I grew up in New York in the late 50s and early 60s, at a time when many African-American mothers – including my own – had moved up there from the southern United States.

Corporal punishment for unruly youngsters was extremely common in our community – my own mother was a firm believer in the belt when the situation called for it, and I had a close friend whose mother and grandmother also belt-spanked him.

One day, my friend and I went to the movies and ended up staying way past the time when we were supposed to have gone home.

The first thing we knew about the trouble ahead was when an usher shone a flashlight onto our seats. We looked up and saw two mothers with crossed arms and angry faces. Obviously, they were relieved we were both OK – but we also knew we were in deep trouble.

I had often fantasized about my friend’s attractive mother spanking me across her wide lap. I think she had to know about my fantasy, because she would often tease me about spanking my bottom, then laugh out loud when my face turned red.

To cut a long story short, our moms decided that it would be a salutary punishment for both their boys to get a spanking from the other child’s mother.

We were both taken back to my friend’s house, where we were ordered to prepare ourselves. Two leather belts were found, then I was summoned to my friend’s mother’s side, . Nevertheless, she put me firmly across her ample lap and I was given a long, hard spanking which certainly made me wail.

While this was going on, I could hear my friend crying freely as my mother dished out one of her usual efficient spankings to his own  bottom.

Afterwards, with two crying, sore boys now in the room, the mothers swapped children and I sat (gingerly) on my mom’s lap. She hugged me and helped me to calm down, while my friend’s mom did the same for her own son.
It was only in a secret conversation later that I discovered he had nurtured the same fantasy about my own mother as I had of his.

Mothers know more than we children ever suspect, and I’m sure both moms grasped the situation Nevertheless, it made them laugh and we were both promised that any future spankings would be given by the other boy’s mother.

Although, from the beating I had just been given, I was sure I would not wholly enjoy those promised experiences, nevertheless the threat kept alight the beacon of two fantasies.