I did not think that I loved him this much. I didn’t know either that I would miss hearing his voice so much.

As we are wont to do, I took everything for granted – the sound of his voice, his words of advice, the gentle but unmistakable vibe of anger that lets you know he is not pleased about something.

My mum has always been the disciplinarian in the family – she never misses an opportunity to wield the big stick. But in a way, you get used to her and most times, you...