Why Father's Day should always be something special

MY PHONE just lit up with a text. Don’t get excited – just a local take-away about a special offer “to surprise your dad” for Father’s Day. For me, that would indeed be a huge surprise because, in 2007, my dad was killed.

- Dehenna Davison

I’ll never forget that cold, dark February night. It was a standard Friday. I was staying with my paternal Nan. Dad was in the pub with friends to wrap up a hard week’s graft and Mum was at home having a long soak and some “Mum time”.

But then it changed, and I remember the rest in graphic detail.

The confusion on my Nan’s face as she received the panicked phone call. The cardigan she threw on as we raced to the car. The glow of blue lights as the ambulance screeched away as we rounded the corner. My somewhat blasé attitude while en route, reassuring my Nan that her only child would be fine and that we’d be laughing over Sunday lunch the following day.

An irrational panic that we might get fined because our car had been dumped haphazardly across two parking bays. The agonising, largely silent wait in a tiny, magnolia, private room.

Then, seeing Mum come through the door, white as a spectre, and collapse to the ground in hysterical sobs. After around 45 minutes trying to resuscitate Dad, the doctors could do no more. Quick as a flash, my entire world was shattered.

It wasn’t until early the following morning that snippets from the evening before had been pieced together, and the police were called.