Work Text:
Ringo’s beloved mother had been gone for quite some time. He never hurried to go through her things, but today he was feeling particularly nostalgic. A car delivered a box from the storage unit of her belongings and the lonely son decided to open it up. It was an old hat box. She kept it in her closet when Ringo was a boy. The hat that came with the box had long been gone. Probably before he was born, the box was so old.
Opening the lid, the first item Starr noticed was a ladies Magazine from 1956! Oh it was in perfect condition! He graced through the pages. The old advertisements and articles, brought back memories. His mother always had different magazines and he inadvertently threw them all out. The ex-Beatle never thought he would care about such junk, but he found himself staring at the old paper book. It even smelled like his mother.
Under the magazine was an old family photo album. One he hadn’t seen in more than fifty years! God he couldn’t believe it. Ringo was not in this album. It was pictures of his mother when she was a child and her family. Her family home, her parents, her old school and even early pictures of both his parents as a young couple, filled the black pages with little gray image’s.
The aged musician still had mixed feelings about his biological father, who abandoned him and his mother to poverty. Yet in the pictures they were young kids, full of hope of what their future would be. Going further in the box, Ringo found empty bottles of perfume he had bought the woman who raised him. The glass vials were so pretty and delicate, he couldn’t blame his mother who came from such humble beginnings from throwing them out. Yet he would.
Then on the bottom of the box the only child found a booklet he hadn’t seen since he was a boy in the church choir! Oh my god, a tear escaped his eye. It was the Christmas pageant from many years ago. It was a special performance for the young boy. He had his very first solo, for the Christmas service at church. He and all the children who were active in choir, sang in front of the whole congregation. The drummer even recalled his grandmother made the long journey that morning to attend, just to see him perform.
Opening the papered booklet, he saw his name on top in pencil. Then he looked at all his lines he had underlined to remember. The first song was “Silent Night!” He remembered how nervous he was. His mother kissed him right before the show and he performed, unknowingly with her lip print on his cheek. Everyone thought it was so cute, except for him and the other boys. Now thinking back, the old man cried about how sweet it really was.
The next song from that long ago concert was, “Hark! Herd of Angels Sing!” Oh his mother loved this song. Though he had no solo role, he remembered singing this song especially loud for her. He thought loud meant better. His mother certainly made him believe so that night, as she eagerly watched her son perform. Little drawings of trucks decorated the ends of the paper. As a young child, Starr never let a good space of page go to waste.
“Jingle Bells,” which was Ringo’s childhood favorite Christmas Carol was sung afterwards! It was all the children’s favorite back then. He remembered singing this song with more enthusiasm than he did all the rest. However, he wasn’t alone. All the children practically danced as they sang this happy melody they loved so much. There was a boarder of smiley faces, presents and other little doodles surrounding the words to the song.
Flipping the page he found the song he did a solo to. “The First Noel,” he sang to the people of his church on Christmas Day all by himself. His mother cried through the performance. He recalled as a boy, being so embarrassed by her actions. Yet next to the song, written in black pen was a prayer. It had to have been written by his mother, as it was in cursive and very neat, though hard to read. From what could be made out, his mother was thanking God for her son’s life.
He didn’t fully understand at such a young age, how sick and endangered his life was. Yet here he fully understood her tears on that day. Her son was her little miracle, her only reason for living. She never had much, but she always gave him everything she had. Starr found himself covered in his tears. The power of a mother’s love from beyond the grave, struck him hard.
Ringo emptied out that box that day. The magazine was put into a plastic cover and kept for it’s value. The album was placed on a shelf, it’s black and white contents were loaded onto a computer. The perfume bottles were thrown out. The little booklet went out with the trash as well, except for a single page.
In a gold frame in his bedroom were the faded printed words of the song “The First Noel” placed on the wall next to fine art, with the answered prayer of a mother, who died full of gratitude. This was the seasoned musicians first solo and his first true love.