THE "TUNNEL"
My first trip to the infamous nightclub the Tunnel happened shortly after I arrived to New York. My new friend and co-worker Juan promised to show me New York city nightlife. Juan claimed to be the King of clubs. He regaled me with stories of his "VIP status" and dominion over every woman who crossed his path. Now to his credit he was amazing to gaze upon. A mix of Puerto Rican and African American which gave him a Derek Jeter/Alex Rodriquez look. Juan stood 6'3 with a coco complexion ,broad muscular body and piercing eyes. Handsome and personable, Juan was a child of the Inner city, the slums of New Yorks Spanish Harlem. Abandoned at 12 by a drug addict mother Juan learned early to trade on his good looks and charm. He sold drugs and jacked folks up if he needed the cash. After a stint in prison Juan had turned his life around married and had 2 kids. We hit it off instantly, There always seems to be a strong masculine male figure my life who has served for a time as a big brother/father figure. There was Shane in high school, Jason in college and now Juan. As I reflect I realize I was trying to replace the distant father and the troubled brother that was my reality. Juan took me under his wing and offered to to show me New York. We hung out, drank and had good clean fun for weeks before we actually hit the nightlife. At work I'm, sure we made a strange pair. Juan was streetwise, married man with 2 new babies and I was the young country bumpkin with wide eyes and not to wise about the Big City and questionable people. I was also harboring several secrets.
Although Juan hadn't inquired about my sexuality and I never questioned his, We just never discussed it. Juan was the first man I met who was secure with who he was, He didn't care if people thought we were more than friends he knew the truth, period. Some girls at work would snicker and gossip, Juan would just say "Fuck those Bitches, they just jealous, you my man, Mikey, I'm gonna watch out for you." Longing for a male role model I was instantly bonded to him.
As we approached the club I could see hundreds of people crowded around one very distinguished gentleman. The man ignored most and gave the evil eye to all. I would later find out his name was "Daryl". Daryl was and continues to be one of fiercest and sought after Doorman in the land of Gotham. He picks and chooses who enters the club and when. As Daryl surveyed the drunken girls with Long Island hair, tits straining over the tightest half top they could find and poom poom shorts, their mates were steroid muscle boys wearing designer sunglasses so no one can see their dilated pupils, glazed with extasy and special K (Club Drugs). Juan strained for Daryl to notice him, "Thats my boy" he exclaimed, "Yo Man" Daryl looked directly at Juan and turned away. Juan neglected to tell me he hadn't been out clubbing in 3 years(A lifetime in club years) and at 29 he was still gorgeous but no longer on Daryl's young and beautiful guest list. At this point Daryl gave a last glance over the crowd, shook his head and bellowed over the crowd "If you have been in line for over an 15 minutes GO HOME! or at least back to New Jersey, You will never get in this club! At that point Daryl and the bouncers laughed and he turned his back on us as if we would disappear and a new crowd would miraculously appear before his eyes when he turned back around.
I was pissed! Who the fuck was he? I'm not one of these losers on the outside of the club! I wanted in! Didn't he know I was going to be famous? Did he not know I starred as Ellie the Ballerina Elephant at Theme parks, Sang George Strait songs in a hat and cowboy boots to rednecks and Klansman all across Oklahoma City?
He must have missed my stint as the host of a traveling Mexican family's acrobatic and dolphin show or dancing in a cage suspended above the dancefloor in Washington D.C because Chinese business men wanted atmosphere for their conventions. Although I was fairly naive, I had dabbled a little in subcultures already.
At that point I knew that if was going to do the New Yorkclub scene, I had to be fearless. "Fake it until you make it" I gathered my country self together and told Juan "Follow me" , I marched up to Daryl. Giving a him kiss on each cheek and complimenting his outfit at the same time. "Hey Baby(kiss kiss) , You look amazing! This is Juan, You guys know each other,
As I approached Daryl had instinctively opened the ropes. Before he realized what happened we had zipped past and into the club."See you inside " I said as we whisked past security. Although Daryl didn't know me he didn't let on for fear that he had forgotten me. As Juan was telling me how fierce I was, I realized what really happened was that I had taken my first foot into Hell, but Hell was supposed to be bad, This place felt good although it certainly looked like Hell, Strobe and dance lights, people dancing, drinking, smoking, doing drugs, all fucked up and loving every minute of it. I could feel the sexual energy immediately. I had entered Satan's Playpen and was intrigued.
At that moment a new Michael was born. I wanted the nightlife and all the excessess it seemed to offer. The country frat boy was gone and something new was borne into him. Michael would now lay down for a 10 year rest and another spirit would occupy my body, heart and soul.
"Wicked" Thats the word "wicked"
"For the first time in my life I felt..... Really Wicked"
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