13/04/82
There are baleful dates in the calendar for those unable to escape the weight of the past. Today is such a date. Thirty years ago - a span of time which makes me feel breathless to comprehend - my father died suddenly and a child’s uncomprehending mind was altered forever.
Today I remember. The words my father said to me as he woke me up. The last walk we took together as a family. The sight him lying collapsed on the pavement. The crowd of passersby gathered around. The coat somebody had covered him with. My mother’s screams. The attempt to resuscitate him in the ambulance. The words of the paramedic. “He’s gone.”
Today I remember.
