Par 16-18

Lava finally reached home, went inside, looked around, sighed, and headed toward the kitchen. She pulled the frozen pizza and Diet Dr. Pepper from the bag. She looked at the pizza, decided she wasn't hungry, and put it in the freezer. She opened her drink and headed for the couch. She sat down, propped her feet up on the coffee table and laid her head back against the pillows. Lava was staring at the ceiling and began thinking about Danny again. She thought about the man she had met at the jail, and what he had told her that day. After Lava introduced herself as Danny's girlfriend, the man smiled, shook her hand, and said "I'm Danny's father." Lava was surprised. He didn't look like Danny at all. Danny was blonde, this man had dark brown hair. Danny had blue eyes, this man had dark brown eyes. Danny looked strong and energetic. This man looked soft, sad, and alone.

Danny had mentioned his father a few times, and Lava never thought to ask why Danny was living with an aunt rather than his father. Danny's mother had died when he was young, and Danny was raised by his father. Danny always had good things to say about him. Lava spoke first "Isn't this strange, Danny being arrested.....for assault?" She hesitated to say "sexual" assault, she didn't know how much his father knew. "Well, it doesn't surprise me much" Mr. Johansen replied. Lava asked, almost defensively, "Why, it doesn't seem like him at all?" Mr. Johansen sighed, bent his head low, and became very quiet. Lava sat there, looking at him, waiting for an explanation. She was saddened by the sight of him, and thought how hard this must be for him. His only son being arrested, and having to come visit him in jail. She could not imagine what he must be feeling. She thought about how she felt, confused, a little sad, but definitely more confused than sad.

There was silence for a few moments. Then Mr. Johansen spoke "Danny has always had problems, this is not he first time he's been accused of something like this." Lava looked at him, started to speak, but realized she did not know what to say. "When he was a kid, a little girl accused him of touching her inappropriately" he continued. "We talked to him, he denied it, and we believed him, but since then there have been other instances that just didn't seem right, I knew he had problems, but I never knew and still don't know how to help him." Lava started to speak again, but realized this was his father, she couldn't say what she was thinking. In fact, she was thinking, "I should bolt now!" Mr. Johansen continued talking about Danny, explaining that he was always a fairly normal kid, but had a lot of anger. Danny took it out on people that could not hurt him back. He continued to talk, Lava not hearing most of it, she had all kinds of mixed feelings and thoughts about this. This did not seem like the guy she knew at all. He never seemed angry. He was kind to everyone, and especially kind to her.