Daniel and Jonah Part 16

Chapter 16

I was invited to Thanksgiving dinner at the Johnson's. When I asked if I could bring anything, Angie, in her usual fashion replied, "Just bring yourself, that's plenty."

I knew from past dinners at their house that there would be more food than one family could eat in one day, but I'd been brought up never to go empty-handed when invited to someone's house, so I asked Dan what a typical Thanksgiving dinner at his house looked like. As expected, his mother had thought of everything. Despite that, I thought long and hard and finally came up with an idea I thought the family might like. I spent two nights hard at work making a selection of cookies and brought the laden tray to the door.

Once again, Freddie, shirtless, answered, peeking around the door at me with his usual grin. When he saw the tray of cookies his eyes widened and cold weather and no shirt notwithstanding, he came into full view and relieved me of the tray, which I was sure he was going to drop. To my surprise he made it into the kitchen without mishap, immediately untied the bow holding the covering of orange-red cellophane together and grabbed a cookie before his mother could stop him.

She advanced on Fred with her hand raised but instead of looking the least bit scared, the boy grabbed another cookie with an impish grin and ran to his room.

"Put on a shirt while you're up there!" his mother called to him as she took the tray, restored it to its original condition, minus the two cookies, and put it more securely on the counter. She looked up and me and grinned, much like her youngest son had, and said, "He's spoiled. Not my fault! I blame his father. Mostly because Seb's not here to defend himself," she laughed, "thank you for the cookies!" she added as she drew me into a bear hug.

I could tell now where Dan got his hugging skill from and I happily hugged her back.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "the turkey!"

"Let me help, Angie," I grinned as I released her.

Dan came in just then and gathered me in another bear hug. I smiled when his mother said fondly, "His nonnie always said he was the best hugger."

"Yep," I agreed, "he definitely is."

As though to prove me wrong, Freddie, finally in a shirt, came up behind me and tried to get his arms around both Dan and me, his head tucked firmly between us. I tousled his unkempt mass of hair and smiled down at him. He scowled back at me and brushed his hand through his hair as though it would somehow become neat before turning toward the living room to play on his PS4.

I half expected his mother to say something, to tell him to do a chore or something, but she merely turned toward the oven to baste the turkey while Dan busied himself washing the used bowls and utensils. Once the table was clear Dan opened a drawer and took out a tablecloth. It was clean, but obviously well used. He began to unfold it and handed one end to me. After we put the cloth down he handed me plates to put out while he gathered up utensils and we set the table. It suddenly dawned on me that I was helping in the kitchen, just as if I'd been doing it my whole life. I felt totally at home and couldn't suppress a grin.

One by one, we put out platters and bowls of food. His mother hadn't been kidding when she'd told me that they were potato fiends. There were three different styles of potato on the table and I wondered if there would be room for anything else.  I had nothing to fear, however, as Dan called Fred, then went to retrieve his father from wherever he'd been, and his mother placed the most delicious looking turkey I'd ever seen at the center of the table. As his father carved the turkey I could hear the skin crackle, and more than once Freddie had to be told to keep his hands off.

I personally had no problem with the Johnson family having all the skin. It had never been my favorite part of the bird to begin with, but Dan encouraged me to take just a bit and so I did to please him. 

My eyes widened in surprise. It was good. It was really good! I glanced at my plate, then Dan's, then mine again. He took the hint and gave me a little more with a huge grin. I closed my eyes as I bit into the crispy, seasoned piece. I didn't realize that I'd made any sound until Freddie piped up, "Yep! It's that good!" before crunching down on the pieces on his own plate.

He then took a hearty portion of the mashed potatoes, and one half of a twice-baked potato. I had to chuckle when I saw him ignore the sweet potatoes altogether.

"Thanks, Freddie-boy!" his mother cheered as she took one from the plate which was noticeably fuller than the others, "more for me!" I had the feeling that Mrs. Johnson was the only one in the family who liked them, and I saw her pleased expression as I took one as well.

"Finally, someone with good taste!" she joked.

"You put sour cream on your baked potatoes, so I don't know if you're qualified to determine what's good taste or not," Seb said with a sideways glance at his wife.

Without missing a beat she replied, "Well, I married you, that should have been your first warning signal."

I'm pretty sure that my expression told all as I glanced back and forth between them. They never yelled, but yet they also never seemed to have a kind word for each other.

Angie gave me a soft smack on my arm. "Don't let us fool you, we kind of like each other, more or less," she said blandly, "right, Seb?"

"Yeah, I guess," he shrugged before taking another bite of his dinner.

Angie winked at me and began to eat her own dinner, unashamedly taking the sour cream and adding a large dollop on her second baked potato before cutting into it and humming with pleasure as she took a bite.

Later on, after Freddie had disappeared into his room, and his parents had gone to lie down in their bedroom for a bit after the cleanup, I took Dan aside and asked him, "Look, it's none of my business, but... I'm dying to know... if they really can't stand each other why do they stay together?"

Dan grinned, rolled his eyes, and winked, "Be grateful that you don't have to hear them at night when they think everyone's asleep. C'mon, let's watch a movie before you have to leave," he suggested as he led me by the hand into the living room.

We sat on the couch, nibbling on the cookies that were left after Freddie had finally decided he'd had enough, and watched a movie until I realized that Dan had fallen asleep. I moved as gently as I could so that I wouldn't wake him, propped his head on a pillow, and covered him with the blanket that was there. I turned off the television, left Dan a note that I'd talk to him tomorrow, and one for his folks, thanking them for a lovely night before I let myself out and headed home.

***********************

We spent Christmas at my parent's house. I'd warned Dan that things could become very loud and asked him if he'd be ok with that.

"I guess," he replied uncertainly, "it depends on how loud everyone is, I suppose."

"And don't be surprised if any of my aunts come to you to pinch your cheeks. It's just something they do, it's just a friendly thing, ok? They won't hurt you."

He'd nodded his head and we continued on our way.

Even though I'd told my family that Daniel was autistic and what to look out for, and told everyone to try to be a little more quiet than usual, Christmas was unbelievable. It seemed as though every member of the family was there. All of my brothers and sisters, and all of their kids, aunts and uncles and cousins, and half of the neighborhood had no problem dropping in to say Merry Christmas, leaving behind a stack of fruitcakes that even the birds wouldn't eat afterward.

I could tell that he felt overwhelmed, not only by the sheer number of people but by the noise level, so we went outside for a walk before dinner, which my mother promised would be exactly at 2 and not to be late or else.

I laughed at the ultimatum. Even with that many people in the house, going without having any dinner was not a possibility, even with one of my brothers in law, a retired Army sergeant with a huge appetite, in attendance.

"I don't want you to miss out on dinner just because of me," Dan said worriedly.

"No one is going to miss out on anything, hon," I assured him, "my mother is like yours and makes enough to feed the neighborhood during the holidays. Even if we only got leftovers there'd be so much that we'd be full before we got to the pies, cakes, and cookies," I laughed.

Dan glanced at his watch and then back toward my house nervously. We still had over an hour, but I knew that dinner would be even noisier than it was now. I saw the frown crease his forehead as he turned away and stared at the sidewalk as we moved along.

"I don't..." he began, "Jonah... I don't... think I can..." he stammered.

I hugged him around the shoulders and he leaned into me. I loved that we'd gotten to the point where I could touch him without him drawing back, but I felt bad at the same time. I now understood why even holiday dinner at his house consisted of only him and his immediate family. And myself, I added, feeling both proud to be included in that number, and a bit saddened that there were only the six of us now.

Suddenly an idea struck and I led him toward the little plaza that was near my folks' house. Thankfully the supermarket was still open so I pulled him inside even though the sign on the door said they closed in ten minutes. I ignored the somewhat disgruntled looks we got as we ran through the store to the health needs aisle. Luckily I found what I was looking for and led a confused looking Daniel through the checkout with five minutes to spare.

"Here," I said with a grin, "when we get back to the house..."

He took the little bits of foam rubber out of my hands and looked at me as though I'd gone completely crazy.

"What are these?" he asked curiously.

"Earplugs," I answered with a huge grin. I remembered reading that some people with autism had an enhanced sense of hearing, and all of that noise in my folks' house must have sounded like the middle of a big city street at rush hour to him. I'd read something about sensory overload and I didn't want my Daniel to be uncomfortable in any way. If it was only the noise level and not the logjam of people there, then hopefully these would help.

"When we get back to the house, just roll these up a little bit and put one in each ear. It should help decrease the volume, and you'll be more comfortable. And if you're not," I continued before he could ask, "we'll eat, clear our plates and say our goodbyes, ok?"

"Ok," he agreed with a smile. He allowed me to put my arm around him and we walked back home. We could hear the noise from the house more than half a block away and I wondered why none of the neighbors had called to complain about the racket yet.

Just before we walked in I handed Dan the two plugs and he put them in his ears. I could see the relief on his face as the din was diminished even by a little. 

We were greeted by one of my aunts as we walked in. "There you are!" she cried as she scooped me up into a hug, "I thought you guys had left!"

"Nope, auntie, just took a walk," I explained, hugging her back.

Her eyes focused on Dan and her expression changed from happiness to pity. "So, is this the retarded kid you're going out with? Hi," she continued, speaking slowly and drawing her words out as though Dan couldn't understand otherwise, "my name is Millie. Miiiilllllliiiiieeeee. And your name is Daniel? It's nice to meet you," she said slowly, as though he wouldn't understand her if she spoke normally.

I could feel his body stiffen up under my arm and when I looked at him his mouth was open, his eyes wide with disbelief. I realized that I was probably wearing much the same expression before I turned on her, my eyes narrowed, and I knew that I was gritting my teeth. I wished that the earplugs had been strong enough so that he wouldn't have had to hear that. I wished that I hadn't had to hear that.

I still managed to speak as I drew Dan closer to my side. I could feel him shaking with anger.

"Dan is not retarded, Aunt Millie. He understands and speaks English very well so you don't need to talk to him like that. And I'd hazard a guess that he's a hundred times smarter than you are."

"What on earth?!" she exclaimed, "how dare you talk to me like that, Jonah! I'm going to tell your mother!"

I laughed at her last statement and invited her to go ahead but then became deadly serious once again.

"And how dare you speak to Daniel like that, or treat him any differently than you would anyone else in the family!" I demanded, "I dare you to talk like that to dad, or Uncle Bob," I said, referring to her retired Army husband, "don't ever disrespect him like that again," I said as I tightened my hold on Dan's shoulders and pulled him away before she could say anything else.

We left her there with her mouth hanging open just as Dan's had been only a moment before.  I brought him into my old bedroom where the coats were piled on the bed moved them over and sat down with him. He looked stunned as he took the plugs out of his ears.

"Dan," I began, "I'm so sorry,"

"Does your whole family feel that way?" he asked as though the breath had been knocked out of him, "Do they all think I'm..."

"No! No, Dan! Of course not. Aunt Millie doesn't think before she talks. She can be a bit of an idiot. When she asks about my friends she refers to them as 'Your black friend, Jack,' or 'Your Jewish friend, Martin,'. She's in her 80s now and grew up in a whole different time. I'm not saying that what she did was right, not by a long shot," I assured him, "I'm only explaining why she talks and thinks the way she does,"

"She's an asshole," Dan said quietly.

I tried not to laugh, "Yeah, she can be. Look," I said more seriously, "if you don't want to stay, I'll understand and we can go back to my place. It won't be ham and everything for dinner, but I'm sure we can scrape something up."

Dan sat and thought about it for a minute before pulling his shoulders back and sitting up straight. Looking me straight in the eyes he shook his head, "No, I'd like to stay. I like your folks and so far no one else has said anything like that to me, I hope they don't think it... can't control it if they do, but I don't want you to miss out on dinner with your family. I can't take you away from that. Besides," he added with a little grin, "that ham smells too good to pass up."

I couldn't help but pull him into a hug. At first, he was a little stiff in my arms from the suddenness of the move, but he returned the hug, tucking his head into the area between my shoulder and neck.

"But if she says anything else stupid I might tell her where to get off, is that ok?" he asked quietly.

"You and me both," I smiled, "you ready to head back out there then?" I asked cautiously.

"Yeah, I'm ready," he smiled as he put the plugs back into his ears.

God, I loved his smile.

I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and led him back out to where the rest of the family was gathered, making sure to keep as much distance between us and my Aunt Millie as available space allowed.

Dinner turned out to be as amazing as it smelled, and luckily Aunt Millie had either taken the hint or was purposely ignoring us. Either way was fine with me and I didn't hear Dan complain about it. Dinner chat was lively, filled with fun and funny stories, many of which had been supplied by Dan himself as he related amusing things from his childhood and even from his job. The story about a woman who looked to be heavily pregnant and suddenly went into labor only to deliver a huge frozen turkey had the lot of us in hysterics.

Later that night, when I dropped him off at home, he invited me in for a little while. His parents and little brother had apparently gone out for the holiday to visit one of his uncles and we had the house to ourselves.

I took that opportunity to take the present I'd brought him from under the seat of my car and give it to him once we were inside and comfortable in the living room.

He opened it carefully, even though it was only a brightly colored box with the bow attached, and then just as carefully unwrapped the tissue paper that was surrounding the item. When he took it out, I knew I'd gotten him just the right present and it made me happy knowing that I'd made him happy.

He carefully took the book I'd chosen for him and read the title, "The Great God Pan, by Arthur Machen," he read.

"Look at the frontispiece," I suggested.

It took a moment for him to read the small print and eventually made his way to the publication date.

"1890?" he asked softly, looking up at me as though I were going to yell 'April Fools!' When I didn't he asked again, "Is this really from... 1890? Really?"

"Really," I grinned, "Merry Christmas, Dan," I said quietly.

He threw his arms around my neck and hugged tightly, thanking me over and over. Finally, when he let go, he asked, "Is it safe to read?"

"Yep, I checked it over. I think you should still be careful with the pages when you turn them but otherwise," I shrugged, "it's not a bad book,"

"You read it?" he asked, excited, hoping that we could compare notes afterward.

"Only the first few pages, to make sure they were in good condition, but if you'd like, once you're done with it, you can loan it to me and then we can talk about it."

I was rewarded with a wide smile and another hug, "I'd love that," he replied. 

When his expression turned sad I made him look at me and asked him what was wrong.

"My present is a piece of junk," he replied sadly, "trash even,".

"Dan, if it's given with love, then it's not junk or trash," I assured him with another hug.

An impish smile that looked eerily like Freddie's touched his lips and eyes and he asked, "Even if I go out into the kitchen and bring you the trash bin with a bow on it?"

"Is it empty at least?" I replied with a grin.

"I couldn't give you an empty container as a gift!" he replied as though scandalized.

"Oh, little boy, you're so asking for it," I laughed as I hugged him to me.

"Asking for what?" His confusion was so evident that it took all I had not to laugh.

"A spanking. A good one too," I replied, whispering in his ear.

Dan pulled away and at first, I thought I'd pushed things too far, but he looked at me from beneath his long, thick lashes with a shy smile.

"For my birthday," he said, his voice a little husky.

I'd been doing my best to take my time with him, going slowly, getting to know him, letting him get to know me, allowing a trust to grow on both sides, but those words, in that tone... I took a deep breath and moved slightly to adjust myself in my jeans without him noticing.

He stood up and led me toward the front door. At first, I thought he was escorting me out. His cheeks were flushed but he didn't seem angry to me. I was about to apologize when he stopped us just in front of the door and put his arms around my neck. He looked deeply into my eyes, I could see the amusement in his, just before he pulled me down into a tentative kiss on the lips.

Seeing my absolute surprise he smiled again, but he didn't remove his hands from around my neck. He looked up and motioned me with his head to do the same.

"Mom says that's mistletoe," he said, "she says that it's a tradition when you stand under it that you have to kiss," he said, looking at me uncertainly.

I tightened my arms around him and bent slightly to make it easier to reach his lips. He pressed his body against mine, for the first time that I can remember, and I could tell that I wasn't the only one enjoying it.

(End Part 16)

To Be Continued...

Daniel and Jonah Part 15

Chapter 15

The days and weeks flew by and before I knew it Halloween was suddenly upon us, and Dan and his little brother were excited. Technically, Freddie was a little too old to trick or treat, but that didn't stop him, or many other kids his age from doing it as well.

Mrs. Johnson had been stressed a few weeks before, wondering if she'd be able to afford candy to give out, and I could tell that she was sad because they didn't have the money to go out and buy new costumes, but it seemed that Dan had a little arsenal of costumes from years past, and he promised he'd share what he had with Freddie.

On Halloween night I arrived at the house dressed as Dracula. Dan and I hadn't discussed costumes or the idea of going out with similar ones, so I'd just bought the first thing that I found in my size. We'd also agreed that I could bring my nieces and nephews

When we arrived, Mrs. Johnson admired their costumes as she held out a bowl filled with full-sized candy bars, telling them to take two of their favorites each.

She grinned widely when she saw me and shook my hand instead of kissing me as she usually did. 

"I don't want to mess up your makeup," she explained, "Dan is upstairs getting ready if you want to go and see him," she said pleasantly before going to answer the knock on the door. I had to grin when I heard all the little voices shout, 'Trick or treat!'

"Uncle Jonah, when are we going out?" my seven-year-old niece, Samara, pouted.

"Soon," I assured her, "we just have to wait for Freddie and Dan."

As I said that, Freddie came out wearing knee length black boots, pants, and shirt, with a cloak that billowed behind him as he walked. His hair was, if anything, longer than the last time I'd seen it. At first, I worried about him going out wearing all black but then he showed the kids his lantern, which gave off a lot of light. They all admired it, and Freddie proudly showed them how it worked.

I let them be for the time being while I went upstairs to find my Daniel. When I got to his door I was just about to knock when I heard him making funny sounds and laughing oddly. I wondered what he was doing and peeked in through the partially open door.

He was standing in front of a full-length mirror on his wall, trying on various hats and headpieces, making silly sounds and faces at himself. It took all of my self-control not to laugh out loud. He was so unbelievably cute and I knew that not only would he be embarrassed that I'd seen him like that, but he'd have burst into embarrassed flames if I'd called him cute to his face. 

Instead, I walked back down the stairs as quietly as I could and called up to him, asking him if he was ready. I suppressed a chuckle as I heard him scrambling around a bit as he answered, somewhat breathlessly, "On my way!"

Dan looked great. Freddie was dressed as what he called a necromancer, and Dan put on a 'bloody' shirt and a zombie mask, shuffling behind Fred and groaning, happily acting as his sidekick.

My nieces and nephews were a little taken aback at first, but it turned out that they all got along great with Freddie, and seemed to have a lot of the same interests, including online, interactive video games. They made plans to add each other to their friends lists and play together as soon as possible.

After the kids had gone to every open house we ended up at Johnny's where the kids and I gratefully accepted large glasses of mulled cider. Once again, Dan accepted a beer but he made sure to request water after that, which made me smile in approval. We stayed for about an hour until the last of the trick or treaters left before we said our goodbyes. I'd had a fantastic time and I could see that he and his kids truly loved Dan which made me love them.

"I'm hungry," Freddie complained as he rummaged through his sack of candy, most of which had been given to him by Johnny and his wife who always gave extra candy to their 'specials'.

"Why don't we order pizza, watch some movies?" I asked, looking at Dan to see what he thought.

Freddie immediately perked up, dropped the candy that was in his hand back into the sack and looked at me. 

"Pizza?" 

"Movies?" one of my nephews asked, unintentionally mirroring Fred.

"Dan?" I mentally kicked myself for saying that aloud before finding out definitely that it was ok with him, but he only smiled and nodded as we strolled casually back toward his house.

"Both," I agreed with a grin, "my treat on the pizza."

"I want pepperoni!" my nephew Brian shouted happily.

"Yeah, pepperoni is great!" Samara agreed.

"Sausage!" suggested my niece Gaby, bouncing on her toes.

"Green pepper and mushrooms!" Mark and Diana chimed in, "Jinx!" they both cried at the same time. Mark looked at me imploringly.

Teasingly I said, "Diana. Diana. Diana."

Diana grinned and let out a simple, self-satisfied, "Ha!"

"Olive!" said Freddie.

The other kids looked at Fred as if he'd grown two heads. 

"Olive!? Yuck!" Diana replied, making a face.

"Don't knock it til you try it," Freddie replied with a somewhat evil grin.

"I guess it can't be any worse than you dipping your pizza in ranch dressing," Brian teased. Diana stuck her tongue out at him.

"Or anchovies..." Mark shuddered theatrically, forgetting that he wasn't supposed to speak until someone said his name.

"Or pineapple..." added Gaby, wrinkling her nose.

That statement began a debate that lasted until we reached Dan's house where it seemed as though it might be turning into a full-fledged argument.

"Enough for now, guys," I said sternly, letting them know that the disagreement had gone on long enough.

I turned to Dan and said with a smile, "Why don't you go and pick out a few movies and I'll order the pizza."

"I want to go half on the bill," he replied.

I began to argue and then stopped, thinking that I'd come up with a suitable solution, "Ok, but I don't think you should pay half, since there are so many more of us."

Dan's brow wrinkled and he looked as though he were about to argue when I explained, "There are six of us and only two of you. It doesn't seem quite fair for you to pay for half."

"If it had been my treat I would have paid the entire bill, but you beat me to it. I'd never ask you to pay or pay more just because there are more of you, so I don't believe that your suggestion is appropriate," he replied. His jaw was set, his lips tightly pressed together, and he refused to look at me.

Even though Dan was fair complected where his mother was more olive, I could immediately see the resemblance between the two of them, and I gave in, reluctantly.

"You're right, Dan, I guess it wasn't fair of me to make that suggestion."

"Hey," I said, trying to make things better, "Freddie can help us pick out the movies, you order the pizza and sodas, and we'll figure the tab out once you get a total."

"Ok," he agreed, his body relaxing slightly as he went to a kitchen drawer for a menu.

Despite the noise the kids were making I could hear him as he ordered the pizza. He ordered everything the kids had requested, and eight bottles of soda. I didn't say anything though I knew that there was no way the eight of us would be able to drink that much soda. 

We watched Corpse Bride and The Nightmare Before Christmas, which the kids enjoyed immensely, and despite my doubts, we did manage to drink all but one of the bottles of soda. The kids were allowed to take any of their favorite leftover pizza home with them, though there wasn't much of that either.

I dropped them off at their houses, went home and took a shower, laughing at myself because I was sure I'd be washing white makeup and red blood stains off of my face for the rest of the week. I finally settled into bed and dozed off with a smile on my face as I thought about the night, and the prospect of seeing Dan again soon.

(end chapter 15)

Daniel and Jonah Part 14

Chapter 14

Copyrighted Material

I wasn't able to see him for a couple of weeks, which just about killed me, but I did own a used bookstore, and part of my job was to run around to estate and garage sales, looking for suitable and readable material for the people who frequented my store.

I had asked Dan if he wanted to go to one with me but he politely declined. He didn't give me a reason, but I was pretty sure it was because we'd be in a new place, surrounded by what could turn out to be a large number of strange people, and I could completely understand his discomfort since I often felt the same way, but business was business.

After a few fruitless stops at which I'd bought perhaps five books tops, I was beginning to lose heart. My last stop was at an estate sale, and as expected, there were quite a collection of people browsing, exclaiming loudly as they came across one treasure or another.

I tuned them out and began to browse, hoping to find at least one book which I began to think wasn't going to happen since every shelf that looked as though it might have held a book at one point was empty. I took a close look at the large, heavy, mahogany antique shelf that they'd been on and told the owner I'd take it.

With a smile, he took my money and put a sold sign on it.

"You wouldn't happen to have any books, would you?" I asked hopefully.

"Yes, sir," he answered as he pointed to a pile of boxes that were stood in a corner not far from the shelf. I thanked him and began to go through the boxes. My stomach dropped a little as I took in the condition of several of them, the spines cracked and curling off or missing entirely. I looked into those, turning the yellowed pages carefully as I looked for edition dates. 

As fast as I'd experienced that sinking feeling, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest as I realized that many of them were first editions dating back from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, and while some were in poor condition, others which had probably been tightly pressed between other books were in near perfect condition.

I knew that the damaged books would be worth next to nothing despite being first editions due to how beat up they were and I knew I could get a good deal on them from the estate. They were only good enough to be put in my blue tinted, glassed-in display case, never meant to be sold, others, I knew I could repair, even though their value would go down since they wouldn't be the original bindings, but I didn't usually sell my books for outrageous amounts of money in the first place, and I was sure that the people who looked for such books would be pleased that they wouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg for it, as they would have in some other stores, original bindings or not.

I'd only glanced through a few books when a feeling came over me and I bought all of the boxes of books, sight unseen to go through later.

The man at the desk looked stunned but gratefully took my money while asking some of his associates to please help me get the boxes to my moving truck which already had a few treasures from other sales inside. The bookshelf was rather large and heavy but we managed to manuever it onto the lift and into the truck where they helped me cover and tie it tightly to prevent damage. Smiling, they refused to take money for their help, and disappeared back into the old house, waving over their shoulders before I lost sight of them.

A few of my workers agreed to meet me at the store to carry the shelving in since I knew that there was no way I was getting it in there by myself. Even with the four of us, we were still sweating like horses by the time we got it inside and placed safely but in a spot where no one could miss it when they walked in. It was definitely a conversation piece. We sat and had a hearty lunch and several bottles of iced tea. When the conversation finally died down, I paid them OT, thanked them profusely and sent them on their way.

After they left I put on my gloves to keep my natural oils from ruining any of the good books, and unpacked the boxes. I found the usual array of books that one would find in any bookstore, paperbacks, fantasy, biographies... they were a little disappointing and I first logged them in my book, then put them aside according to their genre and continued digging.

The further down I went, the more excited I became. Unlike the first box, the older treasures were buried below, and once again I was looking at many first editions... Moby Dick, Great Expectations... I thought my heart was going to jump out of my mouth I was so thrilled. I became aware of the fact that I was making some odd sounds as I pulled each book out so I settled for talking to myself. No one was around to hear me so I spoke as loudly as I wanted to in the empty store.

"Why would they put classics in with bodice rippers?" I exclaimed to no one. "And why didn't I go through the boxes before I bought the damned things. Ah well, hindsight and all that crap," I griped. I sighed and continued on my treasure hunt and I was not disappointed.

The more boxes I opened, the more excited I became. The last two boxes contained several first editions of very old books. I was amazed at the near perfect condition. The pages were a little yellowed on the edges, but the spine, while slightly creased as any well-read book would be, was intact and supple, and I eagerly searched through to see what other treasures I might have come across.

Melville, Crane, Whitman, Twain... all first editions, again, some in better condition than others, but these I was determined to repair and sell since they weren't as deteriorated as some of the others. I already knew some people who would want them. When I came across a copy of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain that was autographed I thought my heart was going to stop altogether. This was definitely a keeper.

I debated with myself whether or not I should list the book in my catalog among the few under the heading Not For Sale but then realized that I had to for insurance reasons. I dutifully added the book to my log, wrapped it in blue cellophane and put it aside with the other classics.

I couldn't help but grin at the last book I took from the box. First edition. Amazing condition considering it's age. I flipped through the yellowed pages and saw that there was not a single one that had been dog-eared, no stains, even the pages themselves were in good condition and I wondered how on earth how a book this old had managed to scrape through without the usual signs of age, though I did notice that the paper was a bit thicker than normal. I was glad that no one was there to see me because I had the feeling that my grin would have put the Joker to shame.

(end part 14)

Daniel and Jonah Part 13

Chapter 13

In September I drove Dan, his mother, and his little brother out to the Medieval Fair that he'd been talking about for weeks. While he and Freddie had tried to dress as much in period costume as they could it was obvious that they just didn't have the money for full costumes. They looked great, however, and I told them as much. It was worth it to see the huge smiles on their faces. Angie just wore jeans, sneakers, and a tee shirt, as did I. Dan had wanted me to dress up but being unfamiliar with the whole thing I'd decided to stay casual. He'd seemed disappointed at first but was thrilled to be going at all and didn't press the matter.

It was fascinating to see how many people were there, and how many were wearing period costumes. Some were very intricate, others, like Dan and Freddie, made do with what they had on hand. Maybe I was biased, but I thought that Dan and his brother had done a better job of it.

Freddie ran off with his mother in tow while Dan and I proceeded at a somewhat more sedate pace. He wanted to make sure that I saw everything.

We stopped at a stall and ordered some homemade, real mead, ate mutton for lunch, and watched a jousting competition which was more of the combatants trying to catch a small metal ring on their lances rather than actually running at each other. We watched a play and acrobats, and I took a picture of Dan surrounded by knights.

Dan had apparently been saving up his money and bought gifts for everyone he knew, including a really beautiful incense burner in the shape of a dragon for his mother. All in all, it was a fun and full day. I nearly laughed when Freddie, holding a very well made wooden sword, and shield, fell asleep on the drive back home. I could only imagine what he'd put his mother through that day. Angie looked tired but happy, and that made me happy as well.

That night she insisted that I stay over for dinner, roasted chicken, and mashed potatoes to which she'd added shredded cheddar cheese and which tasted amazing.

As I was getting ready to leave, she thanked me once again for taking them to the fair and gave me a kiss on the cheek before going into her bedroom.

Dan stopped me at the door and nervously gave me a little blue felt bag. When I began to open it he made me stop.

"Open it in the car, ok?" he requested shyly. Once again, I could tell that he was worried that I wouldn't like whatever it was he'd gotten me and was afraid of my reaction, so I agreed even though I knew I'd love whatever it was because it had come from him.

He saw me to the door, took my hand to shake as usual but then pulled me forward slightly so that he could give me a kiss on my cheek, as his mother had. He was blushing furiously and I could see that he was worried about how I'd react.

Once I got over my surprise, I smiled and then asked if I could kiss him back. "Only on the cheek, if that's what you want, I promise," I reassured him.

He tentatively presented his cheek, which I kissed gently, allowing it to linger just a moment. When I drew back, I could see that he was blushing again, this time with pleasure. With another shy smile, he opened the door for me. As usual, he waited to make sure I got into my car and that it started before he closed the door.

Eagerly I turned on the interior light of my car and opened the little bag. Inside was a chain and a wrought iron pendant in the shape of a sword. It was a beautifully made piece and I admired it for quite some time before I finally put it around my neck. I drove home with my heart so full that I was sure it would burst from happiness.

(end chapter 13)

Daniel and Jonah Part 12

Part 12

A few days later I called Dan to ask him to request the next Saturday off, which he did, and his request was granted.

"I'll pick you up at about eight o' clock in the morning, is that alright?"

"That's fine," he replied, "what will we be doing?"

"It's a surprise," I answered mysteriously, "but I'm hoping you'll love it. You'll just need to bring sunglasses, and some warm gloves and clothes, ok?"

"Why do we need warm clothes?" he asked, obviously very confused since it was only August and pretty warm.

"Please, just humor me, hon," I grinned, "you won't regret it."

"Ok," he replied dubiously, which nearly made me laugh, "how heavy? Like, winter stuff?"

"Well, at least the gloves, a fall-weight jacket should be enough, and definitely jeans, or maybe even sweatpants."

"In August?" he asked. I could hear the confusion and doubt in his tone.

"Yep. Trust me?"

"Of course."

"Then just do as I ask you to do. We're going to have a blast."

When Saturday rolled around I called ahead to let him know I was on my way and was greeted with a smile as I pulled up in front of his house where he'd been waiting for me.

He slid into the passenger seat and buckled up, asking me once again where we were going as he positioned a gym bag between his feet. It was very warm, and I didn't blame him one bit for not wanting to wear the heavier clothing all day.

"I'd really like for it to be a surprise, Dan if that's ok with you. I'm just really hoping you'll like it. I think you will," I continued, a little more confidently.

He couldn't help but notice what was going on as we pulled into the parking lot an hour later, and he began to bounce a little in his seat, looking up with awe and excitement as the gliders flew like large birds in the sky.

"We're going to do this? What's it called?" he asked.

"We're going to go tandem hang gliding. I'll explain everything to you once we get our gear set up," I grinned.

He had no problem seeking out the main office and took off like a shot before remembering that he was with me. He grinned, a little embarrassed, came back to take my hand and we approached the office a little more slowly. But not too slowly, I noted. I went to use the men's room and suggested to Dan that he do the same before we got started.

Once our gear had been set up on the landing strip and checked by a safety inspector, I began to explain everything to him as I began to buckle him up into the harness and adjusted his goggles, which I fitted comfortably over his sunglasses, and helmet before doing the same for myself. I attached the two of us to the glider, then the glider to a lead attached to the plane which was waiting to help us with lift-off.

"The plane will do the hard work, then it's all fun from there," I grinned. "Don't forget to put on your gloves. It does get a little chilly up that high," I reminded him. Again, I nearly laughed as I saw his look of doubt as he wiped sweat from his forehead. He did as he was told, however, and I gave the pilot the clear sign.

"Hold onto me, hon!" I called as the plane began to taxi and we began to move, speeding up little by little. I prayed that he would enjoy this experience but was prepared to land immediately if it was too much for him. 

Once we were airborne I detached the tow line, but then I heard him scream. At first, I thought he was afraid and started to gently move the bar out to land when I heard him shout, "This is fantastic! Whooo hooooo! Can we go higher?" he shouted.

With a grin, I pulled the bar inward and we swooped up. Daniel screamed again followed by laughter as he took his hands off of my waist.

"I can't believe I'm flying!" he shouted, "I'm really flying!"

"Want to try the controls?" I shouted back to him.

"Nope!" he shouted back, "I'm more than happy to let you do all the hard work! I just wanna fly!"

It wasn't until we viewed the video I'd taken that I saw that he'd closed his eyes. On his face had been an expression of pure bliss. I wanted him to feel that way as often as possible, and made plans to not only take him gliding again as soon as possible, but to bring him outside to experience things he'd missed out on when he'd been younger, an easy target for bullies, shy, introverted, and only willing to go out at night when most other people were already asleep.

(end chapter 12)

Daniel and Jonah Part 11

Part 11


It was a couple more weeks before Dan accompanied me to my church. Usually, I'd sit next to my parents, but this time I sat in the pews near the side exit, with Dan at my side. I sat upright as I'd been taught and waited for the entrance processional.

Once we were all seated again, I jumped slightly as the preacher shouted, "Sin! Sin! We are all sinners!" he proclaimed, "There is not one man, woman, or child here who is not guilty of sin. We are born sinners!" 

He then segued into the Ten Commandments, paying special attention to the sixth, which, he said, included premarital sex, and homosexuality, not just affairs between married people. That was news to me. It was apparently news to others in the congregation as well as many of them turned to the person next to them, whispering questions.

Doom and gloom. Fire and brimstone shot from his eyes. I don't know what had gotten into him while he'd been composing his sermon but my stomach dropped when I glanced over at Dan, his face and body were rigid with anger. He had put a hand over his face and was shaking his head.

"And the worst sin," the so-called man of God said looking directly at Daniel, "is not listening to your curate in church."

When he opened his eyes and saw the robed man glaring at him, Daniel stood up and calmly replied, "Oh, that must be the lost eleventh commandment. Thank you for sharing it with me."

The man's jaw dropped and there was an audible gasp from the congregation. It seemed as though everyone was too shocked to say anything.

His face still a mask, Dan looked at me and quietly said, "You can stay if you like, I won't ask you to leave with me, but I'll be out by the car." With that, he calmly and quietly walked out, carefully not allowing the heavy door to slam shut behind him.

I looked back toward the man who was now glaring at me, but I wasn't intimidated and glared back. I admit to a feeling of pleasure when he lost the staring contest and went back to his sermon. I was torn. I didn't like the idea of Dan outside by himself waiting for me, but I did want to stay until the end of the service so that I could have a few words with the man. I knew that this was going to be my last Sunday spent in this church.

I also knew that my parents, who were sitting in their usual place, sixth pew, center, were going to have a few things to say to me about Dan's behavior. I glanced over and saw that they were stunned. My mother shot me a look, half anger, half inquiry, which I answered with a bland expression before turning my attention once again to the orator who assured the congregation that nothing we could do would ever be good enough to get us into heaven.

"Admittance to heaven requires perfect faith," he began, "the only ideal of perfection to walk this earth was Jesus. To strive for perfection, to believe that you are perfect or ever can be, means that you believe that you can be like Jesus himself, and that's blasphemy," he continued. The fire and brimstone flared from his eyes and lit up the church.

He paused dramatically while the church members gasped and whispers began to echo. What the hell was wrong with this guy today? seemed to be the question of the day. 

Many of the younger members stood quietly and left. I saw more than one parent grab at their child's arm to pull them back but the hands were shrugged off and the youngsters, mostly teens but many twenty and thirty-somethings, continued on their way to the main doors at the back of the church. The last one out had no problem allowing the heavy wooden door to slam shut behind him... may, in fact, have assisted with the loud, resounding boom that followed.

Even some of the older members shifted in their seats, debating whether they wanted to follow the youngsters.

I glanced over at my parents and their mouths were slightly open, their eyes wide as they stared in disbelief at the man while they processed what he had just said.

"If anyone else would like to leave, I'll be happy to excommunicate them," he said, as though he was granting a favor.

The older members sat still.

One man who looked to be in his fifties stood up and said, "Well, if we're all doomed to hell no matter what we do, then there's no point in coming here, is there? Have fun in your empty church," he said as he walked out.

I'd also had enough. I had no idea what had gotten into the man but it was clear to me that trying to talk to him after the service would be pointless, so I stood and left. I deliberately didn't look at my parents.

It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day and Dan was lying on the grass next to where we had parked. His arms were pillowing his head, and his right leg was crossed over his left. He seemed very content, and I wondered if he might actually have fallen asleep. I   knelt down beside him and called his name gently. He opened one eye and smiled at me. "Did church end early?" he asked, "I saw a bunch of people leaving."

"For a lot of us, it did," I replied. "Dan, I'm sorry, it's not usually like that, I swear."

"It's weird," Dan said conversationally, closing his eye and lying back once more, "my mother said that this is exactly what would happen. She said she just had a gut feeling. Even the sermon was exactly what she said it was going to be and suggested that I not come today."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I tilted my face toward the sun. We relaxed there while I listened to car doors opening and closing, cars starting and pulling out of the parking lots. I didn't hear one horn or shout, not even the sound of car radios being turned on. Soon I realized that the background noise of cars was gone and had been replaced with the sounds of birds, and the slight wind stirring the leaves on the trees. I opened my eyes and saw that the lot was completely empty, save for my car and us.

Daniel and Jonah Part 10

Chapter 10

I'd found out early on that he still went to church regularly, which didn't surprise me since whenever I was at his house he seemed to enjoy listening to religious music. His taste in music was all over the board though, and I admitted that I was curious.

"My mother used to go to church. She left it years ago," he explained, "but she still loves the music and introduced me to it. My father loved his but it's too far away now for us to go to. We found one in the next city that we liked but haven't been able to get to that one in a while."

I knew that I looked just as confused as I felt. 

"Mom and dad were brought up different religions, and we were brought up in Dad's church, but they always told us kids that when we were old enough we could go to any church we wanted to if any. They told us that we could choose to be any religion we wanted to if that's where our hearts were."

"After some looking around I found the church I go to just down the hill from where we live, and I found that I really love it, and the people are really nice. No one makes fun of me. I'm always included in conversations, and our pastor loves it when I have a sudden insight and share it with the congregation, even while he's speaking," he blushed a little then, "but I try not to do that anymore. One of the other folks in the church said something to me. She was really nice about it, so I don't do it anymore until the pastor specifically asks for people's thoughts. The church is almost more like a huge family get together than a service. And I love to go to bible study when I can."

I was surprised at that information. I still went to church occasionally out of respect for my parents, but I couldn't say with any truthfulness that I loved it. Bible study had been required when I'd been in grammar school, and I had been happy to be shut of it once I'd been old enough, since it had been the teacher talking and us taking notes for an hour and a half. Most of us kids had been half or fully asleep by the end of class.

"Would you like to go to church with me sometime?" Dan asked, with what was the closest to excitement I'd ever seen, "I know you'd love it! Please?"

So, the following Sunday I accompanied him to his church, and I had to admit that it was a very friendly and welcoming place, as were the members of the congregation. They all seemed very fond of Daniel and welcomed me with smiles and handshakes all around.

I thoroughly enjoyed the sermon as well. It was very uplifting, interspersed with laughter as the pastor would tell an occasional amusing anecdote related to the subject of his sermon. It was indeed enjoyable, just as Dan had promised.

Afterward, he led me to the 'Fellowship Room' which was basically a casually finished basement with a coffee station, tea, and a variety of pastries, cookies, and donuts provided by the congregants. As he stopped to talk to various people I listened to nearby conversations as well. There was no gossiping about anyone that I could tell, not a bad word to be heard about anything or anyone. People laughed, and joked, and smiled. Some were making plans for Bible study, some were talking about the choir and I even heard one of the congregation asking Dan if he'd like to join. I nearly laughed when I saw the look of surprise on his face. I was a little surprised myself since he'd told me himself that he was a terrible singer. I wondered if he really could sing and that he'd just been playing his talent down.

Now, I know that people are people, humans for the most part and that these folks most likely weren't always this happy and, well, perfect was the only word I could find to describe them. I know that no one is perfect, but they came damned close, at least in the Fellowship Room. Apparently, they took the name of the room to heart, and I wondered if my church would do the same thing if I suggested it and if people would be so nice.

Usually, after service at my church, people were just barely patient while queuing to leave, but then when they got caught in the snarl of traffic in the parking lot and the street, they reverted to form, laying on their horns and yelling at the people annoying them.

Dan's church, when it came time to leave, was unbelievably orderly. The pastor, after reminding everyone to buckle up for safety, and church elders were allowed to leave first, then each person in turn after them would back up or pull forward and follow the procession to the street where they all went their separate ways. I'd never seen anything like it before.  Of course, it was a very small congregation compared to what I was used to and I supposed that this worked fine for them, but I sincerely doubted that things would run as smoothly at my church. Dan had to nudge me when it was our turn because I was still watching with awe.

"Did you like it?" he asked me. I could see that he was afraid of the answer.

"I liked it a lot, Dan. Thank you for bringing me here," I replied with a smile. "I think the folks in your church are pretty great."

He looked at me as though I might be just saying it to be nice, so I reassured him that I meant it, wholeheartedly.

He smiled as he sat back, visibly relaxed. He spoke in length about his church and his pastor on the ride to his job where I'd promised to drop him off afterward.

"Will you come again?" he asked hopefully as we arrived at our destination and he prepared to get out of the car.

"I'd like that," I grinned at his enthusiasm, "would you like to give my church a visit one Sunday?"

"What's it called?" he asked curiously.

I told him the name, and it was as if a door had shut, no slammed, violently between us. He thanked me for the ride and said he'd call me when he got out of work if that was alright.

I had no idea what was going on but there was no time to ask as he quickly exited the car and nearly ran into the store.

He did call that evening and he apologized for his reaction to my request.

"It's just that mom grew in a church like yours, and... well... her experiences there weren't very nice, so... I worried that she'd get upset if I went with you. But she said it's my decision. She's never forced me to go or not to go to any church I wanted to. Even when I considered Judaism and Wicca she said as long as I was happy with it she was good with whatever I decided."

My eyebrows rose in complete surprise. I'd never heard of that before. I knew for a fact that if I'd ever told my parents that I'd wanted to change religions they'd have a few things to say, and I'd come out a little the worse for wear for it, even at the age of 29.

"I had no idea, Dan, I'm sorry about your mom."

"Don't be," he replied quietly, "She said that all of that was years ago. I'd... like to go with you."

I wasn't the least convinced. While I couldn't see his face, I knew that he was feeling conflicted and guilty, and I hated for him to feel that way.

"Would it help if I talked to your mother about it?" I asked gently.

"You can try," he said, sounding just a little bit relieved.

"Don't worry, Dan, I'll see if I can bring the subject up naturally, and we can see what she has to say, ok?"

"Ok," he replied quietly, "do... do you think... maybe... you can come over and we can watch TV tonight? Maybe you can bring it up then?"

"If you really want me to, I will. Dan... if she's really not good with it, I won't bug you to come with me, ok? I don't want to cause any friction between you and your parents."

"There were a lot of people in my mother's family who didn't like that dad was from a different religion, and they didn't like that mom wasn't raising us kids the same way she'd been raised. A couple of my aunts said that dad was abusing mom and forcing her not to. Mom tried to explain that it had nothing to do with dad but they insisted that mom had been brainwashed."

I couldn't follow the conversation for a minute, too stunned at what Dan was telling me to comprehend it, and then I thought I had it figured out. "So, your father wouldn't mind, but your mother would?"

"Dad just shut down when I brought the subject up. My mother... well, she wasn't exactly upset, but I could tell that she wasn't happy, but like she said back when, any religion that made me happy was fine with her. I'd like to see what things are like at your church, I guess. I like to go into different churches to look at the architecture, but other than nonnie's and papa's funerals, I've never been in that  kind of church during a regular service."

"Well, as long as it's alright with your folks that I come over tonight I'll be happy to. And Dan, like I said, if this is going to cause a problem, I won't bring it up again. I just hope that she doesn't mind the fact that I'm a different religion."

"She didn't say anything about it one way or the other. She's always told me that people have the right to be whatever religion they love and no one should tell them otherwise."

"So... did your mother convert? I don't mean to be nosy, I'm just curious."

"No. She calls herself a... theist-agnostic. Did I say that right?" he asked with a frown as he tried to remember.

"I guess," I replied, uncertainty, making a mental note to look it up when I was done talking to Dan. I'd heard the word 'agnostic', but I wasn't sure of the exact meaning. I'd never heard of a 'theist-agnostic'.

"Ok, sure, what time should I come over?"

"Hang on a minute ok?"

I didn't have a chance to respond before he called to his mother, asking if it was alright if I visited. I could hear her pleasant laugh as she said, "This is your house too. As long as you don't have any wild parties have anyone over that you like. Tell him dinner is at six if he wants to come. We're having a roast."

I laughed as well and told him that I'd heard her and that I'd love to go over for dinner. I looked at my wall clock and saw that I had more than enough time to take a shower and perhaps stop by a liquor store for a nice bottle of wine.

"See you at six then, or whenever you want to show up is fine," he added hastily.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. See you soon, hon," I grinned.

"See you soon," he replied just before he hung up.

It was then that I realized that he'd never called me anything other than my name, and I wondered if he felt the same about me as I did about him.

Pushing that little insecurity aside for the moment, I went to my laptop and typed in the word 'agnostic'. The first definition made me laugh. Whoever had written the article had definitely had a sense of humor. The author had gone on to define what a theist-agnostic was.

I thought about those definitions as I took my shower, then put them aside while I dressed in jeans and a polo shirt and headed out. I knew exactly which wine would go nicely with a roast, picked up a large box of chocolates and went to Dan's house where I was greeted once again with smiles, and thanked profusely for the gifts. She put the bottle on ice and brought out small wine glasses, setting them next to each plate. Even Freddie's, which confused me a little. I wondered if she was actually going to give her 14-year-old son a glass of wine but put that thought aside as well for the time being.

Dan, Freddie and I took turns on their game system while we waited for dinner to be ready. The scent was making my mouth water so I was more than happy to turn it off and head to the kitchen. I politely held Mrs. Johnson's chair as she sat. From her dismayed expression, I could tell that she didn't normally get that kind of treatment. "Thank you," she said, sounding a little surprised.

"Don't get used to that," came a relatively deep voice from her right. It was her husband whom I hadn't heard speak more than one word in the time I'd been visiting Dan.

I looked at her husband, startled that he'd say something like that to his own wife, but I could see the glimmer of humor in his eyes, matched by his wife's as she replied, "Oh, don't worry, I won't, and don't you get used to eating every night. Now, why don't you slice the roast, it could be your last meal for a while."

"As you wish," he said as he proceeded to do as his wife had suggested.

I looked back and forth between the two of them. They hadn't really looked at each other much throughout that dry exchange, but there was an expression on both of their faces, mild, almost too mild to see, of amusement, which was vastly at odds with their words. 

I was distracted by Freddie who immediately grabbed the bowl filled with roasted potatoes and gave himself a generous helping before passing the bowl to Dan, who took a more human portion before passing it to me. I looked at what was left with a worried expression.

"Oh, don't worry, Jonah, we're potato fiends. I always make extra," Mrs. Johnson said with a grin, "take as much as you want and I'll refill the bowl."

I could smell the subtle spices and garlic with which she'd seasoned them and took a large spoonful before offering to refill the bowl for her.

"That's nice of you!" she said, sounding surprised once again, "I put them in the oven to keep warm. Let's just empty this one first, alright?"

After she and her husband had taken their share I gladly refilled the bowl and then sat down to eat the fragrant slices of roast that her husband had put on my plate for me. Mixed vegetables were passed around in the same manner with the lady of the house assuring me that there was plenty and not to worry if I wanted more. The rolls were still hot and the softened butter melted quickly on them. She'd also put out a jar of jam in case anyone wanted that for the rolls. Not surprisingly, Freddie immediately asked for the jar and put a spoonful on his roll before shoving the whole thing into his mouth.

"Freddie..." his mother said, letting the rest of the sentence trail off as she gave her youngest 'the look'. He apologized, not looking the least apologetic, and grinned before tackling the portion of roast he'd been given.

Dan got up and poured the wine giving everyone a half glass. Except for Freddie whose glass he filled with apple cider. The boy didn't seem to mind in the least and drank the cider so fast that Dan hadn't even had the chance to reseat himself before his little brother asked him for more.

It wasn't until later, after Freddie had disappeared into his room and the rest of us were sitting around the table chatting and having coffee, or in Daniel's case, iced tea, that he brought up the subject of religion.

"Not now, Daniel," his father said tiredly, cradling his head in one of his hands.

I could see his mother stiffen up slightly as she took another sip of her coffee. She wouldn't look at anyone and I could see her jawline tighten up.

"Maybe it's not a good time, Dan," I said softly.

"Danny told me that he wanted to visit your church with you," his mother said quietly, stressing the word 'visit', "if that's what he wants to do then that's what he should do. My own experiences back in the dark ages have nothing to do with the church now. I've been told that things have changed since then."

Quietly, and as politely as I could, I asked her if she'd be willing to share some of her experiences with me so that I could understand better. At first, she wouldn't speak, but I asked her again. She looked at her husband who shrugged and took his coffee into the living room where we could hear the sounds of the game system being turned on.

I sat quietly while she told me about a few of her experiences. My heart hurt for her, for the little girl she had been, as she recited each heart-rending episode in a detached tone, looking down at her cup of coffee as she did so.

"I'm epileptic. And apparently I had ADHD, which no one knew existed back then, so I was labeled a troublemaker and lazy. They'd call my mother and tell her what a horrible kid I was and she'd... well, that doesn't matter now. The thing is, as much as I want to leave the past behind me, I can't forget. I do my best to forgive and hope that anyone I'd hurt has forgiven me by now, but I can't forget. I've tried, believe me. Anyway, that's enough from me."

"Honestly, Mrs. Johnson, things really are a lot different now. They're not like that anymore."

"I'm sure they're not," she replied with a wan smile, "I'm just not willing to give them the chance. Eighteen years of that was more then enough," she tried to laugh, "anyway, Dan, if you want to go, go ahead. I'm not going to stop you if it's something you really want to do."

"Are you sure, mom?" Dan asked anxiously.

"You're an adult, it's your choice. Would you like more coffee, Jonah?"

"No, thank you. I have to get going soon. I have to get there early if I want to open on time," I explained to my Daniel with a smile so that he'd know that his mother hadn't upset me, "and I need to get some sleep."

She took me by the hand at the door as I was getting ready to leave. She pulled me forward and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before wishing me a goodnight and heading toward her own bedroom.

Once again, Dan gave me a handshake goodnight and watched to make sure I got off alright before closing the door.