She was beautiful. It wasn't a mirage. She was also 23. A real woman amongst a gaggle of farting boys.

I steered clear. Not the most gregarious type, I focused on learning the language and discussions and let the smell of perfume and the sound of her voice soften the bad feelings I had about the place.

At some point we were forced to get to know each other better. We all were. The overly personal testimony bearing made sure of it.

She approached me a few times and we spoke of our families and where we were from.

Aside from her kindness I noticed immediately that her eye make-up was different. She did it the same way every day. Her eyelids had 3 different shades of color. I made sure not to stare.

My companion stared, and after a few weeks with her, he couldn't contain himself.

He verbally burst out his agitation and arousal about how her perfume distracted him and how it was making studying difficult.

I laughed under my breath thinking that he was blaming her perfume for his boner-itis.

Her eye-makup was making him batty as well.

How could they allow her to wear make-up that way? It wasn't well… it was worldly. I mean the MTC was supposed to be sanctuary from the world.

Another elder stepped in. He knew elder agitation from way back and plead with him not to make a scene, but a few others seemed to agree with him.

I added to the conversation and explained that she was a kind person, she was the smartest person in the room, and helped us all with the language. I reminded them that she and her companion helped us and were kind to us despite the smell factory some of the elders had turned the classroom into.

Some laughed.

Elder agitation began to cry.

Off the two of us went to find an authority figure for him to speak with.

I waited outside. My opinion wasn't requested.

The next morning she was missing along with her companion.

I felt sicker than normal.

Elder agitation was as spiritual as ever though and he smiled kindly at me as we tested each other's discussion knowledge.

They showed back up after lunch. She had the same dress already worn a few times, but she was different.

The 3 colored eyelids were gone. I knew it immediately.

It could have been removed by tears as she had been crying, but I also noticed that her sweet smell didn't follow into the room.

She was tragically perfume-less.

My 19 year old mind cranked slowly but finally put the pieces together.

She'd been reprimanded for giving elder agitation too many boners.

The punishment? No more perfectly applied make-up on the eyes, and a good scrubbing for perfume removal purposes.

Her pride squashed like a bug on the altar of whatever.

She was quiet for several days. She seemed embarrassed.

I wanted to talk to her but couldn't find the right spot.

One day, the teacher left the room for a bit and she sat next to me as I studied instead.

She handed me a note in a way that ensured no one could see her do it. I could tell she had thought this through, I felt like a spy caught behind the German lines.

I left the note in place until I had to visit the restroom. I stood in the stall and read it not wanting to desecrate the sacred paper.

It was short and there weren't any personal niceties involved, unfortunately.

She simply wanted to know if I knew who had been so bothered by her, that they actually sought out an authority figure and complained.

I took it that she wasn't blaming me.

There was also some side-talk about embarrassment and even emotional devastation.

I had a pen in my pocket and wrote back against the stall wall that yes - someone or someone(s) were overly intrigued with her perfume and her "looks" and complained that she was a distraction apparently and that I didn't know exactly what was said to the authority figure.

I wanted to tell her I loved her, but thought better of it.

I wanted to tell her specifically who did it, but didn't see myself a tattle or a gossip. A mistake on my part.

Elder agitation saw me slide the note into her sweater pocket.

I saw him see me and I saw him turn red, and I mean literally red. Maybe even a purple-red, if there is such a thing.

Two days later I was summoned once again.

I made like a spy and kept my verbal distance. I defended her when I had the chance to do it and explained that she was nothing but kind and smart and helpful and I didn't understand what was going on.

The note passing was the problem though. I didn't realize it at first.

I refused to divulge it's contents and she apparently ate the little white bastard after she read it.

The authority figures were contemplating my punishment not for passing a note but for NOT telling them what it said.

I wanted to scream as I sat eating my 2000 calorie lunch that day.

She didn't scream.

She packed her faux/non-sanctioned leather bags and left the big house returning to her suitors and admirers in the real world.

The accusation that she caused a sickness in these young men pushed her over the edge…hopefully she escaped the mormon mission with her sanity intact.

I'm not certain even now that I did.

Classic example of Mormons that are self righteous asshats.

I am glad not all of them are that way.

Too bad there are enough of them that makes it seem that they are all that way.

I am guessing the 'distraction' has ended up leaving the church. At least I hope she has.

Funny.."gaggle of farting boys...thinking that he was blaming her perfume for his boner-it is...She'd been reprimanded for giving elder agitation too many boners."

You are an amazing writer. Should make this a sit-com and just call it "MTC." It would be so funny to watch scenes like this play out, with your narration in the background.

the MTC a sit-com? No.

If you portrayed it accurately, people would be crying by the end of each presentation. They'd have to suppose that the writers and actors were purposely going over the top with their mental mayhem and brutality.

It would have a couple of airings and then be canceled; no one would want to watch it twice, unless at the end, a "Where is he now?" bit were added to show escapees frolicking in flowering meadows.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2016 07:09PM by elderolddog.

I continue to be intrigued by stories from the MTC and realize that had I agreed to go on a mission I would not have made it our of that joint. And omletinoz, you are a straight up dude for refusing to tell what you wrote in the note.

RB

I spotted the control tactics for some reason the moment I was asked about my past sex life for walking 75 feet from my companion.


She didn't need my protection.

I have a feeling I would have told someone to fuck off and mind their own business. I don't follow orders well.

RB

Bags and caught a ride with her.

Wow, I felt like I was there again and it's been 25 years! It reminded me of things I haven't thought about in a long time. Love your writing style!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2016 05:10PM by stoppedtheinsanity.

I agree with stoppedtheinsanity , I was wondering where you were going with this from the first post, interesting narrative, perfectly captures what makes mo's complete d'bags

I loved reading your story. I'm hoping there will be more of these...(hint hint)

I enjoy reading Don Bagley's stories too. I'm glad that Cricket mentions whenever there is a new one.

Are you going to put all of your stories in an easy to find place, so I can go back and re-read them whenever I want?

This breaks my heart for this girl. Instead of talking to her about her make-up & perfume, they should have told these elders that if they kept getting excited with boners or having their minds taken off of memorizing & ' the work'.....then the elders are welcome to leave & go home. There are beautiful women out in the world who wear makeup & perfume. Are they going to avoid them, or just get boners & want to be boinking them all the time!? ( I'm sorry..........I know that word was inappropriate on here...but COME ON !!!) They broke this sweet sister's self esteem & will to even be there.

The leaders there at that time were WRONG ! I bet it was hard for this young lady to even want to bother going back to church. I'm glad that you were her friend at this time. You were the only one she felt she could turn to , even in her small way.

I went on my mission when stateside missionaries still went to the old mission home up in Salt Lake.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2016 09:37PM by nitrameequc.

to wear lipstick? A SP told the singles ward that the girls needed to paint their fingernails and toenails, wash their hair, dress nice, and wear lipstick back when I was in the singles ward. Looking around the room, all the girls were dressed very nicely with hair and makeup done well. It was obviously our fault we weren't married.

Which way do they want it?

Always the woman's fault.

If this is #3, I need to go look for #1 and #2.

Please keep writing more. (I've read all of them now.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2016 12:03AM by cl2.

Great piece of writing! Takes me back to the MTC, particularly the flatulence. I blame the low quality MTC food. I blame basic 19 YO boy hormones for the boners. Poor young woman. Could have been me (23 at the MTC) strictly with respect to age, (and I by no means wish to imply that I am or was the hot girl). I completely understand why she would be embarrassed and humiliated. I just hope today she is angry instead. Outrageous!

Great read!
My son a senior in HS, and so it begins for his friends, all of them from good LDS families.

I'm so delighted. This had the happiest ending ever. This poor girl who was ostracized and punished for being attractive ended up leaving MTC and basically giving the church patriarchy a hearty fuck you. I hope she eventually left the church as well. Good on her for having the strength to pack up and leave instead of continuing to put up with that crap for the next year and a half (or whatever). It was only going to get worse from there. I'm so proud of her.