Read Billy Mack's War for Free Online

couldn’t stay angry, Daniel.’
    â€˜No, I guess not.’
    â€˜Not now, not any more. But we’ll get to that.’
    Thankfully the coffee shop was only a couple of streets away. They pulled up in front of the little collection of shops and Mr McAuliffe turned to Danny.
    â€˜Are you certain you want to do this?’
    â€˜Yes, I’m sure,’ Danny said. He wasn’t entirely lying either. He’d realised that the worst was probably over. Mr McAuliffe was being quite nice and not at all the grump he’d seemed before.
    â€˜All right, then we should go in.’
    They found a table in the front window, just inside the door. The waitress came over straightaway and handed them each a laminated menu. ‘The soup of the day is pea and ham,’ she said.
    â€˜Thank you,’ Mr McAuliffe said, barely acknowledging her. Danny smiled quickly at her so she wouldn’t feel too bad about being pretty much ignored. Then he put his menu on the table and sat hunched forward with his elbows on his knees. Mr McAuliffe read his menu carefully on both sides. ‘Are you hungry?’ he asked.
    Danny shook his head. He couldn’t have eaten anything with his stomach still unknotting itself from a day of anxiety.
    â€˜A milkshake, then?’
    â€˜Yes, please. Chocolate, please.’
    â€˜Very good.’ He called to the waitress, who came straight over. ‘A pot of Darjeeling and a chocolate milkshake, please. And a couple of those Anzac biscuits in the jar up there.’
    â€˜Darjeeling, chocky shake and a couple of Anzacs. Got it,’ said the waitress, taking their menus. ‘Won’t be long.’
    So once again they were alone with their uncomfortable silence. Danny watched the traffic go by. Out on the footpath a woman was wrestling with her toddler as she tried to get him out of his car seat. A young man in a muscle shirt and tiny shorts jogged by with a huge dog on a lead. An old lady was looking in the front window of the chemist. A man came out of the newsagent’s with a paper and climbed into his car. A plumber got out of his van to go to the ATM, while his apprentice sat in the front seat looking bored.
    â€˜It’s a busy place,’ Mr McAuliffe said.
    â€˜Yeah,’ Danny agreed.
    â€˜Aren’t you going to ask me about Dad?’
    Danny looked at him. Was he serious? After what he said the last time he asked that question? ‘No. You told me not to.’
    Mr McAuliffe scratched his cheek. Then he looked out the window and smiled. ‘I did, didn’t I? I’m awfully sorry about that.’
    â€˜It’s okay.’
    â€˜No, it’s not okay, and I’ll tell you why.’ He lowered his eyes. ‘This isn’t at all easy, Daniel. You see, my father passed away late last week.’
    Danny frowned. This didn’t seem real. This seemed … what was that word Mrs Meaghan had used in art? Surreal. ‘He died?’
    â€˜Yes. He was very old, Daniel. But you knew that. You knew a great deal about my father. In fact, I started to wonder if you knew more about him than I did.’
    â€˜How did he die?’ Danny asked.
    â€˜He was very old, nothing more than that. He fell asleep one night, and he didn’t wake up the following morning. If only it was that painless for everyone.’ He gave a quick smile that was gone almost immediately.
    â€˜Why didn’t you tell me?’
    Mr McAuliffe blinked. ‘I’m telling you now, Daniel.’
    â€˜So you picked me up from school and brought me here to tell me that? You could have just said it in that letter you sent, or on the phone.’
    Mr McAuliffe shook his head. ‘No, that wouldn’t have been right. I wanted to tell you face-to-face. You deserve that, Daniel. Look, it’s all right,’ he added as tears began to well up in Danny’s eyes. ‘Here.’ He tugged a couple of serviettes from their silver holder and