Taken for a Ride

Chapter 2

It was pleasant riding along the quiet suburban streets on a warm summer’s day. The smell of the eucalyptus trees and the screaming of the cicadas took me back to my childhood, long before I’d finished uni, started work, and moved into a city apartment after my parents passed away. The trees cast enough shade to moderate the Australian sun, and I began enjoying the journey as I reaccustomed myself to riding a bicycle. I had to ride quite hard, often standing on the pedals, to keep up with Lucy. Her lightweight multi-speed bike was much faster than the single-speed BMX I was riding, but she looked back from time to time, making sure she didn’t leave me behind, and I caught up when she stopped at junctions. I wasn’t familiar with the neighbourhood, so I needed to keep her in sight. Traffic was light, and the few passing cars left us plenty of room.

We reached the small local shopping centre, where Lucy chained our bikes to one of the racks outside. As we entered the supermarket, Lucy picked up a basket and handed it to me, “Would you mind holding this? Thanks.” I followed her around as she collected the items on her mother’s list. I noted with some envy that she could easily reach the top shelves that I never could. While we queued at the check-out, Lucy slipped a hand into the back pocket of her cycling jersey, and took out her wallet, reminding me that I had left mine back at her house with all my money, cards, and ID. Oh well, I thought, no one’s going to demand to see my driver’s licence while I’m riding a bicycle. As her items were scanned, Lucy packed them into the soft pannier bags she’d brought with her, and after she’d paid, we carried them out to our bikes, where she clipped one to each side of her bike’s rack. While she was doing this, I looked around and caught sight of our reflection in one of the shop windows. I couldn’t believe how juvenile I looked next to Lucy. She was the one looking and acting like an adult while I idly kicked my heels in my childish outfit. She checked that her panniers were secure and then unlocked our bikes.

“OK, let’s go,” Lucy said. We wheeled our bikes out of the centre to the street and mounted. Once again, Lucy led the way with me struggling to keep up. We rode up a long uphill stretch of road, and I fell some twenty-five metres behind. Up ahead, I saw Lucy mount the pavement and turn into a small park, obviously intending to take a shortcut to avoid the busy junction where Victoria Avenue crossed Penshurst Street. I was surprised that she didn’t dismount, however, because, at seventeen, she was too old to legally ride a bicycle on the footpath. Only children under twelve, or adults accompanying them, were allowed to do so. However, the law was rarely enforced, and I wanted to catch up, so I bunny-hopped the kerb onto the pavement and followed her down the footpath. Lucy was out of sight as the path wound through clumps of banksia bushes, and as I pedalled rapidly round a blind corner, I saw her stationary, stopped by a policeman and a council ranger. The police officer was scowling but relaxed as I rode up and stopped next to Lucy.

“What’s the matter, Lucy?” I said, my voice squeaking as I panted from the effort of catching her.

Before she could answer, the policeman said, “We stopped her because she’s obviously too old to be riding on the footpath.” He transferred his attention to Lucy, closing his notebook and putting it away. “Why didn’t you tell us that you were accompanying a child? I suppose she’s your little sister?”

“I- I’m sorry, Officer,” Lucy stammered, “I was just nervous being stopped by police. And yes, this is my sister Meili.” She turned to me and said in Chinese,《Just play along! We can get out of this!》

Knowing we would both be liable for fines for riding on the footpath, I nodded and smiled nervously at the policeman. I was gobsmacked that he and the ranger accepted me as under twelve. I was a woman of twenty-seven! How could I possibly be mistaken for an eleven-year-old? Were these people blind or stupid?

“What school does she go to?” asked the ranger looking down at me with a condescending smile.

“Um… Wellesley Girls High,” Lucy answered her, “same as me, but she’s just in year seven, of course.”

The story Lucy was spinning put me in the first year of high school to keep my age under the legal threshold, but the policeman and the ranger appeared to swallow it completely. I just smiled and nodded, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible.

“Has she done the Cycling Proficiency Test?” the ranger went on. “Remember that she’ll have to ride on the road instead of the pavement after her twelfth birthday.”

“N-no, not yet. Our mother is organising that.”

“Through your school, I assume?”

Lucy nodded. The Cycling Proficiency Test is administered by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, but the actual tests are typically done through local schools. The ranger looked at me again, “Well, I’ll be seeing you soon then, Meili. I am the instructor and testing officer at your school.” Fat chance, I thought.

“OK, girls, off you go and ride safely,” said the policeman, who obviously thought we’d taken up more than enough of his time. Lucy thanked him and rode off. I followed, giving him a smile and a childish wave to play into my role. I tried to catch up to Lucy, but she speeded up, and I couldn’t get closer than about five metres behind. We emerged from the other side of the park and then wove through the backstreets to Lucy’s home.

Lucy turned in the drive, and I pulled up beside her as she was unbuckling her helmet. “Can you believe those idiots? But we got away with it!”

“Did you have to tell them I was your little sister?”

“What else could I do? If they knew your real age, we’d both have copped a fine!”

“And why did you give my name as Meili? Where did that come from?”

“Would you prefer they knew your real name?”

I couldn’t help laughing. “I suppose not. I still can’t believe those nitwits thought I was eleven,” I shrugged, “but as you say, we got away with it.”

We put our bikes away, and Lucy unclipped her panniers. We carried the shopping out, and she closed the garage door. She led me into the house, suggesting a drink of orange juice since we were both thirsty. Her mother asked about our ride, and Lucy recounted our adventures, but as she described our encounter in the park, Mrs Liang got angrier and angrier. She glared at me.

《I am most disappointed in you, Ms Feng. How could you let Daughter get in trouble with the police? Thanks to you, our family could lose face!》

《Me?! How could I help it? She was way ahead of me on her faster bike when she turned into the park,》I was shocked that Mrs Liang would blame me for the situation,《and it’s a trivial offence. I will pay Lusi’s fine if it comes to it.》

《You are the adult; of course you are responsible. Don’t make excuses, I-》At that moment, the doorbell rang, interrupting her harangue. She stomped out of the kitchen to answer it.

《What the hell was that?》I whispered to Lucy, who just shrugged. Then I recognised the voice from the front door, and my heart sank. I went to the kitchen door and peeked down the hall. Sure enough, it was the ranger, and I could see a council ute parked in the street outside the gate. I ducked back again as Mrs Liang closed the door.《You didn’t give them your name and address, did you?》

《Well, of course I did! They were the police!》I was fuming, but I realised I couldn’t blame her. She was just a kid suddenly confronted with authority.

Mrs Liang came in and stood over us. Her anger seemed to have cooled, but she seemed dangerously calm.《That was the ranger lady. She wanted to make sure I knew all about this test and how to book my ‘daughter’ in for it at her school.》

I rolled my eyes,《Well, that’s ridiculous. I’m not a schoolgirl, and I’m not doing any stupid test.》To my shock, Mrs Liang grabbed my ear and twisted it painfully.

《This is not a negotiation, Second Daughter,》she snarled,《what I tell you to do takes precedence over what you want, understand?》

She released my ear, and I protested, outraged that she would treat me, her employer, like this.《What the hell are you talking about!》

She slapped my face! Furiously, I reached out to push her away, but she grabbed my hand, and my wrist exploded with pain! Before I knew it, Mrs Liang locked my arm behind me and pushed me over to a chair, where she sat, forcing me down until I lost my balance and fell across her lap. I tried to push myself up, but the pain in my elbow made it impossible. I felt her tug the waist of my pants down my thighs.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Pain flared across my buttocks as she spanked me hard. My silk panties did not protect me at all.

"Eeeeoow! You bit- Owwww! Stop i- Yeeeooow!"

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

《I warn you, Second Daughter. You will show respect, or I will punish you. Do you understand?》I struggled to get free, but her lock on my arm made it impossible.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

《I can keep this up all day, Daughter. Taijiquan is not just for health and exercise, you know. Now, do you understand?》

《Yes! Yes! I understand! I'm sorry! Please let me go!》I just wanted to get out of this helpless, humiliating position.

《Just remember, I may allow you to dress up in grown-up clothes and pretend to be an adult, but that does not make us equals. In this household, I am the one in charge, and you do what I say!》I was just beginning to think she was satisfied and ready to let me up when, to my horror, Lucy's voice reminded me of her presence!

《Mum, what are you doing!?》Horrified amusement tinged her shocked reaction. I was totally shattered, exposed to her in this humiliating position, being spanked like a child in front of a young girl who might have looked up to me as a mentor and role model but surely would never see me that way now.

《She needed a lesson in respect, Daughter, just as you sometimes do.》

《But- she's a grown-up!》Amusement was definitely coming to the fore in the tone of her voice now.

《Being an adult is not a matter of age but attitude. She behaves like a spoiled child, so I am treating her like one. Now, get my phone from my bag.》

I heard Lucy's footsteps retreat to the hall, return, and then come over to the chair, her legs coming into my field of view as I lay helpless across her mother's lap. I felt Mrs Liang moving slightly, but her iron grip on my arm did not slacken for an instant.

《I've unlocked my phone; now you take it and shoot a nice photo of us when I signal. Make sure you get her face. And her panties.》

《Er... Yes, Mum.》Lucy moved into position.《Ready!》

Mrs Liang's legs shifted under me, and then pain flared again.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

"Oww! Yeow!" I wailed.《I said I was sorry! Please stop!》

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Between anger, humiliation, and pain, I started crying now, tears running down my face and dripping onto the floor. My world had shrunk to my small, flaming bottom, and I couldn't hold it in any more.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

I heard shutter noises as Lucy took not one but several shots of me as her mother continued to spank me.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Finally, Mrs Liang stopped, apparently satisfied with my punishment, but didn't let me up.

《Show me!》Lucy came over, presumably to show her mother the photos she'd just taken.《Very good!》Lucy handed her the phone, and she held it up in front of my face, scrolling through the photos. They were even worse than I'd imagined; my legs were flailing in a couple of the shots, just like a little kid, and my face was clearly visible and recognisable. She kept scrolling and showed me photos she’d taken earlier; the one of Lucy and me riding out of the gate, one of me riding around the yard in my own clothes, and one of my getting out of my car when I arrived that morning.《I wonder what your employers or clients would think if somebody sent those pictures to them?》

《What!? You wouldn't! You can't! I'd be ruined!》Nobody who saw these photos would ever take me seriously again. I imagined trying to deal with my boss or co-workers once they'd seen me wailing, blubbering, and tear-stained, being spanked like a child across my housekeeper's lap.

《As long as you obey me as your mother and submit to my correction, as a dutiful child should, your embarrassing photographs will remain our little secret. But if you disobey me, I will punish you in ways you will find painful and embarrassing. Do you understand?》I nodded miserably. She fiddled with her phone again.

《Good, but let’s get things clear, Second Daughter,》she stroked my flaming bottom,《Who am I?》

《You’re my housek-》CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! 《Owww! My mother! You’re my mother!》I squealed.

《And who are you? And what is your name?》

《I’m your daughter, Liang Meili.》Hot tears of humiliation ran down my face.

《And how old are you?》

I hesitated,《I’m twen-》CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

《Yeoow! Stop! Please! I’m eleven! I’m eleven years old!》I wailed.

《And are you a big girl?》I knew there was only one acceptable answer.

《N-no, I’m a little girl.》

《Now say after me: ‘I am Liang Meili, an eleven-year-old little girl, and you are my mother’ and repeat until I tell you to stop.》She held her phone next to my face.

《I am Liang Meili, an eleven-year-old little girl, and you are my mother.》

《I am Liang Meili, an eleven-year-old little girl, and you are my mother.》

《I am Liang Meili, an eleven-year-old little girl, and you are my mother.》

《I am Liang Meili, an eleven-year-old little girl, and you are my mother.》

《I am Liang Meili, an eleven-year-old little girl, and you are my mother.》

《Enough. I hope you’ve learned your lesson.》Mrs Liang finally released the lock on my arm, and I slid off her lap onto my knees. She tapped her phone and played back the my abject submission.《Now, go and wash your face.》

I stood up unsteadily, hitched up my capri pants, and went into the bathroom, where I splashed cold water over my face and patted it dry. I looked around, but my own clothes were nowhere in sight. I returned to the kitchen, where Mrs Liang directed Lucy and me to set the table while she prepared dinner. As the two of us worked, I said,《I couldn’t find my clothes; where are they?》

《Your clothes? You’re wearing them, Daughter,》Mrs Liang said,《I have put Ms Feng’s clothes in the laundry. Ms Feng has very smart clothes, but you’ll be able to wear nice things like that too when you grow up.》

We ate dinner together, and I tried to ignore Lucy calling me ‘Little Sister’ at every opportunity. Mrs Liang explained that she was friends with the deputy head of Wellesley Girls High School and was sure she’d be able to persuade her to sneak me into the cycling test.

《You’ll look sooo cute in the school uniform, Little Sister,》giggled Lucy.

After dinner, Lucy and I did the washing up, and I got ready to go home. I slung my purse over my shoulder, thinking that the smart leather bag looked incongruous with my childish outfit. Mrs Liang escorted me to the door and came out to my car, closing the door behind her. I noticed she was carrying her purse too, and I looked at her questioningly.《Are you going out?》

《I’m going to drive you home. If you get stopped looking like that, the police will think you’re driving underage. I’ll take a taxi home; you can reimburse the fare.》

I went round to the passenger side and got into the car. I was denied even the adult privilege of driving. It was the final humiliation of a horrible day.