Today was another eventful one, should have been special but unfortunately it stopped at simply “eventful”, though that may be generous. I woke up once I felt well rested, I don’t have anywhere to be anymore, so it doesn’t matter, the only motivation I have to get out of bed is the call of nature. Once firmly awake, I overrate and played Final Fantasy X, caught the new episode of Tonegawa, Who is America and Last Week Tonight. All disappointing.
It wasn’t until 5pm that I started preparing to attend the concert. I ate a proper meal (jacket potato instead of the crisps I had stuffed earlier in the day), showered and put on clean clothes. Me and my sister then set of for the train station, we arrived in good time, say around 40 minutes before the support act got on stage. There was lengthy queueing and I told a security staff member that I’d complain about him, he refused to give me his name. For some reason, it was the support my sister wanted to see, Killswitch Engage. I thought they were just loud and I didn’t know the songs so couldn’t make out the lyrics.
During the interval between the supporting act and the main act, my sister and I went out into the area outside the main venue (where the seats/stage etc actually are) to buy merch. My sister wanted two t-shirts of Killswitch engage, one for her and another for a male friend. The area was crowded and getting to the front of a merch stand took time. The first one was sold out of the shirt she wanted. The second one only had one so she got it and another design. One medium, one large, the large was too big, in my opinion, so I got her to swap it for a medium. I did the talking since she was uncomfortable with it. She tells me her male friend is taller than me but I’m sure a large is really only for overweight people.
In a strange and beautiful twist of fate, I encountered the quirky guy at the arena. He would have been on a late shift so missed the supporting act. I did expect or rather hope to run into him today since I’m aware Iron Maiden are his favourite band. I was initially shocked but also elated, it never really sunk in so I couldn’t appreciate and take full advantage of this blessing from the gods. We talked a little but it was too loud to have a real conversation. He got a written warning at work over the racism thing, I said that was nothing. He told me he applied for the job he was talking about before I left. It really was too loud to have a real discussion, he also brought up how I’m not working for a whole month but all I got out was that “they weren’t letting me have holidays”.
He told me things about the show like “the first song is about planes” and that the staging is theatrical. Told me where he sat when he watched them last year (up top, couldn’t see “Eddy”, at first I thought it was a member of the band and then remembered he’d once told me that it was the mascot). I think that’s quite literally all that was said, just shows how precious my exchanges with him are, especially the ones today since they were the last. I’ll also mention he was initially surprised to see me since I have stated that I don’t care for music, I said I was here for Wickerman and then he let me know that there wouldn’t be a physical one on stage this year.
His gf was there but didn’t say anything. He made an attempt to bring her into the conversation but he mouth remained firmly sealed. She’s Scandinavian, he’s just returned from a trip to her homeland, mentioned how retail assistants get paid £11.00 there. I just pointed out he didn’t speak the language. He asked me who I was attending with, I said it was my sister. He didn’t ask any follow-up questions to that but I tried to clarify why I brought her but it was probably just confusing. Recalled the Cider story from work too and how there were balloons on my leaving day.
The concert itself was not too different to my other experience. People around the venue were raising their hands and singing along but that was beyond me, I couldn’t even really sway from side to side or rock my head, I remained motionless. Though the guys in front of me were the same, and I could pick out others, including the quirky guys gf. Quirky guy was also less animated that I would have expected, I worry that I killed his buzz. Quirky guy and his gf were closer to the stage and they were in my line of sight as I had to turn my head to see said stage. However, what I found strange was that quirky guys gf turned her head in my direction a few times, I feel see was put off by me. Repulsed even. There were also curious instances where quirky guy turned his head then she did, just what was she looking at?
One observation about her, something I noticed when leaving. Said it before and I’ll say it again, I think she may be trans, it’ll explain why the quirky guy was so friendly with the gender neutral guy at work. The gf is taller than him (quirky guy is 5’10), plus big hands and it’ll explain why she didn’t talk or sing along. She genuinely did not utter a single word.
We walked out of the venue together too. Talked just a little more but priority was getting out of the arena. Just provided my thoughts, said the music was too loud so I couldn’t make out the words and that I preferred Taylor Swift, may have said that twice. I thought the stage stuff was interesting then corrected myself, it was entertaining. It was “OK”. To carry the conversation I asked how they were last year but I didn’t hear his reply clearly enough.There was one funny moment, he asked “was it scary?” in jokey way and I replied “THAT was scary”, referencing how he just appeared out of nowhere, while leaving the arena, I had lost sight of him and thought he was further ahead.
We were all headed to the train station. He asked which one I was getting, it was leaving in 5 minutes. I was in a rush to catch it so left him unceremoniously, it may even have been rude, could have soared a minute or two to say goodbye properly but it was just “see ya”. He was left waiting 18 minutes for his, checking the time table now, I could have waited another 20 minutes for a later train and spent more time with him. This is something I deeply regret, I enjoy my time with him and I just threw away 20 more minutes with him, that’s an opportunity I’ll never have again. Admittedly, conversation was difficult, start and stop, 20 minutes may have been too long a period, one that ends up being awkward. Still, this could have been a special memory, instead, I’m not even sure what it is. Perhaps a better final series of interactions between us than the goodbye at work. Disappointed that this could have been more, better, meaningful, closure providing. A real goodbye.
Oh, just realised, probably doesn’t count but I guess we finally did something social together outside of work.
(my sister said she enjoyed herself)
Human Garbage 