|
"DANNY" |
| Copyright Francis Blow, 1980. |
| CHAPTER 5 |
| Danny heard Karin scream close behind him, but he was in too much agony to do more than groan. |
| Car doors slammed, and angry shouts filled Danny's ears. He forced himself to roll onto his knees, and tried to see what was happening. Karin was being held by her father, while her uncle was ready to drive the van. The two men's plan was spoiled by a taxi which was blocking the van's path, and three men were arguing with Mr. Kind. |
| Danny attempted to shout something, yet all he could manage was a weak protest that went unheard, but the next instant, Karin kicked her father hard in the knee and ran to Danny's side. |
| "Oh Danny, what's wrong? Should I call an ambulance?" |
| He shook his head. How could he explain to a girl what was wrong? |
| Seconds later, the van sped off, and the three men were helping Danny to his feet; one of them grinned at Danny. "You'll be walking like John Wayne for a few days, mate. I'd get some ice on that, and lots of rest. Can you ride that bike, miss?" |
| "Of course... Um. Is it broken?" Karin was still dazed. |
| "Nah! I had a bike like that once. Got rammed by a Mack truck. Wrecked the truck, but the bike kept going." |
| People fussed over Danny, who felt too weak to protest. The school bags were hung off the handle bars, and Karin stood astride the bike. Then came Danny's worst indignity. |
| He was lifted onto the carry rack, to ride side saddle. A hand clapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck, mate. Keep off the horses for awhile." |
| When Karin told him to hold on, he had to put his arms around her waist and lean against her back, while she rode slowly. He was ready to die of embarrassment, knowing that Karin knew what was wrong with him. |
| Especially since he was ashamed of the way he had been thinking of her just before the crash. |
| Tears came to his eyes, worsening the situation even more, yet Karin gave no sign that she felt the back of her shirt dampen. |
| Eventually, the tortuous journey over the bumpy roads ended, and Karin steered the bike into Danny's yard. She supported the bike to let Danny off, then leaned it against the wall of the house, and carried their bags inside, while Danny limped behind her. |
| His first thought was to go straight to his room, until he saw Karin's clothes on his bed, so he shut himself inside the bathroom to examine his injury. |
| There were angry bruises, but nothing seemed damaged. He put cold water in the bath and sat in it, moving very carefully. When his mother came to the door, he told her not to come in, and when Granny offered to fetch ice, he sent her away too. |
| He was still there when his father arrived. |
| "Looks nasty." Mr. Nock observed. "I bet it feels even worse than it looks. Just wait until tomorrow! Still, could have been a lot worse." |
| As Danny's distress increased, his father smiled at him. "It's not going to get better right away, but you'll be as good as new, before you know it." |
| "Will it be... okay?" |
| "Sure! No worries." Mr. Nock reassured him, yet there was more he could sense behind Danny's unhappiness. "Is something else wrong?" |
| Danny struggled with his conscience. "God is punishing me." |
| "What do you mean?" |
| "I was having... I was thinking about Karin... You know." He glanced at his father's face, then away again, ashamed. "Sex." |
| "Oh... I see. Well, I wouldn't worry too much about that. If God punished everyone who had so-called dirty thoughts, then everyone would be walking about bow legged. Do you often think about girls like that?" |
| "No... A little... But Karin's different. She's special." |
| "Ah, well. Karin is definitely a pretty young lady, I agree..." |
| "No, Dad! I mean she's special as a friend. You don't think of friends like that." |
| "Is that it? Son, I'll let you in on a big, grownup secret. If you care about someone that much, then you've just become a man in my eyes." His father became stern then. "That doesn't mean you can do what you like though. If I ever see you try anything with Karin or any other girl, I'll whale the tar out of you." |
| "Sure, Dad. I promise I'll never think like that again." |
| Mr. Nock laughed. "Don't promise that, because no one could ever keep that promise. I'll tell you what it is I do whenever I see a woman I think is sexy." |
| "You Dad?" |
| "Yes, me. I'm not that old! When you see a girl, and you get all worked up, really hot and bothered, tell yourself that God made her pretty so that the world becomes a more beautiful place for everyone. A beautiful girl is a special gift, a prayer that everyone can gain from... I know I'm not saying this right, Danny. I've never been good with words." |
| Danny was astounded that his father, whom everyone said was "slow", could so simplify such a problem. He saw the big, happy man in a new light. |
| "Dad. A girl is a prayer?" |
| "Well, that's the way I stop from making a fool of myself." |
| "You're no fool, Dad. I think you're great." |
| "You reckon? In that case, how would you like to stay home for the rest of the week?" |
| "Karin too." Danny ventured. |
| "Yep. Your Mum will send a note to the school." |
| "Unreal!" |
| "But tonight, we're going to shove a big bag of ice between your legs, and hope the bruises and swelling gets better soon." |
| "Okay, Dad." Then he hesitated. "Who's John Wayne?" |
| Well after his father had left him, Danny forced himself to get up and wrap a towel around his waist. He stuck his head outside the bathroom and saw that Karin was helping in the kitchen; he went to his former room and put on a loose shirt and trousers. |
| As Danny reopened the bedroom door, his way out was blocked by Karin, who stood in front of the doorway, arms folded across her chest and a fierce look on her face. |
| "You are sleeping in your own bed tonight, and I'm having the lounge." She declared. |
| The argument that resulted was settled by Danny's mother, in Karin's favour, and the sleeping arrangements were changed after dinner. As soon as Danny's head hit his pillow he was asleep. |
| Granny woke him in the morning and helped him hobble to the kitchen. Danny could not believe that the pain had gotten worse. Yet it had, and every limping step was agony, but he tried to put on a brave face. |
| Karin was sitting at the table as if she belonged to the family. Her feet were in bright blue socks, while a lemon yellow house coat covered her pink nightie. As she read the paper, she sipped at a big mug of tea. |
| "Good morning." Danny said. |
| Karin and his mother both looked at him with critical eyes. While his mother asked how he felt, Karin smiled sweetly and said he looked as if he had been dead for ten years. |
| "With friends like you, Karin... Hi, Mum." |
| "How did you sleep, darling?" |
| "Like a log." |
| "Want to see this?" Karin asked proudly, and she held up the front page of the newspaper. Danny stared at the headlines. |
| "Hero Dan Saves Day." |
| Beneath those words was a clear photo of him climbing the mast of Spray Dancer, as the crowd watched him. |
| "Hero Dan." Karin read aloud. "I like it. It suits you. Dan is a much more grown up name than Danny." |
| Granny started laughing. "You might be a hero to everyone else, but you did a lousy job of protecting the family jewels!" |
| Danny went bright red, while Karin stifled a giggle, though her cheeks went pink. Granny cackled gleefully at the effects of her joke. |
| "Granny, don't tease him." His mother chided. "He's upset enough as it is." |
| "Never mind, Mum. She's right. I did make a mess of things." |
| "Do you want to hear what the paper says?" Karin asked him. |
| Danny made himself passably comfortable, while tea and toast were placed in front of him. The paper rustled in Karin's hands as she found the start of the story. |
| "It says that Dan Nock was further involved in curtailing the attempted thefts of boat equipment, et cetera. The boy was injured when his bicycle was rammed by the suspects, though a passing taxi... " |
| Danny continued to listen, shaking his head. The few times Karin was mentioned in the paper only her first name was used, and described her as "Dan's friend". He wondered if the papers knew just how deeply she was involved. |
| His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. It was Detective Styles who wanted to go over the details of the incident with them. The policeman was nowhere near the last person to question Danny and Karin; reporters came, from local as well as Sydney papers. There was even a TV crew. The story was told and retold, until it all sounded like a bad movie plot to Danny. |
| When Jack Malone arrived, though, Danny and Karin were glad to see him. |
| "I took your advice, Danny, and hired a guard last night. Someone did try and break into Spray Dancer, and was chased off. I owe you both a lot. Thanks." |
| Danny grinned. "It really was nothing. Anyone would have done the same." |
| "Maybe so. Though I doubt it. Some of the equipment on the yacht would have taken months to replace. You saved me a great deal of time and worry. What can I do to repay you?" |
| While Danny was thinking, Karin spoke up. "I know what he really would love. A chance to sail on the Spray Dancer. Dan loves boats, and yours is the best we've seen." |
| "Is that what you want?" |
| "I'll say! Can Karin come too? She did much more than me yesterday. She's the real hero." |
| "It's a deal, then. On our next sail you can both come along." |
| Danny and Karin exchanged joyous smiles. |
| Detective Styles paid them a second visit later that day. He wanted to talk to Karin. |
| "I'm afraid we had to arrest your mother. She was one of the people who sold the stolen goods." |
| Karin was stunned. "That's not possible!" |
| "I'm sorry, Karin. She admitted it after she heard what your father did to you both yesterday. Your mother came to us." The policeman told her. "In addition to the other charges we are laying against your father, we have decided to charge him with attempted murder and attempted kidnapping." |
| Danny's mother put her arms around Karin, as the girl began to sob softly. After a few moments, Detective Styles left, with Granny to show him the way out. |
| All Danny could do was stand close to his devastated friend. He had no idea how to comfort her, though his mother stroked Karin's hair and whispered things that only the girl could hear. |
| When Granny brought a tray of tea and biscuits, Danny put a cup into Karin's hands. |
| "I'm so sorry." He told her. "I didn't know this would happen." |
| "It's all his fault! Dad must have made her do it, like he made me. Mum isn't bad! I love Mum!" |
| "I think she loves you, too." Danny said. "She must have admitted doing those things so that it will help you." |
| "How can her being in goal help me?" Karin wailed. |
| "If she kept hiding from the police they probably wouldn't have believed her. This way, they might believe that she was forced into helping him. She might be set free." |
| It was Danny's tone as much as his words that calmed Karin. He saw his mother smiling at him, and he felt that he had really done something right for once. |
| Granny passed Danny his own mug. "You two kids don't realise how lucky you are to have each other as friends." |
| Karin looked into the old woman's face for a moment, then smiled shyly at Danny. "Dan is my very best friend." |
| Neither of them left the house that day, so that Danny could rest as much as possible. When dinner time came, and all that they had to eat was vegetable pie, Danny told Karin that the two of them should spend the whole of the next day fishing. |
| "Do you like mussels?" He asked her. |
| "I've only tried them smoked, out of a tin. Are they like oysters?" |
| "Sort of. Though they are a little tougher. I'll take you to my secret place, where the mussels are the best in Brisbane Water." |
| That night everyone went to bed as usual, except that Danny was made to stay in his own bed, instead of the lounge. His protests that he was feeling much better were ignored. With all three females standing with hands on hips to tell him who were the bosses, Danny went to bed, laughing. |
| At three o'clock in the morning, the sounds of shattering glass, and screams pierced the night. |
