If I Fell

~60~

Boxing Day ~26th December 1964

The house was warm again, the fireplace and chimney fixed, the window repaired and the tree branch taken away to the incinerator at the far end of the yard.

The perks of being Mister Beatle Paul McCartney and getting stuff fixed over Christmas! Woohoo!

I had spent the whole of Christmas day, when I wasn't fudging up last minute Christmas dinner, cleaning the fireplace and entire room of glass, sooty grey water, leaves, pine needles, more water, a live squirrel, sodden rugs and a ruined copy of Lady Chatterly's Lover- bugger.

John was coming 'round this morning as we all stayed close to respective homes yesterday. All the roads about the area where smothered in black ice or hidden under drifts of wonderful looking but annoyingly stubborn snow. Only after Paul trudged to the end of the street and round the corner was he picked up for the 'no we mustn't cancel the Christmas show' show.

We were down to six of my homemade sausage rolls, 3 tins of baked beans, some tins of soup and the rest of my Christmas pudding, dried milk powder- ugh, and no bread.

"Cornflakes"

"No"

"Toast"

"No"

"Porr-"

"NO, NO, NO, NO!"

"I was just asking, no need to shout"

I wasn't shouting, I was responding" I opened the baked beans and slid a bowl over to Paul, well he didn't want me playing with the cooker did he.

"Abigail, can I have them warm please" Paul ducked as I threw the pile of wet towels, I was yet to launder, at him. "Alrigh', alright. I'll do it, meself"

"Merry Christmas to one and all and happy grimble to the grumbler Paul!" John slide down the hall into the kitchen with two presents and a bag of groceries.

"Oh, morning John, Happy blah blah to you too" I hugged him and stole the bottle of milk and packet of cornflakes and fell into Paul's abandoned seat with glee, the other chairs were still in the lounge room with rugs atop them to dry.

As they chattered and grumbled whilst carrying the chairs back, no doubt the rugs left in a messy pile, I cleared the dishes and made a cuppa for us all.

Placing a small present in front of John as he made cereal for himself I sat, joining them for tea. Then moved to more comfortable warmth, I was on his lap, held tightly as he ripped the paper from the gift box.

"Awww Abbs this is super, thank-you. Mmmmha" I was landed a kiss for my present and reached round to pop it on his shirt, careful not to pin him in the chest. The fancy pin I had found was gold in colour and was cursive lettering spelling 'Elvis' with tiny crystals all around the letters.

"They're not diamonds or anything, sorry" I apologised to no one in particular.

"Diamonds are for girls luv, this is fantastical" John grinned picking up the badge and gazed at it upside down on his right lapel. I hugged him close and Paul watched us carefully. I poked my tongue out at him to break the stare.

"I got you records didn't I Paul; Dylan, Muddy Waters and a set of non-rude cuff links too"

"That you did, you know you didn't have to. But I'm chuffed"

'As am I" John kissed my cheek again.

I sighed loudly "I need to get a job in the new year"

"Abbs..."