Bjorn had grown tired of the dogmatic approach of the Catholics-the religion of his youth and his parents-along with the scandals that hounded the church, the aristocracy of the priesthood, the constant bickering over condoms and birth control, the role of women in the church, and whether homosexuality should be condemned. Bjorn considered those things insignificant and shallow. He longed for a deeper, more personal relationship with God.
Bjorn showed the publications to Anna, who shared his frustration with the church. The couple studied diligently. They learned of the Last Days, of the invisible return of Christ in 1914, of Armageddon, and of the millennium, when Christ would rule over the earth, the dead would be resurrected, mankind would attain perfection, and paradise would be restored. They learned that one hundred and forty-four thousand “true Christians” would rule the great crowd from heaven along with Jesus after Armageddon, until, ultimately, Jehovah, the all-powerful God, would rule again.
At last. A reasoned, intellectual approach to religion.
When the two young men returned as promised a week later, Bjorn and Anna had many questions. All of them were answered satisfactorily, and they accepted the young men’s invitation to attend a public talk at the Kingdom Hall in Johnson City the following Sunday. A month later, both were baptized into the Watchtower faith.
Bjorn had become a pioneer, which meant he was required to spend a minimum of ninety hours each month proselytizing. It was his responsibility to turn nonbelievers into believers, or, in the parlance of the church, to turn goats into sheep. He was required to keep meticulous records of his activities so the overseers and elders could keep tabs on his service. Bjorn didn’t mind the accountability. In fact, he welcomed it. And he was naturally outgoing, so approaching complete strangers and inquiring about their relationship with God did not present a problem for him. Last month, he had exceeded his evangelical requirement by thirteen hours.
A roadside sign informed Bjorn that a rest stop was a mile away. He’d been driving for only an hour, but the sun was going down and it was a beautiful September evening. The children could play for a little while, and he and Anna could stretch their legs. If God smiled upon him, he might even find a goat he could turn into a sheep.
As he eased the van off of the interstate onto the rest area ramp, he touched Anna gently on the arm.
“Anna, I’m going to stop for a little while. Do you mind?”
His wife’s eyes opened and she smiled.
“Where are we?”
“At a rest stop. We’re not far from home, but I thought we might take a walk and let the children play for a little while.”
“That’s fine. I don’t mind at all.”
Bjorn maneuvered the van into a parking spot right in front of the restrooms. The rest stop was deserted. He saw Anna reach back and gently squeeze Else’s knee.
“Else, honey, would you like to get out and play for a while?”
The child awoke slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“I’m hungry,” Else said in a tiny voice.
“Would you like a candy kiss?” Anna said. She reached for a bag of Hershey’s Kisses in the console.
Bjorn parked the van, and husband and wife got out. Anna opened the sliding door and lifted Elias from his car seat. She handed the smiling child to Bjorn.
“He’s wet,” she said. “They probably have a changing table in the bathroom. If they don’t, I can change him on one of the picnic tables.”
“I’ll do it,” Bjorn said. “Take Else to the bathroom. I’ll take care of him.”
Bjorn pulled a diaper and a baby wipe from the diaper bag between the seats and walked slowly up the sidewalk. There were several picnic tables scattered on the lawn behind the bathrooms. Bjorn headed for the nearest table, with Elias resting comfortably on his arm. Anna and Else strolled towards the women’s restroom.
Bjorn enjoyed changing his son’s diaper-even the smelly ones. It gave him an opportunity to provide comfort to the boy, to smile directly into his face and tell him he loved him.
Bjorn laid Elias on his back, smiled, and went into baby-speak as he gently and efficiently went about the task: “Are you Daddy’s good boy? Yes, you are. Daddy loves you. Can you say ‘Daddy’? Daaah-deee? You have to say Daddy before you say Mommy.”
Elias grinned.
“Yes! That’s my boy. You’ll be saying it soon enough.” Bjorn lifted the child into the air and kissed him on the cheek. “Let’s go find Mommy.”
As he started back down the hill towards the restroom, he noticed that a green Chevy Cavalier had pulled into the parking spot beside his van.
Bjorn saw them when he rounded the corner near the restroom to check on Else and Anna. He stopped short. Two of them, both males, were dressed in black from head to toe. Their hair was black and they’d covered their faces in white pancake makeup. There was also a tall female, a redhead who was wearing a tight pink miniskirt, a white blouse, black fishnet hose, and shoes with spiked heels. She was speaking to Anna, who was holding Else in her arms, while the others lingered a few steps away. At first glance, the redhead was attractive, with sharp features and full lips. Bjorn noticed a small tattoo on the side of her neck. It appeared to be a cross, but it was upside down.
“What a beautiful child,” the girl said in a kind voice as Bjorn moved closer.
“Thank you,” Anna said.
“I’d like to have a beautiful child like her someday. What’s her name?”
Else buried her face in her mother’s shoulder. Anna smiled. “She’s shy. Her name is Else. Can you say hello to the nice lady, Else?”
Else turned towards the girl and lifted a tiny hand.
“What’s this?” the girl said.
“It’s a Hershey’s Kiss,” Anna said. “She’s offering you a Kiss.”
“Is everything all right?” Bjorn said as he cautiously approached. It was hard to tell with the makeup, but the two males appeared to be young, maybe twenty or so. One was tall and lanky, the other short and muscular. Both had small silver rings in their pierced eyebrows, ears, and lips. The redhead was wearing a black spiderweb necklace, and the boys wore T-shirts that sported goat heads and pentagrams and advertised Satan. Bjorn immediately assumed that this meeting was destiny-God had afforded him a perfect opportunity to attempt to spread his new faith.
“It’s a beautiful evening, isn’t it?” Bjorn said.
“Yes,” the redheaded girl said, “beautiful.”
When she looked at Bjorn, he noticed something unusual. Her eyes. Heavy black eyeliner set off eyes that were different colors. One was a brilliant blue, the other green. Bjorn had never seen anything like it.
“May I ask you a question?” Bjorn said.
She looked at Bjorn suspiciously, but nodded slightly.
“Are you satisfied with your relationship with God?”
The girl stiffened. Bjorn heard one of the boys gasp.
“And how could that possibly be any of your fucking business?” the girl snarled. She turned her head to the side and spit on the ground.
“I’m so sorry,” Bjorn said. The smile on his face remained fixed. “I’ve offended you.”
“You’re goddamned right you offended me,” the girl said. “Who do you think you are?”
Bjorn stuck out his hand. He glanced towards the still-empty parking lot, silently wishing that someone else would come along. It remained empty with the exception of his van and the Cavalier.