CHAPTER FOUR
JOHANNA
Our road trip consisted of Aidens mood swings, paranoia and a lot of speeding. Aiden told me that he would feel better once he was in the country; we just had to keep our heads down until then. The only time I would see him this erratic was when he was with the ungodly people, trying his best to cleanse and correct their lives. When I first found out about Aiden following his fathers footsteps I didn't know what to think, I was so close minded. Aiden however was patient with me and explained it efficiently, I can remember the day I found out.
I was staying at my friend Miranda's house, and was supposed to stay the night but I was missing Aiden too much. He did that to me a lot, I craved to be in his presence every moment. I didn't want to bother anyone so I walked home alone. Once I got home no lights were on so I assumed he had gone to bed early, trying not to wake him I decided to do the laundry I was putting off. I can remember walking down the cellar stairs and hearing muffled voices, who was he down there with? I slammed the door open with so much energy thinking he was cheating on me but when I focused on the dim lit scene I was mortified.
Aiden had a man and woman tied up to the pipes; they were half naked and drenched in water, diluting their seeping wounds. Aiden had a book in one hand and a blade in the other. I was so shocked that I fainted, dropping everything to the wet floor.
I came to on the couch, brand new at the time so it was still smooth and soft. I jolted up when I remembered what had happened. Aiden was there, sitting above me with love in his eyes, and a little bit of worry. I cried out in confusion and horror, and he firmly grabbed my shoulders and made me look him in the eyes.
'I can explain. You just need to listen.' He whispered, barely audible.
We talked until sunrise and he explained to me why he had them; they were swingers he had picked up from a club and they pranced around like the devil asking Aiden to join them in their sins. He had to stop them so it would stop once and for all.
He never used the word "kill" because it wasn't killing them, it was either correcting them; cleansing their souls and showing them the way, or sending them purgatory to relive their sins over and over. A lot of it made sense because I had already been learning from his bible a while now. His bible meant a lot to him. His grandfather wrote it when he was a baby living in the commune and after that they soon lived through their religion, teaching and practicing their beliefs. I too started to do the same.
It took me a while to understand because my mind was still tainted from the outside world of demons, but I eventually came around. It only took six months of intensive praying and bible reading, which meant I wasn't allowed to leave the house the whole time. I didn't go to school because Aiden said I was as smart as a woman should be and he would take care of me for the rest of my life, he was such a great caregiver.
A rabbit hopped along the street and Aiden swerved to avoid it, pulling me from my thoughts. He balanced out quickly and we were back to cruising in no time.
'Do you want to read a passage?' His question was more like pleading, he wanted to hear the angelic words between the bibles pages.
'Of course sweetie, it's been a while since I read from passage fourteen, shall I read that one?'
'That sounds lovely Johanna, great choice.'
He listened intently while focusing on the road at the same time. Whenever I had a word I couldn't pronounce he would correct me; he knew the passage of by heart and I knew why, it was his favourite. It was called "the chosen corrector"
I had fallen asleep in the car and woke with a stiff neck and the seat belt chaffing against my collarbone. I sat up a little and rubbed it better.
'Someone's awake!' Aiden sounded cheery now and I could see why, we were on an old dirt road as wide as a highway and sugar canes went for miles in the meadows on each side. We were in the country.
Aiden informed me that after a sleep and another few hours of driving we would be at the safe place. I could barely hold my excitement! We stopped at a truck stop that had a do it yourself service station. Aiden had already prepared a prepaid fuel card so there would be no unnecessary people to recognise us. I got out to stretch my legs and walked around the stop. There was only a couple of trucks parked and you could hear them snoring from outside.
We took the chance to wash ourselves in the public showers, and Aiden didn't like it because they didn't have doors or curtains so he had to stand in front of the shower, facing away so I could wash without any interruption. We were married and consummated our love plenty of times but Aiden believed that I should still have my privacy, and says that unnecessary impure thoughts were distractions, so I always dressed appropriately and never showed him my naked body. He was a gentleman and I was his lady, life was perfect and pure with him.
Once Aiden had showered as well we set up the tent behind the car at the furthest part of the stop, it was hard work because the only light we had was a torch and the distant light from the service station but we managed.
This time tomorrow I would be surrounded by beautiful, pure people like us and with that thought I fell into a comfortable sleep holding my husband.