Lonely People

We Play Marbles

I pulled my jacket closer to my chest and shivered. Autumn was setting in, and the world was becoming colder. Before we knew it, winter would roll up and we would all be buried beneath several meters of snow. As much as I loved snow, I was beginning to get sick of it.

A few children laughed, skipping past me and chasing a ball. I smiled slightly. They were innocent and carefree, not a single responsibility to be seen. Best of all, they were still oblivious to the hatred of the world. At times, I found myself wishing to be a child again, but then I turn my eyes towards the future and remember the wonderful things yet to come.

I enjoyed visiting John and Cynthia. Cynthia was always welcoming. She always had a cup of tea ready as if she sensed my arrival. John always met me with a cheeky comment and a grin. This time, I knocked on the door and a familiar voice called, "Come in."

"Georgie, what're you doing here?" I asked as I stepped in.

He and Ringo were sitting on the floor in the living room playing marbles. From the looks of it, Ringo was winning. George had his signature pouty face just as he did every time he lost. It made me chuckle under my breath.

"S'posed to be a band meeting," George huffed, "John and Paul left us, the wankers."

Ringo rolled his head to look over at me, "Went to write songs, they did."

"Well, s'pose they have to write them sometime."

"They could wait until we're not here," George frowned, "Paul's staying with John, anyway, not like they're runnin' out of time."

When George was sour over something, there was no talking him out of it, no matter what you said. Ringo and I exchanged looks and shrugged. At least he was distracted with marbles.

"What're you doing here?" George asked.

"Came to pick up Jules," I replied, "Cyn asked me to babysit while she went to visit her sister. Thought I'd take him to the park."

Ringo grinned, "Say, can we come? It's gettin' boring here."

"Sure."

Ringo began to pick up the marbles as George went to get his coat. I vanished into the back hall where I heard guitar music. John and Paul were in John's room, on his bed. They were side by side, perfect reflections of each other. Paul, being a lefty, had his guitar neck pointed in a different direction. It was like they were looking in a mirror.

I didn't stop to talk to them, fully knowing they were too busy. Once they started writing, there was no getting through to them until they finished. Instead, I went to Julian's room where Cynthia was rocking him. She was fully dressed and ready to go.

"'Ello, Cyn, sorry I'm late," I said.

Cynthia smiled at me, "You're not that late, Melly. I thank you for watching him."

She stood and placed Julian in my arms. I took the baby gratefully, smiling down and him. He smiled back, causing me to laugh. 

He was the first baby I had known since Michael. Michael and I were babies around the same time, so I can't really count that. Julian was my first true baby experience, and I loved every second of it. He was as sweet as Cynthia and as playful as John. His eyes sparkled and his laughter would echo in my mind for years to come. 

"It's my pleasure," I replied, "Always happy to spend some time with Jules."

Cynthia shoved a few items into a baby bag and placed it on the back of the stroller. I had already asked her about taking Julian to the park, and she was fully behind it. She claimed it was good for him to soak up as much sunshine as possible, despite it being overcast outside.