The Silent Minority
Page 23
different. He felt as though he got out of a long hibernation and needed a drink.
The place was packed. He went to a corner of the bar and ordered a whisky. He sensed that the barman recognized him and from the corner of his eye he saw him ringing someone. He was sure it was the press; maybe the television cameras, so he drank the whisky at once and left the bar.
He was driving for just a minute when he saw two familiar figures walking along. On a second glance he realized the duo were the Teacher and his friend. He asked them if they wanted a lift and they answered that they would rather walk. After all, it was such a beautiful day in every way, they said.
The chairman stopped the car and went out to join them. They talked for a while of various things such as where they were staying and their destination after they left this city and more. Then the chairman looked the Teacher straight in the eyes.
"I want to tell you, you are honoring the title of the Teacher."
Then the Teacher answered wholeheartedly, with a smile, "Thank you, and I want to say that you honor the important position of chairman of WCFET."
They embraced each other heartily for the last time. Unknown to them, a press photographer took a shot that would become an icon in a second consecutive day.
The meeting in the back room of the WCFET finished. All the committee members except the five of the sub-committee left. The vice-chairman took the chair and said, "Well gentlemen, today is the day. Either way we have to solve this problem now. The fainthearted ones are not with us anymore. We can talk freely now with no reservations. Our first aim is to stop this guy right away for I am sure he is going to pop up somewhere in another state and then we have to start all over again."
"But how can we do that?"
"We have to think of something. You know the last two nights I hardly slept at all. It bothers me so much. I don't understand how a lone wolf with no organization behind him can cause so much interest, so much attention, and so much curiosity? Regardless of whether you uphold it or not, it is a puzzle.
"There is something odd here. They keep saying he does not resonate to the people and that the majority is against him is true. What they don't tell us is why then they bother about him. What is this hullabaloo all about? Why do newspapers spend so much ink on this guy? Why are international televisions networks broadcasting his speeches live (with the help of our 'brilliant' chairman, of course) and use segments in the prime time news slot?"
"There is one other thing bothers me. Okay, I understand that by far the majority is against him but what about the rest? Ten or fifteen and with the skeptics twenty per cent adds up in to millions of possible supporters and this is only the beginning. I tell you there are clouds in the horizon. I suggest we convey the assignment to the SIU to fix the problem as they feel fit."
"Is it not too much of a radical idea?"
"My dear friend, in order to save the whole sometimes it is essential to sacrifice one. When a potato is rotten in a bag you have to eradicate that potato in order to save the whole bag."
"How do you think they are going to deal with the problem?"
"I don't know perhaps an acute laryngitis, or perhaps... an accident. Who knows?"
The chairman's wife Lillian again waited for him in the garage. They hugged passionately and she again put her finger to his lips indicating that she knew everything and that he should not talk. Holding his hand she guided him upstairs, set him gently on the sofa, went into the laundry and brought a plastic bucket with hot water. She kneeled in front of him, pulled his shoes and socks off and gently put his feet into the water. She poured a drink from his favorite bottle and sat opposite him, looking at him silently.
"You are looking like the Mona Lisa today my dear," he said affectionately. "I don't know if you want to smile or to cry?"
She burst into a big smile and said, "I want to smile honey. I want to laugh with all my heart. I am so proud of you; so proud." She held his hands and squeezed tightly while big drops of tears were rolling on her cheeks. Then while she was wiping the tears with her bare hands, she said, "Now tell me what happened to your head?"
"Oh nothing, dear I just knocked someone's nose with my head," he said, smiling, "There is nothing to worry about."
"Who was that?"
"My innermost enemy."
"Do I know him?"
"Yes you do my dear. You have reprehended him for his actions quite a few times."
"I wonder who he is."
The media for a second consecutive day sensationalized the news. First for the blatant acquittal recommendation issued by the WCFET and secondly for the sensational photos of the chairman of WCFET and the Teacher embracing each other again. It seemed that these two guys ignored the rest of the world and they did it purposely to irritate everyone. The television news at prime time around the world used the headlines of the acquittal recommendation of the WCFET and then straight after that few hours later the chairman of this organization embracing the acquitted one. This was not conspiracy scenario any more. This was cold fact and nobody could deny it any more. The whole issue took such big dimensions that even the President's press secretary felt obliged to intervene.
"We must remind the world that WCFET is an international organization under the umbrella of the UN. We have no affiliation with this organization whatsoever and that is an internal issue."
The talk shows and panels again at night had a field day not so much about the sayings of the Teacher this time, but of the acquittal followed by this scandalous photo for the second time in a row. Most of the experts said that this was a provocative act in defiance of the irritation and anger they incited around the world.
Some analysts suggested even that it was a psychopathic behavior, with a famous professor of psychiatry in one panel suggesting it was a PAI symptom: polymorphic antagonistic idiosyncrasy, two or more persons together trying to attract attention of the rest by antagonizing them through their irrational behavior. The same professor claimed it was a rather rare case and that he would be happy to consult with them free.
The next day the newspapers around the world appeared again with the photo of the two in their front pages with captions like, HERE WE GO AGAIN! Or HALLO I HAVE NOT SEEN YOU FOR LONG TIME! And THE INSEPARABLE ONES and more. The news sections stuck to informative formats and the editorials analyzed the outcome as a farce and as blatant defiance of the common judicial sense of the people. Although the previous day they spent their ink criticizing mainly the sayings of the Teacher, this time their arrows aimed directly to the WCFET and especially the chairman of it. There were cries of a special deal. They were unable to pinpoint yet the reason for it but were sure they would very soon find a conspiracy of some kind. There were even cries of asking for the removal of the WCFET to another country.
Here and there were some different voices and favorable editorials but they were few.
ROOKIE
The Teacher's travel companion would not dare switch on his mobile phone as he was bombarded by the media trying to contact him. Incoming calls were out of question and if he wanted to contact friends or associates he had to use public phones or the mobile phones of various friends. For a time he politely declined the offering of friends for a new telephone with a new telephone number, and when he gave in one case it took the media only a few hours to discover it so he switched it off and put it in his suitcase. Somehow it did not take long for the media to pinpoint where they lived and the Teacher was bombarded of invitations to appear in various talk shows. All this happened through the Teacher's travel companion for the Teacher would not appear at all.
The press parked outside the house and the first time he tried to exit the house he was swamped by the reporters like a pack of bees. Since then he had tried to reason with them once more but all in vain. Now the only way the reporters could come in contact with him was through his secretary. When the Teacher's organizer realized that they would not take no for an answer they decided to issue a writing notice and distributed to them explai
ning that the Teacher was not interesting to appear in any show and that they should respect his privacy.
The reporters were adamant. When they realized they could not possibly get an answer verbally some of the media managements sent their big guns with written offers to show they meant business.
When the Teachers secretary refused to accept the written offers as he had instructions to avoid encouraging them, they were frustrated. However there was an offer that the Teacher's secretary thought the Teacher may consider. This offer came from a major international television network. A young junior representative of this network approached the Teacher's secretary and told him the network was willing to make a one hour show dedicated to him and that they are open for negotiations concerning the remuneration.
Finally he said in ending, "Please inform the Teacher about it as I think the Teacher has to know about this offer."
So he did. The reason he made this exemption was that he thought the Teacher may be interested. He remembered that a few years back, although the Teacher hardly watched television, they had watched a documentary about Gandhi and he was quite impressed. He even remembered the Teacher asking him which of the networks made this fine production. When the Teacher heard of this offer he was surprised for he instructed his friend not to encourage them, but on