We all know what is likely. We all know what is certain. There are rules. If something sounds too unlikely, too good to be true even, then we know it must be. You hear stories sometimes, whispers posted on a forum and someone replies with great authority: “I doubt…” and they have spoken.

Then sometimes someone you know and trust throws you a curved ball and your perceptions and understanding changes. Believe what you will.

The following is paraphrased from an actual conversation.

“Yes and like what were they going to do about it?” This was thrown out at a dinner party at an ex-public schoolgirl regaling the assembled company with tales of her school days back in the early 1990s.

“Plenty at my school,” she chortled.

“Yes but it wasn’t like you would get the cane or something, not girls…” Confidence asserted itself.

She nodded slowly, but to disagree.

“What? Really I mean…”

“Really. What did you think? That’s what public school parents used to pay for.”

“So girls were caned, how many strokes? Did they write to your parents first and arrange witnesses and to see the head…?”

“Any teacher could cane us, right there on the spot. Well usually in the privacy of his study.”

“His study?” This was almost too incredible. Everyone knew this was only in stories. “You were caned by male teachers?”

“Of course, it was a boys’ public school that allowed girls in. It was old school. No special treatment for girls.”

Mouth open and then closed again. What does one say to that?

“Just younger girls you mean?”

“Not especially, usually not, there were matrons and the slipper, but for older girls up to 18, 19 if they were still at school…” Then seeing some scepticism, she said, “Look, when I was 17, my housemaster took into his study and showed me an old worn out arm chair. He said if I didn’t watch my step I would be asked to bend over, skirt up knickers down, cane across the backside. Then I would shake hands, say thank you and leave. No fuss.”

“He would cane you on the bare bottom?” This was too good.

“Just your housemaster, no witnesses?”

“God no, no witness, and not just the housemaster, any teacher, male or female, what do you think? Prefects too sometimes.”

“Prefects? On the bare? I think… is this for real? I thought…”

“Which of us was at public school?”

“How often did this happen? I mean how many strokes? Was it always…?” So many questions.

“I don’t know exactly. It happened. It happened often. Sometimes the boys bragged, but girls never, never talked about it.”

“Were you caned like that?”

“Sorry? Are you even listening?” She was blushing. “I was usually good at not getting caught.”