Unreasonable

Ch.12

Unwelcome Wealth

Later that night

Ethan and Vernon are sipping coffee as they talk. "Ethan I appreciate you taking care of Rob so well. I can see you and he have a father/son relationship. He was quite uneasy when you grabbed him by the arm at the bank. I think he'd forgotten you were there." Vern says smiling.

"Thank you too for handling the discipline today. I just didn't want to have to whip my nephew when I had just seen him again after nearly three months! You were right he deserved that whipping for his deplorable language and behavior. I'm pretty sure from the look on his face at dinner that he will remember that lesson for a while!"

"I said I would whip him if he didn't behave today so I did. His behavior was completely out of bounds and I made sure to express that on his backside! He and I have had a few go rounds with my belt and a few weeks ago, I had to use a switch with the strap also. I'll fill you in on that story later."

"So where did you stash the children, Ethan? I expected them to be here."

"I assigned Rob and Claire the job of watching them tonight. They are all in the next room and they'd better behave themselves! Ethan says as a loud crash comes through the wall. Hearing another muffled thump and what sounds like yelling, Ethan says "We'd better go see what's going on."

"Robert William Jordan!" "Joseph Adam Carroll Cord!" Vern and Ethan say at the same time as they open the door of the next room. Hearing their names the two boys spring apart and stand up.

"Explain yourselves! What were you doing rolling around on the floor like that? You know how I feel about fighting!" Ethan says glaring at the boys as he sees two lamps on the floor. One is broken in pieces while the other has a long crack in the porcelain base. They see several of the chairs and a table knocked over.

Ben, thinking he can help and to keep himself out of trouble says "Joseph called Rob a 'Poor little rich kid' and said he wouldn't want to be friends with us now that he's rich. Rob said he would but Joseph wouldn't stop teasing him. Rob told him to stop but he wouldn't. Joseph was calling him "Mr. Money Bags." Rob shoved him and he fell into the lamp table. Then they were rolling around on the floor hitting each other and knocked the other lamp over just before you came in."

Ethan walks over and takes Joseph by the arm "Let's go Joseph" he says taking him out of the room. Vernon says "Come with me Rob. We are going to have a long talk in my room."

Ben smiles to himself thinking; At least it's not me going to get a walloping this time! Yesterday's will last me a while. I sure didn't know he would get so mad about a little water. He said I lied to him, I don't see it. How could I lie when I never ever said why Rob and George left. Something about I lied by not telling I knew why George ran off. Oh well, I'm glad I didn't get in this argument or I'd be in trouble too.

Later in the boy's room

"I'm sorry I teased you tonight, Rob. Uncle Ethan walloped me good. He made me take down my pants! His hand hurts almost as much as his belt. I don't know why I always shoot off my mouth without thinking first. I get in more trouble for that!" Joseph tells Rob.

"Yes, I know what you mean. I had the same problem today. I couldn't control my temper or my mouth and I wound up getting a whipping and a tongue lashing because of it! I spouted off to the bank manager and said some pretty awful words. Uncle Ethan whipped me with my pants down for that! He warned me this morning to behave myself today. I kind of forgot that when I got so mad!"

"Then tonight I got my ears blistered from Uncle Vernon for shoving you and losing my temper again. He probably would've whipped me if he hadn't just come back. He did give me five wallops with his hand that reignited the stinging. I'm not sure I'm going to survive having both Uncles as my guardians. If I ever wind up getting two whippings when I mess up I know I won't." Rob says yawning. "Good Night."

"Yeah, well you'd better be good from now on or your butt is going to suffer! You should know by now Uncle Ethan ALWAYS does what he says. There's never been a time in the two years I've known him that he's said he was going to whip me and didn't do it. I always hope he'll forget he promised to whip me but he never does! I wish he wasn't so good about keeping that kind of promise!"

"You talk too much Joseph, you know that? Good night!" Rob tells him.

Joseph snickers softly. "Rob, you sure are funny. You talk more than me! Besides, I'm not sleepy."

Go to sleep Joseph! I'll come over there and spank you on your bare butt if you don't. Watch me and see!"

"Good Night Rob. I like having a big brother to get in trouble with. Let's plan our next adventure. I know! We can spend some of that money you just got to buy some smokes! How about it? You'll teach me to smoke cIgars won't you? Maybe a pipe then?" Joseph says when he gets no response.

"JOSEPH! ADAM! CARROLL! CORD!" Rob says threateningly as he moves the covers off and sits up on the side of his bed. He doesn't hear another word from the boy in the next bed. Just quiet snickering.

"You'd better be joking, Joseph! If I even think you have touched tobacco, I'll whip you myself and then I'll tell Uncle Ethan and you'll get a thrashing with the strap! Don't think I'm joking because I am very serious about this!

Vernon's Room

"'Well now that we've survived a temper tantrum and a brawl, maybe things will settle down for the rest of the night! I tell you Ethan, I don't know how you do it. How do you manage all of these children at one time? You had four already and then I dumped mine on you too! I feel I should apologize for that after seeing how he has behaved today. Was he like this the whole time I was away?"

"No, he has been very helpful and we have enjoyed having him as part of the family. I think Joseph has especially enjoyed having an older boy to be with. It's been good for him to have Rob around to tease with and look up to. They have had their problems though. Joseph alternates between worshiping Rob and then being very jealous when he gets privileges that he doesn't."

"What kind of problems exactly? You mentioned earlier having to take a switch to Rob. Although I'm not surprised to hear it, I would like to know what he did."

"I'll tell you but I want you to remember this happened over three weeks ago. I took care of it and I sincerely don't think he will ever do it again." At Vern's look he begins, "Rob was brought home by the sheriff. He had been sneaking out for several nights and was caught in the saloon. He had been drinking and picked a fight with some men who were gambling. Tom said he caught Rob trying to cheat at cards which started a huge fight among the men."

Vernon's face has gone a deep red color. "I've got a good mind to go haul him out of that bed and take my belt to him right now! How dare he behave like that! He could have been killed! When I get finished with him he won't touch alcohol or cards ever again!"

"Well, before you light into him let me tell you how I punished him. The day after he was brought home was one I don't think he'll ever forget. After what he went through, I seriously doubt you need to worry he'll be wanting to drink any time soon. I forced him to drink whiskey until he was too sick to even walk to the outhouse without me holding him up. After I let him sleep for a few hours I got him back up and took him out to the woodshed. That is when I took a switch to his bare backside. Vern, I was pretty angry and I was a little harsh. I gave him five with the switch and then five with the razor strap after that. He couldn't sit without a pillow for two days."

"Ethan you handled it the way I would have if I had been here. I think I would have thrashed him with the switch then forced him to drink until he passed out. After he woke up I would have taken that strap to him. I'm not so sure I shouldn't thrash him myself. This is one lesson I want to make sure he learns!"

"You do what you think you need to Vern. It's up to you how you raise Rob." Ethan answers.

"Were there any more problems I should know about? He didn't steal something or play with the guns again did he?"

"Not that I'm aware of, no. The boys got themselves in trouble a few times but nothing too bad. There was the incident with the horses."

After hearing the story of the snakeskin and the horses, Vernon just shakes his head laughing. "As I said before, I don't know how you manage all those kids. Just trying to keep Rob on the straight and narrow is hard enough for me. After what you've told me, I'm not doing such a great job at that. Now with this money situation I hope he doesn't start acting out more."

"Vern, all I do is tell them my expectations and explain why I expect that behavior. If they don't do as I say then they have to face the consequences. I believe in giving out spankings or whippings when they need it. We also talk about what they did wrong and how to change the behavior. I don't always whip them, sometimes I confine them to their room or the ranch for a while. Getting extra chores is another punishment they despise. Joseph would rather take a whipping than be housebound to the ranch or have extra chores!"

"Rob is the same way. He hates having to have a whipping but being given extra work just about kills him. He mopes around acting exhausted for days after being made to do extra chores! I'm ready to get back to the ranch. I imagine it's overrun with weeds in the corral and has knee high grass in the pasture. I appreciate you taking in the animals as well as Rob. We'll get them all moved back to our ranch as soon as we can."

"So you are planning to come back to Paradise then? Rob was worried you wouldn't want to come back. He does love ranching more than anything else, you know. He'll make a good landowner and ranch manager when he's old enough to handle the responsibility. I think you and I make a good team when it come to your young Rob's ranching education."

"Yes we do and for his discipline also! I hope you will continue to have him work some at your ranch as well as continue to discipline him if he needs it. I plan to come back to Paradise but I will have to travel some for meetings with the bank. They want me to come every three months to fill me in on the earnings or some such nonsense. I told them I would do my best to come but not to worry if I didn't show up."

"Vern, I consider Rob as one of my children now. Anytime he wants to come over he is welcome to. If you need him to stay with us while you are away, he is welcome to do so. The boys all look up to him and I'm afraid Claire has feelings for him. Rob seems to see her as a friend and sister and I hope he continues with that way of thinking for a long time! I am definitely not ready to deal with boy/girl problems with my fourteen year old niece!"

"I know Ethan. I want to keep Rob a child as long as possible. I don't know if that's going to work if he already has a girl after him! I see trouble coming!"

"I'll be ready to step in and stop it when it comes, Vern. Are you with me?"

"Right there with you Ethan." Vern says grinning at him.