Drew hustled over to my house the next day brimming with excitement. “What’s all the fuss about?” I asked her when she was wiggling and could hardly contain herself.
“Oh, I met the greatest guy yesterday at the Coffeebean!” Drew exclaimed.
“Drew, Paul wasn’t at the Coffeebean yesterday,” I joked.
“Very funny. Anyway, after auditioning to the song 'Somewhere over the Rainbow,' this guy came up to me and complimented me on my voice.”
I couldn’t help a smirk. Drew gave me a look, but kept going.
“He told me his name was Richard Starkey, but his friends all call him Ringo Starr. He wears lots of rings.”
“Rings?” I spoke up. “Better watch out, he might be a queer.”
“What? Of course not. He’s a very nice fellow. Anyroad, he asked me if we wanted to do a duet. After Mary left with her ‘friend’, we auditioned together in a duet of the song, and got the job. We’re singing Friday night, from 7-10. Isn’t this exciting?!”
“That’s terrific! We’ll all have to go support you. I’ll call Paul tonight and ask him.”
“Oh, and I forgot the best part!”
“What, he asked you to marry him?”
“No, silly. He’s a great drum player too. He even is in a band, called Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He’s going to work on some drum parts to the songs we’re doing. We’re getting together tomorrow to practice and go over the songs.”
“Hey, I think I’ve heard of that band.” I said.
“Yes, they’re pretty well known throughout Liverpool.” Answered Drew. “We’ll just be terrific,” Drew gushed, “I can’t wait until tomorrow’s practice.”
After a few more minutes of conversing, Drew skipped off to tell Autumn and Mary of her new found partner. I called Paul and told him the story. He knew Ringo and said he was a good bloke, but had a very ‘unique’ voice. “Well that makes two of them!” I announced.
We decided we would take in the show Friday night and see how it went.
Friday night quickly came after a week of hearing Drew brag about her gig. We were all sick of hearing about Drew and Ringo's songs, so we were glad when school let out that afternoon. Paul and I walked to my house and we hung out listening to my Elvis record collection. Then we left for supper at the Coffeebean before the show. Mary and Stuart and Autumn and John met us there at 5:30 PM. We had hot dogs and talked about Drew and Ringo, who were busy warming up in the back room.
At ten after seven, the duet had not come out. People were looking at their watches and sighing.
"Where are they?" John whined.
"Drew is always late, at whatever she does, I don't expect them for at least another five minutes." Autumn filled John in about Drew's habit of being late.
Autumn was correct. At exactly 7:15, a disheveled Drew and Ringo stepped out on the stage. Drew's face was flushed and their clothes were wildly askew.
"He's missin' a couple of his rings," Paul noted with a smirk.
"I wonder what they were doing in the janitor's closet?!" Mary joked.
"Certainly not looking for a broom!" Replied Stuart. We all giggled.
Taking their places they started singing 'You Really got a Hold on Me.' One lone person in the back cheered at her first note, which she missed terribly. It was the one and only Brian Epstein. He sat back down quickly, embarrassed.
Drew and Ringo next launched into a rendition of 'La Bamba.' Ringo played the bongos and harmonized with Drew during the chorus. Drew's Spanish was perfect, but was a bit flat. During Ringo's drum solo she broke into the mambo. As they finished our table shouted and cheered. They sang various other songs throughout the night, and finished with a beautiful version of 'Somewhere over the Rainbow.'
As they stepped off from the stage, we greeted them with congratulations. The girls gave Drew a hug, and the guys offered Ringo a firm hand shake. After a few more people congratulated them, we went out for a late ice cream cone. I had a small mint chocolate chip, and Paul ate a large coffee cone. Drew and Ringo shared a large banana split. Drew ate most of it, much to Ringo’s disapproval.
The next Monday at school, Drew was the center of attention. This fed her ego and caused her to think that she actually could sing. All of her friends complimented her on her performance at the Coffeebean. Even people she barely knew told her what a nice job she had done. Most were just being nice, but she did actually sound good during parts of her songs. It was only when she tried to hit the higher notes that her voice sounded frazzled.
That day after school, Paul and I were waiting on the front steps for Autumn and John. We were going on a double date to see Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the local cinema. As we were standing there discussing what time the show started (3:10 PM), Drew exploded past us, almost knocking me over.
“Hey!” Paul yelled, “Watch where you’re going!”
“Oh sorry, Ariel, I’m just so excited! Ringo asked me to sing back-up for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. I’ve got to rush home to change into something more appropriate. I’ve only have ten minutes before I have to be there...I think I can make it if I hurry.”
“Have fun!” We shouted as she ran off to her rusty old car, which she had named Beeble.
“Well,” Autumn muttered, “Whenever there is a guy in her life she forgets all about her friends. And then when she gets dumped, she comes back to us and wonders why we aren’t too sympathetic.”
“That’s exactly right.” I agreed. “She needs to get her priorities straight.”
“I hope Ringo’s nose can stand the stench of that girl’s feet!” John exclaimed. John had caught one whiff a while back and couldn’t get over the smell.
“Yeah,” Paul chimed in, “She needs to get some Odor Eaters or something, they smell awful!”
As we walked to Paul’s Volkswagen, Autumn and I giggled about Drew’s old gym sneakers that stunk up the whole girl’s locker room.
That night I received a phone call from Drew:
“Hello?”
“Hi Ariel! Guess what?”
“What Drew?”
“You know how I told you I was going to be one of Rory’s back-up singers?”
“Yeah.”
“Well I was filling out the contract, and it was for one year, at the salary of 5 pounds per gig. They play at least two gigs a week.”
“That’s great!” I exclaimed happily. “Now you can be with the man you love, and make some money at the same time. Plus you’ll be able to make a name for yourself for the future. It will look great on your resumes for jobs and college.”
“I know; I am so excited. Ringo and I are going out to the drive-in’s Friday night. I guess I’ll find out then if he’s a ‘queer’ or not.”
We laughed, and Drew continued to gush about how gear and sweet Ringo was.
After a while we hung up and I fell asleep listening to the radio.
The week passed quickly and Friday night soon arrived. I had Drew over to help her get ready for her date with Ringo. She decided to wear a black knee length skirt and grey cardigan twin set. She looked very sophisticated, with dark eye makeup and pale lips. She put on her black Mary Jane shoes and headed out the door.
“Have a great night Drew!” I shouted behind her.
“Thanks!” She yelled back as she shut her car door and sped away.
Drew met Ringo at his pad and drove him to the movies. He was crammed in the passenger seat surrounded by her piles of junk that she kept in her car. The ride was short though, but bumpy. Drew seemed to hit every pot hole along the way. Ringo was relieved when they finally arrived. “Next time I’m driving,” he declared.
“Humph!” Drew pretended to pout as she pulled into a good viewing position.
Drew quieted Ringo as Gigi came on the screen.
After the first few minutes passed Ringo slowly put his arm around Drew’s broad shoulders. Drew didn’t mind and snuggled up against him. This went on for a few more minutes, and then Drew couldn’t stand it anymore. She attacked Ringo like she was his biggest fan (which in fact she probably was). He didn’t seem to mind.
This continued until the lot was empty, and Drew was all kissed out. Ringo’s nose kept getting in the way besides. Drew squealed out of the parking lot and drove to Ringo’s house ten kilometers above the posted limit. They said goodbye and Ringo promised to call her soon.
Immediately after Drew got in her house, she ran directly to the phone. It was 1 AM. Mary’s phone rang. “Hello?” Mary answered on the first ring. She had the phone next to her so her parents wouldn’t be disturbed by the phone ringing many times, as they were asleep hours ago.
“Oh my God Mary you’ll never guess what happened!!!” Drew said excitedly.
“What? You and Ringo had wild sex?”
“No, but close. We made out during almost the whole movie! I think he really likes me.”
“I’m taking it you didn’t catch much of Gigi.”
“No, I’ll have to go see it again with you and the girls, it looked pretty good.”
“Yeah, we’ll have to do that.”
They chatted for a few more minutes and then hung up. Drew fell asleep dreaming of Ringo and “their marriage.”
Final exams were finally over, and summer had officially begun. Being teenagers in England in the late 1950’s, we had fun at whatever we did. Not quite old enough to be tied down to the rigors of traditional summer jobs, we hung out practically every day, parading and getting into only a little bit of trouble. On most sunny days we could be found at the Liverpool community pool. Drew and Autumn would splash in the water for hours, while Jill and I basked in the sunlight, trying to get the perfect tan. Of course, many days in Liverpool were also rainy and cloudy; so on those days we had to find other things to do to keep ourselves entertained.
With the money we earned from babysitting and other odd jobs, we would go shopping in the chicest shops, see the latest movies at the cinema, and go to the most happening events in town. Practically every night the Beatles performed, we were there in the front row cheering them on. We had officially become their first groupies.
On day while we were leisurely laying about the pool, I brought up the idea of going to London for the day the following Saturday. The girls immediately became excited.
Drew of course, always the pessimist, had the nerve to question this plan. “How are we going to get there?” She asked.
“Easy,” I answered. “We’ll get the boys to drive, and we can car pool together. We should be able to all fit in Paul and Ringo’s cars.”
“Yes, Ariel, but do you think the boys would mind? I mean, have you even asked them yet?” Autumn asked.
“No,” I answered sheepishly. “But I’ll ask Paul tonight. We’re going out to eat tonight at the diner. Drew, do you mind asking Ritchie?”
“I’ll ask him, but I can’t guarantee he’ll say yes. London is pretty far away." Drew answered in a snotty voice, nose pointed up towards the sky.
Later that evening, I was alone with Paul at the diner. We shared a strawberry milkshake and ate a wonderful grease-filled meal. I brought up the trip to Paul, and he was delighted by the idea. He didn’t mind driving at all.
Across town, Ringo was at Drew’s house watching scary movies with her while her parents were away at a gymkhana function. Drew cuddled on his shoulder during the more frightening parts of the flicks. When it was all over, Drew remembered her mission of asking Ringo about the trip. Ringo took a little more convincing, as shopping with a bunch of girls wasn’t one of his favorite things to do, but he eventually gave in.
That night I consulted Drew via the telephone to verify that the plan was still underway. The plan was indeed. We were to leave early the next Saturday morning with their boys, for a day of fun in the big city of London.
The next day was Monday. Even though it was July, the day was chilly, and the skies were grey. We couldn’t go to the pool, so we decided to go shopping to get the perfect outfit for our excursion to London. After looking in many stores, I finally decided on a black and white Mary Quant dress. The other girls each got equally smashing outfits. We headed to the food court and got some pizza for lunch. At 1:15, we decided to see Gigi on the big screen. Since Drew had missed it the first time, she agreed to watch it again with us.
The rest of the week flew by. Nights were passed with long walks with Paul, holding hands and talking about our life’s ambitions. The boys played at the Cavern Thursday night, and we all were in attendance. Even Ringo sat in with Drew to watch the boys perform. Rory Storm and the Hurricanes had the night off.
Finally Saturday morning arrived. I got up at 6:30, and quickly got ready. I ironed my hair so it would be super shiny, and pulled it off my face with a thick white headband. I applied a thin line of black eyeliner, peach lip gloss, and curled my lashes. I was all set to go when Paul rang the doorbell at 7:30. Seated in the car were John and Autumn. We had invited George, but he decided not to go. Pete wasn’t that friendly, so he didn’t get an invite.
Over at Drew’s place, she had just woken up at 7:15. She had overslept as usual. Ringo was at her driveway promptly at 7:30, but he waited several minutes for her before he honked the horn. At 7:45, he rang the doorbell. Drew was just running down the stairs. Her hair was combed, but not washed, she wore her new outfit, but no make-up. At least she had brushed her teeth! “I’m so sorry Ringo! I overslept.”
“It’s alright Drew, now let’s go before the others start to worry!” Ringo gave her a little push in the right direction. When Drew got in the car, Mary and Stu were in the back seat cuddling. At the sight of the frumpy looking Drew, Mary sighed. “If you’re gonna be late, you could at least look good!” She thought herself.
The four set off to meet the others at the diner for a quick breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, sausages and bacon were among the food served at our breakfast table that morning. Since we were running late we at quickly, and were on our way.
Paul let the way in his Beetle, and Ringo followed suite in his black mini-cooper. We arrived in London later that morning. It was beautiful. We had all been there before, but we always enjoyed going to the city. First we went to an art gallery Stuart had heard about. It was mostly abstract art, which he found very interesting. Paul and I wandered around, holding hands and looking at various sculptures and paintings. Stu and Mary were engrossed. The looked at each with great interest, and consequently took much longer than the others.
We decided to split up and explore separately, and then meet up for supper at 6 at a local pub.
Paul and I went sight seeing. We went to the London Zoo, and took a quick look-see at Buckingham Palace. It was a wonderful time, and we were sad that it had to end. During the course of the day we took rolls of film, of each other, the sights, and even talked a nice man into taking a picture of us together. Soon it was 6 o’clock. We arrived at the pub, surprised to see that Ringo and Drew were already there. Ringo must have been a good influence on her. Stu and Mary were also with them. But Autumn and John were no where to be seen. We decided to give them a few minutes, and ordered some drinks. Finally at 6:30, we started to get really worried. We decided that someone should go out looking for them. Paul, Mary, Stuart and I decided to split up. Paul and I looked on one side of town, and Mary and Stu on the other. Ringo and Drew stayed at the pub, in case they showed up after all. We agreed to meet up back at the pub at 7:30, and then would decide what our next course of action would be.
Meanwhile, Autumn and John were on the other side of town, furiously making out in a darkened movie theatre. Bored with sight-seeing, and more interested in each other, they made a quick detour to the nearest cinema. They didn’t care what was playing; they just wanted a place for a little action of their own. They got a little wrapped up in the moment and didn’t come up for air until 6:45.
John looked at his watch after giving Autumn a loving glance. His eyes popped out of his head. “Oh bugger!” He exclaimed. We couldn’t have been making out for that long! He thought to himself. “We have to go!” He told Autumn, who realized how late it was. She quickly straightened her skirt and ran with him. They hurried to the pub, and thought up a plan of what to tell the others.
Paul and I held hands as we walked up and down the streets of London looking for our misguided friends. We poked into stores, music halls, and cinemas looking for any sight of them. Finally we were just about to give up I spotted Autumn and John ahead of us rushing through the crowd. “There!” I exclaimed to Paul, pointing in their direction. We waved frantically, and finally the pair saw us.
“Where have you guys been?” I asked when we caught up to them. “We’ve been looking all over for you!” Autumn looked embarrassed. “We got, erhm, lost.” John sputtered. “Yeah right,” Paul kidded. “Lost in each others eyes is more like it!” Jamie smiled sheepishly.
We headed back to the pub chatting about our day. Paul and I had a lot to tell them, but all John and Autumn seemed to have done was go to a movie, but neither could agree on what movie they saw.
We reached the pub about the same time as Stu and Mary. The others were glad to see that we had found the two lovers, but Drew gave them a little annoyed “huh,” and declared; “I guess it’s okay for some people to be late, and not others!” She glared at Autumn, but Autumn just brushed it off. She was too giddy from her day with John.
After a delicious meal, we headed back to our hometown. Exhausted, we all slept well that night.
Check out The Pooh Page The page where I got my email pic.
