"YOU'RE A FOOL!"
By; Speaker Gerald A. Polley
My religious convictions have often bothered some of my co-workers,
but none so much as they bothered Frank. There was a millionaire
running around Maine many years ago bribing mediums to leave the
Spiritualist churches and be baptised as Christians. I'd heard
rumors of him but thought it was a joke. Then one day he showed
up at a service I was doing and offered me quite a bit to leave
the church. I told him I wasn't interested and thought that would
be the end of it. But he appeared again in another loction and
increased his offer. I again refused. To my surprise a few days
later he appeared again, this time at work, and increased the
offer even further! Frank overheard the conversation, and came
over after the man had left, inquiring what it was about. I
explained to him what was going on. "You're crazy!" he
explained, "Nobody turns down that much money for a stupid
religion! Take the damned money!"
"No!" I told him.
"Take it!" Frank insisted. "Say you'll do what he
wants, then when you get the money do whatever you want to do."
"That would be lying," I answered, "go on. I don't
want to discuss it any further."
As the day went on Frank told everyone in the kitchen what an
idiot I was that I wouldn't take this money, because I believed
in some foolishness. A couple of days went by, and the
millionaire returned, increasing his offer stiil further. Again I
told him no, and this time insisted that he stop harrassing me,
or I would take legal action. He put his card on the counter and
told me if I should change my mind to call him collect. After he
went out the door I picked up the card and threw it in the trash.
Frank went over, hauled it out, and began to scream obscenities
at me that I cannot put down here.
"If you don't want the money," he cursed, "take it
and give it to me. I've got a wife and kids. I can use it. Do
what the damned man wants. No stupid idea is worth giving up that
much for!"
"That's enough, Frank," I told him, "it's none of
your business, now be quiet about it."
"No!" Frank screamed, "I'm not going to be quiet
about it! You're an idiot! You're an f'n fool! You're going to
take that damn money!"
The boss came out of the dining room. "Frank," he put
in, "that's enough! As Gerald said, this is none of your
business! Now drop it! Gerald has deeply held religious beliefs.
If you can't understand that, you're just going to have to accept
it! Now leave him alone!"
"No!" Frank screamed, "No! It's crazy! He's crazy!
Nobody turns down that much money! NOBODY! He's crazy! If he
doesn't want it, I can use it."
"That's ENOUGH!" the boss insisted. "NO!"
Frank continued, "Somebody's got to make him see reason.
Nobody gives up that much money."
The boss shook his head. "Out of the kitchen!" he
finally ordered. "If you can't understand the sincerity of
other peoples' beliefs, Frank, you don't work here. Now this is
the last time I'm saying it...either leave Gerald alone, or leave,
one or the other. This is none of your business!"
"I can't stay," Frank muttered, "I can't work with
somebody that throws away that much money. I can't! I'll thik
about it all the time! He's a fool, he's a damned fool!"
"Go!" the boss insisted.
Frank finally walked off, grabbed his things, and went out the
door. One last time he screamed at me, "YOU'RE A FOOL!"
The boss shook his head. "Some people!" he remarked.
"Sorry about that, Gerald!"
"Not your fault," I told him. I saw Frank a couple of
times after that around town. He would simply stare at me with a
look of absolute rage, and hurry off. I often find it very
strange when people that have no moral convictions whatever,
simply cannot deal with people that do. Frank was obviously one
of them.
THE END