The people´s temple

—Brenda! Are you awake? Please come with me. I want to show you something.

—Show me what? — She answered a bit dazed. She did not like being bothered at those hours.

—I want to take you to a beautiful place in the jungle.

—Do not be silly! We are forbidden to go to the jungle. It is almost midnight now. You better go back to your bed, Walter. You will wake up the other children!

—It is forbidden to go to the jungle? It was my understanding that there were no prohibitions in this community.

—Of course not. We are all free. However, we must behave in a civilized way, for our own well.

—I know that. However, i cannot tolerate this boredom. There is nothing to do here! In addition, I cannot get to sleep.

—Do your best. Close your eyes, blank your mind and sleep.

—I refuse. I am leaving now.

And the young boy left. Walter crossed the wide room where the children slept. There was no security guard or adult that could stop him. The boy calmly evaded all the beds where his friends rested and left the hut. Brenda concluded that if something happened to Walter, she would be responsible for his disappearance. She did not want to be punished because of that reckless boy. After all, she was fifteen and for being the oldest, it was up to her to take care of her own. Brenda snuck out of the hut and went in pursuit of that extremely impulsive boy.

Walter Rodnor was fourteen years old. He was born on December 23, 1964 in San Francisco. Like Brenda, his skin was black and his height was medium. They were both smart and enthusiastic boys from California. They had been in that place for two weeks. Her parents referred to that territory by the name of: "The people's temple." Their free time was devoted to reading books, conducting group ceremonies and working hard on the plantation nearby. The two of them were lively and helpful young boys. Until that point, Walter had shown no sign of being a troublemaker. Yet, that night he was mortified. In his own words, being in that place was "awfully boring"

Brenda ran quickly and found herself face to face with the boy.

—Stop there! Where do you think you are going?

—I am sorry, Brenda. It is proven that i am an unstoppable adventurer. You certainly cannot tie me down or stand in my way.

—Why are you behaving in such an absurd manner?

—It is my nature. It makes me sick to be lock up in the same place. Do not worry! I will be back before dawn.

The boy walked towards a tall palm tree where bushes grew. He raised his head and saw the moon shining on the sky. He looked excited. He seemed ready to explore the jungle and nothing could change this decision. Brenda said:

—You will get me in serious trouble! Go back to bed immediately.

—Brenda, my friend. I was wrong to bother you with my proposal. I now understand that I must go alone to that beautiful place that I have found in the afternoon. I could not enjoy it at that time because the vigilance of our parents is very intense during the day. Well, right now, they sleep soundly, and I cannot wait any longer. I must leave at once. And I cannot force you to come with me.

Brenda said:

—Stop this nonsense! It is very dangerous for you to go alone to that desolate place in the middle of the jungle.

—I have requested company and it has been denied! — Walter exclaimed.

—A fool! That's what you are! A stupid buffoon!

The boy was tired of the repetitive nature of that argument and ran off into the jungle. He sped down a long trail that led him into the heart of a thick tropical forest. When he was far enough from the huts, he stopped running and stopped suddenly under a lush tree. The jungle was silent and so far, he had encountered no animal. In that same place, he tried to remember the fastest route to the place he longed to visit. He was not anxious, but he had to be cautious. He did not want to be seen by the guards who guarded the entrances and exits of that territory.

It was then that he heard a strange sound and turned around. There was nothing to be afraid of. Brenda had followed him. She said:

—Very well! You have it! You convinced me to come with you. I imagine you will be happy.

—I am stunned.

—Well, here I am. Now what? Where is that beautiful place you mentioned before?

The boy climbed a thin tree and observed his surroundings from that height. Then he descended and without much emotion, he asked:

—Why did you accept my invitation?

—Well, you happen to have a remarkable talent. You know very well how to drive people crazy until you get what you want. Honestly, you are very impulsive and disobedient. You will not contribute much to the temple if you insist on acting this way. Let me ask you something... Do you think this is a field trip? Well, you are wrong! Now we belong to this place and the laws of our community deserve our respect.

Those statements overwhelmed Walter.

—I cannot bear so many contradictions. Are you telling me that there is no freedom in this community? What are all those morning ceremonies about, then? And the speeches of that pale man? Everyone talks about freedom and then they impose chains on us!

Brenda did not know what to answer. Walter descended a steep terrain and walked in a straight line until he saw the silhouette of some magnificent mountains. Brenda followed him silently. Walter turned his body to the left and decided to walk through what appeared to be thick grassland. The boy led the way. Fireflies began to surround the intruders. Without getting upset, Walter questioned his friend:

—Why did you come? To watch over me?

Brenda recognized that that was her main motive. However, she agreed that the huts and religious activities were not very stimulating.

Brenda decided to be sincere:

—I understand you, Walter. I have not been able to sleep in recent days either. Insomnia is a very debilitating disease. I have also sometimes felt the need to explore these places. Nothing extraordinary, just walk a bit, and break the routine. Since we arrived in this country, I have not occupied myself with anything other than reading the books that have been kindly given us by the masters. There are books of all kinds. The biology ones are my favorites. They are very revealing, you know. I fervently believe that we are the creation of a powerful entity, but at the same time, we are mere animals. We are not the strongest or the fastest animals. We are weak. Don't you think? We are very fragile. We have invented all these ideologies, to believe we own the world. We act as if we are enduring, indestructible, eternal. It does not seem reasonable to me. You understand?

Brenda constantly sought the approval of her equal, in order to feel less helpless. Walter told her that he agreed with her, but did not think much about these matters. What truly bothered him was leaving home.

—At first, I thought this would all be like an adventure. "A new and free world" they told us. "The temple of the town where we will all be equal" they insisted. "A community away from the cruelty and injustice that reigns in Western civilization" And all that seemed great to me. My mother was very excited. We have attended many churches. We have consulted many ways to approach our spirituality. Until one day, we heard that pale man preach... For the first time in a long time I saw her happy and joyful. It was a different woman. Who wouldn't do anything for their mother's happiness? I am that kind of boy, I guess. A mommy's boy, always ready to make her life easier. And here we are. We abandoned everything in California for this adventure. What a disappointment. This is not the promised land that we both long for. She is a strong woman, always has been. However, we are getting tired of this whole situation. She has fallen ill and no one cares enough to take her to a decent hospital. If her condition does not improve, I will have no choice but to transport her myself out of this prison.

Brenda understood his suffering. The two boys entered a cleared area of ​​the jungle, walked a bit and jumped over fallen trees. After reflecting for a long time on her friend's plight, Brenda stopped in her tracks and said:

—I have good news for you, little Walter.

—Good news?

—I have heard some information that may be useful to you.

—What are you talking about?

—Someone will come.

—Who? - Walter was alarmed.

—The savior is coming.

—Ah! I have heard that one before.

—I do not mean that. An important man is coming from California.

—How important?

—Very important. He is already in this country. He will come to visit us and those who wish to return to California will be free to do so. When you hear the sound of a helicopter, you and your mother can rejoice.

—Is this a joke, Brenda?

—It is not! I have heard all this from the leader himself! On one occasion, i was passing by his office and he was talking about this.

Walter got excited. He took Brenda's hand and led her straight to a beautiful, medium-depth lake where there were no fish or amphibians. That was a lovely atmosphere. In the distance, they heard some birds squawking. The air there was cool and humid. They absorb in a breath of air and felt relaxed. They both sat on a huge rock. Walter stripped off his shirt and prepared to jump into the water.

—You would not dare — Brenda said.

—Nothing can stop me! The news you have given me are fantastic. I have regained my happiness. There will be no more sleepless nights and my mother's health will return soon! It will not be long until we get home! I am the happiest boy on earth!

Brenda smiled pleased.

—Well, calm down a little. You cannot dive in here. There may be crocodiles.

—Oh! Do you remember the ones from California? They are phenomenal creatures!

—I remember them… My father transported many tourists in his boat who wanted to see and photograph the crocodiles. Once he invited me on one of his tours, when we were getting ready to set sail, we ran into a herd of pigs on the shore. We also saw that a black crocodile was approaching them, stealthy, patient, and determined. My father told everyone to be quiet and just watch the crocodile. If that crocodile wanted to eat one of those pigs, it had to do it on its own. Suddenly, ignoring my father's warnings, one of the tourists maliciously threw an apple into the river with the clear intention that one of the pigs would approach the ferocious reptile. A young mature pig fell into the trap. Distrustful, this pig went in search of the apple, and when he was in the water, the crocodile gave him a voracious bite on the neck. The pig fought for his life while bleeding to death. The other pigs did not know what to do. One of them even wanted the apple back. However, he did not dare so much. Finally, the dying pig was pulled into the depths of the river and was no longer seen.

—How dreadful! — Walter shouted.

—But that is not all. My father was furious. He accused the tourist of being a complete jerk. And he ordered everyone to get off his boat. Tourists were shocked, but none of them wanted to confront my hulking six-foot father. One by one, my dad gave them their money back and then we went home. He lay down in a hammock and smoked a cigarette. I remember him saying to me: “Do you see it, daughter? Those are the unexpected reaches of human cruelty!" At the time it did not seem like a very wise phrase. I could not understand how my father had gotten so angry about a simple pig, to the point of returning the money we so badly needed. Now I understand… I do understand!

Walter was silent for a few seconds, trying to analyze that story.

—And where is your father now? — He asked.

—He did not want to come. He flatly refused. My mother and I could not convince him to come. He thought this was a crazy idea.

—A very intelligent man, your father!

After such reckless annotation, Walter studied the lake carefully and then fixed his gaze on the moon. Then he said:

—Brenda! You have read many books on biology and you are a connoisseur of the habitat of these animals. Do you think there may be crocodiles in this lake located in this tropical country? I mean, I am convinced that there are no fish on this lake. What could these ferocious beasts feed on?

Brenda answered:

—They feed of reckless boys who jump into dark waters in the middle of the night.

Walter laughed.

—You are so funny and clever!

Walter got up and stretched his arms. Brenda looked at him, saying nothing. The boy gathered momentum and then jumped. From Brenda's perspective, Walter was frozen in midair. The fireflies kept flying, the birds in the trees squawked, and the ants kept doing their jobs. Everything was still latent, except Walter stuck in midair. Suddenly, Walter fell like a bomb into the water. The boy remained underwater for thirty seconds. Brenda called his name, but no one answered. She began to get worry. A small head poked out over the surface. Walter yelled:

—Come here, Brenda! The water is wonderful!

—Did I tell you that you are a fool? You scared me! I thought you drowned.

—You should not underestimate my abilities. I am the best climber and swimmer in the world! — Walter said swimming on his back like a professional.

—Certainly you are. You look like a dolphin. — Brenda said, laughing.

—Come on Brenda! Join me in the water! There is nothing to fear! There are no animals in this lake!

For a moment, Brenda thought about the pig that went looking for the apple. She remembered her father lying in the hammock, frustrated and annoyed by human stupidity. She thought of the warm California weather. Then she wiped the sweat from her forehead and took a few steps back. Brenda launched herself into the air and felt stuck for a brief moment. Then she skillfully dove into the magnificent water.

The two young boys swam joyfully for half an hour. They enjoyed that getaway very much, and before the dawn, they headed back to the huts. As they crossed the pasture, Walter gazed at the sky with his soaked hair.

—It will not be long — he whispered.

Then he turned his gaze to the place where he supposed the guards were stationed. "We are an exceptional free for all community, where no one can go out when they want to," Walter thought. He face the dilemma of trying to escape with his mother or wait for the savior. Surprisingly, Brenda gave him a shove and said:

—Wake up you fool! Let's race to that palm tree!

The two boys ran hard until they were exhausted. Brenda was the first to arrive, after celebrating her victory with leaps and shouts of euphoria; she sat down on a rock to rest. Walter asked him:

—Do you know who invented democracy, freedom and the human rights?

—Wow! You really like history a lot… I do not know! Who invented such useful, fair and true concepts?

—The French.

—Oh yeah! My teacher told us something about them. Did you know that they gave the Statue of Liberty as a gift to the United States of America to congratulate them on their independence?

—Of course! They are very generous. Imagine being so grateful to someone that you gave them a gigantic statue.

—That’s certainly impressive!

—Have you ever wanted to travel to France? — Walter asked.

—All my life. France! What a splendid country! — Brenda responded tenderly.

—Well, you already have travelled to France!

—I do not understand. What do you mean by that? I have never been in France!

—We are in France! This country is a French colony!

—Oh! I see! This country is like a piece of France in South America. How fascinating.

Walter got up from his rock a bit annoyed:

—What is so fascinating about a country that is subdued by another country that is an ocean away?

Brenda laughed. And she got up:

—Do you have to question everything?  

—Someone has to! — He said proudly.

That gave Brenda a lot to think about. They were very silent when they saw the huts. Very cautiously, they both returned to their respective beds and slept until eight in the morning. Early in the morning, Walter went in search of his mother who was fainting in bed due to a strong fever. She smiled happily when she saw him. Some nurses examined her, but could not provide any explanation or solution for her sickness and pain. Any request to take her to a hospital was denied by them. The nurses left. Walter approach his mother, took her hand and whisper in her ear:

—Don't worry, Mom. It won’t be long. Our savior will come.

And her mother smiled with visible tears on her eyes.

THE END.