[Ed: Morelia, known as
More, from Colima in Mexico sent this message to me:]Do send pictures of your tattoos. I think it's a lovely way to keep the ones we love within us forever.
I got mine on my hip ...
...it was one of the last conversations I had with Ben through Instagram. He was in Guadalajara with Claudio
[we didn't really talk that much through Instagram; I had lost my other phone number and it was such a mix up with cell phones that we were inconsistent about it. Plus, your son had a way of just forgetting he had a girlfriend sometimes (let alone a cellphone) even when we were together haha; don't get me wrong, he was a proper gentleman (but cheeky, very cheeky) and he never made me feel bad or left out, it's just that whenever he drank, he was very invested in his surroundings and with our friends. He was a party animal and yet if I wanted to sit down and not dance, he would sit down with me.]
Anyway, Ben posted a video of himself skating in
Guadalajara and he had no shirt on (I remember I saw that video in
a loop. I just fancied him that much haha. Shhh. Love sick puppy
over here) and I texted him "You're missing a few tattoos" and for
some reason, he was a bit restless about getting a tattoo, mainly
because he wanted to put a lot of thought into what was going to
be on his skin forever. He sent the drawing of the sun and said "Maybe this lad. You can try to convince me when I get back to Colima" and that was going to be his first tattoo.
I got it done two days after his passing, but it was a bittersweet day. I don't know. My heart shrinks and feels bad whenever I think of those first few days after he was gone because everything was gloomy.
[Ed: I had written to More about how hearing about her getting a tattoo had inspired me:]
I followed your lead, and got a tattoo
- my first one at age 68!! It is Ben's three viking runes that he
would sometimes use to sign with, over my heart...then I got a
second one: a braid round my right wrist, with three strands - one
for Tom, one for Emily and one for Ben - a black one. It is my
constant reminder - my triple helix of dna that I put out into the
world.[Ed: ... others have also talked about getting tattoos, but I thought that More's story of those days, when she chose to be the canvas for the tattoo that maybe Ben would have had done, needed to be shared...]
¡Que haya luz! Kerenza ha yeghes da! Dad/Andrew x
[Ed: Penny sent this (I hope you don't mind me adding it on Penny..?!):]
oh gosh andrew that is the lovliest, morelia-what a beautiful lady, what a beautiful sentiment and gesture, ben was such a great person to soooooo many folk, a true light.
and i just love the rune and braid tattoos you have had done in bens honour and to celebrate your triple helix of dna in the world, true love, im inspired by you a lot andrew. penny xx
[Ed: Helen sent this (I hope you don't mind me adding it on Helen..?!):]
He was very cheeky with an infectious smile always cheerful and a joy to be around, always up for a chat and laugh, he was indeed a cheeky chappie well loved xxx