few silly character flaws that we all must deal with. From now on, instead of dying your hair gray to lie to people, you’ll be doing it to please your husband.”