The 4.30pm London to Berkamhead, Return (Berkamhead 1996: Diary Entry 31st July 1996)

Berkamhead 1996

Diary Entry 31st July 1996

I can’t believe it! I was honoured tonight! Can you sense my sarcasm?

After what seemed like months, Tony graced me with a long overdue phone call. It’s been a while since I last mentioned Tony, so let me bring you up to speed on Berkamhead’s most successful villager. I’ve know Tony since primary school, although we have only really been ‘mates’ since secondary school. He’s probably the brightest person that I know; what he lacks in common sense he makes up for in an inherent logic, intelligence and general all round ability.

A product of a less than usual family, Tony didn’t really know emotion and lacked the sensitivity it takes to ‘get’ girls, so from secondary school, I took it upon myself to try and give him that extra edge. And to some extent I was successful, but as with all good master/ pupil relationships, the pupil ended up bettering the master and as soon as our university years where approaching, Tony launched himself into the beginning of his string of accomplishments.

He was snapped up before he had finished his degree and was soon working for a leading edge tech company; on a wage that I can still only dream of. To be honest, that was just the start of the jealousy I feel for him, as he told tale after tale of his success as a hard house DJ; doing a few pubs, then as a guest at clubs, to now, a headliner. I mean, it really cuts me. I’ve spent countless hours becoming a self taught musician/ composer and competent Dj and would still struggle to get a gig at a kid’s disco. The guy is over talented!

Anyway, all the jealousy and self loathing aside, Tony’s call actually turned out to be quite interesting; although I still can’t pinpoint why. After exchanging the usual pleasantries about health and work, Tony began his tale.

Turns out that he is currently co-running a night called Opium at some club; in part taking the role as headliner Dj (I tried really hard not to pass comment on this; even though I could sense his ‘more successful’ tone). Anyway, a couple of months back; it was really “kicking off”; Tony playing his usual role as God to the assembled e-generation. He’d got introduced to some girl by his mate from uni, who he described as, “totally out of it, really gone, but pretty cute and sexy”.

It struck me at this point, although, of course, I didn’t say anything… that clearly the world is unjust. Are women really now asking to meet people like Tony? And what is about mates from uni? Ok, so my outlook is a little jaded, as I have no real mates from uni, but it seems that they play a far more important role in life than they are given credit for.

I’ll guess for now I will have to accept their role, because it seems that they all ended up together, doing ‘stuff’ with this girl Juliet. I consider myself pretty liberated and adventurous, but some of it even made me raise my eyebrows. And to have taken photos to.

Hmmm… it seems they proceeded to get totally hammered, this girl Juliet putting herself about in equal measure. Fair enough, the makings of a good story and a good night out by anyone’s standards.

What followed though made me seriously believe that Tony and I aren’t as different as maybe I thought. The conclusion of this tale was just so creative. I mean, it’s hardly a story that will get a laugh down the pub; but certainly one that would evoke shock and maybe, just maybe, if it was worked in the right way, some level of sympathy.

But stories like these need to be based in some reality, otherwise they will always come back to haunt you. And I think that maybe this time; Tony has let all his successes get to him and has started to lose the edge a little. At the end of the day though, it’s his story, not mine, so why should I worry.

I mean he genuinely seemed proud of his sexual exploits and the following arrest on suspicion of murder, but seemed to show no real remorse about the death of his friend. Is he really that arrogant to believe that his own role in all of this would overshadow a death? Or has years of drug use finally caught up with him and he’s overcome with paranoia and delusion? As he went into detail after detail of the events, I could picture the rows upon rows of twenty something literature filling the shelves of bookstores these days as those who lived through the acid house generation try to claw back what they saw as their heyday.

That said, his description of Juliet did make her seem like a pretty sound girl to be around, but what if she really did murder his friend? The girl has obviously got a screw loose and might be looking for another poor soul to vent her psychotic tendencies on. And, let’s face it, she’s probably been around a bit, the dirty slut.