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| Disciplinary strap 1950, Canadian Museum of Civilization |
I cannot remember her name now but she and
I liked each other when we were in grade six. Near the end of the school term
we went on a class beach trip to Niagara on the Lake, where I basked in the sun
beside her for far too many hours. Fair skinned, I was sunburned so severely
that I was required to stay home from school for almost two weeks. It was this
same girl that I could not discourage later on and she became a nuisance,
always wanting to hang with me. I solved that one day by throwing a stone at
her, intending for the stone to drop near her. I hit her in the ankle but
stupidly I did it on school property. She reported me. The result was three
swipes with the leather strap on each hand palm, executed by the powerful Mr. Henry Petkau who stood well over six feet in height. At this punishment I cried, a
lot. My hands became so swollen I could not grip anything and in fact I could not roll
my newspapers or deliver my newspapers for three days. Dad and Mom knew what
had happened. It may have upset them but this was a time when authorities, even
teachers were not questioned, particularly by ordinary folk like my parents. As a much older well-adjusted
man, I have met and spoken with Henry Petkau and told him of that memory.
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