35 - A Father's Day Adventure
Story index at the bottom
By Tom Ford
Monday, August 19th 2002 - 02:37:57 AM
Summer - 1966
A Father's Day Adventure
Part I (The Tie-up Competition)
During the last game, in a Saturday afternoon, we played on the mountain a game called Capture the Flag. Basically, all you have to do is plant one of your flags and find the flag of the other team. Then bring it to the agreed location, and then go back to the other flag to confirm your win. And you can tie each other up in the process; just make sure you can escape. Andrew, Donald and Jerry won the game.
It was Sunday the day after our game. It was father's day, and Dad and Uncle Richard plan to take Andrew, Donald and me to a fishing trip. After all, Andrew and I are my dad's two oldest boys while Donald is Uncle Richard's oldest child. We spent the morning at church - it was Sunday. And I somehow got wind of a plan for a surprise father's day party for all the fathers, concocted by our mothers, so it was easy to get our mother's approval for the fishing trip. My great-grandfather and grandfather planned to spend the afternoon in town, doing something.
It was afternoon, and we prepared for our fishing trip. I wore jeans and a red shirt, while Andrew wore slacks and a white T-shirt, and Donald also wore jeans and a black shirt. Dad and Uncle Richard were wearing their typical fishermen's outfit. My adventure on that Father's day reminded me of Doug's story, "Gone Fishing" which was posted December 2001.
My dad's name is James Ford. (Last name fake). Dad is a giant of a man. He is six feet five inches tall, and weighs 220 pounds. He has blond hair and blue eyes, is clean-shaven and handsome. He is physically very strong, and also intelligent. He is a gregarious, hands-on father. He is usually liberal to his children, as long as it is within the framework of rules he has given us. He is usually very kind, but make no mistake about it. The moment you violate on of his rules, he would shout and yell at you, and his voice and manner when he gets mad is so frightening, so threatening, that all of us wouldn't dare violate the rules. And he wouldn't hesitate to spank, even though he rarely uses it. That is one of the reasons the eight year old rule was strictly followed.
My dad's brother is Richard Ford - my uncle Richard - who is about twenty-eight years old. He is the father of Donald, Margaret, Ben and Lucy. Like James, Richard is tall; measuring about six feet four inches tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He has brown hair and gray eyes, is clean-shaven and also handsome. Like dad, he is physically strong, although my dad is always stronger. He is as intelligent as my dad, and his relationship with his children were about the same as my dad's relationship with his kids.
In tie-up games, they are very tolerant. Maybe one of the reasons is that they played it while they were kids like us. In fact, they also played with our mothers, who were their childhood friends. Anything goes, as long as the one who you tied up consented to being tied up, nobody gets hurt, and you must be at least nine years old when you get tied up or tie somebody up. That is why we thoroughly enjoyed our games during the last month or so, because we know our parents generally approve of it. I later learned that this was the same rules our grandparents applied to our parents when they were young.
Now, we boarded our fishing vessel, which was the same boat we used when we went to the island on Wednesday last week, which I described in "Summer - 1966, Angela's Fury!". We went to the part of the lake midway between the shore and the island. We went to the edge of the boat, where our Dads would teach us how to fish. Holding a fishing rod, he began to teach us the fundamentals of fishing. Anyway it was at first boring, us barely paying attention to what they were talking about, until it came to a discussion of fishing knots. Then we became interested. Dad began lecturing various knots that could be useful in fishing, and some of it were complicated, and I have difficulty learning them.
"Those knots look hard !" I remarked.
"It looks hard, but once you get the hang of it, it would be as easy as eating apple pie!" Dad replied.
"The only knots Thomas knows are the knots for tying up people!" Andrew remarked, who seems to have learned the knots a lot quicker.
"Looks who's talking! You're the one who uses knots to tie people up!" I shot back.
It started an argument that took attention entirely away from the fishing instructions and toward the various tie-up games. Donald then joined in, taking my side against Andrew. It then became empty boasting in front of our Dads on who was better at knots, and began to tell various stories on how we tied each other up and how the other didn't escape, of course, Andrew would deny it and would tell his version of the story and then tell of another one which he would tie us up and we wouldn't escape. Then, it became a childish argument whereby we would belittle the other's ability in knots. Of course we embellished our stories so that we would look good in front of our Dads.
"Whoa! Stop this yapping. I have an idea to settle this argument once and for all!" Uncle Richard said, stopping our arguments, then went to the hold, and took out some rope. "Here's some rope and a knife. Go tie each other up right here and prove to us who is better at knots!" He then tossed us each a coil of rope and a pocketknife.
"I think we should do it below deck. They might fall overboard if they did it up here!" Dad suggested.
"It's A-OK with me." Uncle Richard replied. "Okay boys, we'll go down and we'll have a tie up competition on who gets out of the ropes first. Is that all right with you, or do you want to forget about this and continue on the fishing lessons?"
Donald, Andrew and I looked at each other. We were too stupefied to say anything. We hadn't expected to have a tie up game at this trip, and certainly not by our Dads' instigation. Anyway, we decided to accept the offer. It's at least more exciting than learning to fish.
"Okay, Dad, Uncle Richard. We'll have a tie up competition, and I'll lick both of them!" Andrew finally responded after a brief silence among us.
"We'll see who's gonna lick who!" Donald defiantly replied, then waved his clenched fist at Andrew's face. Andrew then returned the favor by waving his fist at Donald's face. Anyway, we went down below the deck where we went to the empty hold, which was empty except for a couple of wooden chairs without armrests. The wooden floor was clean, and there is a post in the middle of the hold.
"Here are the rules!" Dad said. "One of you would tie the other two up. If one of them escapes, he gets to tie you up. Then you try to escape. Then if you did, you would tie him up. This will continue until one of you fail to escape after twenty minutes."
"Hey James, those are the rules when we were kids!" Uncle Richard retorted.
"Yup Richard, the very same rules." Dad responded. "Remember kids, you must initially tie both of them exactly the same way."
"Yes, Uncle James." Donald replied.
And so we started the competition. Andrew won the initial coin toss, so he was the first one to tie Donald and me up. Outwardly, I boasted that I could easily escape, but inwardly, I knew that if he really did his best in tying us up, there would be no hope for us.
He took the long coil of rope, and using the pocketknife dad gave us, cut it up into more manageable lengths. He then began to tie us up. He pulled my arms behind me, crossed my wrists palm to palm then looped rope around it before cinching it then knotting it off. As usual, his knots were snug, tight but not uncomfortable. I could not reach with my fingers any of the knots. He then wrapped rope around my waist as to ensure that I could not slip my arms around my butt and bring my tied hands in front, where I can undo the knots with my teeth. I knew right then that I was stuck. He then made me lie on the floor, where he crossed my ankles and bound them with rope. Afterwards, he tied my arms more firmly to my body. He then did what I expected him to do, that is he hog-tied me. Of course, the hog-tied was not tight at all, but it all the more restricted my movements. He then took a handkerchief from his pocket, wadded it, and then inserted it to my mouth. Then, he tied a bandana over my mouth between my teeth, cleave-gagging me. Then he finished by tying a scarf around my head.
After dealing with me, he turned his attention to Donald. He tied Donald exactly as I was tied, and also gagged him exactly the same way I was gagged. He had to, for according to our father's rules, we had to be tied up exactly the same way in order to be fair.
"Begin!" then with Andrew, Dad and my uncle watching, we began our efforts to get free. Of course, the knots were all too competently tied for us to have any progress. We tried reaching for each other, but the enormity of the task (we were ten feet apart) discouraged us. So we did the next best thing, which was just to wait for the twenty minutes to expire, and to even out the odds by making sure that when it is my turn to tie Donald and Andrew up, they would not escape, and hopefully, when Donald tied Andrew and me up, he would not be as careful as Andrew is with his knots. (Fat chance of that happening, though. Donald is just as good at knots as any of us, including Andrew and me, and he could make an inescapable binding if he wanted to).
As soon we stopped struggling, they lost interest watching us. Andrew crowed about his knotting abilities, while the adults reminded him that we still have our turn. So twenty minutes later, they untied us, Andrew having proved his skill at knots. Andrew won round one. And according to the coin toss, it was now my turn.
For their tie-up position, I decided to tie them in the chairs. I told them to sit in the chairs, but I soon found out that their wrists can't touch each other behind the backrests because of its width. So I did the next best thing. I made them stand, then tied Andrew's wrists behind his back. I looped the ropes seven or eight times around his wrists vertically then horizontally, then cinched it and knotted it off. I made sure that the knots were unreachable by his fingers. I didn't bother to tie his wrist to his waist. After all, I planned to tie him to the chair. I then made him sit on one of the chairs, where I carefully wrapped rope around his upper body and backrest to pin his body to the chair. I started to go from the shoulders then worked my way down to the waist, tying him snugly, and tightly, but not uncomfortably. Andrew, Donald and I kept talking about things unrelated to the tie-ups while these was going on. I soon knotted the rope at the front. I then crossed his ankles, and then tied it up. The chairs were heavy and anchored to the floor; there was no way he can slide on the floor using his feet. I turned my attention to the gags. I extracted from my pocket a large handkerchief, wadded it up, and prepared to gag him.
"Any last words?" I asked before gagging him.
"I'm going to get out of mmmpphhhh!" That was indeed his last words, for I shoved the handkerchief in his mouth while he was talking. I then duct taped his mouth. I then drew back to admire my work, confident that he won't escape.
I then turned my attention to Donald. I tied him basically the same way I tied up Andrew and gagged him the same way.
"Begin!" I shouted, and both began to struggle. Immediately, Andrew began reaching for his back pocket. Curiously I watched at what he's getting at, and to my horror, after some great difficulty, he produced a small pocketknife from his back pocket.
"Hey, no fair!" I shouted, and was about to take away the knife when I was stopped.
"Hold it, Tom! Andrew has a perfect right to use his knife. You should've checked his pockets before shouting begin. Once you said the word, you cannot interfere in their escape attempts!" Dad said. I was less than happy to comply, but I have to. After all, it was my blunder that caused this.
So I watched my brother. As for Donald, he was going nowhere. I tied it too expertly for him to have any progress. I completely ignored him, however, as my attention was toward Andrew. I watched him carefully, both to monitor his progress and to make sure he doesn't cut himself with the knife. He began to work on the ropes binding him to the chair. He soon was able to skillfully cut the ropes binding him to the chair without cutting himself and was free from the chair. He then concentrated on his wrists and after a couple of failed attempts, was finally able to cut the ropes on the wrists without cutting himself in the process. He soon was free and removed his gag.
"Damn!" I shouted.
"So much for your skill in knots!" Andrew replied.
"You wouldn't have escaped if you hadn't had that knife!" I said, pointing to the pocketknife my brother use.
"Hold it!" Uncle Richard interjected. "Look, Andrew won fair and square. Now, since Andrew has escaped, he has to tie you up."
"Aw! Does he have to?" I whined.
"Yes son, yes. It's how we played when we were like you. It's only fair." Dad replied
So I reluctantly let Andrew tie me up. He basically tied me the same way I tied him up. He first tied my hands behind my back, then tied me to the chair, and gagged me with a wadded handkerchief in my mouth and secured by duct tape. Unlike me, he checked all my pockets to make sure there wasn't anything I could use within reach. Then he signaled me to begin.
As before, his knots were tied too competently. I struggled, but got nowhere. Soon, knowing the futility of such struggles, gave up. Andrew gloated in front of us, while our Dads talked among themselves in low voices, ignoring us. Soon the twenty minutes were up and Donald and I were untied. I was humiliated, having blown my chance to win. So the score is two for Andrew, and zero for me.
It is now Donald's turn. He first tied my hands behind my back at my crossed wrists palm to palm. He cinched it and then knotted it off. As I said, Donald is as good at knots as the rest of us were, so when he finished, I knew that I wouldn't get out without help. But I kept my hope with the small scissors I had inserted before he tied me up. Unfortunately, he inspected my pockets, and took the scissors. Well, he then tied rope around my waist, finally cinching it then tying the loose ends to my wrists. He then gagged me using a sock and then duct taping my mouth and around my head a couple of times. He turned his attention to my brother. Donald basically tied Andrew the same way he tied me, and gagged him the same way I was gagged. I thought, oh this is too easy. I could easily get out of here, but Donald was not finished.
Donald then made us sit on the floor back to back. He then tied my left elbow and Andrew's right elbow together, and my right elbow and my brother's left elbow together. He then wrapped rope around us, starting from the chest downward to the waist. He knotted it twice, first at Andrew's front, then tied the loose ends at my front. He then crossed my ankles and tied it up. He did the same with Andrew. Finally, he tied my knees the same way he tied my brother's knees.
"Begin!" Donald shouted, signalling us to start struggling. Needless to say, we got nowhere. We tried to stand up, but that was aborted because of poor coordination. Donald's knots were too competently tied for any slack to be gained, so after a few minutes, seeing the futility of further struggles, I decided to just give up. Andrew gave up minutes later. So Donald gained won this round, while Andrew and I lost.
So in the contest on who was better at knots, I was totally humiliated in front of our Dads. I lost all three games; Andrew won two while losing one, while Donald won one game while losing two. That implies Andrew is the best, Donald is average, while I stink. That doesn't mean that because I lost I stink at knots. I'm as good at knots as they are; yet I failed to check Andrew's pockets. In any event, it just proves that we are just even, but Andrew is smarter and shrewder than both of us while I'm more careless than both of them.
My brother boasted and boasted, while our dads gave us a lecture on knots. Then my cousin made a bold proposal. What is it? Read the next part and find out!
Tom Ford
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Tom Ford's stories
- 01 - First Games (mm/m)
- 02 - Revenge (mmm/mm, mm/mmm)
- 03 - Surprises (m/mm, mmm/mm)
- 04 - Afternoon Attack (mm/mmm)
- 05 - Sunday Morning Offensive (mm/m, m/mmm)
- 06 - Victory! (mm/mmm, mmm/mm)
- 07 - Chester and Jay (mm/mm, m+/mm)
- 08 - Cops & Robbers (mm/mm, m/m+)
- 09 - The Unexpected Game (mm/F, F/mm)
- 10 - Another Victory! (m+/mmm, mmm/m+)
- 11 - The Perfect Plan (mm/mmm, m+/mmm)
- 12 - The Counterattack (m+/mmm)
- 13 - Angela (f/m)
- 14 - The Next Round of Tom vs. Angela (m/f)
- 15 - Curiosity Kills the Cat! (ff/mm, mm/ff)
- 16 - Déjà Vu (m+/mmm)
- 17 - The Next Morning! (m+/mmm, mmm/m+)
- 18 - Tom & Company's Attack (mmm/mmm)
- 19 - Angela's Revenge-and Request?! (ff/m)
- 20 - Negotiations (mmm/m+)
- 21 - The Initiation (m+/f)
- 22 - Angela's First Game (m+/fmmm)
- 23 - Last Game of Spring (m+/fmm)
- 24 - The First Game of Summer (mm+/fmmm)
- 25 - Vacation in Vermont (mm/fmm+)
- 26 - Robert and Jerry (mm+/fmm+)
- 27 - The Treasure Hunt (m+/m+)
- 28 - Revenge - Sweet Revenge (mf+/mf+)
- 29 - Angela's Fury (ffm/m+)
- 30 - The Hunter and the Hunted (m+/m+)
- 31 - The Night Attack (mf+/m+)
- 32 - The Second Cops & Robbers Game (m+/fm+)
- 33 - Capture the Flag (m+/m+)
- 34 - A Couple of Answers to Questions Asked
- 35 - A Father's Day Adventure (m/m+)
- 36 - A Father's Day Adventure - Part II - Dad's Boyhood Experience (MM/m+, mm/ff, ff/mm)
- 37 - Cowboys and Indians (m+/f, fff/m+)
- 38 - Flag Wars (m+/m+)
- 39 - By the Dawn's Early Light (mm/fm+ )
- 40 - Turnabout is Fair Play! (mm+/fm+)
- 41 - Tying-Up Mom and Aunt Rachel - and the Aftermath (fm+/FF, FF/fm+)
- 42 - The Island Adventure (mm/f, mm+/fm+)
- 43 - The Long Afternoon (f/mm)
- 44 - Defeat - Again? (mm/fm+)
Index of all stories in the "Archive for Everyone" section