Paul was 13 and a student at the Royal High School Edinburgh, which had finished for the long summer holidays. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a multi-tone grey picture on the front and faded jeans shorts with black trainers.
I was 20 and in the second year of my Psychology degree at the University of Edinburgh. Although we were on holiday as well I had a lot of work to do. I was wearing a loose-fitting white t-shirt and faded blue denim dungaree shorts with Adidas blue-striped white sliders.
“I’ve got a mountain of work to do.” I announced, as Paul put his empty cup on the tray. “Do you want staking out?”
“Yes please!” Paul replied eagerly.
“You go and get ready.” I announced, smiling. “I’ll clear the pots.”
Paul got up and went inside and up to the bathroom and his bedroom. I gathered all the pots and took them inside to the dishwasher. I stacked the dishwasher and set it going.
“I’m ready!” Paul announced eagerly, a few moments later joining me in the kitchen, carrying a bulging jade green Balgreen Primary School nylon gym bag.
Smiling, I followed Paul out into our secluded and immaculate back garden. We walked over to the tree in the centre of the garden.
Paul took four metal spikes out of the bag and passed it to me. Using his feet, he pushed the spikes into the ground forming a square shape. Then he laid full-length his back on in the square, with his arms and legs out forming a St Andrew’s Cross.
I took four lengths of rope out of the bag and dropped it on the grass. Kneeling down, I tied Paul’s wrists and ankles to the pegs, stretching him out but not too much.
“Do you want hooding?” I asked.
“Yes please!” Paul replied, with a grateful smile on his face.
I produced an empty black RHSE nylon gym bag from inside the bag. Opening the bag, I pulled it over his head effectively hooding Paul, making sure he could breathe as I tied the drawstring round his neck.
“I’ll be doing my homework.” I announced, standing up. “Sing out if you need anything.”
Picking up the gym bag, I walked towards the house, dropping he bag on the nearest garden furniture chair as I passed. I went inside and up to my bedroom and sat down at my desk, opening my laptop and switching it on. Putting my glasses on, I soon became totally engrossed in my uni work.
Paul loved being staked out on the lawn outside. He was safe because being staked out on the ground meant gravity wasn’t putting any pressure or stress on any part of his body and he could be staked out all day if he wanted. Being staked out outdoors enabled him to feel “at one with God” and he could just relax and let his mind wander.
I was so engrossed in my uni work I lost all track of time. It was only a text message on my phone that brought back into this world! I’d been working for almost two hours!
After replying to the message, I stretched out as I stood up and looked out the window. Not surprisingly, Paul was still staked out and hooded under the tree! I smiled as I took my glasses off and laid them on my desk.
I went downstairs to the kitchen and made a mug of coffee. Along with some biscuits, I took it back upstairs to my bedroom and sat down at my desk. As I sat down I spared Paul a brief glance and a wicked smile through my window. I briefly felt guilty not going to him while I was downstairs, but it soon passed! LOL. He was safe and happy!
When I finished my coffee and biscuits, I put my mug down and put my glasses back on. I resumed my uni work and very quickly became totally engrossed in that again. When I looked at the clock on my laptop, I realised almost another two hours had passed. I’d made a lot of progress with my uni work and was really pleased with myself.
Taking my glasses off and putting them on my desk beside my laptop, I looked out the window and stretched out as I stood up. I smiled at Paul still happily stretched out and hooded under the tree.
I went downstairs to the kitchen and made two sandwiches and two mugs of tea. Placing them on a tray, I carried them outside and sat down on the grass beside Paul.
“Hello, bro!” I exclaimed cheerfully. “How are you doing?”
“Great!” Paul’s slightly muffled voice replied appreciatively.
“Lunchtime!” I announced cheerfully, carefully removing Paul’s hood.
Paul blinked in the bright sunlight as the hood was removed. His head was warm and slightly sweaty, being encased in a nylon bag for nearly four hours. I untied Paul’s wrists and he sat up, leaving his legs tied to the stakes. We chatted as we ate our lunch.
“Back to work!” I exclaimed when I finished my lunch. “Do you want your hood back on?”
“No thank you.” Paul replied, as he laid back down. “It was getting a bit hot in there.”
I tied Paul’s wrists to the stakes again.
Smiling, I picked up the tray and took it into the kitchen. After emptying the dishwasher, I put our pots in ready for the next run. Then I went back upstairs to my desk and sat down, putting my glasses back on.
I made a start on my work but quickly became bogged down with something I didn’t understand. Picking my mobile up, I rang my lecturer and he said if I could come into the university he could see me to go through it with me. I said I could be there in just over one hour, and hung up.
I e-mailed the work to myself and my lecturer. Checking my tablet and downloading my work onto that, I took my glasses off and stood up. I went downstairs and out to Paul.
“I’m really sorry Paul but I have to go into to uni to see the prof.” I announced, approaching Paul.
“Nay bother!” Paul replied calmly, returning my smile. “I’m quite safe here.”
“You want me to leave you staked out?” I asked.
“You’ve tied me to the tree for a full school day.” Paul replied. “A couple of hours staked out wilna hurt. I’m quite safe!”
Paul was right! Reassured, I went back inside and up my bedroom. I exchanged my sliders for white socks and Dunlop Green Flash white plimsolls.
Putting my glasses in their strong case, I put them and my tablet in my blue tartan tweed small square caddy bag, and hung it over my right shoulder. I put my black University of Edinburgh baseball cap on and neatly hung my pony tail through the back. Picking up my purse and mobile and placing them in the bag, I picked up my keys and went downstairs.
Checking the front door was locked, I went through the lounge and kitchen and locked the back door as I stepped out into the garden. I walked over to Paul.
“Are you sure you’re ok there?” I asked, approaching my brother.
“Dina worry yoursel’!” Paul reassured me. “Go, sort out your uni work.”
With a smile, I turned and walked down the side of the house onto the street, and down to the bus stop. I got on the bus and took the 30-minute bus rider into Edinburgh and the university.
Although Paul loved being staked out while his sister was at home and in the house, being staked out when he was home alone was even more exciting. He was totally alone for however long it took Gemma to go to the university, sort out her work with the lecturer and get the bus back home. He estimated two to three hours. Unable to do anything else, he would just lay there and relax in the fine summer air. The ropes were tight but not too tight and he was quite safe.
Paul was pretty close in his estimates, two hours and forty-two minutes later, I got off the bus and walked casually down the road to our house, contentedly humming to myself.
I walked down the driveway and turned left into the back garden. I smiled at the sight of my dear brother still staked out under the tree. I walked over to him and stood fullweight on his stomach with both feet together facing his head. Standing on the stomach is a legitimate and beneficial training exercise in most martial arts, but they do it barefoot indoors and not in plimsolls on somebody staked out under a tree! LOL.
“Hello, brother dear!” I greeted cheerfully, smiling down at Paul.
“Just fine!” Paul replied, returning my smile. “Get things sorted with the prof?”
“I know where I was going wrong.” I replied confidently. “I can do the rest of the assignment now.”
“Fantastic!” Paul replied excitedly.
“The ropes look ok.” I announced, turning my head to look at both wrists and both ankles in turn. “Nothing hurting you yet?”
“I’m just fine!” Paul, still returning a grateful smile to his sister as I stood on his stomach.
“I’ll make dinner!” I announced, finally getting off Paul’s stomach.
I went inside and up to my bedroom, depositing my bag on my bed. I took my shoes and socks off and put my sliders back on, and then went downstairs to the kitchen.
I went downstairs to the kitchen and made a curry for dinner.
“Dinner time!” I exclaimed cheerfully, going out to Paul.
I knelt down on the grass and untied Paul. He sat up and rubbed the circulation back into his wrists and ankles. After a few moments, he got up and walked into the house. We sat down in the dining room and enjoyed dinner.
Gemtie (Gemscot)
Love to be tied-up