The Quiet One - a George Harrison FanFic Now Complete

Chapter 15

Patricia Marshall answered the phone. Kathy watched as she spoke to the person who was on the other end of the line. She took the phone away from her face. "Kathy? There's someone here called Cynthia. She's asking if she can call to see you. With John, on their way to Liverpool? It would be on Thursday. Your dad and I won't be here though. Just in case that matters."

 She watched as her daughter smiled for the first time in over two weeks. "I'd love to see them mum. Please say yes. Find out when they're likely to arrive and if Julian will be with them."

She watched again as her mother passed on that message. She talked for a few moments then put the phone down. She smiled at Kathy. "You seemed pleased love." she commented, "Are they good friends?"

"Sort of. Cynthia is married to John Lennon, mum. Cynthia, well she just lovely! Absolutely lovely and John's just...well John. Mad but lovely too."

"And Julian?"

"He's their gorgeous little boy. He's three now!“

 By the time Thurday morning arrived, Kathy found her excitment had waned. She found, at that moment in time, that she didn't really want company that day. She felt very down. However, at the arranged time, the doorbell rang. Kathy opened it to find the three Lennons stood on her doorstep.

 "Come in," she said softly and putting a smile on her face.

To here surprise, John gave her a hug. "I'm still in shock! I couldn't believe it when Brian told me what had happened."  he made sure he was looking at her so she could lip read. "I can't even look at Harrison at the minute. He disgusts me!"  He hugged her again and kissed her softly on the cheek.

She gave him a grateful smile. It was nice to know people cared about her even though they were George's friends. Cynthia came forward and hugged her too. "Can you and me talk later?" she asked.

Kathy shrugged, non committal, not sure where this was going or even if she wanted to talk. She lead them through to the kitchen, explaining that her parents weren't home. She made them all a drink and offered Julian a biscuit. When John spotted the biscuit tin, he decided he was hungry too. Kathy was amused to watch both he and Julian munch their way through the contents whilst the girls talked about this and that. Eventually Cynthia put her foot down regarding the biscuits.

 "Stop it now John. He's had enough!"

"Oh let him be Cyn love. A biscuit won't do him any harm!"

 "But it's not one biscuit John! If he won't eat Mimi's tea, you can explain. And if he's sick in the car, you're cleaning it up!"

John looked at his wife. He could see she was serious. Faced with the prospect of possible toddler vomit or an irate aunt, John gave the biscuit tin back to Kathy. He then took Julian into the living room to watch TV. For Cynthia, this was her much wanted opportunity to talk to her about George.

 "Kathy, How are you? I mean really, how are you?"

 Kathy looked at her, tears springing into her eyes. She shrugged. "I don't know really." she told the older woman, "Sometimes I feel OK but at other times I feel....I don't know.... totally rubbish! I keep wondering if I did something to make George do what he did. Did my behaviour that night encourage him in some way? Did I fight him hard enough to try to stop him? I feel like it was my fault it happened." She was crying now. "I feel dirty all the time. Every night... I relive everything George did to me. I'm not sleeping very well as you can imagine." My life is in tatters and I don't know how to rebuild it!"

Cynthia hugged her. "Oh Kathy. It wasn't your fault! George is responsible for everything!"

 "But that's partly what I don't understand," Kathy cried, "Never ever, not once, was George ever violent towards me. He was always kind, thoughtful. Whenever we made love he was gentle and wonderful so why was the night of the 'HELP' premier any different? If he hadn't been so drunk, I wouldn't have turned him down! I never have."

 "The night of the premier? That's when it happened?"

 Kathy nodded. "Yes. The thing is Cyn, when I went to watch the lads playing drinking games like you told me about, he seemed OK. Merry but not drunk. Then Paul pressed another drink on him. I watched him because George didn't really want it. In the end he took it and drank it. When the lads came back to us, just a few minutes later, George was so drunk he could hardly stand! Once in the taxi he got really gropey. He kept mauling me and was trying to take my clothes off! His language was really crude! Really sexual and foul. He scared me! It was horrible. And he'd never ever been like that before. It got worse once we were in the flat!"

"Paul gave him a drink? Did the others have one as well? John wasn't particularly drunk that night."

"No, I only saw George with one. When George came here, to find out why I'd left, he had no memory of what happened. He couldn't even remember how many drinks he'd had, never mind what he did after that! And I still don't understand how George could have been so drunk that he was able to sustain an erection long enough to fight me, hold me down then ....well you know? I'm no expert on men but I thought alcohol caused men to droop!"

 Cynthia couldn't help be laugh at the comment. "Oh Kathy, I'm sorry. I know it's no laughing matter, but you're right. If he'd been that drunk?" She shrugged.

 They chatted a bit more then, as it reached 3pm Cynthia stood up. "I think I'd better go and get those two. We promised Mimi we'd be there for tea so we'd better get a move on. She goes mad if you're late!"

 Kathy smiled and led her through to John and Julian. John was watching a documentary on Pablo Picasso, with Julian fast asleep on his knee. They looked adorable together. Kathy felt tears in her eyes. It made her think of what it could have been like for her and George one day. After a few minutes, they were ready to go. Once more they both hugged her.

"Can we contact you again Kathy? I'd like to stay in touch." asked Cynthia.

"I'd like that." Kathy smiled, "Thank you."

She watched them climb into the car then she waved as they drove away. She locked the door behind her and went up to her room. Lying on the bed, she began to cry. She cried for all she had lost. Her happiness, her self respect and friends she knew would bever come back, despite all their good intentions.