Subject: Time Out... A twin story (M/f) (Sampast/Landhill)
From: sampast@aol.com (SamPast)
Date: 9 Jun 1999 18:05:11 -0700
Time out ( A twin story) (M/f)-Regular Disclaimers apply. By Sampast and Don A. Landhill Copyright © 1999 (Any misspelling is due to child's use of inventive language. It's not poor use of spell checker.)
At work, Charlie was called to the phone. He answered it, only to find that it was his daughter, Robin, on the line. It was not usual for either of the twins to call him at work, but it was not unheard of, either.
"Hi, Daddy, It's Robin."
"Hi, Robin, how was your day?"
"Daddy? Can I tell you somethin'?"
"Yes, you can, Robin. What is it, please?" Charlie replied.
"Don't be mad, okay?"
"I won't be mad because you told me something, but if you have done something wrong, I may be unhappy. But you know it is always worse if I find out from someone else before you tell me."
"Daddy, Mommy put me in time out, and she tole me to stay there for one hour. That's a long time, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. Are you still supposed to be in time out?"
"Maybe," Robin answers slyly.
"Do you know when you were put in time-out?"
"Yes," Robin answers, with a bit of a giggle in her voice.
"Well, when was it?" Charlie was beginning to have a rather exasperated note in his voice.
"I don't wanna tell you. You're gonna be mad." Robin says, in a particularly exasperating manner, or at least that's how Charlie takes it.
"ROBIN! You are getting yourself in more trouble right now. Now I want you to tell me when you were put in time out, and why, before I have to ask Mommy."
"Mommy's not here." Robin's voice lowers to a whisper. "She went to do laundry."
"Robin, answer the question right now, or I will talk with Mommy as soon as I get home -- and I don't think you will like what will happen after that!"
"But I don't wanta!" Robin whines.
"Robin!" Charlie adds in his 'last chance' tone of voice.
"Okay, okay, I was fresh to Mommy but it wasn't my fault. Jennifer was bothering me, and Mommy didn't put HER in time out. It's not fair, Daddy! That's why I called you, to tell you, it's not fair."
"Jennifer! You are to do what Mommy says, whether you think it is fair or not. I want you to hang up and go right back to time out. I will be home in a little while and we will discuss this." Charlie was so frustrated, that he was confused about which twin he was speaking to -- a most unfortunate lapse, which he usually took pains to avoid.
"Daddy, I'm Robin!" she whines. "Nobody ever listens to me! Well, I'm not gonna be here when you get home." Then came the sound of the phone being hung up.
Charlie tried to call back, but there was no answer. He left work right away (he was almost ready to leave anyway) and got home as fast as he safely could.
"Lisa, honey, I'm home." Charlie calls out, as he walks in the door of the apartment.
"Hi, hon, I'm glad you're here. Jennifer and I came back up from the laundry room and Robin was not here. I was just about to go out looking for her. Jenn ran across the hall to see if she's there."
Just then Jennifer runs into the apartment, saying "She's not there, Mommy! Hi, Daddy!"
"Hon, she was in time out when I went downstairs. I was only gone for about fifteen minutes. Where could she have gone?" Lisa continued.
Charlie sighs. "She called me, trying to tell me how unfair her time out was. Then I got mixed up and called her Jennifer by mistake. She said 'Well, I'm not gonna be here when you get home' and hung up. So I hurried home." Charlie says. "I think we better check the playground."
Lisa is furious. "Oh, she did, did she? I can't believe she got out of that chair! You should have heard her fresh mouth, Charlie. Okay, why don't you and Jenn go? I'll stay here in case she comes back."
"Okay, Hon. I'm sorry she was a problem. Maybe she needs to do some time out with a soapy mouth and a sore bottom. We'll find her." Charlie tries to be reassuring, thinking that Lisa could use a few minutes without either twin, before having to contend with a rather naughty Robin.
Taking Robin with him, Charlie and Jenn get into the elevator, going down. They run quickly through the lobby and out to the playground. Although it is right in their complex, and the twins often play there after school, they know not to go there without permission. He and Jennifer scan the area for Robin. Jennifer spots her sister before Charlie.
"There she is, Daddy", Jenn says, pointing to the swings.
Robin was sitting there, not swinging, just pouting. When she sees her father she starts to run, but Charlie quickly catches up with her and grabs her wrist.
"Robin Clemente! You are in big trouble, young lady."
Charlie gives her a sharp smack on the seat, and continues, "You are coming upstairs RIGHT NOW and we will discuss your behavior today when we get there."
"Daddy! No! I wanna play!."
Robin tries to run away from Charlie, but his hold is too strong. Jennifer laughs at Robin, and Robin reaches out to smack her, but Charlie smacks Robin's hand instead.
"Robin, keep your hands to yourself. You are in enough trouble already. Jennifer, don't laugh at your sister unless you want to share what is going to happen to her."
"No, sir." Jennifer says meekly. She is enjoying not being the one in trouble, for once, and she has NO desire to change that.
"Daddddddy! I'm sorrrrry!" Robin wails.
"Come along, both of you!", Charlie orders. He takes each child by the hand and they get back in the elevator to go up to their apartment.
"Daddddddy! Please, I'm sorry! " Robin repeats, as they come in the door.
Charlie replies, "It's a little late for that, Robin. Jennifer, go to your room please. Mommy and Robin and I need to have a little talk."
"NOOOOOO!" Robin throws herself on the floor and has an all out temper tantrum, complete with kicking and screaming. Jennifer is staring open-mouthed from the doorway, not believing how stupid her sister is being.
Charlie waits for a moment, then hugs Robin firmly, holding her down so that she can't kick but feels held and loved. At the same time, he says, "Robin Clemente, you stop that right now!"
Robin is now hysterically crying, but she stops kicking and screaming. After a few minutes, she starts to sob and hiccup. She looks at her father, and says, "Hi, Daddy."
Charlie responds, "Hello there. Now sit up and talk to Mommy and Daddy. You are in a lot of trouble, young lady. "
"Yes, sir."
She sits up and Lisa hands her a tissue and helps her blow her nose. She looks down at the floor. She speaks in a soft voice.
"I'm sorry, Daddy. I just felt so mad. I couldn't stop myself. Please don't be mad at me," she says.
"Well let's talk about what you did and whether it is acceptable, even when you feel mad. Now, Mommy put you in time out, right?"
"Yes, Daddy."
"And you got up long before your time out was over to call me and complain about what Mommy did, right?"
Robin hangs her head, and says, "Yes, Daddy, but only 'cause I thought it was unfair of Mommy. I sorry, Mommy."
"Robin, when Mommy or Daddy gives you an order, or a punishment, we expect you to do as you are told. If you think it is unfair we can talk about it at an appropriate time -- afterwards," Charlie replies.
"But, after is too late. I wanna talk about it before I get punished... it's only fair!"
Robin, when you are in trouble, don't we usually let you say your side of things?"
"Sometimes," Robin says, unwilling to concede her point completely.
"And when we don't, there is a reason. You will just have to do as we say at the time. If you think it is unfair, you will have to wait to bring it up. I don't think we punish you unfairly very often, do we, Robin?"
"No, Daddy, I guess not. Am I in BIG, BIG trouble?"
"Pretty big, young lady. You got up out of the time out chair without permission. You argued about a punishment after it was final. And most important of all, you left the house without permission, and without anyone knowing where your were. Bad things could have happened and we wouldn't have known where to find you."
"I know, I'm bad! WAAAAAH!" Robin wails.
"No, you are NOT bad, and I don't want to hear you say that. But you did make some very poor choices today, and you are going to be punished for that. But first, come here."
Charlie unfolds Robin in a big hug. Robin lets Charlie hug her tightly, and then she starts to play with the buttons on his work shirt.
"Do you hafta punish me, Daddy? I'm very sorry."
"Yes Robin, I have to punish you. When you act wrongly and break the rules, we punish you to help you remember not to do that again. I am sure you are sorry, but I want to make sure that this lesson sticks for a while. And you know that you don't get out of punishments with an 'I'm sorry' don't you?"
"I know, Daddy," Robin grins, "I just thought I'd try."
"Nice try, but not a chance." Charlie grins back at her, glad to have a little break in the tension.
Charlie turns to his wife and asks, "Honey, do you have anything to say about how Robin should be punished? You were here when this started, after all."
Lisa purses her lips. "Well, she was very fresh to me, so I gave her time out instead of washing her mouth out with soap, but obviously I made a wrong choice--"
Robin interrupts, "See, Daddy? Mommy makes bad choices sometimes, too, and you don't punish her."
"Robin!" Lisa's tone warns Robin not to interrupt again. "Anyway, then she disobeyed me by getting out of the chair. I think she needs a spanking! And a mouth wash!"
"Yes, I agree and then I think she needs to start her time out over again. But the spanking first." Charlie says.
Charlie leads Robin to his bedroom. He takes Robin's pants and panties down and pulls her over his knees. Robin whimpers at the thought of the impending spanking.
"Daddy, NO! I'm sorry! " she cries.
"Hand me the hairbrush would you, hon?" Charlie asks Lisa. "Thanks," he says as she puts it in his hand.
<Whack!> <Whack!> <Whack!> Charlie starts Robin's spanking.
"Not the hairbrush, no, Daddy! "
"Be still, Robin. You've been very naughty today," Lisa admonishes.
<Whack!> "Yes Robin. Running away is Big trouble" <Whack!> "and that means a big spanking." <Whack!>
Charlie is spanking hard, and Robin's bottom is turning pink.
"Wah! wah! wah! Ow, it hurts, I'm sorrrrrry!"
Robin tries to reach back but Lisa grabs her arms and holds them out of the way. Robin is crying very loudly. 'Probaly half the apartment building can hear me.' she thinks.
<Whack!> <Whack!> <Whack!> "You will NOT" <Whack!> "run away " <Whack!> "ever again." <Whack!> Six years old <Whack> is much too young <Whack!> to be out <Whack!> by yourself <Whack!>. Do you <Whack!> understand me?" Charlie continues to scold as he spanks Robin with the brush.
"Yes, Daddy. I won't, Daddy, I won't, I promise... waaaaaaah!"
<Whack!> "And when Mommy puts you in time out" <Whack!> "you will stay there" <Whack!> "until she says you can" <Whack!> "get up" <Whack!>
"OKAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
<Whack!> "You will not throw tantrums." <Whack!> "That is not acceptable." <Whack!> "Not ever." <Whack!>
"I sorry! I won't, Daddy! "
<Whack!> <Whack!> <Whack!> <Whack!> <Whack!> <Whack!> "Have you learned your lesson, young lady?"
Robin's bottom is a bright red. She is sobbing and laying limp over Charlie's lap. She can't even speak but manages to nod her head. She is thinking this is the worst spanking she's ever gotten, and that she won't ever do it again, because she never wants another spanking like this.
<Whack!> <Whack!> <Whack!> "Okay, your spanking is over, Robin. You may stand up. You are forgiven for what you did."
Robin furiously rubs her bottom and jumps up and down, and then she surprises Charlie by throwing herself into his lap and putting her arms around his neck and holding on for dear life! After a moment's pause, Charlie hugs her right back.
"There, there, lovey. I, we, love you very much and we always will." He turns to Lisa, "Hey, honey, room for one more in this hug. "
Lisa gets in, too, and then Jennifer peeks into the room and comes over to be hugged, too. There is a long four-way hug.
After a while Robin says, "Ah, I'm getting squished, Daddy."
Charlie and Lisa loosen the hug a bit.
A little later Charlie says, "All right Robin, now you KNOW we love you. But right now, you have an appointment with a time out chair."
He releases the hug, and everybody disentangles from everybody else.
"Yes, Daddy," Robin responds.
She goes into the kitchen and over to the time out chair, and kneels down on it. Her bottom still hurts too much to sit. The chair faces the wall, leaving its occupant a very boring view.
"Remember, you are to stay there, quiet and still, for one full hour, Robin", Charlie warns her.
"A whole hour?" she protests, looking around, but then she sees the look on her father's face.
"Oh, okay, Daddy. But, Daddy? Can I please have a piece of cheese? I'm starving." Robin asks.
"Well, Okay, just one small piece, though." Charlie cuts a piece of cheese and hands it to her.
"Here it is. And that is the last I want to hear from you unless there is an emergency, until your hour is up."
* * *
"Daddy? Has it been a hour yet? I'm done contaplating my behavior."
Charlie smiles at his daughter's attempt at the word "contemplating" and looks at the clock. Robin has been in time-out for just over an hour. "Yes, you may come out now," he says.
"I gotta go pee", she says, and hurries off, still bare bottomed from her spanking. When she comes back, she finds her shorts and panties and puts them on. She then sits on Charlie's lap.
"Daddy?" she says.
"Yes? What is it, lovey?"
"I'm sorry I left the apartment without permission. That was really wrong of me. I won't ever do it again. "
"Yes, I'm glad you understand that. It worried us very much. We love you and wouldn't want ANYthing to happen to you. "
"I know. I"m sorry," Robin says in a small voice.
"Okay. You are forgiven for that. Here!" And with that Charlie hugs her again.
"I love you, Daddy." Robin hugs Charlie back.
"And I love you, too," Charlie confirms.
"Am I still in trouble?"
"No, I think you have been punished enough. Do you understand what you did that was wrong?"
"Yes, Daddy. I ran away, and went to the park without permission, and I threw a tantrum."
Lisa interjects, "Um, Honey, remember Robin still has a mouth soaping coming for her sassiness to me."
"Mommy, no!" Robin says.
"Oh yes, honey, that's right. We decided that the time out wasn't enough." Charlie says, "Okay, Robin, time for your mouth soaping for sassing your mommy."
"Daddy, NO! I'm sorry. I"m sorry, Mommy! Please!"
"This will help you remember to be polite and have a good attitude when you talk -- particularly to your mommy and me," Charlie says.
"Yes Robin. You were really very mouthy. You have got to learn to keep a civil tongue in your head," Lisa adds.
Robin doesn't know what that means, but figures it's not very good. She cries, as Charlie leads her into the bathroom, and sits her down on the toilet. It hurts her to sit, so she jumps right back up.
"Sit down, Robin. You have done enough disobeying for today," Charlie says.
Robin does as she is told, but not without whimpering. When she look ups, her father is standing there holding out a bar of soap.
"PLEASE, DADDY, NO!" she yells.
"Robin, don't make things worse. You earned this with your sassy language. Now open up, unless you want another spanking first."
Slowly and reluctantly, Robin opens her mouth and Charlie sticks the soap in.
"Now close your mouth and hold the soap there. Don't take it out until I tell you to," Charlie says.
She does as she is told, with a look of disgust on her face. Charlie leaves the room, and lets Robin sit and taste the soap. It tastes yucky but she doesn't take it out; she knows better. Instead she sits and yells at herself for talking mean to her mommy and getting into trouble.
Five minutes later, Charlie comes back into the bathroom.
"Okay you can take the soap out, and rinse if you want to," he says.
Robin doesn't wait to be asked twice. She quickly removes the soap, and rinses her mouth several times at the sink. Then she puts her arms up for Charlie to pick her up. He does so, and cuddles her.
"There now, you are ALL forgiven. I hope we don't ever have to do this again, Robin," he says.
"No, Daddy, I hope not, too. [Pause] "I'm hungry, is dinner ready yet?" she asks, being careful not to whine.
"Let's go see." Charlie carries her into the kitchen., and addresses his wife, "Lisa, Honey, how long 'til dinner? I have a hungry little girl here."
"It's ready now, hon," Lisa replies.
The Clemente family sits down to dinner, the day's troubles behind them. Robin's place has a pillow on the seat, but no one mentions it.
-The End-