A Life in the Day of Rosemary Booker - The Woody Back to School ...
A Life in the Day of Rosemary Booker - The Woody Back to School ...
A Life in the Day of Rosemary Booker - The Woody Back to School ...
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A <strong>Life</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Rosemary</strong> <strong>Booker</strong><br />
I remember dur<strong>in</strong>g my grubby year when I<br />
would be scurry<strong>in</strong>g hi<strong>the</strong>r and thi<strong>the</strong>r runn<strong>in</strong>g errands<br />
for Sophia and you would be on <strong>the</strong> Elite land<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
from beh<strong>in</strong>d a closed door you would hear <strong>the</strong> sounds<br />
<strong>of</strong> palm on bare flesh. It became second <strong>in</strong>st<strong>in</strong>ct <strong>to</strong><br />
s<strong>to</strong>p and k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> bow your head <strong>in</strong> sympathy before<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g about your bus<strong>in</strong>ess.<br />
When we were still grubbies and only eligible<br />
for spank<strong>in</strong>gs down <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Brat Chamber our lectures<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten came <strong>to</strong> a halt as, like earlier <strong>to</strong>day, <strong>the</strong> sounds<br />
<strong>of</strong> a cane, strap or slipper rebound<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> some poor<br />
gals bum echoed along <strong>the</strong> corridor.<br />
It is rout<strong>in</strong>e <strong>to</strong> watch gals get red-carded out<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> assembly hall or <strong>the</strong> recreational hall and<br />
watch<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m slowly trudge <strong>of</strong>f <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir fate.<br />
When we moved out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> dorms and <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> our<br />
two gal studies I can’t tell you how many times that I<br />
have just been drift<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>f <strong>to</strong> sleep when I have been<br />
jarred awake by <strong>the</strong> om<strong>in</strong>ous swish and thwack <strong>of</strong> an<br />
ashplant slic<strong>in</strong>g across red and black striped jimjams<br />
somewhere along <strong>the</strong> land<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
<strong>The</strong> sounds com<strong>in</strong>g from <strong>the</strong> kitchen are<br />
unmistakable <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> tra<strong>in</strong>ed ear. Somebody is be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
spanked with Dotty Hammell’s lethal wooden spatula.<br />
It sends a chill up my sp<strong>in</strong>e as only two weeks ago I<br />
had <strong>the</strong> misfortune <strong>to</strong> be hauled over her knee and<br />
have my cargo pants dragged down. Dotty may be an<br />
absolute dote and <strong>the</strong> darl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Liberal Left but<br />
she sure spanks hard.<br />
Nix and I wait patiently until <strong>the</strong> sixth spank<br />
has landed <strong>the</strong>n proceed <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> buffet bar. A few<br />
m<strong>in</strong>utes later Lisa Sut<strong>to</strong>n <strong>to</strong>tters out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sw<strong>in</strong>g