Love for Life

Vladimir Megre

I make no claims at all to the authorship of this somewhat humorous, somewhat life-like fantasy story. Its title and beginning were set down by the readers of the books, participants in the forum, as, it seems to me, providing a worthy answer to scandalmongers about a sect.... I suggest that all who are interested make their own additions and changes. The final version will be published in the next edition of the almanac.

V. Megre

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"The Sect in the Name of Me"

The large room of the international press centre could not hold all those who wished to take part in this press conference. Everyone wanted to see and hear this person, the representative of a unique phenomenon occurring in the human community on the threshold of the new millennium.

A smart-looking, smiling young man appeared before the elite of international journalism and said his first words:

"Hello, my name is Batyr."

Just what did this young man do that was so sensational? This is what: he founded a sect called "The Sect in the Name of Me," and put forward a unique programme for the transformation of the planet.
The journalists' first questions were the standard ones: Who leads your sect? What is its membership? The answers staggered everyone present. The young man said:

"My sect is called 'The Sect in the Name of Me,' and I myself exercise its totalitarian leadership. Since admission to my sect is strictly limited, its membership consists of only one person, that is me, but shortly I intend to increase the membership two-fold because of my fiancee Olenka. After she joins my sect, in nine months we shall admit yet another person, a boy, I think. Following this, there are no plans for the admission of new members for two years. After two years, we shall admit yet another person, I think this will be a little girl. In general, my fiancee Olenka and I plan to bring the membership in our sect up to nine persons."

Question from the room:

"What is your sect's agenda?"

The answer:

"To obtain one hectare of land, plant a garden, build a house in this wonderful garden, and create a space of love around the house. All the members of my totalitarian sect must breathe clean air, drink only spring water, eat only fresh, wholesome foods, create divine oases on earth, and be happy."

Question from the room:

"How do you feel about other denominations, parties, teachings?"

The answer:

"All the things you have mentioned belong to sects that are called 'The Sect in the Name of Someone Else.' I do not recognize them at all, since they do not promote the implementation of my totalitarian programme."

Question from the room:

"So, that means that the press has been criticizing you with publications having shocking headlines, such as, for example, in the weekly Sobesednik, 'Save yourself if you can.'"

The answer:

"Yes, those are the ones, well, the sects called 'The Sect in the Name of Someone Else,' that have been criticizing me."

Question from the room:

"You have issued a challenge to the entire world community, to philosophy that has stood for centuries, or, as you yourself have expressed it, to all sects that call themselves 'The Sect in the Name of Someone Else.' Are you sure that you will be able to stand your ground in our time?"

The answer:

"Absolutely sure. And moreover, I am issuing many other challenges. But I do not plan to stay in your time. I am moving forward to my own time."

Question from the room:

"As you know, there are a large number of sects called 'The Sect in the Name of Someone Else,' among them are those with very large memberships. With whom will your small sect be friendly or associate?"

Answer:

"There are other sects called 'The Sect in the Name of Me,' where other leaders exercise totalitarian leadership. I shall associate with them."

An uneasy whisper spread among the journalists gathered in the room. Someone yelled out a frightened question:

"So, there are other sects called 'The Sect in the Name of Me'? How many?"

The answer:

"At the moment, not many. Somewhere around a million. But new ones are springing up all the time."

For several minutes a deathly silence reigned in the large room of the international press centre. It was broken by the next question, already a timid one:

"Could you please tell me, esteemed leader of the faith with the wonderful name 'The Sect in the Name of Me,' do the other wonderful 'Sects in the Name of Me' faiths have the same types of agendas as yours? Are you supporters of each other, or opponents?"

The answer:

"We are not opponents. But there are elements of secret competition between us. Each leader of a totalitarian 'Sect in the Name of Me' considers that he will be able to create the best space of love. But I definitely know that the best on earth will be mine. Because my fiancee Olenka is the best girl in the world."

The well-known television announcer of ORT's first channel jumped up from his seat and cried out:

"Ladies and gentlemen! Colleagues! Can't you see how the wool has been pulled over our eyes? This isn't any kind of sect! This young man is striving to construct a little corner of paradise for his beloved, create a healthy, happy family. To have sons and daughters with the girl he loves. And he is simply laughing at us, like idiots."

The room was filled simultaneously with an indignant roar and with laughter. Exclamations could be heard:

"Well done! What a laugh! That's just it, he wants to create a happy family. Who gave you the right to make fun of people like that?"

The young man calmly raised his hand, quieting the room, and said:

"Forgive me, ladies and gentlemen, if I offended anyone. I really wanted simply to create a space of love, to lay out a kin's domain, where my children and my beloved Olenka will live happily, and I was not the one to call my activities the agenda of a totalitarian sect. It was, you know, one of your colleagues who spread the rumour that this was sectarianism. And he convinced you. But why should I waste my time and energy in refuting all sorts of gossip? Call my activities whatever you want...."

"Who was it? Who was it? Who was it?" The question was on the lips of those gathered in the room. And under the chorus of questions, crouching down almost to the floor, a sweaty man with beady eyes rushed to the entrance.

The young man stood up, smiled at the excited journalists, who were arguing among themselves, and said:

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, you can argue among yourselves without me. I have too much to do. I am going to create the plan for the future domain of The Sect in the Name of Me."

He was already walking to the edge of the stage when suddenly a woman's ringing voice called out in Russian with an obvious English accent:

"Young man! Please! One minute! Wait!"

He stopped and turned at the sound of the woman's desperate voice. He saw a young journalist from the New York Times who had risen from her seat. The American began to speak to him anxiously:

"I realize that admission to your sect is strictly limited, especially for women. But I also want to live in this space...I want to live in a space of love. But of course you won't admit me, you have Olenka. But I want to, I've decided. I am declaring this in the presence of everyone. I am founding a totalitarian 'Sect in the Name of Me.' I will build a space of love for my sect. Young man, please permit me to build it next to yours. I will be a good neighbor to you."

"Well, in general," the young man answered the American, "I'd have nothing against that, it's just that for the time being you are alone in your sect. It will be difficult alone."

"Yes, I am alone. But I am not afraid when things are difficult. I will build it. Perhaps someone will like my space, and will want to join The Sect in the Name of Me," answered the woman from the New York Times, and blushed.

"Madame," exclaimed a journalist from France, rising from his seat, "I studied architecture, have become really interested in botany. Please, Madame, accept me into your totalitarian sect. I will try my best for The Sect in the Name of Me. Or for your sect, Madame. Or for ours. I don't know how to say it best. But I very much want to be in your sect under your totalitarian leadership and build a space of love. And I want it to be neighbors with an equally good space."

"Guten tag! Guten tag!" A journalist from the Deutsche Express jumped to his feet. "What is this 'accept me' nonsense? Admission should take place only on a competitive basis. I am also claiming admission, I am not only a journalist, but an artist, a designer. What's more, I fell in love with Catherine as long as a year ago, during our meeting at a press conference at the Bulgarian Embassy, I simply have not managed to tell her yet. But now...."

"Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen." An elderly journalist from the Daily Telegraph rose from his seat. "Of course, my age.... But what is age? I am authorized to make an announcement. I am declaring myself to be the leader of a totalitarian 'Sect in the Name of Me.' I shall also build. Accept me also as one of your good neighbors."

Speaking animatedly with each other, the journalists left the large room of the international press centre.

Once on the street, many of them continued their conversations, breaking into couples. The following conclusion could be drawn about these couples, judging by their joyous, somewhat excited conversations: each couple was a totalitarian sect called "The Sect in the Name of Me." To put it another way, each pair represented a future family that set before itself the goal of constructing its own kin's domain, its own space of love. How to say it more accurately? Sect or family? Who now can figure it out? But is that the main thing in our little story?

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