Rafters

…one of the greatest rock& roll bars ever! Though it took me a while to catch on.

I mentioned Joyce in my awakening story posted Jan 17. In fact, this little tale takes place during the same time. Joyce and I were roommates in the fall 84-spring 85 year. We got along better when we weren’t rooming together. She had a tendency to be blunt which irritated me. Plus she started dating a guy around the time I began to see Gray on a semi-regular basis—usually Tue and Thurs. The guy was named Kenny and a regular redneck. I didn’t like him. I thought she could do better. (Though she eventually married him and he ended up leaving town with some bimbo and taking all their belongings except Joyce’s clothes with him).

Amy, whom I would room with the next year, lived beside us. We had become friends with her the spring before. She roomed with Iris, who I called Tater. One had to love ol’ Tater. She was very funny and she also is the one who nicknamed me P.H. Maybe I’ll tell that story one day. Tater graduated the previous spring and so Amy had a new roommate. A girl named Susie who Amy had graduated from High School with. I had heard lots of Susie Tales but had never met her until she transferred to ECU for one semester from NC State. She was a wild woman—tall blonde and loud. One time the previous spring, Amy, Joyce, Tater and I had made a road trip to State to see Susie. But we couldn’t find her and ended up else where. But that story’s for another post. I called it the Road Trip to Hell.

Pre-Susie, we had a schedule. Mon-Tues were for studying, Wed for Pappa Katz’s ladies’ night and Thurs-Sun ..the Elbo room. It was at P-Katz that Susie met Hugh-a pretty guy with shaggy brown hair and huge eyes. He was likeable. Sometimes he would come over to the dorm and hang out. He was so quiet that we would forget he was there and do girl-talk for hours. I always wondered if he secretly recorded us and sold the info to any guy who would buy it.

With Joyce all into Kenny, I found I was spending my free time with Amy and Susie…at Rafters!!!!! At first I violently opposed it. What…no ELBO room? But there is dancing there and beer and guys …and dancing. At Rafters there was only standing around, drinking beer and listening to Rock & Roll/Metal.

It was the second or third visit to Rafters. Amy had gone home for the weekend. So just Susie and I were hanging out with Hugh close to the men’s room. Rafters was packed. I was bored. I said to Susie, “Explain again to me why we’re here.”

I think Hugh was in the men’s room… or probably blending in with the wall. She leaned over and said, “Because Hugh likes to come here. And the DJ is his roommate.”

She pointed to the DJ booth, which was close to where we were standing. I followed her finger. At that instant, miraculously the sea of rockers parted and I found my blue eyes locked with a pair of deep brown ones. The DJ was fucking HOT. Dark curly hair…tall…with a hairy chest…

He motioned for us to come over to the booth. Susie had to drag me, because I was awe-struck. She introduced us, “Jeff this is Sherrie, a friend of mine…Sherrie, this is Jeff, Hugh’s roommate.”

He smiled and asked if I wanted to hear anything special. I don’t know what I requested but whatever it was met his approval. Susie and I went back to Hugh’s perch after that. I remember thinking… Hmmmm maybe Rafter’s isn’t so bad after all.