DSP-- Story: Meeting Uncle

It had been so hard for the two girls ever since they lost their parents, four months ago. Having their parents die in the small plane crash had taken its toll on them. Social Services had let them with their live at home housekeeper, until their Uncle could be found, but this had proven harder than first thought. He had been out of the country. Living with Mrs. Hamilton, an elderly widowed lady had caused both girls to change dramatically. Robin, always a little rambunctious, had turned into a sullen, defiant, aggressive child. Her sister Susie, was just the opposite; she turned into an introverted child. She acted as if she were deaf, never responding, just going through the motions. Mrs. Hamilton was beside herself. She had watched these two young ladies blossom, and just didn't know how to handle them.

One morning in early September Mrs. Hamilton finally got the call she had been waiting for. "Mrs. Hamilton, Social Services, we have finally located the children's uncle, a Mr. Benjamin Gilbert. He should be seeing you within the next few days." She hung up the phone relieved that someone would finally be there for the girls. Maybe he could bring them back to the happy children they once were.

A few days later, Robin came flying threw the door throwing her books across the room. "I hate school, the teacher is a loser, and I WILL NOT GO BACK!!!!"

Mrs. Hamilton sighed, "Sweetie, you know you have to go back. The law says at 9 you are too young to stay home."

"Well, I won't and you can't make me," said Robin, and into the kitchen she went. A few minutes later Susie walked in carrying a note, handed it to Mrs. Hamilton, took her coat off and curled up in her Daddy's chair. The same thing she had done every day since school started.

Just as Mrs. Hamilton started to pick up the books, the doorbell rang and she went to open it. "Hello, May I help you?" she said, as she looked at a tall, lean man about six feet, and very muscular.

"I am Benjamin Gilbert, my nieces live here, I was told?"

"Yes, yes, please come in. I am so relieved to see you," said Mrs. Hamilton.

Uncle Ben just looked at her and wondered why till he entered the house and saw all the books on the floor. He surveyed the room, seeing Susie curled up in the chair in a ball. "Who is this pretty little girl?" said Uncle Ben.

Mrs. Hamilton responded, "That is Susanna Marie, she is 5 ½, your brother's youngest."

"I see, hello little one," he said and walked over and kissed her cheek. Susie looked up at him but made no response.

Just about that time Robin let out a yell, "I want something to eat and I want it NOW!!!!!!!!!"

Uncle Ben turned and looked toward the kitchen as he caught the sad expression on Mrs. Hamilton's face. "Let me guess, that must be Robin, how old is she, about 9, I presume?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Hamilton. Then he heard something hit the floor and break; he started for the kitchen, reaching it in just a few long strides.

"I said I am hungry!!!!!!!!!!" Robin screamed.

Uncle Ben reacted out of instinct. He reached up, grabbed Robin by the arm, turned her around and swatted her, SWAT, SWAT, SWAT, three times on her bottom hard. "That is unacceptable, young lady, now you apologize and clean up this mess right now!"

Robin stood there dumb founded at first, and just looked at the stranger. Uncle Ben looked back and raised his eyebrow at Robin. "Do I need to take you upstairs, young lady?"

All of a sudden Robin saw her Daddy in his face and realized it was Uncle Ben. She ran to him and held on so tightly and just started to cry. He grabbed her and held her close to him for a few minutes till she calmed, talking and soothing her, "Shhhhhhhhhhhhh, it's okay, baby, Uncle is here," he said to her over and over.

When she was calm, he pulled her away and looked at her. "I missed you, too sweetie, but you have something you need to do, don't you?"

"I, ummm…," Robin frowned, "Sorry Mrs. Hamilton," she said.

"Now you need to clean up this mess," said Uncle Ben, "and we will see about a snack. By the way, those happen to be your books in the other room, I presume?" Robin nodded, but thought 'yeah, so, who cares'. "Then you will pick them up when you are done here," stated Uncle Ben and turned and walked back into the other room.

Robin stood there fuming, all of a sudden her temper flaring, and left everything and ran up the back staircase to her room and laid on her bed. Who does he think he is anyway, just cause he is my uncle doesn't mean he can boss me around.

Uncle Ben walked over to Mrs. Hamilton. "It seems you have been having quite a time around here," he said. Mrs. Hamilton nodded and felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders. They sat down in the den and talked for a long time about the circumstances surrounding the last few months and his brother and sister in law's deaths. How it affected each child differently, and how she felt at a loss. When they finished, Uncle Ben knew he had a lot to work on, a lot of love and support to give, and most of all two little girls to nurture and bring back to life.

He looked at Mrs. Hamilton and hugged her tightly. "I think you need a vacation. Why don't you take some time off, and let me pick up here? When you are rested, please come back, as I will still need you here with me. I have taken a job in town, but it doesn't start for a month."

Mrs. Hamilton sighed with relief, "Yes, I think I will go see my sister. I will leave in the morning, and good luck."

The two adults walked out of the den and Uncle Ben noticed the books as they had been left, and Susie asleep in the chair. He picked her up and carried her upstairs, walking the back way to check out the kitchen. He was not pleased that Robin had chosen to ignore him, and as he lay Susie in her bed and covered her up, he decided now was as good a time as any to make sure she understood Uncle meant business when he spoke to her. He kissed Susie on the forehead and proceeded down the hall to Robin's room.

"KNOCK, KNOCK"

"Come in," said Robin as she lay on the bed reading a comic book and listening to her CD.

Uncle Ben came in and shut the door, turned off her CD player and sat on the bed. Robin sat up, "Hey, I was listening to that," she said.

"Not any more, young lady!" he said and took the comic book out of her hand. "We need to have a little talk." He reached over and pulled her into his lap. Robin resisted, but it was futile and pretty soon she was looking at him as she sat on his lap. As soon as he started to talk, she looked away.

"Sweetie I know you have had a rough time of it the last four months, but that is no excuse for you to be rude to Mrs. Hamilton, or disobey me." He took her chin in his hand and tipped it up and made her look at him. "I know you have been taught better, because your Daddy and I talked many times about his precious girls. We were also raised in the same loving family. What you did today was not appropriate, was it?" He waited for her to answer. The range of emotions ran across her face, until she finally answered.

"NO, but I don't care!" she said and crossed her arms with a look of defiance.

Uncle Ben sighed, and just looked at her. "Well then, young lady, we will have to work on that, won't we?" He stood Robin between his legs. "I am sorry my first day home I have to do this, but Uncle will not tolerate you ignoring his wishes. I told you to do something and you chose not to so I am going to have to punish you."

With that he reached down and pulled Robin's pants and panties down to her knees and flipped her over his lap before she had a chance to react. He adjusted her bottom and held her tight, rubbing his hand across both cheeks.

{SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK}

{SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK}

"Owieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, noooooooooooooooo, Uncle, Nooooooooo!" cried Robin as she kicked her feet and tried to get away from his large hand.

{SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK}

{SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK}

"Owieeeeeeeeeeeeeee, owwwwwwwwwww, I'll pick them up!" she wailed.

"Yes, you will, young lady, as soon as I am through with you!" said Uncle Ben.

{SMACK} "You {SMACK} will {SMACK} not {SMACK} disobey {SMACK} me {SMACK} again {SMACK} when {SMACK} I {SMACK} tell {SMACK} you {SMACK} to {SMACK} do {SMACK} something." {SMACK} {SMACK}.

"I'm sorryyyyyyyyyy, Uncle, I will listen," said Robin as she cried and sobbed all the fears and frustrations coming through her tears.

Uncle Ben gave her four more hard swats to her sit spot. {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} {SMACK} He then picked her up, turning her and hugging her very tightly on his lap. He rubbed her hot red little bottom and back and crooned to her.

"Shhhhhh baby. It's all over, Uncle forgives you, all is forgiven, you're my good girl again. I love you, Robin, sweetie." Tears formed in his eyes as he held her close for the losses they both felt and waited till she calmed down and quit crying. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a hanky, and held it to her nose. "Blow," he said and Robin blew her nose. Then he wiped her tears away.

He looked into her eyes with love. "Now I think you need to finish something. Then we will get your sister up and have some supper, okay, Robin?" "OK", she said and scooted off his lap and held his hand and walked down the stairs.

As Ben sat in the living room contemplating the days ahead, Robin lay almost asleep in her bed. Her bottom was still a little warm, and she had a strange feeling in her stomach; one she had been missing for quite a while, but she didn't know what it meant yet. All she knew was that things were going to be different somehow and she drifted off to sleep, feeling different for the first time in months.