Setting up an alibi

In late 1987 Rod and I, sharing an interest in MIDI music, started spending some time together out of hours. We both worked for Hewlett Packard at the time; I have a vague recollection that he may have been the guy who maintained our servers.

Our interest in MIDI music was mostly shared over the odd beer at a local pub. I was still trying, in vain, to make a synthesiser sound like even a dismal attempt at orchestral string music whilst he was into techno.

After a few nights I was invited over to his place to meet his girlfriend and hear (and play with) his synthesiser setup. Not quite as good as mine was, the synthesiser setup that is. I had no girlfriend at the time and Sue and I had just separated. My synthesiser was a Yamaha DX5[^] which was, given my keyboarding skills, considerable overkill. I could just about manage to play the first movement of Beethovens Moonlight Sonata but that was my apogee! Made no matter; I wrote my scores using a PC editor and played em through the MIDI connection!

I fancy the built in AC3 sound in the PC I'm typing on right now is better for my purposes than that DX5!

So I met his girlfriend. Nice girl as I recall though I couldn't tell you her name to save my life.

A month or so later I met Peta and as might have been expected my focus shifted somewhat and I spent more time with her and less with friends. So much so that I didn't meet Rod's girlfriend a second time.

Half a year or so after that I left Hewlett Packard. Nope, not quite true; they sacked me. One can only tell ones boss[^] to go and have sex with himself so many times before he retaliates!

After a short period of unemployment I started working at Unisys. By now it was early 1989 and Rod and I hadn't seen each other for maybe a third of a year. So it was quite the surprise when the phone at my desk rang and his girlfriend asked me if I'd enjoyed last night with Rod. I had no idea what she was talking about, which was way more than enough for her.

A couple of hours later Rod rang wanting to know why I hadn't backed up his alibi?

Well duh! If you want me to lie to save your sorry arse then the least you can do is make sure I know which set of lies I'm supposed to tell!