My Fair Lady

Chapter 10 - 1959

The week George would have his impromptu Quarrymen audition on the top of a decker bus, Eliza would leave for Manchester with her family to visit her ailing grandmother. It was an abrupt decision & the only person she could inform about it was Iris, knowing she would let the others know if they happened to ask of her.

What was supposed to be a ten day trip turned into a month long stay. The one factor that made a difference of a world to those three long weeks she sat by her grandmother's side was her father's surprise visit. Not even her mother was aware of the fact that he'd fly down a couple days after they reached Manchester. But he did & needless to say, they were delightfully relieved with his presence.

The first week slowly passed as they settled into their grandmother's quaint flat. She had suffered from a severe bout of pneumonia, a near fatal one that affected her already weak lungs. Her mother was beside herself with worry but Eliza was glad for the quiet strength her father provided. He took her to the hospital, made arrangements for the operation & ensured his family stayed strong.

While he was away at the hospital, Jake was second in command. He bought grocery, helped Eliza with the laundry & cooking & basically took entire charge of the flat. Though they had left Manchester in a flurry of worried tears, everything seemed to go well now especially since her father was around. Everything was always brighter when he was around. She made sure she helped him as much as she could & when he asked her to help with an upcoming article of his paper, she sat after dinners to diligently work on them.

Despite their busy days, the family always converged together for meal times. Those were the best parts of the day according to Eliza. Even though the nagging concern for their grandmother was ever present, they made sure that the atmosphere surrounding the dinner table was cheery. Her father would ask after their studies, both children would ramble about their respective educational careers whilst their mom wore a forced smile throughout.

And before slipping into her bed, her father made sure to kiss her goodnight. Suddenly, she'd wish they could fly back with him, stay together as a family. It was hard living apart. More for her mother than for them. He was searching for a house in Philadelphia so she wasn't entirely hopeless about him calling them there for good. It would mean to leave Liverpool too & that was a tangent she just didn't like to go into.

He flew back to the States after eleven days. By the time he left, their grandmother had had a successful operation & Jake would bring her home in a few days. Now all she needed was plenty of bed rest & the company of her loved ones. It was decided that her mother would live with her for a month longer so Jake & Eliza were to take care of their Liverpool house in her absence.

Throughout her Manchester stay, Iris wrote her three letters. The first contained delightful news of George's incorporation into the Quarrymen, followed by some stories of their hangouts with Alan's band. Pete Best, Neil's drummer friend signed up for the Quarrymen as well & now with the sound of three guitars & drums, their band sounded 'positively wicked'. The last paragraph asked her of her health & that of her family's.

The second letter oddly revolved more around Paul than George. He took her to lunch, hung out routinely in her house & much like George, was fond of Mrs. Caldwell. The mother-daughter duo attended George's first gig with the band. He played wonderfully. Her dance classes were going well. A mail from the journalism firm Eliza interned at had come. She promised to send it with the next letter.

The third letter was the shortest but also the one Eliza liked most. The band was playing gigs in different clubs, they had become fast friends with Alan's drummer that is Richard. They were hanging out more frequently at the Cavern. She inquired after her health & her grandmother's as well. Then in the very last sentence, she wrote: