This Conversation Has Never Happened
For many years, our contact has been almost non-existent. We used to exchange brief emails acknowledging each other's birthdays, Easter and Christmas, living in our comfortable bubbles a thousand miles apart. My dad never called me, and I stopped trying since he never picked up my calls. Four emails a year became our standard number. Best wishes, how are things going? Thank you, all’s well.
Breaking the routine, he invited me to celebrate his 70th birthday in style. Before anything happened, there was COVID, lockdowns, and a cancer diagnosis very soon after. Did we speak more? Probably. Now, not only emails but also Skype. Mostly about how he is, his partner, his cat, the weather. When I met him for the last time, there wasn’t much to talk about. Heavily sedated, he seldom emerged from his bubble and holding his hand, I was still a thousand miles away. The final words I heard were: we'll keep in touch, right?
With this project my intention is to reflect on our relationship, missed opportunities and the impact of words left unsaid.
London, July 2024
