Two stories stick out that I can remember, well, have been embarrassing enough to stick with me all these years.

The first was when we, the family, were in Turkey. We went on this super long bus tour to Ephesus. We stopped at a hotel along the way and they set out the tables in one long line. We all went to dinner after which me and slag wanted to explore the complex. I had to grab something from the room so I got the key from my mum. Ran down and grabbed whatever it was that I needed at the time. I ran back up to the tables and found my mum. I said thank you, kissed her on the cheek, hug and then ran off again. Turns out. Wasn’t my mum. Just someone with the same hairstyle. The whole table erupted with laughter. I was all of 10 years old. That was embarrassing.

The only other one, and I’ve been blessed not to have more, is when my parents went to St Lucia for work. Me and my brother were left behind and a family friend/worker Bernie was staying in the house to mind the water factory. So these were the days I had motorbikes. I got hungry and fancied treating myself so I went to the KFC in Colwyn Bay. Bernie went as well but didn’t realise. We were in the queue and talking. He went to order and ordered two big family meal bucket things, “Oh no Bernie it’s okay I want to order something else for myself, thank you though!”, Bernie stared at me “These are all for me”, “Oh, Sorry”, See Bernie was fat, not normal fat. Fat as in his stomach skin was splitting, bigger than a wrestler, two seats on a plane, break your scales fat. I was embarrassed to order my fillet burger meal ha.

Bernie was awesome. He died just before my dad did.

I miss them.