The Playlist Of My Younger Days

by Mike Mayak

“Oh wow,” Max Clyborn said looking around at the big room in the brick building in Old Town. I think I was in here when it was still a warehouse, but this…”

“Great, isn’t it?” Denny Smith said. The rainbow colored light from the displays on the wall reflecting off his broad grin. He was 24, built like a soccer player, wearing sweats and a grey tank top with the Bisexual Pride flag on the front. Max was his Grandfather and was about three times older than Denny.

“So, you hang out here?” Max asked.

“Yeah,” Denny said. Well, not hang out really. Just come in here sometimes. Place is busier on the weekend or at night when the College is in session. You want a booth or sit at the bar?”

“Bar’s fine,” Max said.

“Beer and chips?” Denny asked.

“Soda for me,” Max said.

“Hey, I gotta go use the men’s…uh, the restroom. Be right back.” Denny said walking toward the doors beside the little stage.

Max waved and started walking around the room. He looked up at the reddish-haired kid (“They’re all kids these days” he thought) in the D. J. booth.

The kid looked familiar and not a lot older than Denny.

“Uh, excuse me,” Max said, glad they hadn’t started playing loud music. “Your last name isn’t Wyatt, is it?”

The kid looked down from the booth.

“Uh, no but that was my Mom’s maiden name,” he said. “I got a lot of Wyatt family.”

“Any chance one of them was a Tom Wyatt who went to Millington College back in the 1970s?”

The kid brightened. “Yeah, that was my Mom’s Uncle. He used to wear a Millington t-shirt sometimes. Me, I’m going to Wichita State.”

“He and I were friends back then.” Max said. “You look just like him. We lost touch and I saw he had…passed in the Alumni newsletter about five years ago.”

“Yeah,” the kid said. “He didn’t like saying ‘passed away.’ He said it made it sound like you’d just farted.”

They both laughed.

“Oh, I’m T. J.” he said. “T. J. Axton.”

“Max Clayborn.” Max said. “Hey, do you know Denny? He’s my Grandson.”

“Yeah,” T. J. said with a smile. “We know each other.”

“Small world,” Max said. “Well, nice meeting you. I got some chips we have to order.”

Max waved goodbye and walked over to the booth.

If things had been a lot different, he and Tom would have stayed together after college, Max mused. But then he wouldn’t have met Melanie, fallen in love and Denny wouldn’t exist right now.

Max sighed. “The playlist of my younger days,” he said to the open air.

A minute or so later, Denny came walking around the D. J. booth giving a thumbs-up to T. J. He stopped at the bar and spoke to the bartender who started getting their order.

Denny brought the drinks over to their table.

“Chips will be here in a minute,” he said.

“Good,” Max said sipping his soda.

Things were certainly different than in 1971, he said.

“So, Max said with a smile. “How long have you and T. J. the Deejay been dating?”

“About…hey, how’d you know?” Denny said with a laugh. “Did he tell you?”

“No,” Max said with a soft smile. “But he looks like the nice kind of guy someone would date.”

—end—