Free from Fear

“Simon.” My father addressed me in the same authoritative voice that he addressed everyone in this place. I have come to expect nothing less. “I would like you to meet Rebekkah Cateness, she will, in the fullness of time become your wife.”

Wow, way to drop it on me. Of course, when making this statement he did not expect that I would argue with him, it’s just that I didn’t expect this, after all, I have only just turned eighteen and had not given any thought to marriage. Don’t get me wrong, I have thought about girls, but in this place, there are limited opportunities for any one on one relationships. Everything was ordained by my father, and the people here knew better than to challenge his authority, after all, it was gifted to him by none other than God Himself.

My father, Simeon Monceux, is the charismatic leader of the ultra-strict Heaven’s Gate Christian Church, the headquarters of which he has established in a gated enclave at the top of a fertile valley, many kilometres from any major town in rural Australia. My mother, Rachel, has been with him on his life’s journey. My sister Sarah recently married and moved into a new house with her husband, Ryan. They seldom visit, something that has Mother concerned.

In this place his word is law, and obedience is mandatory. If any person defies him, he and his family are shunned, that is stripped of their possessions and driven to the gate to find their own way to search for a new home, for they no longer exist in the eyes of the rest of the community, and no attempt would be made to help them in any way shape or form.

His church is based on community, hard work and devotion to God. His followers meet each evening in the community meeting room before supper for prayer. In these prayers, the world at large does not exist outside this community and the satellite churches that have been ‘birthed’ around the country. There are no prayers in support of any political leader or government, no prayers are offered up as a solution to any problem concerning refugees and the domestic homeless, or those suffering mental illnesses, because such people are an abomination in the eyes of the Lord.

Prayers are offered up for the healing of the sick, for successful crops, for families, and for a long and happy marriage for any newly-wed couples. This is a given, because divorce does not exist in this community. Death is the only end to a marriage.

I held out my hand to this girl, she had just turned fourteen a week ago, and had reached the age when her future partner was chosen. “I’m very pleased to meet you.” This was a part of the formality of this process.

“I am pleased to meet you too.” She bobbed a quick curtsy, also a part of the ritual of introduction. She lowered her eyes and blushed. As she slowly raised her head I was given the opportunity to take a closer look at her. I’ll give my father this, she is very pretty in a young girl kind of way.

“Now that you have been formally introduced as future marriage partners, you will be allowed to meet each other, in the presence of a chaperone, so that you can get to know each other. But I must warn you that any meeting without your chaperone is forbidden. The temptation for young people to engage in sexual activity prior to marriage is great and, as you are both young, you are not yet ready to resist such temptation, therefore any such meeting is strictly forbidden.” This instruction is given, as prescribed by the Laws of the community, to all couples at this time in their relationship. “Any breach of this rule will result in you, both of you, being shunned. Is that understood?”

“Yes Master.” We responded. In these matters, he was to be referred to as ‘Master’, even by me.

The first change, as the children in this place were home-schooled, she was as decreed, to join our family home school consisting of myself as the older sibling, my sister Mary, and my brother John. My mother was our teacher, and as well as the three ‘R’s she taught the Bible. We had to learn scripture passages by rote, and be able to quickly refer to passages that support whatever we were discussing. The Bible, we were told, was the final answer to all problems.

Mother spent some time with Rebekkah on her first morning at class, I couldn’t hear what was being spoken of, but during luncheon, Mother asked me if I would like to be her Tutor in Religious Study. I caught a faint smile on Rebekkah’s face when I agreed to do this. This was to be the beginning of troubled times for me.

“I have been thinking.” She began one day, I have come to know that this meant trouble for me. “I know that your father preaches all about the love of God and how we are to love our fellow man, but……” She paused to make sure that she had correctly phrased the question. “What happens to those people that are shunned, do you stop loving them?”

“They have transgressed God’s Law and are no longer of God, to us they cease to exist.” I realised as soon as I said that she would ask more questions.

“But, if God loves everyone, shouldn’t we also love them?”

“When my father hands down this, God’s punishment on them for their transgression, he is doing God’s work.”

“Sort of like a policeman for God?”

“You could say that. Look, God wants only those who are pure of heart, so we also only want those who are pure of heart. If a person lacks that purity of heart then that person must suffer the wrath of God.”

“So what you are saying is that if your father decides that someone has transgressed, then God has also decided that person should be punished by being shunned?”

“Yes.”

“So that means that God is doing your father’s bidding.”

“No. If a person transgresses, it is against God’s Law. Father is administering punishment for an infraction against God’s Law.”

“What if the transgression is something that is not written in the Bible, how can that be against God’s Law?”

“Just as, throughout the Bible, there have been new Laws introduced, God has continued to reveal new Laws to his earthly servants, who write them down in statute so that they come into Law.”

“So you cannot challenge these new Laws?”

“No, because they are from God and are of God.”

“What if I were to tell you that I do not want to marry you?”

“God has decreed that we are to wed.”

“But what if I don’t love you?”

“We are to love all people, to not love is against God’s Law.”

“What if I were to love another?”

“You may love another but not as a wife, that would be adultery and that is a sin. Do you love another?”

“No, at least I do not think so, but what if, in the future, I should fall in love with another as his wife?”

“You would be breaking God’s Law.”

“And I shall be shunned?”

“Yes, it is God’s Law.”

“Then I shall have to put my wishes to one side and learn to love you.”

“As I will learn to love you.” I replied. Even as I made this promise I realised that I was heading in a dangerous direction. Here was my bride to be questioning my father’s authority. If I were to mention this conversation to my mother she would have to relay it to my father who would, in all probability, have Rebekkah and her family shunned. “I also make this promise, I will be open to discussions such as this with you in private, in public, the law states that you must agree with me on all things. We must have no secrets from each other, you are free to express your opinion, as am I. What we discuss between ourselves must remain between ourselves. Do you agree?”

A smile brightened her face. “Yes.” She kissed me, in a chaste manner that is expected between marriage partners, just not before marriage. There was that smile again. “I love you.”

“Oh dear,” I looked into her eyes. “I do not know how I’ll withstand the temptations that you are putting on me.”

“Then don’t. I will make you this promise, while in private I will allow, encourage, mutual demonstrations of affection to pass between us. In public, I will behave in a subservient manner as proscribed by your father.” She put her arms around me. “Hold me.”

“I think we should be getting back to our studies, don’t you?” I opened my bible to the passage we were to study. Rebekkah sat close to me and her hand reached to my thigh under the table. I should have moved it, but it felt good, more than good.

We both silently read the Parable of the Good Samaritan. “What was Jesus’ message with this Parable?” She asked me.

“It is about love that comes from an unexpected source.”

“I think that there’s more to it than that.”

“Okay, what do you think it means?”

“For a start, he was highly critical of the Priest and the other guy for putting doing church before their duty to their fellow man.”

“And?”

“That not offering assistance makes them as guilty as the thugs that assaulted the traveller.”

“But, if they were to aid the man they would have made themselves unclean and unable to carry out their duties.”

“That’s a load of rubbish. If they were on their way to the temple they would not have yet cleansed themselves and, if they were on their way home, they would no longer need to remain cleansed. That is why I believe that he was critical of them placing doing church above doing the work of God.”

“I can see that we are going to have some interesting conversations but I must warn you, these must remain between us, if you use these thoughts when Mother is examining you on what you have learnt, she will report you to my father and you will be shunned.”

“I will do my best to remember that but, let me ask you, do you always agree with what you have been taught?”

“When I was much younger my father’s word was gospel, you believed it all because he told you that you must.”

“But you don’t believe that now, do you?”

“I’m beginning to question his teaching, yes.”

“My darling Simon, I love you even more. I knew, just by watching you while your father was preaching, that you were having second thoughts.” She was about to move from thinking about kissing me to doing it when the door opened and Mother poked her head in. “Time for prayers.” Her head disappeared.

Father waited until we were all in the room. “Oh Lord we beseech you to grant us an abundant harvest, may our trees bear much fruit and our gardens a fine crop. We ask that you look down on us your servants, keep us from harm and temptation so that we can, like your son Jesus, live blameless lives. May our community live in peace and harmony, friend with friend, parents with children and children with parents. This, your community, shall remain a shining example of a people who devote their lives and themselves to doing your good works.

We look about us at the world outside our walls and recognise the price that the world is paying for its continued disobedience to your word. This we pray in your name. Amen.”

“Amen.” We chorused.

We walked home together and when we were all seated at the table, Father called for silence.

“Lord, we ask that you bless the food that we are about to eat, may it strengthen us. Amen”

“Amen.” We chorused again.

Dishes were passed and we each took a portion, making sure that there was sufficient for all before we began to eat.

It was my turn to do the dishes. “Would it be okay if I were to help, after all, we’ll be doing this together after we wed?” Rebekkah asked.

“That would be fine,” Father said. “I think they will make a great couple, what do you think?” He asked Mother.

“Yes, they are getting on so well together.”

“Not too well, I hope.” Father added.

Dish-washing wasn’t as innocent as usual. I accidentally spilt some water on Rebekkah’s front. Her nipples stood out, forming peaks. She handed me the tea towel. “You had better dry me.”

The more I patted her breasts, the further her nipples stood out. “That feels so good.” She sighed.

“We had better stop, what if someone comes in?”

“Oh all right, I’ll be good.” She sighed.

Life with Rebekkah was both a blessing and a curse. The blessing was getting to spend valuable time with my beautiful bride-to-be, both while I didn’t so much as tutor her in Religious Studies, but enjoy our conversations on that subject. She, it was, that required me to begin to think outside the lessons we had been taught and to look at alternate meanings in the Scriptures. I must say that our time together had become most stimulating. The curse was our continued physical attraction to each other. What had begun as gentle flirtation had reached the point where we were in danger of succumbing to our carnal desires.

It all began when we decided that we should kiss before we began our studies. And then, after we had completed our studies. Slowly and inexorably our kissing time began to overshadow our study time. Then there was the introduction of a new factor, touching. What began as an accidental brushing of her breast had progressed to my hand slipping under her clothing to caress them. This took on a new perspective when Rebekkah’s hand slid under the waistband of my trousers and began to stroke my penis.

“We should….” I said to her between my heavy intakes of breath. “Stop this…”

“I know… ” She replied.

We didn’t.

Then, we had been ‘together’ for almost a year when it happened, the big reveal. I raised her blouse to reveal no bra and her uncovered breasts. “They are the most beautiful I have ever seen.”

“Probably the first.” She whispered.

“Yes, there is that to it, but I can’t imagine any more beautiful.”

I kissed a nipple. “Don’t stop,” she whispered, “that feels so good.”

I didn’t stop. It was only a matter of minutes before she had opened my trousers to reveal my hard penis. “I can’t wait to feel him inside me.” She sighed before kissing the tip.

“We are going to have to wait or else we will be shunned.”

“Who will see us?” She asked.

“No one, but I don’t think that I could face my mother without my guilt showing.”

“I notice that you don’t mention your father, why is that?”

“Because my mother loves me and thinks of me, and us. My father thinks of himself and not us.”

“I don’t know about us, but I get the feeling that he is thinking about me.” Rebekkah said quietly.

“What makes you say that?” I asked.

“It seems that, I don’t know, every time I look at him he looks away, as if he’s been caught out staring at me. I know he’s your father, but I don’t trust him. Some of the girls I’ve spoken to have mentioned that he takes a keen interest in them that’s bordering on paedophilia.”

“Do you know, six months ago I would have told you that you’re imagining it.”

“But not now. What has changed?”

“Something that I heard one of the men I work with say. He mentioned that his wife told him that my father told her that God ordered him to, in the guise of sexual education, have sex with her. I said nothing at the time but I think you should be careful.”

“Darling, I’m worried.” Rebekkah said.

“Why are you worried, I love you, you love me, what more do you need?”

“It’s about your mother, she seems to be concerned about something and I don’t know what it is. I asked her about it but she wouldn’t tell me.”

“I’m sure that there’s nothing to it.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. I know that she has been comforting Miles next door since Magda died, and she spends a lot of time with him, I think there’s more to it than that.”

Two weeks before our wedding day Rebekkah stayed over at our house, she had been staying over more frequently lately. She had a room to herself, my parents told us that they trusted us but didn’t want to place temptation in our path. We all went to bed at ten o’clock. I kissed her good night. “Sleep well, but if anything happens yell and I’ll be there.”

“Why would you say that?”

“It’s probably nothing, just be safe, okay?”

“I will Darling, I love you.” Every time she said that to me it sent tingles right through my body.

I was just drifting off to sleep with my penis in my hand, wishing it was her hand, when there was a loud scream. “Who’s there! Get out of here, now!”

I was out of my room before she had finished her scream. Father was backing out of her room. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“I heard Rebekkah scream and came to see what was wrong.”

“That’s a lie!” Rebekkah shouted at him. “You were by my bed with the bedclothes pulled down and your hand between my legs you filthy pervert!”

“I was not!” He denied. “She’s lying!”

“I think that we should all calm down and return to our beds, we will discuss this in the morning.” Mother said, grabbing Father by the hand and leading him back to their bedroom.

I held Rebekkah for some time as she trembled her way through the memory of her experience. “Ssh, it will be all right.”

“Hold me, please hold me.” I could feel her tears seeping through my pyjama top.

“I will obey your every wish, my love.”

“I’m scared.”

“Don’t be, I’m here for you, you do know that, don’t you?”

“Yes. It’s not you that I’m scared of, it’s your father, what if he decides to shun me and my family because of this?”

“If he does that he will be shunning me as well.”

“No, I can’t have you going against your father just for me.”

“I wouldn’t do it for anyone else.” I attempted to lighten the mood. “Look, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what my father does and what he stands for, I’m afraid that I am beginning to agree with your opinions on this whole community. The more that I compare it with the teachings of Jesus, the more I realise that it is a church in name only. I, we, need to think this through and decide where we stand. If it comes down to a choice between you and my father, I will always choose you.” I kissed her to confirm my position.

“Darling Simon, I don’t want to be the one to come between you and your father, the choice is yours to make, but I am going to make the choice easier for you. Can I sleep with you tonight?”

“Yes, my love, yes.”

I would have had no second thoughts if we had decided to make love, but neither of us was in the mood. Having said that, “Darling Rebekkah, I have decided that I am prepared to ignore my father’s teachings and we will make love even before we are wed. Making love, as opposed to having sex, is a spiritual confirmation of our physical feelings. I love you so very much.”

“Mmm, that’s nice.” Her lips found their way to mine.

From the perfunctory manner with which Father delivered the pre-breakfast prayer, I’d say that Father and Mother had a long discussion about the events of last night. He maintained a sullen silence until he left to prepare for the morning worship service.

“Your father and I have had a long discussion about what happened last night. I’m afraid that it does not look good for Rebekkah. He is adamant that he was responding to your screams.”

“Didn’t you feel him get out of bed?” I asked.

“Yes, I thought that he was going to the bathroom.”

“Mother, Rebekkah and I had a feeling that this was about to happen, you see, she has spoken to girls who have experienced a similar situation. The difference being, that they lived with the fear of their whole family being shunned if they complained. We were prepared for this, even though Rebekkah has only days to go before she reaches the age of consent.”

“Some of the girls have told me,” Rebekkah said, “that they had not reached the age of consent when he raped them during his ‘preparation for marriage’ programme that he ran for girls. He will claim that, and this was what he told them, as the spiritual leader of this community, working under the direct guidance of God, these secular rules do not exist. In the Bible, Paul tells us that we are to live in obedience to the laws set by those chosen to govern. If push comes to shove, we have several girls who are prepared to give evidence against him.”

“I was afraid of that,” Mother said. “you see, this is not the first time that he has done this. He has managed to convince the girl concerned, that he was acting on explicit instructions from God, and that they should never question God’s authority.”

“So, what are we going to do about that? I don’t want him anywhere near Rebekkah.”

“I put an ultimatum to him, he either confesses before the whole community and begs for forgiveness, or we expose him.”

“I suppose that’s why he didn’t say much at breakfast.”

“Yes, and that’s what bothers me. This is the first time that anyone has stood against him, and this person just happens to be the girl chosen by him to be his son’s wife. My biggest concern is how he’ll react. I hope that he has forgiveness in his heart, but I’m afraid not.”

“What can we do?” Rebekkah asked.

“You two are the dearest to me right now, I want you to remain calm and don’t do anything to upset him in any way. I have a call to make.” She picked up her phone. “Miles, yes it’s me. I’m sorry to burden you this early in the morning, but I think the time has come.”

We couldn’t hear what was said from, I assume, Miles Jensen, one of the elders.

“The stupid fool chose to force himself onto Rebekkah. She, to her credit, wasn’t having any of this and screamed the house down, I’m surprised you didn’t hear it. He denied it, of course, but there was no denying it. He’s gone off to prepare for this morning’s service. I have a horrible feeling that he intends to shun Rebekkah and her family. If he does that Simon has declared that he will go with them. Apart from this shunning being wrong in so many ways, Peter Cateness has skills and talents that this community cannot afford to lose. If he decides to go down that path, he has to be stopped. If he does, I think that it’s time that we made our move.”

“What move?” I asked as she ended the call.

“I have decided, Miles and I have decided that we should be together. He has been lonely since Magda died and I have been providing him with emotional support. One thing has led to another and your father isn’t the only one to seek sex outside the marriage.”

“What?” I stared at her in disbelief.

“Did you two, you know, last night?” She asked, changing the subject and looking from one to the other of us.

“No, why do you ask?”

“I need to know whether the sheets need washing.” This is a whole new side to my mother.

“Does Father know about the two of you?” I asked, bringing the subject back on topic.

“Good lord no, until it affects him directly it will not enter into his thinking.”

“If he goes ahead with our shunning,” Rebekkah said, “There will be many more wanting to leave the community. The word of his God ordered indiscretions have spread, the girls have decided that they will ignore his wanting to keep it secret and have told their parents. Some have decided that he is wrong in this and probably wrong in other orders, while others are still afraid of him. We need to show everyone that he can no longer rule by fear.”

“Let’s not do anything today unless he decides to go ahead with Rebekkah’s shunning.” Mother said.

We left for the meeting hall. Myles was waiting for Mother and walked with us. We met Rebekkah’s parents outside the meeting hall. “Hi Mum, Dad, I probably don’t need to introduce you to Simon’s mother, but this is Miles Jensen.”

“I know Miles, how are you getting on without Magda?”

“Fine now, I have received invaluable support from Rachel.” He looked at Mother, it was a dead give-away that there was something going on between them.

“How are you two getting on?” Rebekkah’s mother asked us. “No lovers’ quarrels yet?”

“As far as Simon and I are going, it can’t get much better than it is right now, and his mother, our mother, she has been very supportive of us, she has helped us set up our new house, we’ve even chosen a room for the nursery.”

“You aren’t, please tell me you aren’t?”

“No, we would have to have made love for that to happen, and we haven’t got around to that, yet.”

“Good for you. We have heard a rumour going around that there is going to be a shunning announced this morning, do you know anything about that?”

“No, but if there is, it could cause a major upheaval in the community.” Miles said.

We passed through the regular door greeters who somehow seemed to be less than enthusiastic this morning.

Following the obligatory warm-up concert, my father stood at the lectern, his head bowed. “It saddens me to announce that we have a shunning to perform this morning. The Cateness family will no longer be a part of our community. This had been brought about by the rebellious behaviour of their daughter Rebekkah. As you are aware, Rebekkah was brought into my own home to prepare for her marriage to my son, Simon. She has not only dishonoured herself, by challenging God’s teaching, but has actively tempted Simon to break God’s laws regarding sexual intercourse before marriage. Simon, to his credit, has resisted her temptations.

Needless to say, because of her transgressions and her parents’ unwillingness to chastise her, I have no recourse but to order the shunning of the Cateness family forthwith.”

I stood, “If you shun Rebekkah and her family, you had better include me.”

“How dare you go against God’s wishes!”

“I am going against your wishes, not God’s. He tells me to love everyone regardless of their situation in life. I was forced, against my wishes at the time, to enter into an arranged marriage agreement with Rebekkah. I, we, have grown to love and respect each other in a spiritual and emotional context, but not, until recently, a physical context. The reason that you are shunning her, and her family, is because she resisted your advances. You, Sir, are a megalomaniac, a hypocrite and a paedophile. I am ashamed to be your son.”

“How dare you speak to me like that!”

“Do you deny my allegations?”

“Most emphatically!”

“Do you deny that, under the guise of preparing her for her role as my wife, you attempted to have sexual intercourse with her, even though it was before she reached the age of consent?”

“Yes, you have no proof to support your allegations.”

“Ah, but I do have proof. We were aware of your penchant for having sex with young girls, including your own daughter, before they got married, to make them aware of what was expected of them in their forthcoming role as a wife. We concealed a video camera in her room and recorded the whole incident.” We didn’t but he’s not to know that. “If you wish I can play it on the big screen for all of your followers to see. Would you like that?”

There was no answer. I was bluffing, just as I was certain that the last thing he would want is for the video to be made public.

“After witnessing your transgression, Rebekkah and I decided that we no longer respected you and your leadership. We are now joined together physically, though not yet sexually, spiritually and emotionally, and we intend to journey outside this community to formalise our relationship in a secular marriage ceremony. We do not want to do this, but you leave us with little option.”

“You don’t know what you are doing. You are defying God’s Law, you will rot in Hell for all time!”

“You don’t frighten us with your threats. To think that we, and all here, have been taught to follow your rules, your laws, and, in doing so, go against God’s Law as written in the Bible. What Paul tells us in Romans chapter 12 verse 2 is that just because something is done a certain way doesn’t make it right, we should search our minds to establish what is God’s will for us. We are searching and have decided that you are not fit to lead us. I think that we should ask the people here to vote on whether the Cateness family, and me, should be shunned. Before we vote, how many of the ladies here suffered from you imposing yourself on them before they were married? Can I have a show of hands?”

First one hand, then two, until almost all of the women held a hand aloft.

“How many of you had yet to reach the age of consent when this happened?”

Again, hands were held aloft.

“So, not only did you transgress God’s Law that states that girls, women, should know no man before they are married, and know no other man than their husband, but you have broken secular laws that prohibit a man from having sexual intercourse with a girl who has not reached the age of consent. You are not fit to lead this community!”

“And I suppose that you are going to say that you are?”

“No. I do not think that I am an any better person to assume that role than any other person, and I include women. I do not have the life experience needed to lead. My mother is better suited to that role than I am.”

“You do realise that, in proceeding with this, you are destroying the community that we have built up here?”

“No Father, You have destroyed it. Someone once said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Your megalomaniacal use, or should I say misuse, of power has corrupted this community. But, it is not beyond hope if we, as a community, want to see it continue. The decision is no longer with you, but the people here.”

“I will not have this! To this community I represent God, I am God! My word is Law and disobedience to the Law is disobedience to me and to God! If any of you wish to defy me you should leave now.”

He looked at the congregation, a smile on his face. This smile vanished when he realised that every man, woman and child had stood and was heading for the door. “Wait! Let us discuss this.”

“The time for discussion with you is over.” Miles turned and replied. “When Rachel is no longer married to you, she and I will wed. You turned your back on her many years ago, you told her that she was too old for you. You didn’t stop to think of how much that hurt a woman still in her prime. She no longer loves or respects you, she is beyond putting up with your debauched behaviour, she is beyond caring for, and about, you.”

“You will all pay for this with eternal damnation! You will all rot in hell forever! There is no saving you! I am God! How dare you disobey God!”

The musicians placed their instruments on the floor and stepped down from the stage, followed by the singers. As I closed the doors he could still be heard shouting incoherently at no one.

“What happens now?” I asked Mother.

“We will have a meeting of this community at which a decision will be made as to whether we continue.”

“I would like, if at all possible, for it to continue. My only wish is that power not be centred on one person. We have several people capable of forming a management committee. If the community decides to continue we should call for an election to fill vacant committee positions.”

“It sounds as if you have been giving this some thought.” Mother said.

“We have,” Rebekkah said, “The more that we studied the scriptures the more we came to realise the dangers of allowing the situation to continue. We are warned to beware of false prophets, he positioned himself above a prophet or servant of God, he saw himself as God.”

“I would have to agree with you,” Mother said, “When this all began he was willing to listen to others, to accept advice, but all of that changed and he began to distance himself from us, we no longer existed in the management of this community. When a leader sees himself as God, failure is inevitable.”

It was a different father who emerged from the meeting hall. His head was bowed as he shuffled toward us. “What happens now?” He asked.

I spoke before the others had a chance to. “As far as you are concerned, this s what will happen, if the others agree, you will address the meeting and confess your sins. You will ask for forgiveness and a second chance. If you do not do this we intend to take the evidence that we have to the police. You will be tried and convicted of the many instances where you had non-consensual sex with girls under the age of consent. You will spend many years in gaol and you know what happens to paedophiles in gaol, don’t you?”

“What if you don’t all agree with this?”

“You had better hope that we do, we will get back to you on this. I suggest that you give it some thought in the meantime.”

“My,” Rebekkah said, hugging and kissing me, “My man is so masterful, isn’t he?”

“I hope that he won’t get carried away with this power, I don’t want to see history repeating itself.” Mother said.

“It won’t, not if my Rebekkah has any say in it.” I said.

Mother suggested that we should go home and the four of us should have our mid-day meal and attempt to get our heads around what had just happened.

After the meal, Rebekkah and I did the dishes. “Mother,” Rebekkah said, “Would you object to Simon and I going to his, our, room and get to know each other in a Biblical context?”

“I do not see why you shouldn’t. She replied.

“And,” Rebekkah looked from Mother to Miles with the all too familiar smile on her face, “Can you think of any reason why you and Miles should not do the same?”

Mother looked to Miles, and the look that passed between them answered the question.

I closed the door behind us and took Rebekkah in my arms, kissing her I said, “Please don’t judge this performance too harshly, I have had no experience at this.” I began to undress her, tossing her clothes into a corner of the room with a flamboyant gesture. When I had completed I stared in wonder at what I had only seen a fraction of, but now a vision stood before me. I kissed her, beginning with her mouth then her neck, her mouth, her ear, her mouth, her nipple, her mouth, the other nipple. She squirmed at the touch of my lips.

“Stop. It’s my turn.” She removed my clothes, tossing them into the same corner, just as flamboyantly as I had. She stood in front of me and admired my penis as it rose to point at her. She kissed me, softly on the lips and then my neck, back to my lips then slowly down my body until she reached my penis. “Hello there my good man, are you ready for this?” She kissed him, licked him and sucked him.

“Come.” I said as I led her to our bed.

“I’m ready for you.” She whispered to me as she guided me into her body.

The feeling going through my body, as he advanced and retreated into her, became more intense as the minutes passed. It was no longer a penis entering a vagina, or a cock thrusting into a sopping pussy, it was sopping wet, and my cock was thrusting into it, but what we had here was a man, me, and a woman, Rebekkah, joining physically with the spiritual and emotional bond that we had already cemented.

“Darling,” Rebekkah whispered to me as she wiped her loss of virginity from between her legs. “Where is the end of the world that we were told would happen because of this? Was that just another lie?”

“That was the fear that he used to keep us in line. Once we realise that his words mean nothing we can begin to live without fear, to live with love.”

“I wonder if Mother,” Rebekkah had begun to call her Mother, “And Miles have consummated their relationship?”

“I think that there’s every chance that they have, and good luck to them, I think living with them as parents has a lot going for it.”

“It can’t be worse than the alternative that’s for sure.”

After dinner that was not preceded by the obligatory prayer session, we sat and discussed the day’s events and some thoughts on the future before returning to our respective beds.

It must have been midnight when there was a loud banging on the door, it was my father yelling at us. “Let me in! I want to talk with you!”

I heard the door open and a calm voice. “What do you want? Do realise what time it is?”

“I have been walking around for hours trying to understand what happened this morning, I’m tired and I want to get some sleep.”

“You’re not welcome here.”

“But it’s my house.”

“It was our house, not yours, you are no longer welcome in our house. go find a hotel, oh that’s right, you wouldn’t allow hotels here, would you? Then go and find someone who’ll allow you to stay with them for however long it takes for us to arrange the meeting where we’ll discuss our future.”

“No one will have me.” He said in a resigned voice. He was beginning to realise the extent of the revolution.

“There is no one home at Miles’ place, the door isn’t locked, you can stay the night there.”

“Why isn’t there anyone there?” Then it hit him, Miles was with Rachel. We were waiting for him to get angry again, but he didn’t, he turned around and walked slowly next door.

Things moved quickly. The Elders held a meeting to establish a management committee to control all facets of the commune’s operations. Part of this was to ask for expressions of interest from commune members who would like to take up the role of Preacher. Each applicant would be vetted before undertaking training in sermon delivery and an introduction to scripture interpretation. It was impressed on them, that the Bible was open to interpretation, and that they would follow specific guidelines as to keeping the context of Jesus message of altruism and inclusion. Strict rules were set out regarding the process of shunning. This would no longer be the arbitrary decision of one person, but a committee would review the proposal before being putting it to a vote of all commune members.

After the Elders had met, Father was invited to meet with them to discuss his future.

“You have brought this commune into disrepute.” Jonah Thorpe, the Chair of the Elders committee address Father. “You have turned what was originally a Christian community that worked together in harmony, into a Cult, one that went against our original goals. You have also committed crimes against the Bible in regards to the marriage contract. you committed crimes that will, inevitably, involve criminal charges being filed against you in court. As is often the case, all members of this commune will be looked upon in a similar light. We will, unless we very publicly dismiss you from this community, find that we will not be welcome within the outside world. The Elders of this community have been given no alternative but to ask you to leave this community and, we will be handing over the evidence of your crimes to the relevant authorities.”

“I ask for the Elders to accept my remorse for what I have done and forgive me. I ask to be allowed to stay here while I re-establish my standing within the community. I realise that I allowed my power to corrupt me in such a way as to damage the good reputation of the members of this community.”

“We have discussed this in great detail and, because you have placed us in a position that, to allow you to go unpunished and remain with us, we will ourselves, be breaking the law. We have concluded that, while we can forgive your crimes against God, we are not in a position to forgive your secular crimes. This can proceed in either of two ways, you can voluntarily leave and give yourself in to the police, or you can remain here and we invite the police to come here and arrest you. If you choose the latter, we will ensure media attendance.”

“It appears that I have no choice.” He said quietly. It took some doing but he rose, lifted his head high and spoke in a clear voice. “I bid you all farewell.” With that, he left.

The Sunday meeting was underway when Jonah Thorpe mounted the stage to address the community. “Ladies and gentlemen, you will have noticed that our founder and leader is not with us today. There will be rumours as to the reason for this, so I have been asked to put to rest these rumours. There have been crimes committed by him against God and against secular law, that we can not allow to go unpunished. we have asked him to leave and to surrender to the police. These crimes, unfortunately, involve young women. There will, of necessity, be a healing period for these women so I ask that you remember them in your prayers and to also give them the emotional support that they will obviously need. I ask too that you give support to Rachel, Sarah and Simon as they work their way through these trying times. In deference to this situation, I think that we should spend the time usually set aside for the message, to offer our prayers and support for each other and the families of all concerned. The music team will provide suitable music for this occasion.”