like a pomegranate | george harrison

14 - Within You Without You

After saying goodbye to his buddies, George walked with Cloud down a sunbathed path, filling her in on all of their plans for the next few days. All the people they would meet in Greece; some rockstars, some famous artists.

Even after all these months she could hardly believe this was her life now. There was hardly a minute to breathe. Being a Beatle meant you could see everything, do anything you wanted.

With limitations, of course. As Cloud squinted in the sunlight and brought a hand over her eyes, George confided in her how he felt about it all. Even just being here in Greece made him nervous. There was always someone waiting around every corner to recognize him. And Cloud too, now that she was on the radio.

They stopped as George found a flower sprouting through a crack in the street.

"Well hello there," he said gently. "Wish I could put you in me garden."

He tucked the orange bloom behind Cloud's ear. "If only we could know what it's called," he commented.

It was kind of nice not having Google, Cloud realized. It left a certain mystery to life.

"We should ask the locals if they know," she suggested. "Or maybe there's a bookstore nearby?"

"And talk to people?" George frowned. "I think I'm alright with the quietness of just you and me right now, thank you."

Cloud kicked a rolling stone with her feet and took the flower from her hair to examine it.

"You're a very blunt man," she noted. He made a face.

"Maybe I am," he replied.

"And stubborn," she said.

~~~

They had a few hours to kill before the grand rock n' roll and, no doubt, acid-filled party they had been invited to later in the evening. When Cloud suggested they head to the beach, any beach, she was surprised at how quickly George agreed.

They asked an older man for some suggestions. A pointed hand and a quick walk led them to one of the steepest, rockiest cliffs Cloud had ever seen. Nestled down below was a sprawling, white beach.

"Nobody's here, except a few people," Cloud said after looking at it through her camera viewfinder. "Perfect for a Beatle like yourself, George," she said.

He hmmphed in response. She was beginning to see he didn't much like the label of Beatle.

"Us, I mean," she corrected. "Perfect for us."

They made their way down, their sandals slipping and sliding on the steep, sandy path. Just to be sure they'd be as out of sight as possible, they walked nearly the entire stretch of beach.

Cloud tried to do a funny walk to get a laugh out of him, only to trip over herself and fall. The sand scraped her knees and the palms of her hands raw.

Laughing, George tried to help her up, only to fall over himself, bringing her down again with him. They both stood and patted the sand off of each other.

"I can't lie, that was a bit embarrassing for us," Cloud winced. "Let's pray no one saw that."

"Krishna..." George replied immediately, grabbing her hand tightly and closing his eyes in prayer. "KrishnaKrishnaKrishna..."

Cloud gave him a gentle shove as a joke, accidentally toppling him over into the water. He lay soaking and flat on his back, his lanky knees sticking up from the waves.