Ups and Downs...a “Lexie” story (M/f)
chapter four
(c) 2001 by Sampast
(Regular Disclaimers Apply. Enjoy!)
I was so happy. Happier than I had been in, well, in my whole life. Uncle Sam was just wonderful to me. Sure, he spanked me sometimes, but only cuz he wanted me to learn good. He said he did it ‘cuz he loved me.
I spent every weekend with him. And all week at SCH, in camp, I thought of him and talked about him all the time. I was really getting into the art program we had in the summer. And Uncle Sam noticed I liked to do a lot of crafts, so he had bought me all kinds of art supplies.
He let me turn Billy’s room into a kind of art room. Billy was the son that had all the trophies and medals. Uncle Sam still kept them up on top of the shelves, but the rest of the room was mine. He had bought me an easel and paints, and markers, crayons, different kinds of paper, and a whole bunch of other stuff. It was real neat.
And he was turning Joey’s room into a playroom for me. Joey’s room was the room with the computer in it. Uncle Sam had bought me all kinds of computer games: some of them the learning kind, and some just fun stuff. I liked all of it. He also put in some plastic bins to hold my toys, and shelves to put my games on.
I had never had so many things to play with in my life. None that I could call mine, anyway. And Uncle Sam was real fun. Sometimes on Sunday mornings after he had his coffee, he would come in and sit on the floor and play games with me.
I loved him so much. I never thought I could love someone as much as him. And he loved me too. He told me so all the time. He said we were ‘stuck’ to each other. It was the best feeling ever.
At camp, I was making a birdhouse to put in the backyard. Uncle Sam had lots of birdhouses there already. But mine was going to be different. It was going to be special.
“Lexie?”
I looked up. It was Ms. Sandy. “Hi,” I said, looking up from putting the final coat of paint on the birdhouse.
“You have a phone call, sweetie, in Mr. Trent’s office,” she told me.
I always thought it was funny, but Ms. Sandy always called her husband Mr. Trent in front of us kids. I giggled and took her hand and went with her to the office. It was Thursday afternoon and I couldn’t imagine who was calling me. Uncle Sam called sometimes after dinner to say good night to me.
I got to the phone and picked it up. It was Uncle Sam. As soon as I heard his voice, I was so excited. “HI!” I said loudly.
“Hi, baby, how you doing?” he asked me.
I told him about some stuff and that I was making a surprise art project. We made a little small chat and then he said he had something he had to tell me.
“Now, Lex, I don’t want you to get too upset but I won’t be able to pick you up this weekend.”
My face fell. I was really looking forward to bringing the birdhouse home the next day. I had rushed to finish it. I tried not to cry when I heard what he said. “H-h-how come, Uncle Sam?” I asked.
“My boss is sending me to California, baby.”
“California? That’s so far away!” I cried. “It’s like halfway around the world.”
“Well, not quite. But I know, sweetie. I’m sorry. But I promise I’ll make it up to you next weekend. We’ll go someplace really fun. Okay?”
I knew I didn’t have much of a choice. What I really wanted to do was whine and complain and cry, but Uncle Sam would not have liked that much at all. And I didn’t want him going away being mad at me.
“Yes, sir,” I said sadly.
Uncle Sam could hear the sadness in my voice. “I’m really sorry, kiddo. Hey, how bout I come by tonight after dinner and tuck you in myself? That way you’ll at least get to see me before I go. That sound good?”
I smiled a little. “Okay,” I said.
“Lexie,” Uncle Sam warned quietly.
“Yes, sir,” I said into the phone. We said goodbye and hung up.
He was true to his word. Uncle Sam came by after dinner. We hung out for a little bit in the TV room. I introduced him to some of my friends. Jamie smiled at him. She had already met him another time. After a bit, he took my hand and I went with him.
He made me use the potty and wash my face and hands, and brush my teeth, just like at home. And even though there were other kids around, he tucked me into my bed. It made me feel kinda special.
Uncle Sam reached down and gave me a big hug. “I’m going to miss you, baby,” he told me.
I held on tight. I did not want to let him go. “I’m gonna miss you, too,” I cried. Then I let go and turned away from him. I started to cry for real.
He turned me back again and wiped a tear away with his hand. “Don’t cry, Lexie. I love you so much. I’ll be back soon. I promise.”
I nodded as Uncle Sam kissed me on the nose. He put Zam in my arms and walked quietly out of the room. I squeezed my little zebra tight to my chest and cried myself to sleep.
The weekend went by real slowly. The other kids tried to cheer me up, but it just wasn’t the same. I wasn’t used to being there on the weekends. Even Jessie visiting didn’t change my mood. I knew she was only there for a couple of hours.
“How’s it going, squirt?” I asked her, trying to get over my sadness.
“LEXIE!” she screamed. She ran for me and hugged me real tight. “I’ve missed you!”
I smiled. “I’ve missed you too. How’s it going at the Stevenes?” I asked.
“It’s great. I have my own room. And I gots a big sister. Her name is Jackie.”
Jackie and Jessie? Well, isn’t that cute? “Yeah? How old is she?”
“She’s 7, almost 8. And she’s really nice. And she lets me play with her and stuff. We have fun together,” Jessie said, beaming.
“That’s really cool,” I said. Then I told her all about Uncle Sam. She was happy for me. I told her all about my new art room and playroom, about the ducks and birds, and everything.
“That’s great, Lexie. Maybe I could come play with you there one day,” she said.
“Yeah, that would be cool,” I said.
We talked and played and hung out for the rest of the afternoon. It was fun, but I was still sad that I was there and not at home. It was funny how after only a few months, I had come to think of Uncle Sam’s house as “home”.
Finally the weekend was over, and camp was on again. It wasn’t as hard to get through as the weekend had been, because I was always here anyway. Jamie and I had managed to get into some trouble, though. I guessed being away from Uncle Sam and his spankings was making me forget. Me and her were in ‘time-out’ more times than I can ever remember.
“Lexie, I don’t know what’s gotten into you this week, but I don’t think I like it,” Mr. Trent told me one afternoon while I was sitting in the corner. That was the only punishment he ever gave. Sometimes as a last resort, he would take away dessert, but that was rare.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Trent,” I said. “I’ll try harder.”
He smiled. He knew I meant it.
On Friday, I was so excited. I couldn’t wait for Uncle Sam to come and get me. It had been almost two weeks since I’d seen him. I had my bag packed and my birdhouse all ready to go. I had already said good-bye to Jamie and the other kids. I was sitting in the TV room just waiting and waiting, when Mr. Trent came to get me.
“Lexie, you have a phone call,” he said sadly.
I got up slowly. I was scared. All of a sudden I thought something horrible had happened. I looked up at Mr. Trent then. Surely he wouldn’t let me take a really bad phone call, would he?
“Who is it?” I asked him.
“It’s your Uncle Sam, baby,” he said.
My face started to light up. But then it fell. If Uncle Sam was on the phone, then that meant he wasn’t on his way over here. But then again, maybe he was running late. Yeah, that must be it.
I ran into the office and picked up the phone. “Hi, Uncle Sam, are you running late?” I asked quickly.
“Hi, baby. No, sweetie, I’m not running late. I’m running behind. I’m still in California, sweetie.”
My face fell again. He wasn’t coming. “How come?” I asked, trying to hold back the tears I felt forming.
“I didn’t finish my work. I thought I’d be done by now, but this project is taking longer than I thought it would. I’ll be here at least another week. I’m sorry, Lexie,” he said.
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what to say. “Lex? You still there, baby?” Uncle Sam asked. He sounded a million miles away, instead of a few thousand.
“Yeah, I’m still here,” I said quietly.
Uncle Sam sighed. “I really am sorry, Lexie. I wanted to be there today and last weekend too. But I’m working real hard here, and...”
I didn’t hear the rest of what he had to say. I just nodded and said, ‘yeah’ every once in a while. Finally after several minutes, he said he had to go and we said our good-byes.
I hung up the phone and just ran. Mr. Trent tried to catch up to me but I was too fast. I didn’t know where to go, so I just went outside where we had camp. I sat on a bench and put my head in my hands and just cried.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and figured it was Mr. Trent. But when I looked up, I saw it was Ms. Sandy. She sat down next to me and took me into her arms. “I’m sorry, Lexie. He’ll be home soon,” she said.
I didn’t say a word; I just cried. I was afraid to say out loud what I was feeling. I had really believed Uncle Sam. I had really thought he wanted me. I had really thought I had a home with him, but I was wrong. I knew it. I knew I could never really be happy. I had never been before, so why start now?
No one wanted me. He didn’t want me; he had never wanted me. He just made me think he did. But the truth was he was tired of me. Tired of me being so bad all the time. He wasn’t really working hard in California; he was really at home getting rid of all my things. I just knew it!
I didn’t think about what he had said when he was here the previous week. I didn’t think about the glue bottle he had given me meaning I was ‘stuck’ with him. I didn’t think about the promises he had made to me. I just thought he had stopped trying. That it was all over.
I was a wreck that second week without Uncle Sam. No one wanted to be around me...I was a real bummer.
Andrea came up to me on Thursday and said, “You know, Lexie, everyone’s really trying to make you feel better. You could at least try.”
“Why? What does it matter?” I asked.
“Because we care about you. You’re the luckiest kid we ever met. You and Jessie, anyway. You have people who really care about you,” she exclaimed.
“Jessie might, but I don’t,” I said. I paused and then said, “Not anymore, anyway.”
She didn’t know what I meant, but didn’t try to figure it out. “Well, we’re all going to be in the TV room. Why don’t you come join us?”
I didn’t want to be with anyone, but then I realized I didn’t want to be alone. I wandered in there after a while. Sharon and Erin were playing knock hockey and I sat and watched.
Jamie came running in then and said, “Hey, guys, come here. I wanna show you something!”
We all got up and went to see what she was so excited about. We followed her into the new playroom. Mr. Trent was having Alex do all kinds of work in there to get it ready for us. We all looked around the empty room and then back at Jamie. “Yeah, so?” I said.
“Don’t you see it?” she asked, pointing. We all looked and saw different buckets of paint.
“It’s paint, Jamie,” Sharon said, scowling. “You interrupted our game to show us some dumb old paint?”
“But look at all the colors. We can make a mural or something,” Jamie said.
That got me excited. I looked around. Alex had left several different size brushes on the old sheet he was using to keep the floor covered. “Yeah, let’s surprise Mr. Trent and Ms. Sandy,” I said, being happy for the first time in weeks.
“Oh, I dunno,” Erin said. She was always weary of trying new things. “We might get into trouble.”
“Come on,” Andrea said, pulling on Erin. “It’ll be fun.”
Sharon wasn’t sure either, but in the end, they ended up painting with us. We each opened a different color and started painting the walls. No one talked to each other about what to make so it was kind of a haphazard mural.
“Hey, Lexie?” Andrea asked.
“Yeah?” I said, looking up.
“Have you ever had your palms read?”
“No, I don’t think so. Have you?”
“Yeah,” she said smiling. “Ms. Sandy showed me once. Want me to do yours?”
“Okay, Andie,” I said. We called her that sometimes.
She looked at Sharon, who was smiling like crazy. I had no idea why. Maybe it was a big girl joke or something.
“Hold your hands up like this,” she said, holding her hands with her palms face up.
I did as she said. All of a sudden, she painted both my palms red. She started giggling like crazy. “There you go!”
I realized I’d been had. I stood there with my red hands wondering what to do. “ANDDDDDDDDDDDIEEEEEE!” I shouted.
The other girls looked at me and Andrea and started cracking up. I could be mad, or I could get even. I ran after her and smacked her backside with both hands. I giggled as I left red handprints on her bottom.
She looked down at the back of her denim shorts and then at me. “I can’t believe you did that!” she exclaimed.
I grinned. The other girls laughed at her, too. They weren’t partial. “She did get you there, Andie,” Sharon said.
I didn’t know what to do with all the extra paint on my hands so I put them on the wall. I stood back to look at my handprints. “Hey, those look kinda neat!” I declared.
Andrea came over to look and she smiled. We hugged. I hadn’t really been that mad at her. The other girls laughed and pointed. I didn’t know why. Then I saw Andie’s hands. They were covered in yellow paint. I looked at the back of my shorts and I had two yellow handprints on them. All I could do was join in with the laughing.
Everyone joined in the fun. We painted each other’s hands and made prints all over the walls. Andrea even sat back against the wall and made butt prints. It was pretty funny. It had taken me out of my deep bad mood and made me happy again.
Course, it was short lived. Mr. Trent must have heard us all screaming and laughing and came to see what was up. When he saw the walls, and the floor and us, he stood there with his mouth hanging open. I looked around and tried to see what he saw. We had made a big mess.
“ALEX!” he yelled. “COME HERE NOW!” Both Ms. Sandy and Alex came running in to see what Mr. Trent was shouting about. They, too, had their mouths hanging open when they saw the room.
Me, Jamie, Sharon, Andrea, and Erin just froze. We stared at Mr. Trent to see what he would do next.
Alex just stared at us. Mr. Trent was giving him a hard time about having left the paint out. Jamie looked at the floor. She had a big crush on Alex and we all knew that Jamie was kind of Alex’s favorite. She felt bad for getting him into trouble.
As for the rest of us...Mr. Trent was so angry; he couldn’t even talk to us. After barking orders at Alex, he left the room. Ms. Sandy handed us some old rags and she and Alex brought in buckets of water. We tried to wipe off the paint but it wasn’t really working. Finally, Alex said he would take care of it. Ms. Sandy told us to all go take showers and change and to meet her back in Mr. Trent’s office.
We were all a bit scared. Mr. Trent was the strong, silent type. He never shouted. We had never even heard him raise his voice before today. I took my shower and put on clean shorts and a t-shirt. I towel dried my hair and looked at my partners-in-crime.
“What d’ya think he’s gonna do?” I asked. I knew what Uncle Sam would have done. I wouldn’t have been sitting down for days after HE got through with me. But I guessed I didn’t have to worry about THAT anymore.
“I dunno, but he sure looked mad,” Andrea said.
“Yeah, I ain’t never seen him so mad,” Sharon said. She was the oldest of all of us and had been at SCH the longest. So she’d seen a lot.
Erin bit her lip and took my hand as we stood in Mr. Trent’s office. Jamie was staring at the floor. She knew it had been her idea, and she was feeling awful guilty.
“Girls, I don’t even know what to say to you. I’m very disappointed in each one of you,” he said, turning to look at us individually. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to be very strict in punishing you.”
Erin started to cry. She hadn’t wanted to paint with us but we had talked her into it. She was so sensitive. I squeezed her hand as Mr. Trent continued.
“You will all go to bed tonight directly after dinner. No dessert for any of you. No reading in bed: lights out at 7:00 sharp.” Sharon gasped. We usually didn’t have lights out until 8:00 for the little ones, and 9:00 for the older kids.
He looked at her and then continued. “And tomorrow, I have cancelled camp for each one of you. You will do extra chores around the school to help Alex, since he has to take time away from his regular work to clean up YOUR mess. That’s it, you’re excused,” he said, turning away.
We just stood there, in total shock. That was the strictest we had ever seen or heard Mr. Trent be. Andrea looked at me and the other girls. We had been told to go, but none of us moved.
Jamie was crying softly. “Please, Mr. Trent, don’t punish them. It was my fault. It was my idea to open the paints,” she sobbed.
“No, Jamie. I saw all of you painting. All of you were covered in paint and the room was a mess. You all helped to do that. Now go do your ‘before dinner’ chores. Right now,” he said, sternly.
“Yes, Mr. Trent,” we all said, sadly, walking away.
That night at 7:15, we all lay in bed. None of us could sleep. It was way too early. I whispered to Jamie, “You okay?” I knew she was upset because Alex wasn’t speaking to her. She had tried to apologize to him for getting him into trouble, but he wouldn’t hear her.
“Yeah, I guess,” she answered quietly. We didn’t want Ms. Sandy to hear us.
I was lying there thinking about how angry Mr. Trent was. I was also thinking about Uncle Sam. I didn’t want to. I knew he was gone from my life for good, but I missed him. I didn’t want to miss him. I just wished he had never come along, and then I wouldn’t know from anything.
“Hey, Jamie?”
“Yeah?”
“Have you ever gotten a spanking?” I asked.
She turned to me in her bed, and kinda sat up on one arm. “A spanking?”
“Yeah. Have you?”
“No, I don’t think so. Why?”
“I dunno,” I said.
“Do you get spankings, Lexie?” Sharon asked.
I turned toward her. I didn’t answer at first. “Cuz if Mr. Rifler spanks you, he could get into a lot of trouble,” she said.
“Why?” I asked.
“Cuz foster parents aren’t allowed to spank kids. It’s in the rules. And if he does, he could go to jail,” Sharon explained.
I didn’t want Uncle Sam to go to jail. Even though I was mad at him for deserting me. “What if it’s okay?” I asked.
Sharon turned on me then. “You LIKE getting spankings, Lexie?”
“Well, no, but, well,” I paused. How could I explain this? “Mr. Trent was really mad, right?”
“Yeah,” they both said.
“Well, when I do something wrong and Uncle Sam spanks me, I’m forgiven afterward, and he isn’t mad no more. And I feel better. Right now I still feel real guilty,” I said.
Sharon digested this. “Hmmm,” she said. “I could kinda see what you mean. That’s what it’s like to have a real daddy. A real daddy spanks ya and then forgives ya and everything’s okay again.”
We were quiet for a while. Both Jamie and I knew that Sharon had had a daddy once, but no more. We weren’t sure what happened to him. Maybe he had died or something. But I thought about it, and knew she was right. What Uncle Sam did, was like what a real daddy would do.
“Well, when your Uncle Sam comes back, maybe he’ll spank you for it, and then you’ll feel better,” Jamie said after a long silence.
Sharon just laughed. So I smiled too. I hadn’t yet told them that Uncle Sam was gone. They’d find out soon enough.
The next day, which was Friday and usually the funnest day at camp, was really hard work. We had a bunch of chores to do that were not fun at all. We watched the other kids going from one activity to another, while we slaved away. That was the worst part.
Mr. Trent watched us work. He kept nodding his head and telling us what to do. Alex was there to keep an eye on us too. I guessed he didn’t want us messing up any more of his stuff.
I looked up from something I was doing at one point and saw something that shocked me. Not something, but someone. It looked like Uncle Sam. I squinted my eyes and looked closer. It WAS Uncle Sam. Yes, it definitely was him. He was strolling toward me across the lawn. I dropped the rag I was holding and ran to him. I couldn’t believe he was actually there. I never thought I would see him again.
He picked me up and swung me around and then held me tight to his chest. “Hiya, baby,” he said.
I buried my face in his neck and cried. He was probably there to say goodbye to me. I couldn’t face him. Uncle Sam held me while I cried. He probably thought I had just missed him was all. Finally he pulled me away and looked into my face.
“Lexie? What’s wrong?” he asked.
“D-d-did you c-c-come to s-s-say g-g-good-bye?” I stuttered.
“Good-bye? No, of course not. I just got back from the airport. I haven’t even gone home yet. But I wanted to see you first thing.”
I looked at him with my mouth hanging open. “You mean you really were in California?” I asked.
Uncle Sam looked confused. He nodded as he sat down on a nearby bench, pulling me into his lap. “Of course, baby, I told you that. What did you think?” He looked really worried then.
I sobbed, “I thought you didn’t want me anymore. I thought you were home packing up all my things and getting rid of them.”
“Oh, no, Lexie, never. I told you where I was. Didn’t you believe me?”
“But you said you were gonna pick me up, and then you didn’t, and you said we were gonna do something fun, and then you called and said you weren’t coming. I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”
“Lexie, look at me,” Uncle Sam said firmly. I turned and looked at his face. “Have I ever lied to you?”
“No, sir.”
“When you’re naughty, don’t I always follow through and do what I say I ‘m going to? Don’t I always mean what I say?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, when I said I wanted you with me forever and ever, didn’t you believe me?”
“I did at first,” I said. “But then...” my voice trailed off and I just started to cry again. “People would always tell me things, Uncle Sam, but then they’d do something else. I wanted to believe you, but then,” I stopped as Uncle Sam pulled me close.
He was crying too. “Lexie, I gave you that bottle of glue because I said we were ‘stuck’ together. I meant it, baby. I want you to be with me forever and ever. I know you’ve been let down in the past. But that is not going to happen again, not with me anyway. Not if I can help it. There may be times that I may not be able to keep my promise, like this past week, something came up with my job, but that doesn’t mean I won’t make it up to you. Oh, Baby, I love you so much. I want you to be happy.”
I was crying hard now. I had never thought things could be this way. I was afraid though. Afraid to believe Uncle Sam. “But you said,” I started again.
“I know what I said. I couldn’t do it, though, baby. I had to finish the project. I had to make extra money, so I could make ‘us’ permanent.”
I didn’t understand what he was saying. I looked at him, all confused.
“Lexie, I want you to be my daughter, legally. I spoke to your social worker, and I want to adopt you. It’s going to take a while, and lots of money, but I will make it happen. You and I just have to be patient. I know that’s hard for a little girl. But you’re just going to have to try, and take the ups and downs that come along in life. All right?”
I wasn’t sure exactly what Uncle Sam was talking about, ups and downs, and all that. But I did hear the word ‘adopt’ and I knew what that meant. I understood that Uncle Sam wanted to adopt me. That would be like having a daddy. A real daddy. I thought back to the conversation I had had with Jamie and Sharon the night before, and for the first time that day, I smiled.
Mr. Trent saw Uncle Sam then, and came over. I knew this time that Mr. Trent was going to tell on me. But at this point, I didn’t even care. Mr. Trent spoke quietly with Uncle Sam, explaining what we had done the day before. Uncle Sam looked at me once, frowned, and then went back to hear the rest of what was being said.
Finally, Uncle Sam came back over to me. “I understand you have some more chores to do before you can come home with me?” He had asked it, not stated it.
I nodded. I looked at Mr. Trent first and then back at Uncle Sam. “Uh, yes, sir,” I said quietly. A look went back and forth between Uncle Sam and me then. A look that said I was in trouble and that we would talk about it later. I knew what that meant. But in a way I was glad. A few hours ago I had thought I would never see him again. A sore bottom to make me feel less guilty seemed okay if I got to live with Uncle Sam forever.
Uncle Sam leaned down to give me a hug and a kiss. “I love you, baby. I’ll pick you up at 5:00. Okay?”
“Yes, sir,” I said, hugging him back. It didn’t even matter that I was in trouble; Uncle Sam still loved me and he wanted me. I did the rest of my chores that afternoon with a smile on my face.
Later while the other girls were getting ready for dinner, and I was packing, Jamie came over and said, “Boy, Lex, you sure look happy for someone who’s gonna get a spanking when you get home.”
I smiled at her. “I’m just so glad to be going home, Jamie!” I said hugging her. Sharon came over then and hugged me too. “Good luck!” she said.
Uncle Sam picked me up at 5:00 and we stopped at McDonald’s. He said I could have a real treat the next day but tonight after dinner we had to talk. I tried to eat my cheeseburger real slowly, but I knew eventually I would have to tell him about what happened.
I looked at the playground they had there forlornly. I knew I couldn’t stay and play. Not tonight, anyway. I moved my French fries around on the paper in front of me.
“You finished, Alexis?” Uncle Sam asked me.
Alexis. He only called me that when I was in trouble, or when he meant business, which was usually when I was in trouble. I looked up and nodded.
“Uh, I guess so, I mean, yes, sir,” I told him.
After I dumped my tray, I took Uncle Sam’s hand and got back into the car. We drove home in silence. When we got there, Uncle Sam took my bags to my room and sat down on the bed. He pulled me in front of him.
“Okay, let’s have it. Tell me what happened.”
I knew he already knew what we did, but I told him anyway, in my own words. I explained how I was sad and mad and didn’t think I’d ever see him again. He hugged me then and reassured me that that was never going to happen. I told him how down I had been. But when I got to the part about actually painting the walls, Uncle Sam frowned.
“You are not allowed to paint walls, young lady,” he said sternly. “Are you?”
“No, sir,” I said sadly.
“And I’ve spoken to you about this before, and punished you for it, haven’t I?” Uncle Sam asked.
I thought back then to a few weeks before when Uncle Sam had first brought home my paints, smocks, and brushes. The easel hadn’t been delivered yet, and I was looking for a place to paint. I had decided that the walls in Billy’s room could use a little color. Uncle Sam hadn’t thought so and told me so in a way where, well, let me put it this way...I was over his lap and crying after a few minutes.
I looked back at Uncle Sam then and said, “Uh, yes, sir, you did.”
“Did you forget, Lexie?”
I sighed. I hadn’t really forgotten, just kind of pushed it out of my mind, I guessed. “I guess I thought it would be okay, Uncle.”
“You did? You didn’t think Mr. Trent would mind if you painted and hand-printed the walls?” He paused. “I think that’s just it, Alexis, you DIDN’T think. Did you?”
I shook my head. “No, sir,” I said. “And I didn’t know Mr. Trent would get so mad and everything. And I didn’t think you’d, uh, never mind.”
“No, not never mind. Tell me, Lexie.”
When I didn’t say anything, Uncle Sam said, “Oh, wait a minute, I understand it now. You didn’t think I was coming back, and you didn’t think Mr. Trent would punish you girls, so you thought you could do something that you KNEW was wrong and nothing would happen to you, is that it?”
Basically that was it, but did I want to admit it? I looked at Uncle Sam then and he was staring at me. I looked down. “Yes, sir,” I said sadly. “But we was just playing,” I tried.
“That was naughty play, wasn’t it, young lady?”
“Yes, sir,” I said. “Are you mad, Uncle Sam?”
He shook his head no. “Not mad, Lexie, but I am disappointed. You know better than that.”
I nodded my head and bit my lip. I hated disappointing Uncle Sam. I had never experienced these kinds of feelings before. It made me very sad to think he was disappointed in me.
Uncle Sam patted his knee then, and I went closer. He reached down and pushed my shorts and panties to my ankles. He made me step out of them, too. I knew after my spanking, I’d be getting a bath, so I wouldn’t need them again.
“I'm sorry, Uncle, that I disappointed you,” I told him.
“I’m sorry, too, Lexie, that I have to punish you.” He gave me a quick hug and then pulled me up over his lap. I started to cry before he even started the spanking.
“Why are you getting this spanking, young lady?”
Uncle Sam had recently started asking me this question. I hated it, because then I had to actually say out loud what it was I had done wrong. And in the times when I knew I shouldn’t have done something, it made me feel more guilty.
Dreading this, I answered quietly, “Because I painted on the walls and I knew it was wrong, sir.”
“That’s right, Lexie. And now I’m going to spank you to remind you not to do it again.”
{Swattt!} {Smack!} {Spank!} went his hand, over and over on my poor backside.
I yelled, “Owwwww!” and wiggled and kicked my feet a lot to try to avoid his hand, but it just never worked.
{Swattt!} {Smack!} {Spank!} {Swattt!} {Smack!} {Spank!} {Swattt!} {Smack!} {Spank!} {Swattt!} {Smack!} {Spank!} {Swattt!} {Smack!} {Spank!}
I cried and moved around but Uncle Sam held onto me and kept me in place. My bottom was on fire. I wanted to put my hand back and rub so bad, but I didn’t. He wouldn’t have liked it, and I had done it once before, and didn’t like what had happened, either.
Uncle Sam continued to spank me and then the scolding started. “Painting {Swattt!} {Smack!} {Spank!} on walls {Swattt!} {Smack!} {Spank!} is just WRONG, {Swattt!} {Smack!} {Spank!} and NAUGHTY! {Swattt!} {Smack!} {Spank!} And I know {Swattt!} {Smack!} {Spank!} you know better.” {Swattt!} {Smack!} {Spank!}
“I’m sorry, owwwwwwwwwww! I won’t do it again. I promise!” I cried.
“You’d better not!” he scolded, warming up my thighs and my sitspot.
“I won’t, I won’t!” I said, through my tears.
Uncle Sam finished up my spanking and stood me up. “You’re going to learn to behave, Lexie,” he said, hugging me close to him.
I sobbed on his shoulder. He held me tight and rubbed my back and my bottom. “I want you to be my good little girl, Lexie.”
“I will, Uncle. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to disappoint you.”
“I know, baby, it’s all over now. I forgive you,” Uncle Sam said quietly to me. He turned me around and sat me down gently in his lap. “I love you so much, Lexie, and I only want to do what’s best for you. I like to be proud of you, and I can’t be when you’re naughty.”
I looked at him then. “You’re proud of me, Uncle Sam?”
“Yes, I am,” he said, smiling. Then he added, “Usually.”
I giggled then. I knew I could be a bit much. Everyone in the past had always said so, but no one had ever stayed long enough to find out that I had good points too. Until Uncle Sam. And I was so glad I had waited around to find out things could be different.
Uncle Sam cuddled me some more. He took out his handkerchief, which he always seemed to have on him no matter what he was wearing, and wiped my eyes and made me blow my nose. I guess I had been crying an awful lot.
“Now, no more painting on the walls. Is that understood, Lexie?”
“Yes, sir. I promise.”
“That’s my good girl.”
Later that night after my bath, when Uncle Sam was tucking me into bed, I reached up and gave him a great big hug. “Uncle?”
“Yes, Lexie?”
“Will you always love me and take care of me?”
“Yes, baby, always.”
“Forever?”
“Forever and ever.”
“Good,” I said.
“And Uncle?”
“Yes, Lexie?” he said, patiently.
“Are you really gonna be my daddy?”
Uncle Sam smiled then and answered, “Yes, I am. Do you like that idea?”
I nodded and said, “Yes, sir, a lot. I can’t wait.”
“Okay, baby, go to sleep now; it’s getting late.”
Uncle Sam kissed my nose and my forehead and walked to the door. He turned on my nightlight and closed the door.
I held Zam close to me, put my head on my pillow and closed my eyes. I went to sleep thinking about Uncle Sam becoming my daddy, and I dreamed happy dreams.
The end.