Mistaken Identity | Lawrusso

Mistaken Identity Chapter 3 / 11

Daniel didn't see Johnny for the next week. The only evidence he had that Johnny was still alive was a few stilted replies to some of the text messages that he sent.

"I just made a Lasagne and I have leftovers. I can drop some off for you," Daniel sent.

"I'm OK," Johnny replied, then it was radio silence for the next two days.

It was Sunday morning, a few hours before the kids were due for class, and when Daniel arrived he was surprised to find Johnny's van parked outside the dojo.

He pulled up, barely stopping to close his car door, then ran round the side of the house.

He was about to call Johnny's name when he rounded the corner, but he saw Johnny sat on the decking and skidded to a stop.

"Hey," Daniel said, trying to keep it casual. "I didn't know you were coming."

"Had to wait till the bruises were gone," Johnny said, looking up at him. "Didn't want the kids to see me all banged up."

Johnny looked almost normal, if you only looked at the surface.

He still had a tinge of yellow under his left eye where the worst of the bruising had been, and his face looked thinner, showing that he hadn't eaten much in the week that had passed since they last spoke.

"Are you staying for class?" Daniel asked.

Johnny shook his head. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Did you need help with something?" Daniel asked.

"I needed to go inside. I don't want to do it for the first time when the kids are here," Johnny said. "Couldn't do it though."

Daniel swallowed past the lump in his throat and asked, "Would you like me to come in with you?"

"Yeah," Johnny said quietly.

Johnny stood up and walked across the garden, no longer shuffling along in pain.

Daniel slid open the door to the dojo, then stepped inside.

Johnny didn't hesitate and followed him into the dojo, then he turned his head and looked into the room where it all happened.

His brow wrinkled into a frown as he looked at the dojo floor where he'd lain.

"You cleaned," Johnny said.

"Yeah," Daniel replied. "If I'd left it, the stain might have gone through the varnish and it would never have come out. I didn't want you to have to see that every time to came in here."

"Thanks, man," Johnny said, so quiet Daniel could barely hear it.

He moved further into the dojo, then stopped, looking down at the place where it had happened.

Daniel hung back, not wanting to crowd him.

He could see Johnny's shoulders moving as his breathing started to speed up.

Daniel stepped forward, drawing level with Johnny's shoulder.

He wanted to reach out and place a comforting hand on his arm, but he knew that for Johnny it would be anything other than comforting right now.

After a while Johnny said, "This is where it happened."

Daniel stayed quiet, letting him gather his thoughts.

"I had all these plans when I walked in here that morning," Johnny said quietly. "I made sure everything was tidy and ready so you wouldn't have any reason to bitch at me."