Chapter 1
One day in May of 1968, Cynthia Lennon was sitting in her beloved library in her home in Weybridge, Surrey, England, a home she shares with her rocker husband, John Lennon, and their five-year-old son, Julian. She was reading a book, dressed in her pale blue silk bathrobe, underneath was a matching nightgown. Her feet were in her dark blue fuzzy slippers. She was sitting on the sofa, her feet curled next to her. The family's cat, Babaghi, was curled up next to her stomach, sleeping and purring soundly while one hand of Cynthia's gently stroked her ears and head. But her haven of peace didn't last too long - the phone rang. Who will be calling me at this hour? Cynthia thought as she reached for the phone. It was well past midnight. John and Julian were sleeping upstairs - John was busy recording with his music group, The Beatles, while Julian was exhausted from his long day at the park and visiting his maternal grandmother, Lillian Powell.
"Hello?"
"Hi Cyn? This is Jenny, I'm sorry for calling you so late," responded Jenny Boyd - a friend and the sister of Patti Boyd-Harrison, wife of George Harrison, fellow bandmate of John's.
"Oh, hi Jenny- I was just reading... what's going on? Is everything all right?" Cynthia asked, with concern and a hint of worry.
"Everything is fine, there's a reason for this call, actually. Alex and I are planning to take a short holiday to Greece and Italy for a week and we managed to get an extra ticket. Patti is going to be busy with some modeling shoots, and I was wondering if you would like to join us," explained Jenny.
"Wow, Greece? Italy? Wow, I would love to go, but let me discuss this over with my husband and I will let you know by tomorrow," Cynthia said.
"Okay, well, good night!" and then Jenny hung up.
Cynthia put down the phone and went into space with her thoughts. She's been to both countries before and she absolutely loved them, their beauty and their culture, and she wouldn't mind going there again. Cynthia was too excited to read the rest of her book; she was too excited to go to bed even. But she had to, Julian will be up early and she will have to wake up John in time to attend his recording sessions- since he's not an early bird. Babaghi left the couch and found another place to sleep while Cynthia turned off the light and headed upstairs and went to bed. She couldn't sleep half of the night; she lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, quietly rehearsing of what to ask John if she can go to Greece and Italy for a week.
Early next morning, both John and Cynthia were sound asleep in their bed. Julian crept in to his mother's side of the bed to wake her up so that she can give him breakfast. Cynthia was dreaming about her trip to Greece and Italy until they were interrupted by a small hand and a little whisper voice going "Mummy, mummy, are you awake? I'm hungry." Cynthia groaned and roll over, she did not want to be disturbed. Julian tried again, but Cynthia did not move. Julian gave up and decided to watch some morning cartoons in the library, waiting for the time for his mother to wake up and feed him.
Not long after Julian settled into the library with morning cartoons, Dot, the Lennon's housekeeper, came in. She found Julian lying on the floor, watching the TV set.
"Morning, Julian, did you sleep well?"
"Hi Dot, yes I did," responded Julian, his eyes still glazed at the set.
"Where's your Mummy?" asked Dot
"She's still asleep with Daddy," Julian replied
"Have you had your breakfast?"
"No."
"Okay, well I could whip you something if you would like, what would you like for breakfast?"
"Cereal"
"Okay, come on, let's go to the kitchen then," Dot went over to the TV and turned it off. She turned and offered her hand for Julian to get up and escort him to the kitchen. Julian did as she told him. Within a couple of minutes, Julian was happily eating his cereal while Dot was cleaning the den.
Cynthia got up and realized that she overslept. The morning sun was brighter than she was used to when she wakes up. She turned her head and found John, still asleep. He was supposed to be the recording sessions in a half hour. She leaned over her husband.
"John? John? Wake up, it's time to go to Abbey Road Studios, you have a recording session, remember?"
John stirred and muttered something about not wanting to get up.
"Come on, John, please, get up!" She put her hand on his shoulders and started to shake him gently.
John opened his eyes, "What time is it?"
"It's 8:30 AM" she replied.
"Shit, I gotta get a move on! How come you didn't wake me up earlier?"
"Because I overslept myself," Cynthia decided that it was time to tell him about Jenny's offer to go to Greece and Italy. "Jenny called last night."
"Oh yeah? What did she have to say?" John asked while he took out his clothes and shoes, walking around and getting dressed at the same time.
"Well, she invited me to go to Greece and Italy with her and Alex," Cynthia replied, hoping that John will encourage her to go.
John looked at her, "What did you say?"
"Well, I told her that I have to talk it over with you first," Cynthia explained. "She said to call her tonight to tell her my decision."
John sat on the bed and started putting on his socks and shoes, thinking about if Cynthia should go to Greece and Italy. After his socks and shoes were on, he stopped for a minute, he looked at Cynthia, who was giving him those beautiful hopeful eyes, he could tell that she wanted to go. If she does go, this will give him a chance to spend time with his son and to talk to Yoko Ono, that Japanese crazy woman he met over a year ago. "Okay, you could go, I don't see the problem," John responded.
Cynthia squeaked with joy and hugged John from his back, "Oh John, thank you!"
"Julian and I will be fine without you a few days and besides, you do need a break and I don't blame you one bit for wanting to get away," John replied, "but, it's time for me to rush over to Abbey Road, I'll see you tonight." With that, John got away from Cynthia's grasp and lean over to kiss her goodbye.
After John left, she rolled over on the bed to the phone and called Jenny, but Jenny wasn't in, so her roommate, 'Magic' Alex Madras answered the phone.
"He said that I could go!" Cynthia exclaimed.
"Great, we will be leaving tomorrow around one PM, and we will be meeting you at the Heathrow airport," informed Alex.
"Okay, sounds good, I'll get Les Anthony to drive me over there, give Jenny my regards," replied Cynthia, hanging up the phone.
Cynthia got out of bed and retrieved her robe. She went downstairs and greeted Dot, who was now cleaning the library.
"Julian has been fed," said Dot
"Okay, thank you. Dot, I should let you know that I'm going to Greece and then to Italy tomorrow, so if Julian gets to be a handful for John, it's all right for him to spend the night at your house at anytime," informed Cynthia.
"Okay, great, I hope you have a great trip," said Dot.
"Thank you," grinned Cynthia, "I'm going to do the laundry so that I will have some clean clothing."
"Okay," said Dot, turning back her attention to her cleaning.
Cynthia went into the den where Julian was watching cartoons and went to the television set and turned it off, she had a few things to tell him.
"Hey!" exclaimed Julian
"Hey yourself, Julian, I have a few things to tell you and I want you to pay attention," explained Cynthia, "Come here," said Cynthia, sitting on the couch, patting on the empty spot next to her.
Julian came over and sat down. His mother put her arm around him.
"Honey, I'm going to be away for a week starting tomorrow, and I want you to behave for your Daddy and Dot while I'm away. Dot said that she will take you to her house so that you can stay there for a few days," said Cynthia.
"When are you coming back?" asked Julian
"On Monday," answered Cynthia
"But you are already here, how can you come back?" asked Julian
Cynthia laughed, "No silly, next Monday, when it comes back again."
"Oh, okay... will you bring me a present?" asked Julian
"Yes, I'll bring you a present- only if I know that you have been a good boy... okay? Do we have a deal?" asked Cynthia
"Deal!" said Julian.
"Okay hon, you may go back to your cartoons now," said Cynthia, watching Julian get off the couch, turn on the TV and sitting back on the floor.
[Next Chapter]
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