I had gone to University as the first person in my entire family to do so. My family were not happy I had gone and considered me snobby for managing to get onto a course for Biology.
They did not support and had actually humiliated me as I left. They said I thought I was better than them and that I had forgotten where I had come from. They gave me no financial support as they barely had any money to spend on tobacco, let alone give some to their least favourite child of 7.
I was determined to succeed and never have to live the life they did, surviving pay cheque to pay cheque. I also wanted to do something with my life rather than work in a supermarket and stack shelves.
Of course to help pay for accommodation, I had to do a menial job but the moment my degree was over I would be free and do something far more invigorating with my time.
Unfortunately, having a part time job really impacted my reading time and completing my coursework so I very quickly fell behind. I was just scraping 40% most of the time which meant I was only just grading.
After my first sub 40% assignment, I was called into the office of the head of my course. Dr Terence or as we referred to him, Big Terry.
We found ourselves hilarious as he was a tiny decrepit man that was nearing retirement but the tagline suited him just fine.
I headed to his office during his open hours and knocked on his door.
"Come in," he wheezed, muffled by the door.
"Hi Sir, I've come about my most recent assignment. I'm Benjamin Hulme," I said as I entered.
"Ah yes, it's a shame we have had to call you in," wheezing still, but clearly annoyed.
I sat on the sunken chair near his desk, that was much lower than his chair so I could barely see over it.
"Sorry to say, my boy, but we are considering dropping you from the course," he stated, matter of factly.
"What?! I've really tried. You can't kick me off!" I pleaded.
"In fact we can when grades are as low as yours. You are not cut out for this clearly," he responded bluntly.
"I'm really sorry but I have to work around this course and I am barely having any time to do the reading and assignments. Please give me another chance," I begged.
His face softened. He could see how upset I was and he looked to be thinking about an alternative.
"Well, we do have one thing you can do, that would make you indispensable to the department and it would certainly help us mark you a little more generously," he mused.
"Please, I will do it! Whatever job it is, I'm happy to do it," I squealed.
"Well, stand up boy and bend over the desk. You deserve a consequence for your poor work," he snapped at me.
I froze, he couldn't mean it.
"What are you suggesting?" I asked hesitantly.
"I'm going to spank you, obviously," he responded. "Now stand up and take your spanking boy."
Thinking about the embarrassment of going home a failure and giving my family exactly what they wanted, I slowly stood up. Accepting my fate, I bent over his desk for him. My hips against the edge and stomach lying across it, I could hear Terry walk behind me.