{"id":949,"date":"2021-09-14T16:26:28","date_gmt":"2021-09-14T16:26:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.swanseawriterscircle.co.uk\/blog\/?p=949"},"modified":"2021-09-14T16:26:59","modified_gmt":"2021-09-14T16:26:59","slug":"dads-desert-island-discs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swanseawriterscircle.co.uk\/blog\/dads-desert-island-discs\/949\/","title":{"rendered":"Dad\u2019s Desert Island Discs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Reaching for my phone, I brace myself for the usual abusive messages from my ex. But for the second day in a row, nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I glance at the clock. Dad asked me to tune into Radio 4 now, for reasons unknown. \u201cYou\u2019ll see,\u201d he smiled. Typical Dad, avoiding direct communication, everything a riddle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Desert Island Discs theme tune floats out of the speakers like a gentle breeze. The sly old dog! I turn up the volume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m delighted to welcome today\u2019s Castaway, retired England cricketer, David Myles!\u201d says Lauren Laverne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDavid, you\u2019ve famously declined several invitations over the years. But there\u2019s a very personal reason you\u2019ve agreed now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right, Lauren.\u201d The radio lends an ethereal quality to Dad\u2019s gravelly voice. \u201cAfter this interview, I\u2019m retiring to a real desert island to spare my loved ones the pain of witnessing my demise. I recently received a diagnosis of terminal cancer. I hope the music and memories ease the blow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time stands still. I sink into the sofa. Dad sounds like he\u2019s under water. I try to focus on the song he\u2019s chosen to carry me through this moment, surrendering myself to Bob Marley\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026\u2019Cause every little thing is gonna be alright.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I listen, stunned, as he recounts his cricketing triumphs, glosses over life events, and plays his favourite songs, most of which are familiar but now sound foreign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe next two songs are for my daughter, Kelly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My blood drains when For Your Babies<\/em> plays. Dad hates Simply Red and \u201cthat smug ginger bastard\u201d Mick Hucknall. He\u2019s always said, \u201cIf I ever play Simply Red, it\u2019s a coded message.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bohemian Rhapsody <\/em>is next. The lyrics bleed into one another. What does it mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mind still struggling to connect the dots, I hear him choose his book, before he\u2019s invited to select a luxury item.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt must be inanimate. You can\u2019t pick your family,\u201d says Lauren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndeed, though after today mine may wish they could.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the closest Dad\u2019s ever come to an apology, I think, grimly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take the cricket bat that I scored my last ever century for England with, to bury in the sand, symbolically laying my life to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDavid Myles, thanks for sharing your Desert Island Discs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lauren\u2019s voice is drowned out by hammering at the door. Expecting Mum, I steel myself for the emotional onslaught. She always over-compensates for Dad\u2019s avoidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it isn\u2019t Mum. It\u2019s my best friend, Sal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She bursts in. \u201cPut the TV on!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUm\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But she\u2019s already found the news channel, and for the second time today, I freeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My ex-boyfriend has been battered to death with a \u201cblunt object.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every synapse in my brain is fizzing and making connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026I\u2019ll try to give you everything you need\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026just killed a man\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026cricket bat\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I picture Dad, reclining against a palm tree, the evidence safely buried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A calm settles over me, seagulls squawking over the sound of the lapping waves, as By the Sleepy Lagoon<\/em> fades out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reaching for my phone, I brace myself for the usual abusive messages from my ex. But for the second day in a row, nothing. I glance at the clock. Dad asked me to tune into Radio 4 now, for reasons unknown. \u201cYou\u2019ll see,\u201d he smiled. Typical Dad, avoiding direct communication, everything a riddle. The Desert […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_10158782359051062_103813597863211":"","twitter_1225722811282530305_1225722811282530305":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[379,530],"tags":[544,542,543,437],"class_list":["post-949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-379","category-you-cant-pick-your-family","tag-cricket","tag-desert-island-disks","tag-lauren","tag-murder"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbrNJE-fj","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swanseawriterscircle.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swanseawriterscircle.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swanseawriterscircle.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swanseawriterscircle.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swanseawriterscircle.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=949"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.swanseawriterscircle.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":951,"href":"https:\/\/www.swanseawriterscircle.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949\/revisions\/951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swanseawriterscircle.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swanseawriterscircle.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swanseawriterscircle.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}