Saving Danny by Cathy Glass

Author:Cathy Glass
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780008130497
Publisher: Harper Element
Published: 2015-05-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Making Friends

Sunday was a disaster, although it started well enough. We’d enjoyed a leisurely cooked breakfast, when Danny had contentedly separated the white of the egg from the yolk so he could eat it (palest first) before the bacon, tomatoes and baked beans, but he had eaten it all. He’d also dressed in the clothes I’d suggested were suitable for winter without too much fuss and had then begun playing with something other than Lego: some cars from his toy box. But when my parents arrived he hid behind the sofa and no amount of encouragement would persuade him to come out. To begin with we treated it as a game, making comments loud enough for Danny to hear, like, ‘I wonder where Danny is?’ and ‘Where can he be hiding?’ Mum said, ‘I’m looking forward to meeting Danny,’ with Adrian adding, ‘He’ll want to show you George.’ But Danny stayed behind the sofa and didn’t make a sound.

I thought he needed time to adjust to new company, so I left him there a while longer as the rest of us chatted and caught up on our news, as families do. But it was disconcerting to know Danny was there, wedged behind the sofa, silent and not part of our group. So after about twenty minutes I looked behind the sofa and said, ‘Danny, come out and sit with us. My parents would like to meet you.’ But he kept his head down, mute and unyielding. I tried again ten minutes later but with the same result. Then I had to keep popping into the kitchen to check on dinner, so I left the others talking between themselves and also trying to encourage Danny out. If Danny thought that by hiding he was going to make himself invisible, he was wrong. It had the opposite effect, as our concern for him highlighted his presence and made him the centre of attention.

When I called everyone for dinner Danny was still behind the sofa, and no amount of cajoling or encouraging would persuade him out. I didn’t want their dinner to spoil. I also thought that having so many people involved might be overwhelming for Danny and keeping him behind the sofa, so I suggested they began dinner while I saw to him. With the living room empty and quiet, I slowly eased the sofa forward. Danny put his head in his hands so he didn’t have to look at me. I knelt on the floor in front of him.

‘Danny, what’s the matter?’ I asked gently, touching his arm. ‘Can you tell me?’

He shook his head.

‘My parents have come to see us all. They’re staying for dinner and then they will go home later.’ Perhaps he thought they were staying for good – I didn’t know what his expectation of having visitors was, and Reva had said they’d stopped inviting people to their house. ‘Danny, I want you to come with me for dinner now,’ I said gently but firmly. ‘I

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