Ticket to Ride - Wayne 56

[For a quick guide go here: Quick guide.]

[Old back story is here: Story so far at 30 Nov 2020 and read more recent Wayne episodes especially this one.]

[Other back story through in-links.]

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It occurred to Wayne that he’d not actually known Dave at a time when his business wasn’t completely and utterly dominated by the impact of Covid. Similarly Dave had not known what the ‘usual’ Wayne was like. They’d met within the context of the pandemic, at the point when life was already disrupted and was about to get worse (and then again, worse). This occurred to Wayne now because while things weren’t exactly normal, business was picking up for Dave, and being the other half of a restaurant owner was beginning to seem a lonely experience. There again, being the other half of a grime star... well, there never had been another half to this particular grime star.

He hadn’t got the Indian Variant. That was reassuring. He’d isolated enough, tested himself enough and sorted out his flat in the process – because there were few things he could settle himself to doing on his own so he thought he might as well make his living quarters nice. The surfaces were now free of clutter and clean, his bedroom and living spaces could be slept and lived in and his work station was better than ever.

But there was no one to come round. Jezzy was still ill and cocooned in his own home – not too bad, but certainly not in any state to work. Wayne realised how much time he’d been spending with Dave, and now Dave was at work. Dave was almost always at work. When he physically wasn’t he was still mentally there, checking things over in his mind, working out the next meal, rearranging the tables.

Chief among Dave’s concerns was getting the staff in to do the work he now had. The sector had opened up and guests were returning. Dave had meals to deliver but like many other cafes and bars, finding the staff was the challenge. He used to have the staff, but a lot of them had moved on to more reliable take-away outlets, or just moved out of the sector entirely, increasingly annoyed by the in-out nature of work at the moment.

“They’ll come back,” said Wayne, reassuringly. “Give them time.”

“I don’t have time,” said Dave. “I need them back now. And they’re not here.”

Wayne offered to come and help, but on past experience Dave passed on this. After a long drawn out conversation about the state of the hospitality industry in general Wayne offered to make a charity track to raise awareness and cash. “Feed the....” something or other, but he never quite made it to deciding who or what they should feed. It could be something around the ‘Eat out to help out’ but that wasn’t the point any more. Trying to get a rhyme for ‘hospitality’ was easy enough but sorting the employment argument into a verse that explored issues to do with temporary and sometimes overseas workers that didn’t clunk was really beyond ManzDown. The subject, he decided, just wasn’t grime enough.

And then Cath called him. She’d been working hard and his career was about to take off all over again. The front room gig would be selected in the next few weeks and he’d be performing in someone’s living room as soon as possible after the restrictions were lifted. The new album was slated to come out in September (so he’d better get busy on it) and there would be a two month nationwide tour following that. It might even extend to Europe but they’d have to wait and see. Wayne’s heart was elated. Wayne’s mouth was dry. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to do it, of course. He was itching to get in front of a crowd. He also remembered the sensation of touring, the excitement of the shows and the adrenalin highs night after night. But he also knew it would end the routines established over the past year. The more laid back, playful approach. The experimentation and thrill at discovering new sounds and new ways to make music. And he was worried this would be the end of him and Dave.

“You could come with me,” said Wayne to Dave, late one night when Dave was home. Get everything sorted here, find someone to look after the restaurant, come with me. You could do the tour catering if you need something to do.”

“I’m not an ‘on the road’ kind of guy,” said Dave. “I like being in one place. And staying in one place. I had a job making food on a train once - absolute nightmare. Especially when it corners.”

“I’m not asking you to make food on a train, or the bus,” said Wayne. “There are kitchens and stuff.”

“I already have kitchens and stuff,” noted Dave.

“But…”

“I’m tired,” said Dave. “It’s great that you’ve got the tour, but I’m not coming with you.”

Wayne sighed as Dave put the light out and tried to get to sleep while staring at the ceiling.

Normality was going to be hard.