It was 11:45p.m. by the time we rolled into the
large, horseshoe-shaped, driveway of my home,
The
Sea Dreamer Inn Bed And Breakfast.
I stopped the car in the side service driveway and announced, "It's time to wake up sleepy heads."
With much stretching, eye rubbing and groaning, they crawled out of the car. I opened up the trunk and started to help unload their things, when Paul put his hand over mine and said, " That's o.k. luv, we'll get it, just let us know where you want us to put it all."
I was thinking to myself, mmm, he has nice, warm,strong hands.
I said, "Oh, o.k. , well let's see, everything can go in the game room, I'll unlock it for you."
So they all sleepily unloaded the car and when that was finished, I locked up the car and asked, " Do you want some tea, coffee, soda, or something to eat, biscuits maybe? "
They all agreed that tea and biscuits would be nice. I led them through the side door of the house. They followed me into the kitchen, as I went to put the kettle on and get out a plate for the cookies.
I said, " I'll show you your rooms so you can put your luggage down, then while the kettle heats, I'll give you a tour of the house. "
Ringo happily said, " Oh good, our own rooms, no sharing a room like in the hotels. "
Smiling I said, " Well, here's the way. "
I led them through the formal dining room, and into the living room when John said, " Oh good, she's got a piano. "
" Oh yeah, You're welcome to use it anytime you like, " I said.
Then as I started up the stairs Ringo, reading my bedroom door plaque, said, " The Mermaid, whose room is that? "
John laughed, " Oh, it's yours Ringo. "
" Oh, shurrup John, " Ringo retorted.
I said, " Actually it's mine. "
" Oh, you don't dress like a mermaid luv, " George said with a laugh.
I joked back, " No, but I turn into one after midnight, so let's hurry this up, it's murder trying to get down these stairs once my legs turn into one big fish tail. "
" Oh, that's o.k. " , John said leeringly, " You can stay with me in my room luv. "
" Well, you naughty boy, I think you're going to have dishpan hands for sure by the end of the week. "
They all laughed as they followed me up the stairs to Paul's room, The Star Gazer room was it's name. It was located at the top of the stairs to the left. It was a nice, crisp, white and blue room, that had a view of the side flower garden.
Ringo's room was called The Captain's Room, and it was located to the right of the stairs. It was a very manly room with deep, rich, mahoghany furnishings, ivory colored walls and burgundy curtains on the window, that gave a view of the rose garden on the right side of the house.
George's room was named The Point Saint George Room.
" Hey, you named a room after our George, " Paul said enthusiastically.
I said, " Well, actually no, it was named after a lighthouse, that's set on a rock called Point Saint George. It's located about seven miles off the coast of California, but on a real clear day you can see it from the window in the breakfast alcove downstairs. "
George followed me into his room to set his things down, while the others looked on.
" Look, she gave me a beautiful rose and a chocolate on my pillow, they don't even do that for us in the hotels, " George smiling the smile I'd hoped he would after seeing it. " Thank you, very much, he added.
" Your welcome, " I said, returning his affectionate smile.
" Hey, we want roses and chocolate too, how come we didn't get any? " the other three chimed in.
"You've all got the same thing on your pillows, I guess you didn't notice," I said.
" Yeah, you ungrateful buggers, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves, " George chided.
The other three said, " Oh, oops! Sorry! " and ran off to get theirs.
" I guess this is my room, here across the hall from George's, being it's the only one left; right?" John asked.
" Right, The Sandcastle room is yours, I said.
" Oh gear, I get me own castle, " John said as he went dashing through the doorway of his room.
" Oh, I like me castle, it has lots of books in here, a whole nice little library, I love books! " John said, excitedly.
" Ah, look John, in the morning we'll both have a lovely veiw of the ocean and the gardens in the front of the house, " George said, very pleased, as he looked out the window, this caused a gorgeous smile to spread across his lips again.
I began thinking, to myself, how perfectly this was all going so far, when I heard the tea kettle's shrill whistling downstairs. I hurried off, quickly telling them that they each had there own private bathrooms and to go ahead and get settled in and if they needed anything to call on me and I'd bring it up right away.
I called back to them as I was flying down the stairs to grab the kettle, " Join me for tea and biscuits as soon as you get settled in, I'll be in the breakfast alcove. "
I just got to the kettle before it sputtered over on the burner. I set out the tea set with the yellow and red rose pattern with gold rims, my most prized china, that I only used for very special occasions, such as this.
I heaped the cookie plate with my, homemade, raspberry jam filled, Kolacky's ( a rich, buttery, almost a butter pastry cookie filled with jam and pinched shut ). I also set out a small pitcher of milk, sugar cubes and some lemon slices, not really knowing what they'd want in their tea, I decided to just set it all out. Everything was placed on the little, round table that I pulled to the middle of the alcove. Just as I was placing the chairs around the table, they came filing down the stairs.
I said, " Go ahead and sit down around the table and I'll pour out the tea.
Paul said, " Wow, those biscuits look good. "
" Well, thank you, I hope you think they taste as good too, " I said.
As I was making my way around the table pouring out tea, John asked, " So why'd you give us the opportunity to stay here free for a week? "
I said, " Well, I knew you were going to be in California on your last stop of this tour and I didn't have any guests staying this week; I heard how the tours wear you all out, so I wrote to Mr. Brian Epstein and asked him if he thought a week here would be something you guys would enjoy, I also sent along some brochures and pictures. I've always been a fan of your music and thought this would be a nice way to thank you. "
" Aaah, that's sweet of you, " said Paul.
" I never thought that you would actually accept my invitation. "
" Why not luv? questioned John.
" Because, you don't know me from Adam and for all you know I might be some weirdo. "
George said, " Well, I don't know about Adam but we like you, and besides Brian's good at weeding out the looneys, so how could we pass it up? "
" M-m-m, these biscuits are good, said Ringo.
" Yeah, real good! " the others chimed in, as they munched away.
" Oh, thanks, I'm glad you like them, " I said smiling.
Next Ringo asked, " How old are you, if you don't mind telling? "
" No, I don't mind, I turned twenty-three in July." I said.
They all looked at each other smiling.
Curious, I asked, " Why do you ask? "
" Uh, well, uh, I just was wondering how someone as young as you could afford a house as nice as this. "
" My parents used to run the place but three years ago they decided to retire and travel the world; so they passed the whole business onto me; they live in Salem, Oregon when they're not traveling. "
George asked, " Are they traveling now? "
" Yes, they're in Switzerland now, then they'll go to Germany next. "
Paul wanted to know, " How far away is Salem from here? "
"About three-hundred miles north of here, it's about a seven hour drive."
Paul said, " So, you don't get to see them much do you? "
" No, but we do talk on the telephone a couple times a month and when I can get away, on occasion, I drive up to see them. "
Wanting to change the subject off of me, I asked, " So are you glad the tour is over? "
They all said, " Oh, yes! " in unison.
" The tour schedule was hectic and the fans are so loud now, we can't even hear each other, and they kept pelting us with those damned jelly beans, especially poor George, he could hardly play his guitar, " said John in disgust.
George added, " Yeah, some of 'em even hit me strings and plonked off odd notes. "
" I think we're all just kinda shell shocked from the whole Beatlemania crap too. " said Ringo.
I said, " I think it's a real shame that the people who are supposed to love you and be your fans, treat you so bad, I guess that's why they call it mania! "
" Well, most of 'em are all young teenagers and they just get caught up in the frenzy, " Paul said.
" True, but after you even ask them to stop throwing stuff at you, you'd think they would stop, I sure wouldn't do that, but then again, I'm not the screamer type. " I said.
" They just use us as an excuse to go mad, " John added.
Ringo said, " Well, you know they can't hear us playing, so I'm sure that they don't hear us asking them to stop chucking stuff at us. "
" Yeah, it used to be fun in in the early days, before all the Beatlemania got started. When we could hear each other and the fans just clapped and cheered in a more controlled manner, now it's a drag. I wished I'd never mentioned that I liked Jelly Babies. One time when we were in Leeds, I even got an apple hucked at me and it hit me in the eye, got quite a shiner out of that one. I guess some bird's boyfriend got a little jealous of us or something," George said.
" Oh, dear! That's so sad, I feel sorry for you guys, I don't know how you do it, " I said with pity in my voice.
As I looked around the table, I noticed that this dicussion was depressing them, and since I had made my mental goal to keep them happy, I decided to talk about happier things.
" So, what do you get to do next? "
" We're starting a new album sometime next month, we've been working on some new songs lately, while being cooped up in those hotels, " Paul said proudly.
" Oh, that's great; if you want to practice anytime, you are welcome to use the whole game room to set up your stuff, just push the ping-pong table and the pool table over and it's all yours, " I said.
" Thanks, that'll be great, because we do need to work on a few more songs, we don't have all the tracks roughed out yet, " John said.
" Do you guys want me to leave when you're playing, so I don't hear your new stuff or do you mind if I listen in? " I asked.
Paul said, " We don't mind if you listen in, as long as you don't invite the neighborhood. "
" Oh, no I'd never do that, I want you guys to feel that you can trust me, I'll do everything in my power to keep your vacation here a secret, I know how much you need time to relax away from mobs of people."
" Well, good that's settled then, you're welcome to listen to us anytime you wish, " Paul said.
" Well, I don't like to get up before 11:00 a.m. but for the sake of the others and since were supposed to be eating breakfast here, I guess I can get me bum out of bed and down here for breakfast by 10:00 a.m.," John said obligingly.
I asked, " Is 10:00 a.m. o.k. for the rest of you?"
They agreed that ten was fine and wanted to know what I was making for breakfast; I told them it was a surprise.
" Oh no, lads we're going to get mystery mash for breakfast, " George said laughing, as we all giggled.
" No, it won't be anything wierd, and I think you'll like it, honest, " I said smiling again.
Ringo got up saying he was knackered and said he thought he'd go to bed. I told them I was tired too but they were welcome to stay up as long as they wished. All of them said that they were beat and needed to go to bed. We all said our goodnights, I cleared off the table and then we all went off to our respective rooms.
I went to sleep that night with a smile on my face. My calico cat, Cali, snuggled in beside my head, sharing my pillow, purring next to my ear, I was asleep in no time.
