Roxan ~ In My Life with the Beatles

46

Scream 

I got home and made it as far as the living room collapsing in a heap,

I never moved til the next afternoon.

John would sway between lucid and manic with not just me, but the rest of the band and staff.

Paul took off in a huff. George sulked in the corner, and Richard stayed in the canteen on the worst days. 

Then a couple of days after the melee John would prance in like he had not a care in the world, dancing down the halls to the studio, the little woman sitting in on all the sessions, which in turn, turned the studio into a mess of tension and silent anger. 

On those days, Richard would tell me... George, Paul and himself would pull together to push through the sessions ignoring the intruder who whispered mysterious things in Johns ears and giggled or screamed in outbursts of noise as she saw fit.

She must have had him by the short and curlies, as the decisions being made were abnormal and out of character for even John. Fighting escalated 'til Richie walked out one day.

"Rox" Richie called down the phone "I've had it, I'm out. I'm taking Maur and the kids for a holiday- Sardinia"

"Richard I'm so sorry. Please have the holiday, don't make any rash decisions just yet OK!?"

"Well I'm going, you can't stop that"

"I'm not. I want you to be happy"

"Yes I know. I'm... I'm sorry luv, how are you getting along? Those bloody meetings are becoming dreadfully heated and nasty. You be careful. Anyway..." He uttered with defeat "you know where I am.... Well, where I am when I'm there" Richie laughed at his little joke.

"Geez you can say some corkers! I'm surviving- survival mode. Love you Ritchie, give my best to Maur and a kiss for the little tykes, yea? See you when you get back"

"Bye, bye, love" The line goes dead and I wonder how my ever-happy friend will bear through this turmoil. He is the ultimate glue to the band, always the peacekeeper, the one that could always hover between all of the boys dynamics.