Sure enough, my dear papa txt'ed me last night.

"DADDY HERE. MUM IN **** WITH ME HOW ARE YOU GETTING ON I UNDERSTAND YOU ENJOY YOUR LIFE"

I had this image of my father clutching his Nokia in his beefy hands, his face a deep study of concentration on the small keypad in front of him, slowly picking out the letters for the message. My father who was, until a few years ago, the most uncommunicative and sternest of men, sending me a txt message.

My father loves me.