To my little mate, Zack.
Three years. It’s been three years since we had to say goodbye. The events of that day still play so vividly in my head.
My dad waking me up at 8am on the school holidays. Holly was lying on the mattress on the floor. We spent all night story boarding for media assignment. I sat opposite him on his bed and he told me. I laughed. It’s such a surreal feeling. I was half asleep and thought he was playing some sick joke. He explained the details and then lost it crying. I say there hugging my dad as he sobbed. It still hadn’t sunk in. I remember waking Holly up and telling her. We hugged and cried. She tried to convince me that she would catch a train home so we could go straight the hospital. She went outside to call her mum and accidentally locked herself out. Couldn’t find her for 15 minutes. Her mum came and we left the house. It sure as hell was the longest car drive in my life. I turned the music off and sat in silence. Dad had to pullover many times as he broke the news to various friends and family. Each time he had to tell someone, he cried a little less. The hospital was awful. The news crew hanging out the front of the entrance asking if we knew you. If we had a photo they can use. (Glenn has always been the media informer of the families tragedies so we left it up to him.) The smell of linen, the look the staff gave us when we asked for where you were.
We were standing around waiting for some direction to where the family was. The door behind me opened and I saw you for the last time. Lying there. So peaceful. And it hit me.
You were such a bundle of joy and a splitting image of your daddy. You were one of the few to call me Emi. No one does these days. I will never forget you waiting for me at dancing and our little dance parties when everyone else was gone. I remember the closest thing to my ‘first’ photoshoot. Valentines day with you in your daddy’s old suit jacket holding a red rose with your huge cheeky grin.
I miss you so much. Love you champ.
Emi
x x x
