The following events occurred over 30 years ago. I am relaying them as honestly as I can. Some of my thoughts and observations from the time, as I describe them here, will be too insightful for a boy of fourteen. Please remember I’ve had many years to reflect on this incident. If, as a kid, you fantasized about tying up a pretty housewife in your neighborhood…then you should love the following tale:
It was early summer 1977 and I had just turned fourteen. In a few months, I would be entering 9th grade. I had been actively tying up girls in the neighborhood for years. At that time, there were about a half-dozen girls who were “regulars†on my tie-up roster. They enjoyed our innocent games and often sought me out to play. Suffice it to say that most of the kids in the neighborhood were aware of my huge interest in tying up girls.
It wasn’t uncommon for a bunch of us, a dozen or more, to get together at someone’s house and horse around in the backyard. Most of the kids were near my general age. Some were a year older, some a few years younger. We usually played a few games, but things usually devolved into the boys just chasing the girls around.
On those occasions, I had started taking the opportunity to tie up one or two of the girls. My friends quickly followed suit. We’d have 3 or 4 girls tied up on the ground, maybe one tied to a tree, while we chased the others around. The bound lovelies would free themselves while we were tying up others, and the cycle just repeated itself. That’s what we were doing on this particular day.
We were playing at my friend Kevin’s house. Janet, Theresa and Beth had been captured. Janet was bound hand and foot and struggling like mad, but couldn’t get free. I took pride in that, since I had bound her myself. She was quite cute. The two of us had an on and off relationship through most of junior high school.
Theresa and Beth had been bound back to back by Bryan. They were thrashing around trying to loosen the ropes so they could wriggle out of them.
Kevin was chasing after Susan, but didn’t seem to be having much luck. There were about a half dozen other kids running around, as well.
I loved playing with the neighborhood girls, but still fantasized a lot about tying up older women. They were more mature and more beautiful. They also wore dresses, heels and pantyhose, all of which continue to thrill me to this day.
Mrs. Sandra Vandenberg was near the top of my fantasy tie-up list. She was in her mid 30’s and had a very simple beauty with great curves. She was about 5’9†with beautiful reddish-brown hair and the shapeliest legs I had ever seen. Mrs. Vandenberg worked part-time at a local office, so I had seen her come home many times in a business dress and heels. She was quite lovely.
Kevin happened to live right next door to the Vandenberg’s. Mrs. Vandenberg only worked part-time mornings and arrived home quite early in the afternoon. She pulled into the driveway that day as we were playing. Her home sat on the corner lot, so she had a clear view of us in Kevin’s backyard as she drove up.
I watched Mrs. Vandenberg get out of her car. She was wearing a light-colored summer blouse and navy blue skirt with matching heels. My heart jumped when I saw her fantastic legs come out of the car.
Mrs. Vandenberg gave a look in our direction and could see the girls we had tied up. I’m sure she had witnessed similar scenes before, possibly including her own daughters. Mrs. Vandenberg’s oldest daughter, Barbara, was one of my regular tie-up partners. Barb and her younger sister were spending a few days at their grandparent’s farm, as they did often throughout the summer.
I shouted to get her attention. “Hi, Mrs. Vandenberg,†I shouted. Mrs. Vandenberg was well liked by all of the kids in the neighborhood. She was quite nice, very friendly and never got too angry at any of us.
Mrs. Vandenberg smiled and said, “Hey, kids, be careful that nobody gets hurt.†It was the friendly warning of an experienced mom. However, she could see everybody was laughing and chasing and having fun, so she didn’t appear too concerned. In 1976, most kids were still pretty innocent and there was no real reason for her to be alarmed.
“We’re OK, Mrs. Vandenberg,†shouted Janet. She still hadn’t extracted herself from my handiwork.
Mrs. Vandenberg just smiled and shook her head. She didn’t seem too concerned. Meanwhile, my mind was already racing to devise a scheme.
“There are thieves in the neighborhood,†I added. “You’d better be careful,†I warned.
She nodded in my direction. “Maybe I need you to protect me, Bill,†she said.
“No chance,†I said, flashing the water gun in my hand. “I’m one of the thieves!†I laughed.
"Yeah, look out for him, Mrs. Vandenberg," Janet shouted. "Look what he did to me!"
Mrs. Vandenberg laughed and shook her head. She waved and went into the house.
“Ah, damn it,†I thought. Nice effort, but I never had a chance. What did I expect to happen with all these other kids around, anyway?
We resumed our activities, but I was keeping a casual eye on the Vandenberg house. Mrs. Vandenberg made a few trips out to her car to bring in some groceries. Her kitchen window also faced Kevin’s backyard and I noticed she was keeping an eye on us as she put away her groceries.
My adrenaline was pumping. I had hatched a plan and started to make preparations. I ran over to our supply pile. I picked quickly through the ropes and grabbed a few pieces. I shoved the rope ends in my front left pocket and let the remainder dangle down my leg.
“Hey, Kevin,†I hollered. He was still chasing after Susan. He stopped and I flagged him over hurriedly.
“Oh, man, I almost had her,†he muttered. “What do you want?â€
“Hey, Kev, do you have something I can use as a gag?â€
Kevin grinned. “Who are going to gag? Janet?â€
I grinned. “None of your business pal. Do you have a scarf or bandanna, or something like that?â€
He jumped. “Oh yeah, I’ve got something,†he said sprinting toward the house. He was gone for a few moments and came back with a Boy Scout neckerchief.
He was grinning wolfishly. “Will that work?â€
“Yes, that should do nicely, I think.†I folded it up and tucked it in my back pocket. Susan started taunting Kevin and he took off after her again.
All I needed now was an opportunity. Unfortunately, that didn’t appear likely. I couldn’t see Mrs. Vandenberg through the windows anymore, nor did I see her outside. However, that didn’t deter me from chasing the other girls around the backyard for a bit.
About ten more minutes passed. Then it happened. Mrs. Vandenberg was walking a letter out to the mailbox at the end of her driveway.
I admit that under normal circumstances, I could never have been so brazen. I usually didn’t have a lot of nerve, but I just couldn’t pass up my only real shot at ever tying up Mrs. Vandenberg. It was the thought of her bound in that skirt and heels that drove me to recklessness that day.
I also knew such things were possible following my encounter with Helen, a friend of my parent’s, several years earlier. That incident was very much in my mind as I made my next move.
I ducked around the back of Kevin’s house as discreetly as I could. I didn’t want the other kids to see me slip away. As I rounded the front of the Vandenberg’s house, I caught sight of Mrs. Vandenberg as she was heading into the garage.