I can, said Elvin sounding wistful.
Me too, said Wayne. I have also written a few songs.
Steve looked shocked; he had known Wayne for almost two years and never suspected that this old Canadian had any musical education.
Youre a dark horse, Wayne Logan, said Steve and grinned.
Perhaps I could look at your songs, Wayne. We may as well learn them, said Charles.
What? asked Wayne.
Charles repeated his request but spoke louder.
Okay, said Wayne They are in my room, so maybe tomorrow.
Charles wanted to find out more about his new friends, partly because he was interested, but more importantly, because he wanted to fill the remaining time to stop them playing more awful, eardrum-bleeding noise.
Are any of you married? Charles asked.
No, said Elvin, and sighed. My wife passed away four years ago.
I'm single. I got divorced years ago and played the field, Steve interrupted and chuckled.
Charles looked at Wayne fiddling with his hearing-aid, and asked, How about you Wayne, are you married?
Wayne lost his wife twenty- years ago, Steve said and shouted at Wayne. Didnt you mate?
Oh, I am sorry to hear that Wayne, said Charles.
What? Asked Wayne.
Im sorry to hear that your wife died, Charles shouted.
Wayne looked confused and said, My wife didnt die. His hearing-aid screeched, so he tapped it.
Elvin and Steve chortled.
She didnt die, said Elvin. He just lost er.
Thats better, said Wayne, now able to hear. He looked at Charles, smiled, and related his story.
Wayne, popular among the female residents of Fossdyke with his Latino appearance and when he first moved in, the old women hung around him like a Liverpool postman on giro day. Even Mrs Chew had a crush on old Wayne, even though married and 20 years his junior.
Wayne had lived at Fossdyke now for two years. Originally from Ontario, Canada, he settled in Cleethorpes years ago, after trying to trace his long lost love, Julie.
His family originated from Sicily and owned an Italian restaurant chain in Canada. With his sights set on becoming a musician, he left the family home on his 16th birthday and joined The Alex Gilroy Band, a seven-piece swing band. He studied music at school, and although he could play keyboard instruments, he loved playing the drums. Given the nickname, Sticks, by the band, because he always carried around drumsticks tapping anything that could offer a beat. He toured as the bands drummer throughout Canada. When the rock n roll revolution hit America in the late fifties, Wayne moved to the U.S. where he joined 'Johnny and the Jeepsters,' a rock n roll, skiffle band. Throughout the sixties and seventies, he moved around with various bands.
During the 1980s, as other forms of music pushed out rock n roll, he tried his hand at rock music. Although ageing, he joined a rock band called, Smoking Heads and dropped his nickname, Sticks, as he felt it was no longer cool, and didnt belong in the rock, pop era. The band never became famous but had a small fan base. They performed many gigs around the world, touring several countries. With the loud music taking its toll on his hearing, it became increasingly more difficult to hear the music as each tour went on. The group did a tour of the UK in the mid-1980s. They decided to get rid of Wayne, who, due to his age, no longer fitted in with their rocker image. They played his farewell gig at the Sheffield Arena, where he met Julie, an attractive twenty-five-year-old woman from Cleethorpes. Wayne prided himself on having no emotional attachment towards women but became besotted with Julie. He invited her to the United States, and she accepted.
Their life was great at first. Wayne found work as a session musician and wrote several songs.
As his deafness became worse, his work sessions got shorter. He became miserable and angry, taking his anger out on Julie. He turned into a violent drunk and Julie felt dejected. One night he came home *spannered. Julie and her belongings were gone.
Over the next few days, he stayed sober while trying to figure out what happened to Julie. He'd phoned friends and acquaintances but to no avail. Julie had vanished without a trace, taking a chunk of money from their joint account and used their credit card to buy a flight to Manchester, England.
He had inherited 25% of his family's business and received an annual dividend. With money being of no concern, he decided to search for Julie in the UK. Wayne knew little about her, he never bothered with that side of their relationship. All he knew that her name was Julie Croft- something, and she was from Cleethorpes.
Wayne arrived in Cleethorpes in the winter of 1991 and spent the next few months trying to track down the Croft family. He came across many people with the same surname, but nobody knew or had ever heard of, Julie Croft. Now in his 50s, his hearing had become impaired and he could only hear on sporadic occasions. Wayne, having spent many years in the UK, hadnt given up hope, and did not want to go back to the USA. He knew his blemished record and age would prevent him from ever being hired, so he lived in a flat in Cleethorpes. He worked as a taxi driver and had an active social life.
In 2002, he read an obituary in the Grimsby Evening Telegraph, of a Mr Ronald Croft-Baker who had passed away. Croft-Baker, thats it, thought Wayne, Julie Croft-Baker.
Excited, he read the list of those who attended the funeral. Wayne noticed the daughters name, Mrs Julie Braithwaite, nee Croft-Baker. Wayne knew that it was his Julie. He tracked down the only relative who remained in Cleethorpes from the Croft-Baker family, Ronalds elderly sister. She confirmed Julie Croft-Baker was her niece who had spent time in America. The old woman told him that she had seen Julie at the funeral along with her husband, but that was the first time in many years shed had any contact with her. She told him that Julie only came, paid her respects, and then left. She had no other information. When Wayne heard that Julie had re-married, he gave up his search.
Wayne lived alone until the latter part of 2008. He bought a set of drums and a small Yamaha keyboard to entertain himself. He composed a few songs, although he had trouble performing them. Even though he wore a hearing aid, some days he couldnt hear the lyrics. His deafness became a burden and he was robbed several times, as word spread that a deaf old man lived alone. He became afraid to stay at home and felt too old to return to Canada or the States. Cleethorpes was now his home, so he sold his house and moved into the residential home.
And thats how I ended up here, said Wayne and smiled.
We only found out by accident that he played in a band a few years ago. He said he was a taxi driver who played the drums and keyboard for pleasure after coming ere to look for his missus, said Elvin.
Wayne smirked and said, Well, I did only play for pleasure... then.
You are a dark horse, Logan, said Steve and chuckled.
Charles looked puzzled and asked, I thought you dropped the name Sticks. So how come they call you Sticks now?
Wayne looked at Steve and frowned. Its that slap-heads fault, he said. Thats how they found out I was in a band. I kept a few mementoes from my younger days and one was an old framed poster from my time with 'Johnny and the Jeepsters,' hung in my room.
Steve giggled as the story unfolded.
One day, I was getting ready to go to the recreation room. Steve knocked and just walked into my room. He scowled at Steve still smirking, and continued, He went over, looked at the picture, and asked about the band. He said he had never heard of the Jeepsters, which was great, as I didnt want them to know about my past. I told him I played with them for a short while in the 60s, but he wouldnt let it be and kept asking more questions. He then read the bands line up, and saw Wayne Sticks Logan.
And Sticks was reborn, said Steve smirking.
Wayne mumbled and sighed.
Much to Charless relief, the three did not play anymore after hearing Waynes tale, and Wayne, Steve, and Elvin packed away their instruments.
Its early, said Steve. How about we go for a couple of pints in the Pavilion?
Yeah, good idea, said Elvin. It ain't far Nobby, only a ten-minute walk.
Charles wasnt in the mood, but after the three persisted, and wanting to hear more about them, he agreed.
THE PAVILION, A PUBLIC house near a large shallow boating lake with two small islands at its centre, was a sanctuary for the colourful bird populations inhabiting the area. Surrounded by trees and hedgerows, the Pavilion was a popular watering hole during the warm summer months, with the daylight sun lasting well into the evening. With the lake in view and the flora and fauna in full bloom, the outside seating area looked picturesque.
The four sat outside on a bench enjoying a cold beer, watching ducks idling along the glistening lake, and listening to wood-pigeons repetitive, coo-coo-coo-cu-cu. Familiar fragrances of flowering hawthorn bushes drifted on the light breeze
Steve took out a packet of cigarettes, lit one, and with a satisfying grin, blew out a cloud of smoke and said. I like sitting here, and I can smoke, he leaned over to Charles. But dont tell Chewy.
Charles nodded and asked. So Steven, how come you ended up at Fossdyke?
Wayne and Elvin groaned. They knew Steves life story because he had told them many times.
Im from Scunthorpe, thirty miles away, said Steve, When I left school, I worked in the steelworks alongside my old dad, said Steve and smirked, I got caught up in the swinging sixties and wanted to be a rock star, so I bought an acoustic guitar and learned to play.
Steve did a quick air guitar demo, smiled and continued, I saved my wages and upgraded to an electric Fender Stratocaster, adopting the stage name, Strat... because it sounded cool, he smirked, giving another air guitar demo, before continuing. Me and two mates from the steelworks formed, Strat and the Steelers. We performed in several pubs and clubs in Scunny, he sighed. We could have been famous if we werent crap... and I wasnt married to Jane. After we disbanded, I settled down and worked long hours at the steelworks to support my family.
He coughed, took a swig of beer, and said, We had a beautiful daughter, Lucy. Steve looked proud and told Charles. Lucys smart, unlike her dumb old Dad. She was always an intelligent and independent young woman. Shes now a successful Doctor and she and her husband Bernard own Fossdyke, said Steve, took a photograph from his wallet, and showed Charles his middle-aged daughter. Charles felt relieved that she wasnt bald like her father, as Steve said. Thats my little girl, Doctor Lucy Fossdyke.
Oh, so thats why it is called Fossdyke? asked Charles.
Steve nodded and took another swig of beer. Anyway, after Lucy went to University, Jane and I drifted apart. I worked long hours to pay for the university medical school, and Jane got a job in a bike shop.
He chuckled and said. The manager wasnt only riding pushbikes, the bastard. I should have realised when she trowelled on her makeup to go to work. When I found out, I went to the shop and punched his lights out, and later divorced Jane, Steve sighed. I felt gutted and spent the next few years skipping work and spannered. He looked at Charles and said. In my forties, I realised my life was going nowhere and my dad, even though retired, gave me grief because he heard rumours that the steelworks were about to sack me. One morning I woke up and thought, Fuck it! So I booked a flight to Australia. Lucy was then a qualified Doctor with a well-paying job, so I took my savings, a bag of clothes, my old Stratocaster, and flew to Oz.
Oh, said Charles, impressed by Steves audacity.
Yeah, it was great. The years flew by, moving from town to town, city to city, and job to job. I played rock n roll in local bars for drinks and food and lived the carefree life I always wanted, with no ties. I severed all links in England.
What about Lucy? asked Charles, Didnt you at least stay in contact with her?
Steve shook his head, No, nobody. He smirked, But dont worry Charlie my story has a happy ending... sort of. I was almost sixty and alone. I wanted a female companion to take care of me in my old age. I knew that if I stayed in Australia or returned to the UK, I would stay alone. A short, fat, bald, sixty-year-old musician, who smoked three packs of cigarettes a day, would be as appealing to a western woman as Deep Heat on a dildo. Besides, I didnt fancy being lumbered with an old troll with loads of kids or grandkids, so I tried the Philippines.
Wayne and Elvin juddered, they knew what was about to come next. They had heard this many times before as a prelude to one of Steves repeated tales.
Wayne turned off his hearing-aid as Steve said. When I was in the Philippines, Elvins groan went ignored as Steve went on, I had my biggest regret, he nudged Charles, laughed, and said, I wished that I had gone sooner, the place made my head spin. This fabulous new culture and lifestyle drew me into a magical existence.
Charles noticed Steve demeanour change as he talked passionately about the Philippines.
I settled in Angeles City, a raucous, sex-filled place. I worked in live music venues around sin city. Although I wasnt paid much, I reaped the other benefits of being a western musician and lived a carefree life with benefits, he chuckled, rubbed his crotch and continued. I no longer wanted to settle down, with too many eager young women to choose from. Steve laughed, rubbed his hands together, and said. They all wanted to please this sex god, although they cost me a lot of money.
Elvin tutted, and he and Wayne went to the bar for more beer while Steve continued. I spent years living a blissful existence, until one day I woke up in agony. It felt like an alien eating its way through my stomach. Steve put his hand on the left side of his abdomen, winced, and said. Id never felt so much pain, and having no money, the girl I was with at the time, took me to the local quack, who operated on a strangulated hernia.
Oh! exclaimed Charles. That sounds serious.
Nah, said Steve, It wasnt too bad, but it made me realise that if something serious were to happen, who could I turn to, and who would look after me with having no money? I tried to contact Lucy, who Id had no contact with for over 20 years and with no idea where she was, I contacted the British embassy in Manila.