“Alright friends”, an elder announced, “to begin our Sunday meeting, let’s turn in our song books song 89, listen, obey and be blessed”. “Cevonte,” his mother says, “I hope you can sing just a little higher than before, okay sweetie?’, she asks delightfully. “Uhh i forgot, i had to use the men’s room it’ll be quick”, he replies quickly. “Okay, come right back young man!”, she says in an aggressive whisper. Now obviously, cevonte didn’t ACTUALLY have to use the men’s room. If your reading this as an exjw you know what i’m talking about. The rest room was pretty much the only privacy spot to get out singing, or just needing a mental break from all the propaganda. If your a jw reading this well...hi, you didn’t hear this from me!!! Anyway, AJ, who was already in the men’s room, caught on to this trend and followed along. “Hey man”, starts cevonte, you remember yesterday in field service that apartment with that colorful flag?’, he asks suddenly. AJ looking puzzled say, “no not really, i was too busy hearing my dad complain about the fact that i’m learning evolution in school”. He says with a chuckle. “Ok whatever, the point I'm making is, this black dude who owned it, he was just so, I don't know, normal?’, he says to AJ. before yesterday, cevonte had never spoken to an lgbt individual. AJ, showing his indoctrination says, “well, maybe he could be your return visit, and you could tell him what God feels about it”. “Yeah but, i just feel like it’s a sensitive thing to talk about, I mean, you wouldn't just ask a random person if they are straight right?’, he asks.
But AJ couldn’t get a word in because all of a sudden, the door swings open, and almost immediately both of boy’s stop their conversation. They just briefly stare at who is entering the men’s room. Entering was a tall, lean, black man with a sharp red suit, with a black bow tie. You might be wondering, “is this carl, the boy’’s were talking about”. No. This was someone completely different the two of them have never seen before. “Hello young men,” he starts, are you two waiting on the stalls”? He asks. Quickly, AJ says, “no, were just, talking about… the meeting”, he says as an excuse. As the man entered the stall, AJ silently mouths off “is that him”? Cevonte shakes his head no. “not sure who this new brother is but that suit hits different”, he says to himself. The toilet flushes and the man enters out of the stall. “Oh where are my manners?”, he points out. “Yall got names?’, he asks them. The both of them greeted each other. “Nice to meet yall’s, my name’s Denaris, but people call me DJ for short” he tells them. At this moment they just chap it up about school, the memorial, and other things. Ten minutes had gone by and cevonte’s mom texted him saying “WHERE ARE YOU?!”, in bold letters. “Well maybe we can talk some more after the meeting, you seem pretty cool, AJ says to D. AJ got a similar message as well.
After the meeting, cevonte found his mom talking to Denaris. She signals him over.”cevonte, have you met this fine young man yet?’, she says, drawing attention to herself. “Yeah i have mom, me and AJ were talking to him in the rest ro-”. He quickly stops because he was about to snitch on himself. They chat for a good 5 minutes. Then his mom finally asks, “So where do you stay? Maybe my boy canhang with you sometime?”, she asks without consideration of his time. “Well i stay off of Smith's Road next to that summer camp forest. I plan on working there this summer since it’s close to home”, he says. “Ohh wow that’s great!”, she says as she gives a look to cevonte, as if she realises what he was thinking. “What an interesting coincidence”.
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ESCAPING THE FISH BOWL: CAMPAIGN SEASON
Teen FictionA part 1 of a story about the experiences of growing up as a jehovah witness youth. The group a four all learn new things about themselves along the journey of slowly but surely escaping their fish bowls together.
