PAUL's P.O.V.
"All set, mate?" I was pushed out from my reverie the moment I felt John snake his arm around my shoulders. "I'm sorry, what?"
George raised an eyebrow, "He meant the show. Are you ready to perform your new compositions?"
"Ahh right, our compositions." I bit my nails in anxiousness. I had totally forgotten about those songs I had written before our second fall-out with Jude. Don't even ask who was the inspiration for all those cheesy tracks.
Curse Paul McCartney for being a teleiophile.
"Why are you nervous? Your songs are incredible, I didn't have to put my touch on any of them." John says. Ringo agrees, "Yeah, they're great. I can't wait to record them in the studio if we ever get the chance."
"You've got to admit you're proud of the guitar lick I added on your first song. It's gonna sound amazing even when performed live." George proudly recalls.
I try to hide my frustration, I don't know why but it's not the lyrics or the musical arrangement I'm worried about, y'know.
Songs are like children to me, y'know. Something I made that I would proudly call mine legally. If John and I wrote a song, it'll be like we're the parents of that child y'know. But during this time around, considering these songs predominantly came from my own mind and heart, I just thought they lack the soul that keeps them alive.
Whatever it is... whoever it is.
But in the end, I sighed as the club manager already called us up to perform on stage.
Jude was busy mopping floors as usual but when she saw us, she ultimately paused what she was doing for a while to clap her hands for us in support. We smiled, that's our girl.
Meanwhile, we acknowledged our new friend T'Challa who also waving his hand while sweeping the floors on the other side of the club.
"Good evening. Once again, we are the Skittles. And uhh..."
In the middle of the noisy crowd, I find myself suddenly trailing off when I saw a familiar woman sitting at one of the round tables in the club. She's a few feet away from where Jude was standing and as always, she looks majestically young despite her old age in which I had always admired about her ever since we met.
I repeat, curse Paul McCartney for being a teleiophile.
Madame Jane waves her pointy hands at me with an everlasting sweet smile on her face as soon as she finds me familiar. She calls a waiter to come serve to her table. Seeing that she's about to stay a bit longer, I took this as a sign that life goes on and so does our performance.
Before John could even take the microphone from me, I resumed my opening, "Okay so uhh, for the first song we'd like to sing. This is one in which uhh..."
But everyone seems to be so busy with their own business that it's making a lot of noise. "Yeah, okay, hang on. SHHHH! This is a song."
"Shut up while he's talking!" John shouts all of a sudden with a playful grin on his face. I chuckled nervously as Jude giggled at our vocalist's remark while Madame Jane seems amused by this.
Thankfully, everyone quieted down a bit.
"This song is dedicated to all the ladies out there. Whoever you are, whether you're black or white, religious or not, young or old, please smile along with the song because you're all beautiful."
After winking at Jude's direction, my eyes landed on Madame Jane who started sipping from her wine glass intently.
I glanced back at my band mates with my hands clutching on my bass. I took a deep breath, here goes nothing.
George was the first to start his guitar with the melody he invented, followed by John and I with our respective string instruments and Ringo on the bongos.
"I give her all my love,
That's all I do,
And if you saw my love,
You'd love her too,
I love her."
Jude seems to be squealing at the corner which made John and George laugh as they saw her. Everyone in the club can't help but stop whatever they were doing and avert their complete attention towards us while we perform.
"She gives me everything,
And tenderly,
The kiss my lover brings,
She brings to me,
And I love her."
But despite the large crowd, my eyes were focused on the old lady sitting a few feet from the stage. She looks at me with wonder in her eyes unlike the amazed and appreciative looks that everyone in the club has while watching us.
"A love like ours,
Could never die,
As long as I have you near me.
Bright are the stars that shine,
Dark is the sky,
I know this love of mine,
Will never die,
And I love her."
George proceeded on to his guitar solo and as my eyes lingered back to Jude, she follows my line of sight until she realized who was the center of my attention throughout the whole song.
This time, it was her turn to wink at my direction.
Because she knew.
The soul and the real owner of the song is right here before our very eyes, y'know.
"Bright are the stars that shine,
Dark is the sky,
I know this love of mine,
Will never die,
And I love her."
Everyone applauded when the song ended, including Madame Jane herself.
Satisfied, we continued the show with my other self compositions that are inspired of well...
"Newsflash! Paulie McCharmly is in love!" John teases in a sing-song voice while tickling my left ear like he always does. "Stop that!"
George takes off the guitar strap from his body and sided with John, "It's that red headed lady, isn't it?"
I feel my face heating up, "Wait, it's not what you think, y'know. She's just a lady friend, not planning to pursue her or anything."
They all snickered at my statement. Okay, I feel so betrayed. "You don't have to defend yourself, mate. Any girl would willing to be with the Paul McCartney. Whoever they are, whether they're black or white, religious or not, young or old—"
"Ringo," I immediately eyed him before he could finish his sentence. "Just don't."
"Hey, Paul?" We all turned our heads to the entrance to the backstage. "Hi, honey. We're just about to go out and meet you." Ringo spoke first.
"Yeah, about that." Jude smiles then clears her throat. "Fun fact, Paul's ex-girlfriend is outside."
"THAT'S what I'm talking about! They kept taking the mickey out of me, love." I cried to her in relief that someone is on my side. Nervously, I started biting my nails again.
George's eyes widened, "That old red headed lady that kept staring at Paul?" Jude nodded.
"She looks familiar, though. I think we already saw her somewhere in the 60's." John wonders. Jude fills in for him, "Probably on your tellies."
It was Ringo's turn to be surprised, "Don't tell me she's Jane Asher, that kid who played Alice in Wonderland in the 50's?"
"And what if she is?"
"No way!"
"Now you understand what I'm trying to tell you. The songs that we performed tonight... I don't know how but they were all about her, y'know." I let it all out. "I don't know where all the ideas came from. I always felt like she was some part of me or something and it all made sense when Jude announced who she was... that night."
The mockery was gone on the three Beatles' faces and was replaced with fragmentary looks. Aside from the heavy topic at hand, none of us would like to recall 'that night.'
Jude on the other hand, took a step forward to me and held my hand to squeeze it gently.
"I actually came here to ask you if you wanted to talk to her? She told me she really enjoyed the show tonight."
"Could it be possible that the new songs we performed are all familiar to her? I mean you told us she's Paul's ex girlfriend and Paul himself admitted that these songs are about her." George asks.
"I'm actually wondering about that as well." Ringo says, "While Paul is thinking all of these are new, Madame Jane must be getting déjà vu all throughout with the songs. Different timelines but same energy, don't you guys think?"
"George and Ringo had a point." John stepped up to speak, "But I say we all stay put in here while Paul goes up to her."
"Why me?!" I immediately complained.
Jude face-palmed at my reaction, "Look, I'm not stopping you or anything. I'm still concerned that Madame Jane might find you all familiar. But considering her point of view, seeing somebody who resembles Paul McCartney would bring back some memories there."
This made me swallow hard. I had already knew for a long while that she's someone I had history with but I never thought about what she would feel after seeing me.
"So I suggest you give her the chance to make peace with her past. Which is you."
* * * * *
My mind tried to process everything at the very moment.
So Madame Jane happens to be someone from my past that we didn't knew about. Yet here we are, showing ourselves to her as the Skittles by taking risks and singing songs that might have given her nostalgia.
Brilliant, Paul. Just brillant.
"Why hello, Billy. What brings you here today? It's been a while, hasn't it?" I bit my lip as I gathered enough courage to speak to her.
"I-I just wanted to apologize for uhh... not going here that frequently anymore, y'know. A-As you can see my mates and I started a part-time job at the D'Oldies club so we could help our girlfriend Jude and—"
I was interrupted by Madame Jane giggling, "You don't have to explain everything, my boy. I understand that you're a busy man, too. Now come take a seat and have tea with me so we could catch up."
So I did. As I sat down across from her on the table, that's where I realized it's been such a long time since I've come to meet her like this. Ever since Jude dropped the bomb straight to my face that night, I just didn't know if I still have the nerve to face her when there's a possibility that she knows.
Not to mention, I left her in the middle of the streets out of anger that time.
"How are you doing, Madame?" I cracked up. She sighs after sipping from her tea, "I'm doing just fine, thank you. Nothing peculiar happened again ever since the day when you played all superman on me."
"I'm sorry for leaving you that night."
"No, what are you apologizing for? It's not like I'm your girlfriend that you should check on daily or anything.
"But I have to admit I'm quite disappointed that you never told me you play in a band." While trying hard to act cool in front of her, she brings up the night before.
I scratched my head nervously, "Right, about that—"
"You sound exactly just like him."
There was a moment of silence between us as I blinked twice. "I-I'm sorry, what?"
Madame Jane shook her head, "Nevermind, perhaps it's just a coincidence."
"What's a coincidence?"
"Everything!" She waves her hands in the air as she blurted out in a matter of fact. "Your name, your face, the way you play the guitar left handed, the songs... and your voice. Your singing voice that filled the air in the club which still gives me butterflies like when I was a foolish, young teenager."
For a moment there I was left speechless and I was constantly biting my nails or scratching my nose in anguish to her statement. But I knew I had to keep my guard up.
"Are you talking about Paul McCartney of the Beatles?" The old lady scoffed, "Who else would it be?"
"Well, by the looks of it I could say this lad had a special place in your heart, y'know."
"If you only knew, Billy. If you only knew." She takes a sip from her teacup before speaking, "When I first met the Beatles, I liked them all. Then when I found out that I liked Paul more, the others became angry with me. He's so different from the other Beatles, you see. The four of them are talented, that's an understatement. But Paul..."
Keep calm. Don't let it out, don't let her see.
"He's a gentleman, kind, respectful, and undeniably handsome. It's a no wonder why most of the fans would go for him... and so did I."
I try hard not to blush about all the cheesy words she threw in all about me. So I asked, "What makes you think that way?"
"Funny story." She remarked. "When I met them, there was this time where John had asked me about how women masturbate."
Once again, I try hard to contain my reaction. Seriously John should take more classes on how to control his large mouth especially around women.
"Of course it made me uncomfortable and Paul was the only one out of the four of them who noticed my uneasiness. He escorted me out, we got along, and it clicked. At least... at that time." Madame Jane smiles while reminiscing.
"How long have you been together?"
"About five years or so. We got engaged but as you know, it didn't end up well between us." But why? I wanted to ask. How could Paul McCartney cheat on such a sweet lady? That's so foolish of me!
And there I was, calling John an idiot.
"I'm sorry about that." Madame Jane clicked her tongue, "Stop apologizing, it's getting annoying. You remind me of my ex boyfriend but it's not your mistake. Besides, it's been literally ages."
But to me it felt like a day, y'know. This woman knows more about our relationship more than I do. For her, I was a reminder while for me, she was a revelation.
"That old lady you met, Madame Jane Asher, is an ex-girlfriend whom you cheated on."
How dare me.
"But one thing I realized when I met you, Billy, is that no matter how much a person betrays you or hurts you, that wouldn't change the love you had for them all this time." She says, "Despite the hatred I received from the whole female population, that didn't stop me from loving him because he did that to me, as well. We loved each other, so damn much that he had written songs about them for the whole world to listen and feel. The fact that some of them are about us it's just so wonderful that I couldn't..."
Madame Jane started sobbing and I hate to admit that the only thing I could help her with was to hand her a tissue.
Until I scooted my seat closer and wrapped my arms around her slim, petit body in comfort.
"Thank you for reminding me of him in a good way, Billy." She whispers, "It means a lot."
Slowly, I broke the gesture then reached for something under our table. This made Madame Jane gasp.
Flashing a smile while placing the guitar on my lap, I said, "I may not be Paul McCartney but I'll sing this to you, anyway. It's probably something he'd do if he's here to meet you, y'know."
The sweet old lady sat back on her chair and wiped the tears of joy from her pretty face. "Let's hear it then, Billy Shears."
Looking through each other's eyes, I started strumming the first note followed by the words to the song John and I had written together with pride.
Madame Jane smiles at the familiarisation.
"To lead a better life, I need my love to be here..."
* * * * *
I'm not sure how I'm suppose to react to these kind of situations wherein it involves Jude and her... clingy side.
I'm not saying it's a bad thing, y'know. There are just times where out of nowhere, Jude would choose one of the four of us whoever's available at that moment, and she will hold on to that Beatle and snuggle in with him for as long as she likes.
Of course we wanted to complain sometimes. Whenever our bodies would hurt or when we needed to wee in the middle of sessions. But we didn't want to be rude when she does it, especially when it's one of the smallest things we can do that would make her happy.
Damn, why am I talking as if we're taking turns sleeping with her?
"Don't you have any school works to do, love?" I asked while tracing a few strands of her hair.
Her head was resting in between my armpits and she's got her hands around me like she was holding a teddy bear even though I'm not that soft to begin with.
Jude grunted, "I already finished them last Friday night."
"Theater practices?"
"It's a Sunday. We're on a day-off." She replies.
Not to mention we also don't have club duties on weekends and she had just arrived from her other part-time job at the Powerzone.
"You know, I kinda regretted that I didn't got to do this when Queen was here." Jude shrugged, "But I guess you boys are enough. You always were."
John, Ringo, George, and I had already been through this kind of cuddling session with Jude. We're trying our best not to be against it everytime Jude would discreetly come over to one of us with the best miserable expression she could muster and say, "Can you love me, please?"
But generally it was me who got the most sessions with her, y'know.
And right now, we've been in this position on the couch for approximately an hour and a half straight throughout. Good thing I didn't felt any urge to wee or anything.
"Could I spoil you for a second?" Jude brings up another topic. "About what, love?"
"That love song that you played in the club the other day. And I Love Her." I raised an eyebrow to myself in question, "Is there something wrong with it?"
"No, not at all. It's perfect, believe me. It's the exact song you released on your third album and the first acoustic song that the Beatles released." Jude recalls, "But you know in fanfictions I have read they always make you write the song for the main character in their story. It's cringe because the song is just lovely and these writers just ruined the real essence of the song."
My heart was racing while she spoke about that song. I think I know where this is going.
"But now that I have witnessed how you truly wrote the song, I knew the fanfictions are all lies. No matter what place or time you're in, your inspiration will still be that same girl."
Jude finally sat up from her lying position on my numb body and faced me with a smile while confusion mixed with anxiousness was written all over my face. "I'm just glad the song was written for the real owner during this time around."
I chuckled and pinched Jude's right cheek playfully, "Y'know this is not a fanfiction, love."
"But it could be a perfect plot idea, don't you think?" Speaking of writing songs and stories, "Hey Jude, can I tell you a secret? I had a dream the other night and I was writing a song—"
"And the melody came to you so you immediately wrote it down when you woke up. Let me guess, the title is Scrambled Eggs."
A mischievous grin formed on my lips as she hit another nail there. Right, of course she knew that. "Err, yeah that was the first title while I was trying to remember all of the chords. But I already fixed it, y'know. I actually want you to be the first one to hear it."
I stood up and grabbed my guitar sitting next to the television. Jude was dumbstruck for a minute till I came back on the couch with the instrument in hand.
Strumming the effortless chords I made in my sleep, I flashed a wink at her before starting to sing.
"Yesterday, all my troubles seems so far away,
Now it looks as though they're here to stay,
Oh I believe in yesterday,
Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be,
There's a shadow hanging over me,
Oh yesterday, came suddenly,
Why she had to go?
I don't know, she wouldn't say,
I said something wrong now I long for yesterday...
Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play,
Now I need a place to hide away,
Oh I believe in yesterday,
Why she had to go?
I don't know, she wouldn't say,
I said something wrong now I long for yesterday...
Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play,
Now I need a place to hide away,
Oh I believe in yesterday, hmmm..."
When the song ended, somebody clapped their hands in a slow pace which made Jude and I turn to the doorframe of her room where John stood with an unimpressed expression on his face.
"John, how long have you been standing there?"
He smirked, "Long enough to hear your terrible song." Jude raised an eyebrow as my insecure friend sat beside her on the couch, "How could you say that to a masterpiece?"
"It's too perfect that he could perform it alone and have it on the top of the charts on his own." John spoke with poison.
I lowered my head, dropped the guitar and bit my nails. Right, I forgot to consider what John would think about our compositions.
I love writing with John, y'know, I really do. But I have to admit there are times where I just wanted to maintain the flavours of the tracks as how I wrote them without John touching them.
"—but it could mean Paul is an independent musician. You should be proud of him as his best friend."
The vocalist shook his head stubbornly, "Still. Whether it's yesterday or another day, I don't like it. I love Paul, but I hate that song. I'll tell George and Ringo to—"
His statement was cut short when I shoot a crumpled piece of paper on his mouth where the song lyrics was written. Jude gaped her mouth in amusement.
He spits it out and threw a glare, "What did you do that for?"
Wondering what to answer to make peace with him, my eyes landed on another sheet of paper on the table which gave me an idea, "How about I make it up to you, Johnny? Let's go to Eroda's bridge."
I saw Jude's eyes shimmered, "You're going on a date?" I laughed at this, "No, silly. We'll write songs. It'll be a magnificent view especially when the sun sets. You should come with us, love."
John give me a side glance with a skeptical look, "No more yesterday?"
I nodded, "No more yesterday."
"THEN LET'S GO!" Jude shrieked almost immediately. "I'll just change into my Beatles shirt!"
So we brought along our guitars, pens, and notebooks on our way to the bridge. We also left a note on the door to tell Ringo and George to go straight to Eroda's bridge to meet us there after they visit the charity program opened by Olivia Odinson down town.
Fortunately, note the sarcasm, the guards of the bridge recognized us from that iconic incident. Before letting us in they constantly reminded us to bring swimwear the next time we visit the bridge and... y'know.
"I can't believe I'm going to watch the two best songwriters in the world write their actual hits!" Jude fangirls as we settled down on a secluded area on the bridge's pedestrian crossing. It's almost getting dark so there are only a few people passing by.
My songwriting partner declines the compliment, "Nahh, we just write thoughts or stories whatever comes to mind and give them a tune. Nothing special, just plain work."
Jude rolled her eyes, "I doubt that plain is the right word when it's the two of you who wrote them."
I smiled while I started to play a country tune on the guitar I was holding. Typical John observed what I was doing and soon later, he already thought of a rhythm that sounds perfect with it.
We flashed a smile at each other, that sounds good.
"Amazing." Jude comments, still watching us. While we continued to strum, I spoke, "The lyrics are still incomplete, y'know. It's kind of a long story."
"Shut up, let us hear it." Jude demanded which I gladly complied.
"Now somewhere in the Black Mountain Hills of Dakota,
There lived a young boy named Rocky Raccoon,
And one day his woman ran off with another guy,
Hit young Rocky in the eye,
Rocky didn't like that,
He said 'I'm gonna get that boy'"
I was about to speak about how the lyrics doesn't make sense but then our girl started jotting down words and sang it aloud.
"So one day he walked into town, booked himself a room in the local saloon."
John wind up his harmonica, which I didn't notice that he brought, and he started singing at what seems to be a chorus.
"Rocky Raccoon checked into his room,
Only to find Gideon's Bible."
Then I interlink what I think would finally make sense."Rocky had come, equipped with a gun."
Till John and I both sang together words in unison,"To shoot off the legs of his rival."
Jude smiles as she continues the idea of the story, "His rival, it seems, had broken his dreams. By stealing the girl of his fancy."
John nodded at me,"Her name was Magill,"
Then I nodded back at Jude,"And she called herself Lil,"
"But everyone knew her as Nancy." We all laughed and sang at the same time.
"Now she and her man,
Who called himself Dan,
Were in the next room at the hoedown." I added with John making a tune on his harmonica again. So it was Jude who sang next.
"Rocky burst in, and grinning a grin,
He said, 'Danny boy, this is a showdown'"
Then John made the resolution,"But Daniel was hot, he drew first and shot,
And Rocky collapsed in the corner, ah~"
"D'da d'da d'da da da da
D'da d'da d'da da da da
D'da d'da d'da da d'da d'da d'da d'da
Do do do do do do"
For some reason, the three of us were chanting the same words all at the same time as if our minds were interconnected telepathically through the song. I don't find this as a coincidence because, this is the future, after all, y'know.
"D'do d'do d'do do do do
D'do d'do d'do do do do
D'do d'do d'do do do d'do d'do d'do d'do
Do do do do do do
The story of Rocky there."
As soon as we were satisfied with the fun progress we made, we finally decided to head home as George and Ringo might have already made a mess in the kitchen.
"Who is this Gideon, by the way?" I can't help but ask while walking. "So he just left that bible just to make Rocky a Christian?"
Jude giggles, "That's what I'm wondering, too. And how come Magill– I mean, Lil errr Nancy got to have three names that doesn't sound like each other."
John smirked, "I was expecting you'd know that." Our girl shrugged in reply, "Not really. There are still things that the Beatles never tell about their music. Whether they're about homosexuality, racism, serial killing, octopuses, norwegian birds, or even drugs. We don't know."
"What a f*cking great band we were." I cursed proudly. "You still are, though."
When Jude opened the door to the house, it was completely dark inside. Have George and Ringo not arrived yet?
"Earth to Ringo and George," John calls, "If the both of you thought of making each other, you should at least leave the lights on in the balcony or something."
We both snickered at his statement and was about to barge inside the room to—
"GAAAAAAAH!" John and I shrieked at the sight of red eyes on the floor. "JUDE! THERE'S A DEMON IN OUR HOUSE! THERE'S A DEMON IN OUR HOUSE!"
Curious and still managed to remain calm, Jude opens the light to the living room only to find that the door to the underground attic is open.
And the red eyes that we saw are actually George who's got his head popped out from the attic's door. "Therrrrre yooou guyyyys arrre."
The three of us looked at each with furrowed eyebrows at George's peculiar manner of speaking.
"George, what are you doing there with the lights off? You scared the living daylights out of us, y'know." I complained, still shaking at the sight of red eyes.
Our guitarist doesn't answer and just smiled sheepishly. Speaking of red eyes, Ringo comes out from the dark attic with a huge grin on his face and immediately yanked us down with them.
"Richard Starkey, what's your deal?"
His grin grew wider that it was already reaching his ears, if that's even possible. Ringo's speech was still audible but just like George, his eyes are also red as if they haven't slept in days.
"You gotta try the new tea powder the attic brought."
"Tea powder?"
George nodded slowly, "Theyyy tastttte goooood wittth teaaaa. Sooo weeee figuredddd thatttt theyyyy arrre moderrrrrn bev'rageeee."
Asking no more further questions, Jude gently pushed the two Beatles away from the attic's door so John and I took this as a cue to follow her down.
"Hey love? Should we be worried about them? They're not like this when they're drunk." I volunteered to turn the lights on while she ultimately headed to a corner of the attic where a huge box was sitting open.
The contents fell out from its opening and one could only say what these things are. Like what Ringo said, they're powder. Some are like capsules or medicines of some sort.
There were also empty tea cups being disarrayed upside down which supports George's statement about the powder tasting good on tea.
"Jude, are these drugs or something? Could they be the reason why George and Ringo are acting weird?"
John tagged along, "Yeah, you study chemicals, right? Perhaps you know what these things are?"
"One doesn't have to be a chemical engineer to know what these are." The girl heaved out a sigh. "You just had to be a Beatlemaniac."
"W-What? What are you talking about? What does these rubbish have to do with the Beatles?"
She turns to our lead guitarist and drummer doing God knows what was going on in their minds then back to John and I with an exasperated look.
"They're lysergic acid diethylamide, better known as LSD."
- - - - - - - - - -
"In my mind there's no sorrow, don't you know that it's so? There'll be no sad tomorrow." The Beatles - There's A Place