(unedited)
Using the Final Opportunity
The Story of Nikos
I jumped on my motorcycle and I headed towards my mothers house.
"What happened?" She asked me very anxiously.
"- They disfellowshipped me without accepting to discuss anything either!" I said.
"- Then you are in the right!" She said, and she embraced me and kissed me.
I left the book bags there and I hid the cassette and recorder. Then I took the photocopied letters and I took off. I passed from all the homes of the “witnesses” that I knew. I was giving a copy of the letter to everyone. They did not know of my disfellowship, so they were taking it thankfully. One lady however, caught on and when I gave her the letter, she hugged me certain that she will never speak to me again.
The distribution took a long time. I later found out that, immediately after my disfellowship, Klakas visited as many people as he could reach to tell them not to listen to me if I went to them.
For one home however I thought to use a different procedure. So I saved it for last. In this home the husband did not have much time in the organization. His wealthy father had disowned him, (for becoming a “witness”), but he had remained steadfast to what he thought to be the truth. Thus this man needed to be repaid in a special way.
They welcomed me when I showed up at their door. The husband, his wife and her brother were inside.
"What brings you here?" They asked.
"- I’m “working” the neighborhood and I thought to stop and see you", I said and went inside. "- . . . You know, I found a man who had great knowledge about the Holy Scripture!" I said, and I sat down. ". . . You can’t imagine what he said to me!"
"- What did he tell you?" They asked curiously.
"- We were talking about 1914, but if I tell you this, I don’t think you will know the answer" I said!
"- Go ahead, tell us!" They said with curiosity.
Thus I began to analyze for them the proofs from the Holy Scripture, exposing the lies of the organization. In every argument they were asking me for the answer since they did not have one. I told them that I would give the answer at the end, because the answer is the same for all arguments.
This conversation lasted about half an hour and in the meantime, their curiosity was mounting for the answer, except for the husband, who at some point blew up in an angry tone:
"- Come on! Tell us so we can get this over with!" He said and stood up. I suspected that he caught on and I revealed my secret.
"- The answer is that all these arguments are correct and the organization is wrong. These arguments are mine, and this morning I was disfellowshipped, because the hierarchy did not want to discuss these things with me. Please forgive me for the play, but if I had told you the truth, you would not have listened to me. I felt obligated though to tell you the truth".
The woman and her brother were literally staring with their mouths open.
The husband however, became almost maniacal. "- Do you think you convinced us! You didn’t convince us! Did he convince you?" He asked his wife who was looking at him speechless. "... Did he convince you?" He asked his also speechless brother-in-law. ". . . I was informed that you were heading for disfellowship and, as you were speaking I purposely paid no attention, because I knew what you were up to!" And with these words he opened the door, showing me that my time was up. I stood up, I bade them farewell. I expressed to them my sorrow that our relationship will not be the same as before, and after I handed them the envelope with my letter, I left. He assured me that they will rip it up and throw it out.
I felt great sorrow for this man. The organization had destroyed within him all love for the truth and every trace of humility. He sacrificed so much, only to end up as a puppet without any initiative. At that moment I was not feeling sorry for myself, regardless of what outcome I would be faced with when I would return home. I was feeling pity for the faithful of my former religion, whom I was now seeing with their true face. Wound-up puppets, steam-rolled personalities in the hands of some unscrupulous and unconscionable, small time dictators.
I returned home late. I was holding quite a few letters in my hands yet which I would mail shortly to all those I did not come in contact with. I first passed from the house of my mother-in-law.
"- What happened?" she asked.
"- They dis-fellowshipped me", I replied.
"- Serves your right", she said with malice. I looked at her with pity. She was also a pitiful puppet of the organization.