this is my story and cant nobody tell it for me... if youre interested, thanks so much for reading it guys... its not as tragic as some others, but its interesting enough... and of course, i could not fit it all in, it would end up far too long, it already is if you ask me...
well, i was born in portugal... aprently one day when i was two, my family and i went out for a drive, and got into an accident... both my parents died in the accident and i left completely uninjured... i spent two years in a convent, which was absolute torture because they refused to tell me what happened to my parents... i spent two years in this convent wondering what happened to my mommy and daddy...
so, i turn four years old and am sent to canada to live with a family that aprently fell in love with a picture of me... they told me they couldnt have babies, and for tjhat reason they wanted a child... they were portuguese and decided to adopt a child from their country, and since there was little chance that i would be adopted, because of my age, they took pity on me... (this is what i was told when i was about ten)
now, my "parents", whom i always called by their first names, were jehovahs witnesses... less than a year after they adopt me, my mother was pregnant... so, here start all the real problems... they are a young couple and cant really afford to raise two children yet... so after my little sister is born, i am sent back to portugal for a little while... i live with my grandmother there...
finally after a little over three years i am brought back to canada, and to my jehovahs witness parents... it was great for a long time, im eight years old, and im doing my best to please my parents, and it works for about 2 years... i was the good little jehovahs witness boy who did his talks and smiled and e was polite and basically was brainwashed like the rest of them...
the worst thing i could ever imagine happens when i am only eight and a little bit... my younger sister is diagnosed with cancer... she has a neuro-blastoma and is told that she will die within six weeks... this little girl means the world to me... and it almost killed me... at such a young age i could not imagine living without the only one in my family that seems to love me... after a few doctors, my mother is told she will survive but only with an operation (like, DUH)... my mom says, and in these exact words, the most chilling words i have ever heard, "i would rather see her die, than let her have a blood transfusion..." hmmm, i hated her for her coldness.... but my sister got her operationin texas, with no blood and is doing great now...
then, all hell breaks loose... MY FATHER WAS APPOINTED AN ELDER, and at the age of ten, im suddenly not good enough anymore... he beats me all the time... for no reason, sometimes with his fists, sometimes with his belts, sometimes with planks of wood, and once or twice with a baseball bat... i would go to the meetings with a black eye and bruises, and would have to come up with an excuse... for a while, i even tried to hide it from my "mom"... until one day she told me she knew, and could do nothing about it... calling the cops, or telling him to stop was no good...so for four years i suffered quietly, hoping he would never turn on "mom" or GOD FOBID my sister...
by the time i was thirteen, i decided to start taking karate, just so i could defend myself from him if it ever came to that... i have to say, thats probably one of the best things i ever did for myself... taught me self control, discipline and strength really... i followed through till about a year ago, i now have my black belt second degree.... REGISTERED WEAPINS BABY! this was also the age i was baptized, wow, what a mistake....
anyways, the first time i decided to make a complaint to the elders i was about 14 and a half... they inda just laughed and told me to get lost, this is slander and they were gonna pretend i didnt say anything... WOW, my first shot by the elders... that was my first problem with the witness faith and i blindly let it go, u know imperfect people and all...
so another year of silence, we moved to a different congregation, and again, i decided to complain... but i got basically the same responce, but they told me they were shocked i would try to pull something like that, because i have such a good record in the congregation....
i had a budding soccer carreer on my shoulders, but my dad would not let me play for the school team... so i did it behind his back...
another year or so went by and now im about 16 years old, playing soccer and doing very well in school... again, i have taken a few strikes by the elders on the daddy thing, and he was getting more and more restricting on me, not even allowing me to hang out wiht people from our congregation either... i had a job and that was the only way i was able to play soccer...
nearing the end of my grade twelve year, the elders approach me and ask me what i want to do with my life... "i am an exemplary young brother, and i am a great kid" what were my plans? well, i told them i was gonna go to university, and that is why i was planning on going back to high school for my OAC year, (something that used to be offered to high school students in ontario), and then i would apply for university... they werent happy but didnt say much, until the next local needs, which was basically a shot at me and they made it quite obvious.. so obvious that my dad beat me to unconsciousness that night... i still remember the line "we know of a young brother who is planning on wasting four years of his life, a very exemplary young brother, by going to university..." no pussyfooting there, just straight accusations in front of the congregation, and boy was i steaming mad.... and so was my fatehr obviously, because he took it out on me "how could i embarrass him so?"
i spent that summer working as much as possible and sleeping over at other peoples houses as often as possible... i bought my own car that summer and lived out of it for about a month... i finally came back home and explained to my parents that i no longer wanted to be a jehovahs witness... THAT WAS ANOHER BEATING i will never forget....
my father soon thereafter sold my car, and kept the money that he got for it, and i was screwed royally... but it was time to go back to school, so i did...
this is when things started looking bad, i was getting alot of interest because of my soccer skills, though i also played football, waterpolo and rugby, really anything to get me out of the house, soccer was my best sport... i remember one day i came home to see an opened letter from the Unoversity of British Colombia, offering me a full scholarship, dorm and all... all i had to do was agree to play soccer for them... my parents always opened my mail... i was ready to run back out the door when my father called me upstairs... and stupidly i went... i wonder how differently my life would be if i hadnt... but i get into my room and he swings a baseball bat directly at my right knee... hit me a few times and left me on the floor bleeding and broken... i will not claim that this was what ruined my carreer, but i will say it helped... the next game i played, every single ligament in my knee tore, and even now, after four surgeries on it, i cannot run very well.... there goes my scholarship...
but its ok, my grades were good enough to get me into university in my home town and i accepted as soon as i got the letter... when the elders found out, this is when they pulled the "university leads to free thinking and free thinking is prideful, and pride is a sin.." that day was my last meeting...
i got home that night packed my stuff up quietly, and left quietly the next morning... at 17 i decided to live on my own, after so many beatings, broken bones and broken dreams, i ask myself why i waited so long... i have been shafted by most, if not all of my jehovahs witness friends... but still these last four years have been amazing... i am getting incredible grades, free to do and feel as i would like and helping some other people who used to be jws to get out...
i remember once going back to the hall for the memorial, for my mothers sake... i was pulled aside by an elder, and like a snake he started hissing at me and basically pushed me into a corner and said terrible things about me, swearing and calling me names, saying i shouldnt be there, and when i tried to leave he physically pushed me back into a corner, thats when i punched them... thats the last time i will ever set foot in a hall....
like i said, i am now much happier, living on my own since i was 17, but its ok, it may be tough but it is worth it... so much happier than i was.... i am studying history french and spanish but wil be getting my PHD in history... my grades re good enough o get me a full scholarship...
this is an abbridged copy of the history of dave antunes, aka, the infamous one...there is so much more to tell, and one day it will all be out... i promise...
the infamous one