CHAPTER 7 – Dinner at Candy’s
Chris, Ruby, Candy, Linda, and Candy's father, Paul Zimmerman, a 35-year-old Caucasian male with short light brown hair, a light brown goatee, and horn-rimmed glasses, are seated around the table enjoying a warm and lively dinner. Paul takes a sip of his drink and leans forward, directing his attention to Chris and Ruby.
"So, Chris and Ruby, tell me," Paul said.
"How did you get into the work of the Pythagorean Illuminati at such a young age? It's not something you stumble across every day."
Chris exchanged a glance with Ruby and smiled.
"Well," Chris began.
"It started with our mom, Francine. She was... let's just say, a very devout Christian. She was determined to make sure Ruby and I adopted her faith. Every Sunday, no exceptions, we were in church. But..."
Chris' voice trailed off as he traveled down memory lane of him being ten years old in the church with his mother, along with a six-year-old Ruby. The church was silent except for the Reverend's booming voice. Both Chris and Ruby both looked visibly uninterested. Chris is reading The Republic by Plato, while Ruby reads a book about general relativity. Their mother, Francine Parsons, caught sight of this and confiscated both of their books.
She then whispered harshly to her children, "What do you two think you're doing? Pay attention to the sermon!"
Chris sighed and slumped back in his seat, arms crossed. Ruby pouted and fidgeted, looking bored out of her mind.
"This makes no sense," Ruby muttered under her breath.
"How does someone who claims to be 'god' come to earth to die for the 'sins' of all of humanity? Especially because some lady and her boyfriend ate a fruit. The way I see it, 'god' was mad at Adam and Eve because they were health-conscious."
Francine gave Ruby a cautious look, as if she was saying, "Shut up, or I'll shut you up."
Ruby saw her mother's reaction, looked down at the church floor, and wisely kept quiet.
The flashback ended and Chris continued speaking to Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman.
"She wasn't too happy about our 'distractions'. But honestly, the stuff they were preaching just didn't resonate with us. It felt... hollow. Illogical.
"Exactly," Ruby added.
"I mean, they used fear to control people, not reason. It never sat right with me, even at six years old. But then, Uncle P introduced us to a whole new world."
Now it was Ruby's turn to walk down memory lane. In a flashback, Peter Parsons is sitting at a desk, engrossed in reading The God Equation by Mike Hockney. Ten-year-old Chris enters the room, curious, and peers over his shoulder. He pointed to a diagram.
"Uncle Peter, what's that?"
Peter looked up and smiled, seeing Chris' interest.
"That, my dear nephew, is Euler's Formula. Some call it the God Equation."
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Chris grinned.
"Cool!"
Six-year-old Ruby, overhearing, skipped into the room to join them.
"Can you teach us about it, Uncle P?"
Peter smiled mischievously, "Sure. But you have to promise not to tell your mom. She might not appreciate me teaching you things like this."
"We promise, Uncle Peter," Chris said.
The flashback ends. Back at the dinner table, Paul nodded, intrigued.
"Fascinating," said Paul.
"You know, that reminds me of my own upbringing. My mother, Candy's grandmother, was a devout Catholic. But I rebelled against all of it, just like you two did."
"Same here," Linda said, jumping in.
"My dad was a Methodist pastor. Religion was everything to him, but meeting Paul and discovering the Pythagorean Illuminati's ideas changed everything for me. Of course, it didn't make things easier with my dad."
Chris and Ruby exchanged a look of amazement, clearly captivated by the Zimmermans' stories. Ruby jumped up from her seat because she had just remembered something important.
"I almost forgot, we need to call Uncle P! He's going to want to hear about the Pentagon officers."
Linda pulled out her smartphone and handed it to Chris.
"Here. Use my phone. I would love to meet someone else who is into Pythagorean Illuminati philosophy."
"Thanks," Chris said as he took Linda's phone.
He dialed Peter's number and put it on speaker. The phone rings twice before Peter's voice comes through the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Uncle Peter," Chris replied.
"It's Chris."
"And Ruby," Ruby added.
Peter laughed warmly, "Well, well! My favorite nephew and niece. What can I do for you two?"
"Did you hear about those two Pentagon officers," Chris asked.
"I did," Peter answered.
"A real shame, isn't it?"
Ruby then says, "We think they were unfairly detained."
"And how do you figure that," Peter curiously asked.
"Call it intuition," Ruby answered.
Peter chuckled.
"Well, you'll need more than intuition, sweetie."
Chris nodded and interjected, "Agreed, but... I have the same feeling."
"Oh, and guess what," Ruby blurted excitedly, "We've made new friends. Their whole bookshelf is full of Pythagorean Illuminati literature!"
"Really?" Peter asked with genuine interest.
"Only a small percentage of people are that interested in their work. I must say I am intrigued."
"You should come meet them," Chris said.
"We're all here now."
"Sure!" Peter excitedly replied.
"Text me the address, and I'll head over there right away."
"Great!" Chris says.
"See you soon!" Ruby added.
Peter hangs up and Chris then taps away on the smartphone, texting his uncle Candy's home address. Ruby turned to the Zimmermans with a big smile.
"You're going to love Uncle P," said Ruby.
"He's like a living mathematics expert."
The Zimmermans smiled, clearly eager to meet him. The atmosphere is filled with anticipation as they prepare for Peter's arrival.
"This should be interesting," Paul said.
"Yeah!" Candy added.
"I'm psyched to meet your uncle. Maybe he can help you with your revolution."
This immediately caught the attention of both Paul and Linda.
"You two want to start a revolution?" Linda asked.
Chris and Ruby don't answer. Linda noticed this and put her hand on Chris' shoulder for assurance.
"Because I think that is a great idea," Linda said.
Paul then inserted his two cents.
"Absolutely! America has been due for a revolution since 2008 when the U.S. economy crashed."
Chris cracked a tiny smile.
"Yeah, but because of our age, people may not take us seriously."
Paul figured it out.
"So that's why you wanted to inquire about the two former Pentagon officers. You think they might be an asset to your revolution."
Ruby smiled and nodded, "Spot on, Mister Zimmerman!"
Linda seemed impressed with their idea.
"Amazing! Well, whatever assistance you need from Mister Zimmerman and I, we will graciously offer."
Candy's eyes lit up and she smiled brightly.
"So, you actually want to help Chris and Ruby, mommy and daddy?"
Paul replied, "No doubt about that! As a matter of fact, having two children at the forefront of an intellectual revolution like this may give it a bit more gravitas."
Linda added, "Plus, it would be wise to have two military strategists on your side in case the revolution becomes violent."
Chris nodded and agreed.
"Hopefully, we can avoid violence. But we do understand the enemy we are dealing with uses it to achieve their ends."
Ruby added, "Reflecting on previous revolutions, they have included violence; the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, and the American Revolution had their moments of violence. Granted, we would like to be the first successful non-violent revolution."
Linda interjected, "But history tells a different story."
Chris, Ruby, Candy and Paul nodded in agreement.
Dinner at Candy's! This chapter not only offers a glimpse into the lives of Chris and Ruby but also explores the intricate dance between tradition and revolutionary thought. As the dinner unfolds, it's clear that the conversations serve as more than mere family banter; they are seeds for a burgeoning movement.
In Chapter 7, Chris and Ruby discuss their desire to start a non-violent revolution based on their philosophical beliefs. Given their experiences with traditional religious upbringing, which theme resonates most with you in relation to fostering change?
