Techi Speaks Out
Editor's note: The following was posted on MyConclusion.com, a website run by a member of The Family International which provides a place for Family youth to post positive viewpoints about the group.
Techi Speaks Out
2005-01-28
From Techi, (sister of Ricky Rodriguez)
I think that now, after nearly two weeks, the horror of what Ricky did has finally sunk in.—But I still don’t understand how he could have done it, or why. I guess it’s almost harder for me to believe that Angela is really gone. It’s just not something that should have happened to her, of all people. I just can’t imagine how any human being could do what Ricky did to Angela, someone who was completely innocent, and so full of love. Much less someone who knew her so well, knew her for his whole life, as did I. He knew exactly the kind of person she was, knew all the countless instances that she went out of her way to love and help those around her.
Angela wasn’t one of those alleged “horrible, horrible cultists who deserve to die for what they did” as he made her out to be on that terrible, terrible video. It’s unbelievable. I think everyone who knew her loved her to pieces. She was simply an incredible, great, wonderful person.
God, that video was so painful for me to watch! It made me physically sick to my stomach. I guess one of the most painful things for me was hearing the way he talked about her, and what he was going to do to her, as if she wasn’t even a person. As if she deserved to die. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who thinks stuff like that. It’s incredible to me. He had obviously become severely disturbed, which was so horrible to see on that video, and I couldn’t even believe it was the brother that I’d known. But to think that there are others who right now are doing all they can to justify what he did, and some even rejoicing about it, is a seriously disturbing thought to me.
Angela is not really gone, of course. She’s still with us, thank God, just in another dimension. And that at least makes our loss easier to bear. But it was unbearable to hear the way he talked about my mother, and her husband, Peter.—Two of the most wonderful people on Earth, I think. Our mother! Our mother who loved us so deeply, who showed us that love at every possible opportunity, who did her best to make sure we had the best upbringing she could provide for us. It’s so horrible. And, I imagine, even more horrible for her to have to listen to it. So sad. Such unbelievable hatred, darkness and evil came out of his mouth.
We were close, and I know that when I knew him, he never ever felt any of the things he stated in his video. After Ricky left the Family, it’s not like Mom stopped loving him, either, and she did all that she could to try to show him that. I don’t understand why he refused to believe her. And for the record, I was never once in all my life in the Family abused.
I am very happily married to my incredible, perfectly wonderful husband of nearly 10 years, who I thank God for every day. He has blessed us with our super and precious nine-year-old son. We love him so much and our hearts are filled with gratefulness to God for allowing us the privilege to have been raised, and to raise our child in the Family—in my opinion, the most wonderful environment on Earth. As you can see, I sure have a lot to be thankful for. I feel spoiled by the Lord.—And those whose lives are less fortunate than mine are in my daily prayers.
My brother knew all these things. I lived nearby him, and he saw me and my family frequently in the months before he left the Family. He had no reason to think that either I or my son needed to be “rescued”.
In closing, I would like to say that I loved my brother. I love him now, and I forgive him, and I know that God loves him and forgives him, and that I will see him again some day in a much better place.
Techi
Techi is a second-generation member of the Family International.
See also
- Christina Teresa Zerby (aka Techi)
- Techi's Life Story
- MyConclusion.com