AUTHORS NOTE:
This chapter shows the admiration Kyle has for Danny and the sense of wanting to be loved by his father.
Chapter 32: How much is it worth?
It was two days after Christmas and Danny decided to get his visit to Kyle over and done with. Danny walked into his room to get some money from his stash he kept from his 'business deals' to buy Kyle's present.
Danny gave a queried look and recounted the money, he was missing $100. Grabbing $20 he stashed away his money and walked out into the lounge room where Casey and Heath were playing with their new toys.
"Have either of you been snooping around in my room and taking things that don't belong to you?" He glared at them.
"No Dad." Heath replied.
Casey kept quiet, so Danny leaned in closer to him. "What about you?"
Casey started to whimper. "No Daddy, I didn'ts take anyfings." He started to cry.
Danny stood up and rolled his eyes. "Look don't start that bloody crying alright. Where's Darryl?"
"He went out to get some stuff." Heath replied.
Danny grunted and walked out of the room, he knew Brax then must have been the one who stole the money if Heath and Casey didn't really know what he was talking about.
Brax arrived home ten minutes later and saw Heath with his arm around Casey, trying to settle him. He placed down the groceries and rushed to his brothers.
"Heath what happened?"
"Dad was just questioning us about going in his room and it upset Casey."
"Hey Case its okay." Brax rubbed his arm and wiped some of his tears away, giving him a small smile.
"Dad was looking for you too." Heath whispered.
Brax stood up and went to see what his father wanted. Danny stopped Brax outside the hallway.
"Darryl, just the son I want to see."
"What do you want Dad?"
Danny pushed Brax up against the wall. "I think you know very well what I want. I know you know I have a little extra money lying around and it seems some may have been misplaced. Now you wouldn't know anything about that now would you Darryl?"
"I don't know what you're talking about Dad."
Danny smacked Brax across the cheek and glared at him. "How much did you take?"
Brax sighed. He hoped his father wouldn't notice he had taken the money to buy the toys for Casey and Heath it was just that he didn't have enough money from work to afford them and he really wanted his brothers to enjoy Christmas and get something nice.
"$50, I took $50." Brax lied.
He didn't want to tell his father he took $100, he would not have been pleased upon hearing that, let alone $50. Danny glared at Brax, before smacking him across the cheek again. Brax placed his hand up to rub the sting from his face.
"Don't take me for a fool Darryl. I know you stole $100. Now where is the money now?"
Brax looked down and the two heard Heath and Casey playing in the lounge room. Danny glared at Brax.
"I'm taking them."
"No Dad please, you can't take away their presents, they're so happy with them, please."
"I don't recall raising you to be a beggar Darryl."
"I'm sorry I took your money, it's just that I didn't have enough money from my pay to buy them. I'll pay you back I promise. Just don't punish them for something I did."
Danny pressed Brax against the wall, with his arm across Brax's chest. "You're damn right you'll pay me! In fact you can pay me triple the amount that you stole."
Brax stared at his father shocked. "I want $300 by the end of next week Darryl or those toys are going back."
"Dad, I can't..."
"Next week Darryl." Danny stared Brax down in the eye and added, in a cold tone "just so we're clear, don't steal from me again!"
Danny released Brax and walked out of the house to go shop for Kyle's present.
Danny knocked on the door to the Bennett house. Kyle was sitting on the couch when he heard the knock and knew his father was soon to visit. Kyle jumped up from the couch to answer the door.
"Dad!" He exclaimed excited as he looked up at his father.
Danny stood holding a present in one hand and a beer in the other. Upon hearing her son talking, Alison came out from the laundry.
"Kyle I thought I told you never to open the door without an adult present?"
"But it's Dad."
"That's not the point."
"Sorry." Kyle mumbled.
"Danny." Alison greeted. "Alison" Danny grunted.
Kyle tugged on Danny's shirt. "Dad come look what I got." Alison raised her eyebrows at Danny.
"Hey kid, I got a little something for ya." Kyle stopped and looked at his father.
Danny held out his hand, holding a small box wrapped in plain paper. "Thanks Dad."
Kyle ran off to open his present, revealing a wooden model car building set. Danny wasn't about to spend lots of money on a senseless gift, just enough to satisfy what he had to. Kyle was thrilled.
"Thanks Dad. I love it!" Kyle ran up to hug Danny but was pushed away.
"You're me tough son remember, we don't do that mushy stuff." Kyle pulled back and smiled.
"Right. Can you come help me build it?" Danny grunted and followed Kyle to the couch and sat down with his beer.
Kyle pieced together his model car. "Dad you're not helping."
Kyle stopped building and looked at his father who sat disinterested. "Dad?"
"What kid?"
"Why don't you ever come to see me?"
"Don't ask such stupid questions Kyle." Danny snapped.
Kyle looked down for a brief moment before asking, "Don't you love me Dad?"
Danny turned to his son. "What did I just say about asking stupid questions?" Danny raised his voice a little higher.
"Sorry Dad." Kyle mumbled and sulked.
Danny wrapped his arm around Kyle's shoulder and gave him a shove towards him. "Hey I ain't havin' no tough son of mine sulkin'. I'm here ain't I and I got you that present."
"I guess." Kyle replied quietly.
"Look ya wanna be more like ya old man? Take a sip of this."
Danny said as he raised his beer bottle towards Kyle's face. Kyle could smell the strong scent of the beer and looked up at his father. "I don't know if I'm allowed to?"
"I'm ya father aren't I?" "Yeah,"
"Well I say you can have some, now sip."
Danny put the beer to Kyle's mouth and helped him take a drink. Kyle coughed at the initial mouthful. "What do you think?"
Kyle nodded, the taste wasn't that great, but he wanted to please his father so agreed that he had liked it, surely he would get used to the taste. "Can I have some more?"
There was only a small amount left in the bottle so Danny handed it to Kyle. "Knock ya self out kid."
Danny got up to use the bathroom, leaving Kyle to drink the rest of his beer.
Alison walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands and gasped when she saw her son drinking from the beer bottle.
"Kyle Bennett, you put that down right now!" She bellowed. Kyle jumped at the sound of his mother's yell and put down the bottle.
"You know you are not to touch alcohol young man!"
"But Dad let me have it!"
"And you listened to him even though you knew I've told you not to touch it?"
"He's my Dad! I can listen to him as much as I listen to you."
"Go to your room right now!"
Danny returned back to the room. "What's with all the shouting?"
"Your son was just drinking from the beer bottle you left on the table for him. Why would you give your son alcohol? He's a kid!" Alison shouted at Danny.
"A little alcohol never hurt nobody, he's fine."
"I do not want you in this house right now Danny. Get out!" Alison yelled, before turning to see Kyle still in the room. "Kyle I told you to go to your room!"
"Why? I did nothing wrong and why are you yelling at Dad to leave?" He protested.
"Drinking alcohol is very wrong young man regardless of the situation and you know it. I will discuss this with you later."
"I don't want you to send Dad away! I barely ever see him and we haven't even spent much time together today!"
"After this incident you can consider yourself lucky if you ever see your father again."
"Mum you can't do that!" Kyle shouted.
Turning even angrier Alison glared at her son. "Kyle Bennett you stop shouting at me this minute before you find yourself in more trouble than you are already in!"
"This isn't fair!"
"Son listen to your mother." Danny spoke.
Kyle had tears in his eyes as he looked at his father. "Dad I don't want you to go."
"Do as you're told kid. Ya mother and I need to talk." Kyle ran off to his room, slamming the door.
"Make up ya bloody mind women, ya spend all this time nagging me to visit him, now ya telling me never to come here."
"If it was my choice Danny, I wouldn't have you seeing Kyle at all, especially after today, but I only ask you to visit because Kyle wants to see you. I do it for him only. Don't ruin your son's life by turning up with alcohol!"
"I ain't the one ruining the kid's life you're the one kicking me out when he wants to see me." Alison sighed.
"I still want you to see Kyle, but don't ever bring alcohol in this house again."
"I'll think about it." Danny stormed away, not bothering to look back.
Kyle watched from his bedroom window and saw his father leave. He had heard him say he may never come back and he felt devastated.
Alison walked up to Kyle's bedroom and opened the door. Kyle had his body turned away from her. "Kyle."
"Leave me alone! You chased Dad away and I hate you!"
"Kyle Bennett you do not speak that way to me! Turn around and look at me right now!" She ordered. Kyle turned and Alison could tell he had been crying.
"I know you are upset about your father having to leave, but I will not have those influences on you. Drinking that alcohol today was very dangerous and I want you to understand the severity of your actions, so as your punishment you are grounded for one week. You are not allowed to watch any TV and you most certainly will not be attending the New Year's Eve fireworks this Saturday."
"But Mum you promised you would take me to that."
"My decision is final, you need to understand consequences for your inappropriate behavior young man, and if you continue to speak to me in the rude manner that you did today, you will have your mouth washed out with soap."
Kyle glanced at his mother she had never threatened him with that kind of punishment before and he realized she must have been really furious at the whole situation.
"Do you understand me young man?" "Yes." Kyle whispered and went back to staring out his window.