Track, Record (2) – Wayne 10

[For back story go here: Story so far at 12 June 2020 ]

"What you been up to then, Street Star?"

"Been telling the man how it is?"

"Got your people up and at it?"

"Made a proper cup of coffee, yet, Street?"

Wayne expertly muted everyone in one go, aside from Cath. "You said they weren't gonna do this,” he said. “You said we were just gonna chat and be on air together. Together, and helping out each other. What's going on?"

"They've not seen you for a while, what do you expect?"

"I expect respect," said Wayne, standing his ground and loving himself for it.

He’d only agreed to do a ‘live’ meet up with the guys from BarnStormerz if Cath was online and had already told them to be respectful of their original inspiration (i.e. him). He’d also only agreed to do it if Dave could be next to him and if he, Wayne, had final sign off on the audio that would be released to the media and published on the internet. He wasn’t being precious about his image, he was being precious about his feelings. He needed to know he’d not say something that he’d regret, either five minutes, five hours or five days afterwards. 

Dave sat behind him, out of shot. A silent partner but a reassuring one.

Cath clicked back into the group discussion, her voice delivering a well measured ‘all in it together having fun’ tone with the right level of ‘come on, stop winding him up’ as well.

“Alright guys, it’d be great if we could talk a bit about how we’re feeling, what we’ve been up to and a few good messages going out to the frontline workers and the fans in general,” said Cath.

“Have you had it then, Street?” asked one of the Stormerz.

“Had what?”

“You know, the plague, the virus and stuff. Has it got you?”

“Nah, don’t think so. I’ve felt OK. What about you guys?”

“Jezzy had a sneeze,” said the Stormerz.

“Hay fever,” said Jezzy. “Nothing more. Couple of antihistamines – all good.”

“Any of you been writing music, then guys?” interjected Cath, hopefully.

“We done a couple of good drum tracks,” said one of the Barnstormerz. “Sort of inspired by the beats we were getting off the ambulances and fire trucks going past the flat every now and then. We just sort of keyed into that and…. You know it’s going somewhere.”

“– Like they were,” capped another band member.

“What about you, Street?” asked Jezzy.

Wayne fiddled with his hat a bit. “Yeah, yeah likewise. I’ve pulled a couple of good samples from the noises filtering up to my pad and…. and I’ve got this.”

He produced the acoustic guitar and placed it on his knee ready to strum.

“Woah man, woah! What’s that?”

Cath in her window choked briefly on the coca-cola she was necking and spent much of the rest of the call distracted as she tried to mop it up off the keyboard.

“It’s a guitar,” said Wayne, strumming it gently from G to C to A and back again. 

“What the? Are you joking man?”

“I’m just like experimenting…”

“You playing the violin next? Gone classical, right?”

“Not that classical but, you know, it’s just different, right?”

“You’ve lost it man, right? You’ve lost it. Been in a room by yourself for too long and look what’s happening man – you forgetting what’s happening?”

Wayne was starting to lose faith, his eyes began to lose focus and he was doubting whether this was the right thing to do ever at all.

“Well,” he said despondently, “I guess it was just…”

"Wayne's done great stuff over the past few weeks," said Dave, suddenly appearing at Wayne's side.

In her window, Cath looked up from her cleaning, exasperated: "Don't call him Wayne!" she called, "Please don't call him..."

"Sorry, you can edit that out, right?" checked Dave. "Anyway, I was just saying ManzDown has learned some amazing things in the past few weeks. He’s trying new stuff with music – like the guitar and other songs and cover versions and –“

“Woah, wait, covers?”

“And he’s been teaching himself to cook. None of this relying on ‘Maccy D’s or whatever. His roulade was astonishing, first time making it as well."

"Who is this?" asked Jezzy.

"This is Dave," said Wayne without missing a beat, "he's my boyfriend.”

Cath stopped everything she was doing and stared at the screen.

"Nice to meet you, Dave," said Jezzy, "How are you – wait! Did you just say what I think you said?"

"What's that?" asked Wayne, his eyes closing, waiting for it.

"He makes a good roulade?"

"Yes," said Wayne, nodding and owning it decisively. "Yes I do.”

Cath opened her mouth to speak but the coca-cola finally did its work and her computer fizzed out.

"Roulade, man. A roulade – you ever seen a roulade, you ever made one?” Jezzy asked his band mates. “Food of the gods man. Manz gotta be hot as hell in the kitchen, right?”