So I have only just gone on holiday haven’t I!
I haven’t been on a sun holiday in a very long time, and I ended up going to Lisbon with one of my very good mates Elliot (addition – inside joke!).
Now there are lots of things I can write about for Lisbon, but again it’s going to start by coming back to my Dad. It’s just one of those things I am always thinking about and is ticking over in the back of my mind.
So I tell him for the few days on the run up to me going that we probably won’t be able to speak for the weekend. He jokes and laughs, says that lovely and our phone calls very rarely last more than 60 seconds. He is happy just to hear my voice and wants to shoot off and do something else then. On other occasions, I try to tell him where I am going.
Me: ‘The city of Lisbon father.’
Dad: ‘Oh nice, where?’
Me: ‘Lisbon, it’s in Portugal.’
Dad: ‘Luton?’
Me: ‘Lisbon, it’s in the country next to Spain, I get on a plane to get there’
Dad: ‘Sorry Luton?’
I ended with telling him to write it down somewhere, I will ring him when I get back, and I literally just hoped for the best.
So let’s just say it was getting to the stage where I was having around 10 missed calls a day. But the thing is they were less than a ring long (as he can’t use his phone sometimes?) or I was nowhere near my phone to answer. It comes to the Saturday, mid-way though my holiday, I am currently on top of the Castelo de S. Jorge and my phone rings long enough for me to answer. But by this stage I have tried calling himself just as many, if not more times in the hope he would answer. It was safe to say I was getting worried but also annoyed myself at this point.
By the time I answer I was actually a little short with him, and I said ‘Hello father, I am abroad, I am not going to be able to speak to you for too long this will be costing you a lot of money. Are you ok?’ but then I instantly felt horrible as it was such a shock for him to hear my voice he sounded quite emotional and just happy I was safe. I then just sat down and took the time to make sure he was ok and put him at ease, and to let him know I was safe.
Of course everyone ease dropping must of thought my conversation was a bit silly, repeating myself, and describing where I was as the county next to Spain and having a little joke around about me being an strong independent Scouser that he brought up and who likes to get about a bit. But I then said to him to write down somewhere safe I was away and back on Tuesday and I will call him or he can call me then.
That of course was not the end of it and I was getting about 10 calls a day every day, missing all of them, and with voicemail messages from my brother in law to say to ring him and let Dad know I am safe.
I think it must have been a weekend where he thought to ring me more and when he can’t get hold of me it must of got under his skin and got him upset. But we had a good, far longer than usual conversation when I was back. But I have been home for more days than I was away, and I haven’t had a single call from him. But there you go, the phone drama continues …
