like a pomegranate | george harrison

9 - Your Bird Can Sing

Eventually, Cloud's embarrassment over staying with George for free was too much to bear. She thought of getting a part-time job in the village; maybe she could save up some money and move out.

It had already been a month, and the idea of being a burden on George for much longer left a pit in her stomach. Even if she was forever stuck here in the wrong time, she would find a way to make things work.

Besides, it wasn't so bad. Life was simpler here in the past.

A frustrated George tried to convince her not to, insisting he was happier having her company than being alone. Cloud felt he was only trying to be polite.

One cloudy day, she headed up to the girl's school up the road.

She was shocked when, a few days later, they gave her a call. She was to be in charge of the girl's after-school band and music lessons for a small salary, since the former teacher was on maternity leave. She was thrilled.

~~~

Mysteriously, a crowd of girls caught on that a very young teacher was now leading music sessions after school. Less than a week after her first day on the job, a whopping 20 new girls had turned up with their instruments.

Among them were the girls she'd met in George's yard less than a month ago: Emily, Charlotte, Anne and Mary. Suddenly Cloud realized that all the excitement wasn't so mysterious after all. What was intended to be music lessons for the girls had become a Beatles fan club.

The girls adored Cloud. They asked where she got her beautiful clothes, and, to no one's surprise, they drowned her in questions about George and the other Beatles.

They followed her around the school grounds like a pack of baby ducks, watching her intently as she taught them songs on the guitar George had lent her.

Every day, Cloud said goodbye to the girls at the school's gate, all of them waving and shouting as she headed back to George's house. One day, as she approached the fence with her girls close behind, she spotted someone waiting for her.

He tried to hold back a smile as he watched Cloud, looking handsome in a suede coat and turtleneck. The schoolgirls exploded with excitement.

"It's George!!" Emily cried.

"Now girls!!" Cloud shouted. They all quieted immediately. "What a way to greet poor Mr. Harrison," she said, a massive smile on her face betraying her amusement.

The girls erupted into giggles once again, all trying to ask George questions about his cats, or when the Beatles' next album would be coming out.

As Cloud closed the gate behind her, George kindly answered each of them.

"Now don't tell anyone I've been here," he said. "Can you all keep a secret?"

"Of course!" The girls replied.

They all waved and and shouted until the two of them disappeared down the road back to Kinfauns.

~~~

George soon warmed up to Cloud's new job, especially once he learned it had to do with teaching music.

Soon, he started walking her home every day he wasn't at the studio. It didn't take long for the girls' imaginations to run wild.