Warning!
This is a book for the open-minded only!
If you feel that you already know all about the mysteries of our existence, your view of life is set and you would like to keep it this way, then this book is not meant for you. Don't bother reading...
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Censorship reflects society's lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritative regime.
- Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart
"Wow, that's quite incredible!" Berni agreed a few weeks later, when we met again for the first time.
And – yes, you have guessed correctly – it had taken him longer than three weeks to come home. Why he had had to stay in the barracks again? Don't even ask.
"Isn't it? But what I found even more incredible, was the lack of information afterwards!" I exclaimed. I threw my hands in the air to stress my point, as I had once more become frustrated about the whole topic.
"You would think that they would tell the interested public something. Give them some kind of information on what this was all about," I added in a calmer voice, bracing my elbows on my crossed legs to get more comfortable.
"I guess the authorities just wanted to hush everything up," Beni mused, stretching out on my bed to relax. Since it was Friday, meaning the next day was a school day, we had decided to simply stay at my place.
Mum did not appreciate me going out during the week, after all.
We did not mind, however, since my parents graciously respected my privacy and there were plenty of things we could do at home. Like talking. Or listening to music. Or smoking weed. (Yes, I had got bolder. . .)
You might wonder, why my parents never smelled or suspected anything. Actually, I was wondering the same thing. But I guessed that they probably attributed my sudden infatuation with incense-sticks to a passing phase in my teenage-life.
"But why would they not want us to know?" I continued our conversation after having reflected on his comment for a moment.
"Beats me. Maybe the authorities think that people could not handle it and would panic?" Beni rolled onto his left side and propped his head up on his arm to look at me.
"But why should anyone panic?" I argued, looking down on the reclining boy.
"I wouldn't," Beni grinned, a certain adventurous sparkle in his eyes.
"I wouldn't, either," I agreed, shaking my head at the thought.
"Did you tell Sofi and Diana about it? He asked me curiously.
"Yes, I did." I scowled.
"Oh. What did they say?"
"They were not really interested." I sighed exasperatedly.
"But. . . why on earth not?" Beni sat up, looking at me quizzically.
"Maybe because they had not heard it for themselves." I shrugged. "Like Mum. They probably thought that I imagined the whole thing. . ."
"What can you do. Some people simply don't want to know about that kind of stuff. . . Maybe, because they don't want their comfortable lives to be disrupted by inconvenient thoughts and concepts," Beni mused. "Oh, by the way. . . do you want to hear a funny story about our military training?"
