I'm Only Sleeping
He ran his fingers over the mixing board. Everything was just
about the way he wanted them. He had everything coming one channel. Rusty had
warned it was not a good idea. Sir George had done the same. Lead, rhythm,
bass, drums, and keyboards - everything was coming at him at the same time, at
the same volume, from the same source. All of a sudden sparks started shooting
up out the mixing board, and there was a tingling in his fingers.
When he opened his eyes everything was white. Everything around
was totally colorless. It reminded him of the way a friend of his used to have
his piano.
"I must be dead".
A figure appeared before him. It was his friend with the piano.
"Not quite son".
The voice belonged to a friend of a great many years, and who was
murdered over twenty years earlier.
"John, is that you ?" Paul said.
"You silly old sod. You haven't changed a bit. Well, I
suppose if you want to be technical you have" John replied.
He explained to his friend he wasn't dead, but he was close.
"If your body doesn't get some help you're going to make Linda a
widow".
Paul looked at him. "Linda died a few years ago. I married
Heather".
Johns' jaw dropped. "If I wasn't already dead you could have
done me in. Are you saying you married your daughter ?".
Paul explained to his friend that he married *another* woman named
Heather, and they had a baby.
The scream brought help. The doctor from Kintyre looked at Paul.
Apart from some minor burns around his finger tips all he had was a nasty
electrical shock. But the shock overloaded his brain, and caused him to be
unconscious.
"But if his fingers are alright why isn't he awake ?"
yelled a hysterical Heather.
The doctor turned towards her, and looked over his glasses.
"Your husbands had a tremendous electrical shock lass. If he
wasn't in such good shape he'd be dead. But with this kind of shock there's
always the possibility of brain damage. His body needs time to heal".
Heather was in a near panic. "How long will he be
unconscious?".
"I canna tell lass. He could wake up in one day, one week, or
one year".
Heathers knees buckled beneath her. The doctor caught her.
"Here now. I won't have you doing any of that. I'm going to
order bed rest for you and the baby. A nurse will tend to your husband".
He gave her a sedative, and put her in her favorite chair. The doctor returned
to his surgery in Kintyre.
" I have to ask you Paul. What in the world were you doin' ?
We hardly get anyone just passing through".
Paul thought while trying to avoid the lecture John was sure to
give him.
"Remember when we recorded Helter Skelter".
John looked pale. "You didn't overload the mixing board did
you ? Do remember the ear bashing we got from Sir George".
Paul looked surprised.
"How did you know about that" asked Paul.
"I write a column for the paper up here. Its called White
Noise. We hear things from time to time. Sir George was knighted at just the
right time".
Paul looked a little hurt.
"You mean you didn't hear about mine ?".
John started to chuckle. "You mean to say a lad from
Liverpool got knighted ?".
Now Paul was a little more than hurt.
"Well at least I didn't stop recording after I got a hit. You
only had one. If you were alive I could really use your help on this one".
Now Paul heard a third voice. "I'd be prepared to help in
that eventualityÉ.if you let me".
Heather brought everybody together. All the kids from Pauls first
marriage were at the farm in Scotland.
"I know some of you may not care very much for me. ThereŐs no
way I could replace your mum, and I'm not going to try. But right now your
father needs you. He needs to hear your voices. But if you're going to yowl at
me like a pack of dogs you might as leave right now because thatŐs exactly what
he doesn't need right now".
"GEORGE ! . I should have known you'd pop up, but I sure
didn't think it would be here. I thought it would be more mystical and
Indian".
After a few very honest hugs Paul got all serious and looked
George right in the eyes. "Ya feelin' ok ? How's the throat ?".
George hugged his "little brother" again, and told him his throat was
as good as new.
"There's no illness up here, no pain, no suffering. Remember
when we first tried pot ?".
Paul nodded.
"Its like that up here. There's no beginning or end. Just
right now. One minute for you can last a minute or forever. And for John and I
- well time has no meaning".
Paul was flabbergasted, and started scratching his head.
"The one thing I can't get over is how young you both
look".
George looked at his friend. "ThatŐs how you see us in your
heart. Now whatŐs this business about a song". George and John led Paul
over three white guitars leaning on three white amplifiers.
Heather looked at her husband. Color was returning to his face.
She called the doctor. "Sounds like he's slowly becoming conscious. I'll
be over in the morning. Now lass, how are you and the wee one feeling ?".
Heather assured the doctor she was alright, and the baby was too. "Thats
the best kind of news".
The three jammed playing old tunes they hadn't played in decades.
George played "Raunchy". Paul played "Maggie Mae". John
played "Julia". As they played the three tunes slowly became one. At
the same time the images of John and George started to fade. Or so Paul
thought. Actually it was he who was fading. It was like a Liverpool fog. First
they were there, then they weren't. After what seemed a short while he started
to see Heather looking down at him. And felt her tears on his skin. "How
long love ?". "Just a couple of days " Heather replied.
When the album came out the song Paul worked so hard on, and
almost killed himself composing was credited to McCartney/Lennon/Harrison.
Tom Austin
Email - taustin@pathcom.com
