A Story about Fate

When I was in graduate school, I lived in a little house that was right off campus. Within two blocks of me were a Lutheran church I attended, and two fraternities. Both frats were probably ultimately made up of rich athletes, but one frat was a little bit more "yacht club" in its reputation; the other a bit more "captain of the football team." One year, a member of the yacht-club frat committed suicide.

I would often attend Thursday evening bible studies at the Lutheran church, which was immediately between the two frats. I imagine that the "football captain" frat guys thought I was a member of the other frat because of the path I would walk. They probably assumed I was cutting through the church's parking lot instead of actually going into the church. Anyway, one evening, shortly after the suicide, as I entered the church parking lot, I started hearing the word "suicide." Soon I noticed that every window in the football-frat's house was filled with brothers who were chanting "suicide" in a spooky, erratic fashion, each at different rhythms, and they were chanting at me! The funny thing was that it really didn't faze me once I figured out what they were doing. They thought they were teasing and mocking a member of their rival frat over the tragic loss of one of his brothers. The gall and cruelty were so over the top that I really didn't have any emotional response.

Within a few months, one of the football-frat guys was murdered behind their house. Shot. I believe they found the assailant but not a clear motive.