Let it Be

As always, there are snippets of my life in my stories, and I have (poorly) self-edited this one too, so try to ignore the mistakes. I do want to give a shout-out, and thank you, to KRD19254, a comment left after he read "Parallel Lines" told me something I didn't know about SIDS. I have incorporated a little of that into this story.

Let It Be

By: NYSwede

"And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be." Let it Be, released in 1970, was written by, and lead performed by, Paul McCartney.

*****

My grandmother was from Manchester, they had a little grocery shop there. I remember her telling of the troubles they had making ends meet, but she always finished the story the same way;

"Oh it was nothing, we just said, "let it be" and got on with our lives."

*****

In 1964, The Beatles came to New York for the Ed Sullivan Show. In '65, they came back and played at Shea Stadium to a sold-out audience of 55,000 screaming fans... I didn't care at all.

For me, it was more of an added inconvenience than anything else.

The Shea Stadium subway stop was called Willets Point back then and was also the stop for the Worlds Fair.

Over fifty million people came into our neighborhood over the two years (1964 and 1965) the World's Fair was held.

I don't want to complain, but we lived on 112th Street in Corona, about a half-mile from Shea Stadium and the main entrance to the Fair. It was the middle of August, and for maybe six hours before and four hours after, the subways were packed, the streets were blocked, every road was backed up. People tried to park in our driveway. When that didn't work, they double-parked all the way down the block, of course blocking any car that was parked along the curb.

Roosevelt Ave was a mess. That meant getting back and forth from anywhere, meant walking, or my dad driving and fighting the crowds. I liked The Beatles as much as any 16 year old, but having the concert so close was a pain.

*****

They came back to Shea in 1966, also in August. Things were different. First of all, the World's Fair was gone, second; I had a job. I sold souvenirs at a concession stand at Shea Stadium! If you're not from New York or never went to Shea Stadium, I'll try to explain;

The number 7 subway is elevated above Roosevelt Ave from just outside of central Flushing. It runs above ground to where Queens is separated from Manhattan by the East River. It goes underground there, on its way into the city.

At Willets Point, there was an elevated walkway leading from the subway platform to the stadium; along that walkway was a circular platform with three staircases leading in different directions. The concession stand I worked at was on that platform.

When the Mets were playing, we'd sell shirts, banners, bobbleheads, baseball caps, and any other Mets-themed items they could think of. We got free food and a pretty good hourly rate.

With The Beatles in town, we restocked with posters, banners, and all sorts of little things that had one or all four Beatles on them. Most of the shoppers were girls. We'd get their attention with a picture of Paul or Ringo and see what we could sell. It was hard work but fun with lots of eye candy.

It was also probably the worst place on the planet to chat up or meet a girl. They were there to see The Beatles or one particular Beatle; anyone else was just in the way. I did manage to catch the eye of some girls from school, they were friendly enough, but I'm not a Beatle. I thought... It is what it is, just let it be.

As the crowds coming off the trains thinned, the noise in the stadium increased. At some point, our boss said, that's it for now. If you're around when they come out, you can get another hour or two on your timesheet if you want, but you don't have to stay until it's over.

After locking up, I walked down the stairs from the platform and started to walk around the stadium on the Roosevelt Ave side; and thought, "why not?"

As I mentioned, I lived nearby, so I knew how to get into Sea Stadium faster than anyone with a ticket. One spot along the wall where the inside walkway handrail was only about 12 feet off the ground was one of the easiest ways in.

I ran straight at the outside wall, put my foot on it, and jumped. I grabbed the railing with one hand, pulled myself up, and hopped over; it was something I had done a dozen times to see baseball and football games. I was in the walkway leading to the field-level box seats.

The Ronettes had just started, which would mean The Beatles would be up next. The screaming just intensified from there. I stayed through the Ronettes first number but couldn't hear a thing;

I thought,

"I'm out of here." turned, and headed back down the ramp to the exit.

Once outside, I continued my walk home. As I got to the small ticket booths that were away from the stadium, I couldn't believe it; I could hear the Ronettes singing. I stopped and listened. I heard the good and the bad; I'm sure they couldn't hear each other, so once in a while, they'd go off-key, or be out of sync. I guessed the placement of the speakers allowed the music to echo through the tunnels and exit ramps, out to that spot.

I moved closer to the stadium but couldn't hear as well; I backed away and found I heard it best with my back to one of the small ticket booths. So, I decided to stay awhile. I trotted back a few steps, turned and ran straight at the booth, planted a foot on the wall, one, two, three, and I was sitting on the roof of the kiosk. I started to enjoy the concert; I may also have been the only person who could hear it.

I was up there for maybe three or four minutes when I saw Danielle Simpson. She was a girl I knew from Flushing High School, coming from what we called the front of the stadium; she was crying.

I called to her; "Hey, are you alright?"

She looked around for a little bit,

"John, what are you doing up there?"

"I'm listening to the concert; why are you crying?"

I hopped down and walked over to her. We knew each other, but I wouldn't have said we were close, but as I approached, she practically fell into my arms and started to cry out loud.

I didn't know what to say or do, so I just held her like I would a child, with enough strength so she'd know I was there, but gently enough, so she didn't feel threatened.

Eventually, the crying became sobs and then sniffles.

"I, I..."

She couldn't get it out and started to cry again.

I can't imagine what we looked like; I'm the whitest guy you will ever meet. 6'2" and I've had pure white platinum blonde hair since I was born. Back then, I wore it pretty long. I had a "golfers" tan, that was more red than tan, from working outside all summer, which made my hair look even whiter.

Danielle was a perfect combination of her parents, with a great smile. She was tall enough to put her head on my shoulder, so I'm guessing 5'10" or so. She had light caramel color skin that I was finding to be very soft. Her hair was long, it looked and felt like black silk.

Eventually, she calmed enough to explain that she had come to meet Dave Petersen, a guy we knew from school. It was supposed to be their first date, but when she arrived at Gate E, he introduced her to his girlfriend. 

He had told Danielle he had broken up with her, which I guess was true for a few hours. They had gotten back together that afternoon. He said he had called her house, but she had already left for the concert. He was sorry, blah, blah, blah, but had no problem leaving her standing there, alone, without a ticket.

She was sad, embarrassed, and felt stupid for trusting someone who wanted "to meet at the gate" rather than picking her up at her house. She was walking back to the subway when I saw her crying.

We stood there for a while; I let her talk and cry, cry and talk. I felt bad for her but was also glad she hadn't gone with Dave. He was a well know dickhead, and was always looking for some type of angle.

I wasn't very confident with girls, my family was poor, and we lived in what was considered a not so great, part of town. I had no problem being friends and even speaking with girls in a social or school setting, but if I, or they, became interested, I choked up and backed away. This was different; I was helping someone who was sad and needed a little kindness.

"I have an idea; come sit with me for a bit; we'll hear some of the music, and I'll make sure you get home."

"You want me to sit up there?"

"Yes, it's easy, here...."

We walked over to the kiosk. I bent my leg at the knee, I pointed to my thigh:

"Step on that with your left foot...."

I held her hands,

"Now step onto my shoulder with your right, and now your left foot on the other shoulder... Okay, now I'm going to lift you a little; when you're high enough, turn and put your buns on the roof."

She giggled and repeated "Buns" but was sitting right where I had been. I took a few steps back and was quickly sitting next to her.

"I can't believe it; we can really hear them, and so clearly."

"Crazy, right? I discovered it by accident when I was walking home from work."

"I thought I saw you, up at that round platform, you were selling all that Beatles stuff."

"Yep, that was me. I've been working there all summer. Last year I worked the Willets Point information booth at the World's Fair before it closed."

"We went to the Fair, the lines were long, but it was interesting."

"I was only allowed to work part-time but went to the Fair, pretty much every day. I rode in a new Mustang convertible in the Ford Pavilion, saw GE's Carousel of Progress at least 50 times, and I know this isn't cool, but I really liked the robotics; I think they called it Animatronics, in the Hall of Presidents."

"We didn't see any of those; my dad isn't a big fan of crowds or standing in line."

"The Fair's gone, but there's no game tomorrow, so I'm off. We can walk around the park, I can show you where everything once was and tell you what I know about all the pavilions and exhibits. You'll, sort of see, the whole Fair in a one day, and with no lines."

"That sounds nice; I can pack a picnic lunch; let me just check with my folks when I get home."

We sat there and listened; I held her hand. 

Even though just like The Ronettes, The Beatle screwed up now and then, it was still great to hear them. They had just finished Paperback Writer and were starting on Long Tall Sally when I said,

"We'd better get going."

"Why? This has been so nice?"

"It has, and I wouldn't have missed being here with you for anything; I'm just imagining what it's going to be like when 40,000 people start to leave a few minutes from now."

"Oh! I hadn't thought about that, but it makes sense; how do we get down?"

I hopped down and held my hands up, "jump to me." Danielle didn't hesitate and jumped. I caught her at the waist and gently let her down, maybe a little closer to me than needed.

I was going to walk her to the train station but ended up taking her home. It was about 11:00, her parents were up, and while it was a little tense at first, once Danielle explained who I was and why I was bringing her home, everything changed.

I had seen her parents at school. At their home, her dad seemed even larger than I remembered. He supervised a bunch of Army recruiters, so he was still in his uniform; he was a Green Beret Sargent with a ton of medals. 

He shook my hand to thank me for taking such good care of his daughter; my hand in his looked like a small fish in a brown bun. It almost made me laugh.

Her mom looked like a model; she was tall and slender, like Danielle with the same soft-looking skin, only lighter, and the same long hair. They met in Vietnam when he was sent as an advisor to the French. That was 1950; Danielle was born in '51.

Her mother said;

"Please come, sit down; we have chocolate cake; would you like some?"

"Mom, he was just doing me a favor...."

I think I surprised her when I said;

"I would love some, do you have milk?"

Her father patted me on the back.

"Just the way I like it... hey, you're pretty solid; do you play ball?"

"No sir, I was a quarterback growing up, and according to Coach Wilson, I'm the best high school quarterback he's ever seen, but... I know him and his whole family pretty well, including his son, who is in my grade.

Danielle quietly said, "Michael Wilson."

"Right, Mike. Well earlier this summer, Coach Wilson came over to our house to speak with me and my father. He was sad. He confided in us that he had worked as a coach all these years just so his son could get a scholarship and get a free ride for college. Unfortunately, the best position to ensure that would happen; is quarterback. So his son is going to be the quarterback in the fall...."

"That doesn't seem fair." I liked that her dad thought that.

"It doesn't really matter, I have already enlisted, I won't be going to college, so I told him I understood, he suggested I could be a halfback, but I'm not that guy, so I quietly left the team."

Her dad quickly changed the subject;

"Army?"

"Haha, sorry, no, Navy".

"Well, I won't hold that against you." We all laughed. 

I stayed for cake and even had some time to sit out on their back porch with Danielle.

"John, all the girls, and a couple of the student teachers, have mad crushes on you, a couple said they practically threw themselves at you, but you never date? Everyone thinks you're dating someone from your neighborhood or church."

"Haha, and at church, they think I'm dating someone at school; I don't know why I feel safe telling you this... but the truth is, I don't have any money, and would never ask my parents; I'm sure they'd say no anyway."

"Oh, I didn't know; I don't think anyone does."

"You're the only person I have ever told, but it's more than that, I also haven't a clue how to act romantically or like a boyfriend, so I keep it friendly, distant, and casual."

"...and run away when it gets serious."

"Well, more like fade away, but yes."

"You better not do that to me. You saved me, turned a nightmare into a dream, brought me home like a gentleman, and I can tell my parents really like you. Trust me, dad never likes anyone. John, I have always liked you; you have always treated me, I don't know, the way you treat everyone."

She leaned in closer and closed her eyes. Even though I'm pretty clueless about girls, I knew she wanted me to kiss her, but I did what I always do and backed off.

"Danielle, you're amazing, and I had a great time tonight, and I'm looking forward to showing you The World's Fair Park, tomorrow...."

"Oh my gosh, I forgot to ask my folks; I'll be right back."

I heard her and her mom talking, laughing, and even giggling. She was talking over her shoulder as she came back out to the patio;

"Yes, dad, I'll get the details right now, thanks."

"I'm guessing they want to know what I have planned for their daughter."

"Yes, do you mind speaking to them?"

"Not at all."

We went back into the house, and I explained that I had been an employee so I knew the park very well, we would take the subway, start early, and I'd show her what I remembered about where everything was. There's a lovely garden near the Hall of Science Museum where we'll break for lunch, and then I'll try to describe all the littler exhibits and stuff that was out of the way, on the way back to the subway.

Her father reached out to shake my hand; he looked me in the eye and asked; 

"Will you look after my daughter?"

"You can count on it." He smiled. 

"Are you sure you don't want to be in the Army? You're going to be a great asset to this country."

"I've already signed up on a delayed entry; I leave for basic at the end of the school year."

We had a great day at the park; I showed her the Aquacade, near the lake, it was leftover from the 1939 World's Fair. When we were younger, we used to go there and swim before they built the new Fair.

I stood in an open area with my arms out and said, 

"This is where they had the log flume ride; kids used to stand, on a little bridge, just about here, to get sprayed when the logs came down the slide."

The New York State Pavilion was there but wasn't being used; I had heard they were planning on putting a restaurant up in the towers. We walked past the heliport; there was a restaurant with a nice view of the park. I was pretty sure helicopters still landed on the roof.

The New York City Pavilion was also a leftover from the'39 Fair. I explained that it used to be an ice skating rink on one side and a roller skating rink on the other. It was renovated, and the insides were rebuilt for the Fair.

They built a simulated helicopter ride around the city inside. There were moving seats that circled a large three-dimensional map of New York City. We went in and took a ride. It was very detailed, and we were both able to find our houses.

The centerpiece of the World's Fair was still there too. A large fountain with what they called the Unisphere in the center. It was nice to sit there for a little bit and be cooled by the mist coming off the fountain spray.

It was around 6 when we got to her house; there was a note from her mom;.. 

"I hope you had a nice day, we went for pizza and a movie; see you later."

Danielle made us soup and sandwiches for dinner, and we sat out on the patio in one of those seats that go back and forth; I think they're called a glider. When the sun went down, it was still warm, but there was a cool breeze. Danielle snuggled up against me, I backed into the corner, and she laid her head on my lap. I stroked her hair and closed my eyes.

I heard her before I saw her and felt her before I opened my eyes; Danielle's mom was covering us with a light blanket.

Her dad was asking,

"Is that a good idea?"

"Shh, you'll wake them; it's innocent and far less than you and I would have done."

"Haha, or going to do, come here, woman...."

They were laughing when they went back inside.

The next time I woke up, someone was kissing me softly. My hands had their own mind and started to search for softness. I found it at her waist where her blouse had ridden up.

She stopped kissing me and said,

"That feels nice, but no farther, okay?"

"Your body, your rules."

We "made out" for a half-hour or so, and I knew I was going to be "aching" to get home. There was some noise in the kitchen, so we sat up and held hands under the cover her mother had given us.

After some dessert, I went home and took care of my urgent needs. I called Danielle to say goodnight. She was so happy that I had thought to do that; I just thought it was the right thing to do.

After I left, Danielle told her mom about our day and all we saw. She said it was almost like being at the Fair again. I showed her all over and described the pavilions. She told her mom she was in love with me but knew it was too much too soon and how much she was looking forward to the school year.

*****

There was a doubleheader on Thursday and one of those long, dragged-out games on Friday. Saturday, I was back at work for a doubleheader. Sunday, it was church, and then work. We did speak every evening, and I think we were getting close but drifting apart simultaneously.

It all kind of ended when she told me they were going away on vacation that Monday.

"That's nice; where are you going, when will you be back?"

"We're going to see my mother's family in San Jose, California; we'll be back around Labor Day."

The school year would be starting the day after labor day; 

There wasn't anything we could do;

"I have enjoyed getting to know you John, thank you for being, well, you; I'll call you when we get back."

"I had a good time too. Have a great time; I'll see you at school."