NewDayNews Recovery Forum

Was Anyone Affected? (almost end of year 2)

Posted By: Jane <Send E-Mail>
Date: Thursday, 18 August 2005, at 1:57 p.m.

The night that Stephen David showed up at our home in Toulon, was the turning point for me towards leaving the Family. Yes, it took a few more years but that was really the beginning of the end. I had tasted hope and wanted more.

That night after making our phone call to Paris, Jeremy and I sat up late talking about what this all meant. We were shocked at the Paris leaderships response, especially when they said that someone would right down tomorrow. We couldn't get over it. When we had begged for help or someone to come see the terrible conditions of the home, no one even bothered about our concerns. But one simple little visit from Stephen David and all of a sudden we were an urgent priority. Frankly we were a more than a little pissed.

I'm a little muddled in my memory about the exact time period of how the next things happened. But Stephen David did indeed come back. I can't remember if this was during the same time that the people from Paris were there. But I do remember Stephen inviting us to come join Mother Eve's team. We didn't have too much time to digest this offer before having some massive talks with the people from Paris, but I remember distinctly being more swayed towards going with Stephen than staying with the dictatorial uncaring souls from leadership. Jeremy was of the same opinion as I.

That night as we said good bye to Stephen at the door, he slipped us a note with their address near Marseille. It was a camp ground. We didn't let leadership know about this. Our home was truly under siege from the Paris people and we were having to have secret whispering talks away in corners. That night Jeremy and I quietly packed our bags. The next morning in an unguarded moment we headed for the door. Bithia came out with her young son Jonathan and a bag. She asked us to take her son and that she would catch up with us somehow in the future. So we did. Thank God Jonathan was a good little boy and very mature. Oh how scary to be sent off with people you barely knew and not knowing if or when you would see your mommy again. I was a little surprised because I had been of the opinion that Bithia didn't like us. Turns out I was wrong.

We took the train to Marseille and then to the camp ground. I don't remember where we got the money for the tickets because there hadn't been any money in the home. More than likely it was Stephen who gave it to us, but truly I don't remember. We wandered around the campground until we found the right spot. There was two big trailers, a motorhome and a bunch of tents. Lots of dirty dishes in plastic bins next to the trailers and just stuff laying around the site. A bunch of scraggly kids were running around but we didnt' see any adults for a few minutes. Jonathan joined right in with the other children. Once the adults became aware that we were standing outside then they came out. Stephen was there and we met Menorah and her blonde haired husband Daniel, a girl named Peace and her blonde haired husband. I can't remember anyone else that was there. Later that day after sitting around at the picnic table in a daze all afternoon, we were invited in to meet Mother Eve. It was then that we learned the motor home was the Ark.

My impressions of Mother Eve: She seemed so old with that round softness of body that older people get in middle age. I was only 20 years old so Mother Eve seemed ancient to me. She was probably only in her 50's at the time. She had long hair that was mostly grey. Her voice was quiet and soft. Her demeanor was one of gentle curiosity about us. She had a pretty little blonde hair girl with her who turned out to be Mene. We talked for a few minutes until Mother dismissed us.

Jeremy and I sat outside until evening and then we set up our tent. I don't remember what we ate, who cooked it or anything beyond the thoughts that were swirling around my head. Everyone was so happy. They had a freeness of spirit and a joy that I hadn't ever seen in the Family, even as a babe. No one seemed concerned about anything. No talk of schedules or the work to be done the following day. In fact no one even bothered about the dishes that were piling up even higher around the camp, so I just did them. I found the water faucet and washed the dishes in cold water on the picnic table. I began tidying up around camp because I couldn't believe the filth. Kids running around playing laughing and everyone free as a bird. Except I couldn't get past the trash. I was beginning to wonder if we had made a terrible mistake. Confusion was starting to set in.

Within the next few days we weren't asked to do anything. We had a few talks with Stephen who had taken Jonathan into his trailer with the other kids. For the kids it was like a giant slumber party that went on for days. Mother invited me into the Ark to make cookies for Mene. There wasn't a recipe but Menorah and I threw some ingredients together and came up with some fairly decent sugar cookies. Mother was happily sharing the fact that she had kidnapped Mene away from Shula because Mother didn't consider Shula to be a fit mother for her precious granddaughter. The way she explained everything made perfect sense. Of course Mene needed to be with Mother, after all she was Aaron daughter and needed proper looking after. Mother told how they would hide her in the trailers or motorhome as they crossed borders, all the kids pretending to be asleep in a big heap. They would hand the passports to the officials praying that no one would count all of the kids, because they didn't have a passport for Mene. They had been traveling around like this for awhile.

After eating the cookies, Mene laid down on the couch next to Mother, putting her head on her lap. Mother gently patted Menes back as we talked, until the little girl fell asleep. Mene was 5 years old.

During one afternoon I was outside near the table when apparently one of Menorahs little boys did something that made Stephen angry. He took him into the trailer and proceeded to spank the living tar out of the little boy. It was quite a harsh spanking and I was astonished because I had never seen anything like it before. Not that anyone actually saw, we heard it. The swatting, the child crying and Stephen yelling in a very scary voice.

A few days later we were having a conversation with Stephen and Jeremy told him about the home in Narbonne. Stephen was very interested and it was decided that a small team would go there to investigate if it was still empty. It turned out to be Jeremy, me, Stephen and his wife Adria at first. Later Daniel and Menorah joined us. No kids. When we got to Narbonne no one answered the door and it appeard to be uninhabited. So Jeremy broke in through the front window of the living room. (We had learned to do this one time when we had forgotten the key.) Lo and behold, the house was exactly the way we had left it. I saw Stephen eyeing the posters of the chimps with a bit of distain and I found it amusing.

One afternoon Stephen invited me to come with him to his van which was parked in a parking lot on the outskirts of town. I was curious what he wanted to talk to me about. I followed him into the back of the van and my feminine radar went into full tilt. I knew exactly what he was after and just found it amusing to watch him do his seduction routine. We sat back there for awhile making small talk. Then Stephen invited me to sit by his side. I don't know if he thought he was being all sauve and cool but it was really funny. I didn't do anything to encourage him but was interested to see just how exactly he was going to make his move. Right as Stephen was bending his goateed face close to mine, loud banging came on the van door. My husband Jeremy was urgently calling my name and asking if we were in there. Saved by the bang, so to speak. Jeremy was very suspicious about what we were doing in there and I was a little relieved to be interrupted.

Within the next few weeks there was no talk about going out litnessing. I was so glad about that. I hated litnessing with a passion. It was embarrassing and humiliating, not to mention hot, hard work. I did wonder very much though about how we were getting the money to survive. Nobody seemed concerned in the least about it. A welcome relief from the regular Family where it had all been about money. We hung out at the Narbonne house, awaiting our next move.

Somehow the Paris people found out that we were living in the house and they sent two people to come see us. One of whom was Judah from Fougeres/Caen. Menorah and Daniel had joined us by then and Stephen had gone away. When the Paris people came to throw us out of the house, we had a meeting at the old wooden picnic table in the kitchen. Menorah was very agressive with Judah. She set up a tape recorder and informed him that the whole conversation was going to be recorded and reported. He was so intimidated by her which surprised me. After all he had been a communist activist before joining the Family and I thought he had more cajones than that. The meeting turned into a squash fest and we won, even though it didn't feel very good.

One amusing note about the Narbonne house stay. Mothers group were appearing to be a whole lot more free sexually than the regular Family. (This was before the RNR and full fledged FFing or sharing.) They talked about it and obviously weren't afraid to make attempts when the coast was clear. So one day Jeremy, Stephen and I were sitting down stairs in the kitchen when this horrible squalling yelping came from upstairs. Very prolonged high pitched siren type of sounds. After a few moments of stunned silence I realised that it was Menorah and Daniel making love. VERY VERY LOUDLY!! Oh my god, it was the funniest thing I had ever heard. We were in hysterics downstairs. I hadn't ever heard anything like before and hope I never do again.

A message came that we were to go down to Perpignan and to scout out a camping area for everyone to move to. And that is the next story.