We all know that this cult will drive those trying to leave to desperate measures, and today by brother was very nearly one of those statistics. He slashed his thigh with a kitchen knife and was bleeding out until he called the police.
I got a call on my way home from work from a police officer, coincidentally it was one of my old friends from school who's now a cop. He told me my brother is in hospital after an attempted suicide and has lost some blood but will be ok. But i should get to the hospital as he's asking for me. I call my ex-wife and ask her if she's heard anything from the family, she hasnt. I ring my mums number - no answer (remember the 2016 convention video when the mum refuses to answer the phone?). I ring again - no answer, so i leave a voicemail telling her that the police have called me about my brother and to call me (she never does). Then i ring one of my sisters - again, no answer. I tell my ex-wife to call them. She does and my mum answers immediately (f^&king cult). She fills them in. My family are shocked that my brother told the police to ring me and not them.
My brother has aspergers syndrome and had stopped attending meetings a few months ago and wanted to be left alone to make his own non JW friends, meet people, go places, do his own thing - but he was harassed by elders turning up at his door on Thursday nights, family members telling him he's going to die in Armageddon for talking to me, the CO even said through his letterbox that "i have a bone to pick with you" - he never answered. So as you can imagine, he's felt like a prisoner in his own home.
So i get myself to the hospital and find where he is and see that there's TWO HCL "brothers" there outside his room. I go to go in and one of them says "are you related?" i walk past them ignoring them and my mum is in there with her husband (both uber JWs). My brother looks scared to see me. One of the HLC "brothers" comes in and tells me that my brother doesnt want to speak to me. I stay where i am and ask my brother how he's doing. I sit down and simply say "talk to me" and hold his hand. He tells me that he's feeling depressed and just wants to end it all. My mum, her husband and the HLC guys are staring at me the whole time. I have a 1 to 1 with him as best i can with all this going on and tell him i know he must be finding it hard. And that despite whats going on in the family i cannot, and will not, reject him. And he can always talk to me. Mum interrupts and says "no, you've made a promise to Jehovah". My brother lies back and closes his eyes. I can see that he doesnt care anymore. Like, literally, he's a man giving up.
I ask the HLC guys for their names. They dont tell me. I get up to leave, because there's nothing i can do here and my little girl is outside with my girlfriend. My sister is in the hallway. She tells me that i caused this. My brother is depressed because i keep talking to him when he's supposed to be shunning me. How cruel and heartless of me. ?!?!
So there you have it, it cant possibly be the cults fault, no no no... im to blame here.
Anyway, i found out a few minutes ago that he's been sectioned and will be in a mental health ward for a week or two. Hopefully a proper therapist or councilor will see whats going on here. Like i said, he has Aspergers Syndrome and all his carers just so happen to be JWs chosen by his mum. One is an elder. So he doesnt get a break from it.
I hate this cult.