Success came quickly. My parents made records getting their doctorates. Wrote a multitude of books on all sorts of issues. And most of their children’s books, both Christian and academic, were critically acclaimed. They knew their stuff. The only thing they took a back seat in was the church. That was God’s domain and as such the people in charge would give them positions if their help was needed. No shock that it was.
As a couple and separately, they were on all radio and TV promoting their books. With the combination of their expertise, in both Christian and phycology fields, they found themselves swimming in more money than they could ever spend. Being the cool, hip, and up to the times people they were, they built youth centres. Donated computers to schools. Fixed up parks in impoverished areas. The extent to which their arms reached even graced the president’s doorstep a few times.
Once they went global, there was no stopping them. They were respected by all in their fields of both Christianity and the study of the human condition. And when they weren’t pedalling their views on unsuspecting humans, they were actually very good practising therapists. And donated their services as social workers and counsellors at local centres for children.
***
“The Robinsons helped me get off the street when they built the shelter in town. Now I have a job and don’t have to beg for money anymore.”
“The Robinsons helped me get off of drugs, and now I have my child back after six years.”
“Our neighbourhood was going down until the youth centre was built. In just the past two years, youth crimes have diminished in our streets, and juvenile deaths have also decreased.”
“When we didn’t know what to do with our son, the Robinsons put us on one of their programs. Now our boy is getting good grades and is no longer a problem in school or at home.”
“Our shelter for unwed mothers was on the brink of destruction, but with the help and volunteer work of the Robinsons we are doing better than we ever have in years.”
***
The list of praise they received was endless. It’s almost sickening to think of how much support and acclaim they received through their lives. Sadly, it was actually well deserved.
The two had a serious passion for children and never stopped trying to figure out why some were so damaged. Especially those who were obviously born that way. Why would God do such a thing? Was it even Him? How could they get to the root of the problem? And was it because of this that there were so many damaged adults. How do the ones born this way slip through the cracks and end up being murderers and such?
What made it so interesting, their success, is that their ideas and methods worked. Outstandingly well. There were very few points that other doctors in their field disagreed on. Few points other Christian scholars couldn’t concur. They had somehow managed to make it into that ever so hard place to get into. That place where even your enemies will quote you. They were that good.
I sometimes wonder if they were different people then. Different from the parents who named me. When they were hunting down success, was their drive more pleasant than what I received? More genuine? I don’t know. And I can never be sure. I do know that they always harboured this innate need to be in control: to rule the world without actually giving of that feeling. That sneaky, backdoor, puppet string pulling kind of power control. And man was their web strong. And if you tried to escape their power, consider your life miserable until you accepted defeat.
As their fame rose, they became a one name. An acronym really. J.A.R. Jonathan Ariel Robinson. Alone it was Mr. J.A.R or Mrs. J.A.R. It really hit the fan when celebrities started using their methods on their own children. There was no way to escape them then. The power was there. The infiltration so deep no drill could ever reach it. They had placed themselves globally in a position where it would be impossible for anything to get done without their hands being in it— in their specialised areas, that is.
So now that they have made it this far, there is only one place for them to go. A place that they had been dying to go for so long. And as such, a plan so devious, so evil, so ridiculously brilliant in its menace was hatched. Things were about to get ugly, and no amount of plastic surgery would be able to fix it.
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