Memories of Max - A Father's Story

Chapter 7 - Max

Home

Once Max got the hang of teasing, or of making jokes, I became the butt of most of them.

One example was the day I was having a conversation with my sister. He walked into the kitchen saying nothing and climbed up on the bench next to me. He peered into my ear, which was parallel to the window and suddenly announced that my car had been stolen. I looked round, alarmed, and saw that my car was not outside the house. I could just see it in the corner of my vision and realised that Sara had moved the car forward from its usual position. I told him that it had been moved but he continued peering into my ear and then announced that he could now see it.

“What are you doing Max?”

“Looking at your car.”

I was initially confused but my sister roared with laughter. The implication was that there was nothing inside my head and that he could see through to the other side.

During our time in the Royal Marsden Hospital I put on weight. Prior to Max’s second illness I had done Kung Fu and also worked hard physically in trying to renovate our house, both of which kept me relatively fit. I commented in front of Max about how much weight I had gained. It was a throwaway comment but he latched onto it like a leach. He loved to refer to me as his ‘Fat Daddy’ and knew that it irritated me because I would chase him for his sins. I, too, had a nickname for Max. From an early age he became ‘Mister, Mister’. I have no idea where this name originated from, but it was my special name for him.

I became the ‘Fat Daddy with No Brain’. He loved to taunt me, knowing that in return for his jibes that I would chase him. We were both very ticklish and it would end up with a tickle fight.

As is common between parents and children, there are often times where the two would say the same sentence at the same time. Max loved and was in wonder at these coincidences and would shout ‘Twins’ when it happened. This in itself then became a game where each of us would vie for the honour of being the first to shout ‘Twins’.

Max, Paula and I had many chase games. One was the game of Bula Bula which evolved in West Wales with Max, Paula and their cousin Karen. I have no idea where the name originated from but the game involved them shouting Bula Bula at me as a taunt and me having to chase them round a huge garden. A variation on this was Mr Pento. Again the origin of the name escapes me, but in this game I was the evil Mr Pento and Max and Paula had their home base and would throw taunts at me until I chased them. I could not 'get' them if they were on their home base. It involved lots of hiding by me and considerable daring on their part to venture from the safety of their refuge to see how far they could get without being caught.

Click here if you would like details of how to buy a copy of the book