From Tasha

Hello, my name is Natasha, “Tash”, “rude-girl” (and the list goes on as far as Max is concerned). I have taken a while to actually write this, as I was hoping that with a little more time it would be easier to express my thoughts on Max in a way that best tributes him for me. However, this has become an impossible task because I realise that there are just endless thoughts and memories that I am lucky enough to have, so I thought I should just try and give a small account for the hugely significant part that he has played, and will continue to play in my life.

I was lucky enough to be placed in a class at Hampstead with the four of the Magnum Five that were also there, which became a primary reason for our Tutor Group being the best in the year as far as I concerned.

Our friendship began with me, coming to school in my Timberland boots and chasing Max around the school, kicking him as hard as possible in the shins. I would do this for no reason, but as it went on, it became a clear indication that I, like so many others, fancied him like crazy. Believe it or not this actually worked for me, as I got the chance to say that I went out with him for a whole month (which was quite an achievement in those days).

We used to spend hours on the phone each night, talking about anything and everything. He would always tell me about the day’s/ evening’s goings on at the park and never failed to let me know about the huge ‘munch’ that he needed/ wanted/ was preparing or had just eaten.

During our daily discussions, (whether it would be about how he climbed through the window to get in/ out, or how intelligent his sister was and how proud he was of her, as though he was the complete opposite!) amongst many topics of conversation there would be frequent intervals, where my mum would be telling me to get off the phone and I would scream back obscenities at her, to which Max would be ‘shocked’ and told me off (keeping him in my mum’s good books). This always seemed so hypercritical to me because only minutes later, he would go on to do exactly the same at his family.

The thing that makes me laugh the most is the way that he would take the p### out of me. This was because he would do this by naming me every different fruit under the sun (although I think ‘plum’ was a definite favourite) and yet somehow, he still managed to make it sound like it was a decent ‘cuss’. At this point, I would like to apologise for telling Sami (one of our class/ school jokers) about the whole Ducky thing, because that was probably one of the worst things that I could ever have done.

What I love about Max is the way that he could get through to a large variety of people and manage to gain such a huge respect from us all. Max was great at adapting to different people and making us all feel special in different ways, because he genuinely cared. I will always be truly grateful for being accepted as a part of that.

Max would always be so thoughtful and I remember when my grandma died, I had to go to her house in Buckinghamshire and every night, I would get a comforting phone call to check up on me and fill me in on what was happening. I will always be thankful for this.

I find it difficult to talk about Max in the past tense, as for me his legacy will always remain and for that reason, I am signing out with a message for him to say

Thank you for letting me in and for giving me a part of you that will always be with me and that is enhanced especially when I’m with friends, because it is almost as though you have given us all pieces to your jigsaw that we can always keep safe, and when more of us get together, the stronger your picture becomes.

Max, until this happened to you, I always tried to convince myself that everything happens for a reason (because this helped me to come to terms with my own situation). However, I now know that is total rubbish (although you know there are far better words that I would rather use). The reason that I am addressing you is because you have given us all far too much to be forgotten.

So, until we meet again, make sure that you have perfected those sausages that you promised me the last time we met.

Forever Love,

Tasha xx