Jay (John for those of you who didn't catch that last chapter) almost ran to the studio and dragged his mum along. Cynthia was in charge of the kids today (Julian had to record a new song and Sean had school). When she got to Studio Three, She found A, Ritchie, George, and Tatia. She left Jay in the studio and went to find the vending machine so she could get a drink. Jay ran over to Annie.
"Did you have a dream last night that involved my father?" he asked. When she nodded, he knew something was strange. The two nine year olds walked over to the older kids (who for some reason had no school that day.) Ritchie looked at them and nodded, knowing what they were going to ask. The whole group had had dreams (except for Tatia) only the older ones had this person named Dennis in theirs ("He had a strange liking for surfing," Ritchie said)
TIME WARP!
April 1998
Annie
"..pages 129 though 150 need to be outlined by Monday. Class dismissed." I looked up after writing our homework assignment in my planner (note book really but I call it my Planner) and put my books in my book bag. I was in my last class of the Day: Business Economics. I was trying to get my Degree in Business because I knew that Dad was going to give me his share of Apple Corps. I know this because none of my siblings were interested and He told me. Heather (I call her Heath) was into Home wares and Mary...well to tell you the truth I have NO idea what she does. Stella (Stell or Stelly) is my fashion expert. She works as Head designer for Choles. James (Jamie) has no clue what he going to do and has been spending the last year surfing New York clubs with Sean Lennon. I had always been more like my dad then the others.
Most people think it is weird that I have a father who is old enough to be my grandfather (he was almost 44 when I was born.) but I don't mind. We are always having fun. He sometimes takes me down to his studio and we record some songs together. Once I even recorded on my own a version of my favorite song, Real Love. I played it to Julian (Sean's brother) and he said I was pretty good and I should think of a career in music. Since he is a producer for Capitol now (well he was...he is going to release a new album, Photograph Smile, soon) I took his advice and wrote some of my own songs... None of them even came close to the masterpiece of Real Love.
Speaking Of Julian, I was to baby-sit the twins today. Jay (another Lennon who happens to be My BEST friend in the world.... Did I mention he is the best?) was going to be there too. I walked outside and saw Ritchie waiting for me. He was another of my good friends. He went to LIFPA collage across the street. I met up with him and we set off to Julian's flat on the other side of London. When we got there Julian was about to leave. He and Gloria (his girlfriend and mother of the Twins) had to go to a promotion meeting for his new album. He waved to us as he walked to his car (He had a strange hate for limos) and then he drove up. Jay let us in and we went into the living room to watch Help!, which Julian had on tape. I had never seen it, which is odd because my Father is in IT, and neither had Marcos and Alejandro (also know as Marc and Alex...Alejandro is Spanish for Alexander). we all sit on the couch, Marc on Ritchie's lap and Alex on Jay's and me in the middle. When we were almost to the bathroom scene the phone rang. Jay got up to answer it and put a now sleeping 10 month old on my lap. I looked at Jay as he answered the phone. It was my father and from what I could tell from Jay's face it wasn't good at all.
JAY
I couldn't believe it. She was dead. Linda McCartney was no longer alive. She had always seemed so strong that I had thought that she had almost gotten rid of the cancer. Right then all I could think of was Annie. She had just turned 12 and her mother was dead. In loss for a better phrase, that sucked. She was looking at me at that moment, holding my nephew in her arms with a look on her face that said I know something's wrong. What is it? I headed her the phone. As her father told her the fateful news she started to cry. Ritch had no Idea why. We took the babies and decided to put them to bed.
"Why is Stase crying?" asked Ritch. I know I had to answer but I stalled it by putting Marc in his bed.
"Lindy Died." two words. Ritch looked like he had been hit by a car. All of us had loved her. She had always treated us like we were her own children. It seemed even worse that it was soon to be Julian's 29th birthday and he most likely would spending it at a funeral. I hated it. Why her. She had meant so much to Annie, more so after she found out that her real mother had not even looked at her when she was born. Never even tried to be a mother. I walked down stairs and found Annie lying on the couch trying not to cry. I went over to her and gave her a hug and she burst out crying in my shoulder. She stayed till the movie ended and then left after giving Ritchie and me a kiss on the check, which I wished had been on my lips but then she WAS my best friend, not my girlfriend.
I awoke the next mourning to the phone ringing. Julian picked it up and I heard him talking to someone. Julian came over to my room.
"Hey, John, Where did Annie say she was going when she left here."
"Home. Why? Isn't she there"
"No, they haven't seen her since they dropped her off at school yesterday." Where could she be? She usually just went straight home after the nights here. This was very unusual. I decided to call George.
GEORGE
"Hello" I said into the phone. It was early for me. I never woke before noon and neither did Dhani on the weekend. Dad and Mum had gone to Paul's house last night. Linda, who we all called Lindy, had died and Dad wanted to make sure Paul was alright. He said something about Him getting bad after John died and they didn't want him to be alone when Linda died. They didn't want to see him go into the major depression that had come when his mother, John, and his father had died. Jay had called. I could tell something was wrong and I had a strong feeling it had to do with Annie.
"Hi, Geo. Have you seen Annie lately?"
"No, last time I saw her it was on the bus to school then you and her went into the Collage of what-not and I went to LIFPA. Why?"
"She never went home last night and I thought she might be with you."
"Did you try Ritchie?"
"He spent the night here. Ringo had been at her house for the last couple days because Linda had gotten worse, so she wouldn't have gone to Ritchie's" this was strange. I had known Cyn since she was a baby (I was three years older then her. Ritchie was two years older then me...he was 17) and she had never not gone home. Where would she go after dark in London?
Anastasia:
I sat on the bench near the Mersey, totally drenched from the rain fall that night. I didn't want to go home. Mum was dead. Nothing is real, the song says. I wish that was true. I wished this was just a dream.
Just then I felt a hand on my shoulder. As I looked up I saw Julian sitting on the bench next to me. He understood what was happening He moved over and gave me a hug. We sat like that for a minute as I cried into his shoulder. We then walked over to his car and he drove me home.
The next year was hard for me. I finally managed to go on with my life shortly before my 13th birthday. I had a dream the night before my birthday party (which was two days before my actual Birthday). My mother came to me in the dream and told me that it was alright. I could live without her. I woke up the next mourning with a new calm. I knew then that I had two special Guardian Angels watching over me.