My best friend Tighe

 I genuinely don't think words can describe how much I loved Tighe. Anyone who knows me understands what he meant to me. He was more than just my annoying little brother. He was my best friend. Someone who I could always rely on and never disappoint. He was just always so insanely proud of me, and I was always just as proud of him.

Honestly, at the time of his passing and when everyone was sending me and my family their love and support, the hardest message to see or hear was always “I know how much you loved him” or “I know how much he loved you.” Reading a text containing those words or hearing someone say that to me would always make my eyes water.

But it was true. I was just so proud of him. I just wish everyone could have met him and experienced Tighe. But honestly that's my only “regret”. It really does suck how young he is. But all things considered, I'm OK with it. I know he lived a pretty full life. And he did everything he wanted to at this stage. He was genuinely happy with everything. Like, literally, after he passed I was going through a few of his things, and on his iPad came across a notes page titled “things I want to do as a teenager” 

Top of the list was to get a motorbike. Followed by I think, go to a bunch of parties, another was “go on a trip with my mates”. I think one line literally even said “do a bunch of dumb shit.”

The list went on. But every line I read, I knew he had done. And honestly that gave me so much peace and comfort. Knowing he had done literally everything he wanted to at this stage in his life.

He was just so happy with everything. Every time he'd call me he’d just love telling me how great everything was going for him. And that gives me a lot of comfort, knowing he was content with it all.

It still sucks nonetheless. I was in wanaka at the time, and during the day I was working where there was no reception. So I had just finished a day at work and come into Wanaka for a swim. I remember jumping back in my car and checking my phone. Just to see the screen fill up with missed calls and texts from my family saying “call me when you can” already my heart was racing. I rung up my dad but as soon as he picked up I just knew something was off. He told me the situation and, honestly, I broke down. I was devastated. Alone, in basically the middle of nowhere, six hours from Christchurch and now without my little brother. I truly had never felt more alone. The hardest part was Tighe wasn't around. You see, Tighe was literally my drive. Whenever I had something tough coming up, like a 14 hour shift at work or something, my inspiration was literally, “I can do this, and it'll be so great when I tell Tighe about it...he’ll be so proud of me.” But now I had literally the toughest journey of my life.  And all I could do was try my best to be strong and make it home, to make him proud one last time.

But let's be real. Tighe was something else. He truly was a unique kid. But I loved that about him. His energy or his passion is just so hard to find in someone. But Tighe was full of it. He’d always be bouncing around just so full of life. Just being around him would just instantly make you feel happier. 

You only had to meet Tighe once to instantly love him, just so energetic and charming

I'm sure a few of you have heard the story of when he stayed with me in Christchurch. I know his mates have, apparently he never shut up about it… But the story is that a while back he came down to visit me in Christchurch, sleeping on our couch, or actually I think it was one of those inflatable pool floats, he used it as a mattress. But regardless, while he was down there, we realised he looked really similar to the photo on one of my old drivers licences. Which meant if he wanted to, he could be 18 for a day. And you'd best believe he made the most of it. At the time I was super sick and literally couldn't get out of bed, so admittedly I couldn't hang out with him as much as I had wanted. But my Flatmates, who had only known Tighe for a few hours, decided to make the most of him being 18, and take him to the clubs in town…

Now I just remember seeing the photos and videos of him getting Lit in town. He was out there doing shots of jager with one of my flatmates, trying his luck with the ladies and just having an absolute time out there.

I remember waking up in the morning, coming out to the lounge and seeing him curled up on that bloody pool floaty. I woke him up, and he was definitely feeling the consequences of drinking...but was still able to just have that ENERGY about him. He was telling me all about his night out, how much fun it was and how much he loved the guys he went with. I just loved seeing his face light up like that. Hearing him talk about getting wasted in the clubs was a proud big brother moment for me.

Later I was chatting with the guys who had taken him out, and even though they'd only really known him for one night, they just loved him aye. And that's who he was, you only had to just meet him even for a short moment, and instantly he was already one of your favourite people.

It's hard trying to describe what he was like. Those of you who knew him can probably understand. He genuinely was like no one else. He was always doing just random shit. Like I remember last year chilling in the common room at the end of school one time, and hearing a few of the guys looking at the door and just being like “Aye Quinn...what's your brother up to?” and I turned around to see him holding this...baby...turkey. I remember just thinking, ”what is this kid up to.” But he was so proud of it. He was telling us all how he'd yoinked it from his trades farming course. He named it Waddles and was bringing it home.  WHO DOES THAT?  Admittedly Waddles didn't last long in his box with a fistful of grass, but he was loved by Tighe nonetheless.

He was also just so passionate about his interests. His Lego or his video games in particular. Honestly it would always be the highlight of my days when I'd get a facetime call from him, and he’d be simply estatic telling me about a new game that was coming out in a few days. He'd be listing of all the details about it, or how he would plan to stay up all night playing it. His mates told me a few times he'd skip a few days of school whenever one got released. He just loved them.

He loved Star Wars too, everything about it. He’d also always be updating me whenever new movies or a new series would be getting released. He’d be counting down the days, then stay up for 3 days straight watching the new series. He was just so passionate about it.

Lego too. He's always had an obsession with it, but especially recently since he's been working and has been able to get money to blow on it. It was the same as the new games or movies. He'd always Facetime me up, show me his new set that he'd just built, all the little features on it. What movie or game it was from. And he'd just have that energy about him we all loved. Again, he was so passionate. But he was more into Lego than you'd realize. He would actually buy and sell and trade it. He would research these sets. And apparently certain sets are rarer than others, like ones that had been discontinued or old ones that were getting more modern ones remade. He would find these rarer sets and sometimes be able to sell them for a profit. He played that shit like the stock market. All this research and hunting for the sets. But it was amazing. I used to give him shit for spending all his money on Lego, but he didn't care. He loved it. 

And that's another thing about Tighe we all loved. He just did not care what other people thought. He did what he wanted. And I think that's also something about him we all had to love. He was certainly his own person.  

Quinn