Babysitting Mary

Written by Goldie and Robin

5 Bites of the Apple

July-August 1972

The date was July 6^th (1972) and it was our 8^thday in London.  We were to meet Heather at the park near Cavendish on that day.  The day before we had been introduced to her by Pat Miller, where we went to Regents park and played games and got “beat up.”  It’s hard to believe that all this was happening.   Heather is a normal 9 year old brat whose main line was “gimmie Gimmie” and “do this and that for me.”  She thrived at being the center of attention.  She complained constantly about the way she was being treated at home and about all the responsibilities she had.  

The second day was the best so we’ll deal more into that.   We met Heather in the park with Mary.  Mary was a bit shy in the beginning and clung to Heather although she later became very close to us.  She is a very protective child Heather and Heather’s game is hard to retaliate with Mary crying, “don’t hurt my Heather.”  In order for Heather to wrestle with the girls she was only too happy to unload Mary on us and let us take her for a walk.  We took her to the High Street where the shops are and she would look in all the windows and comment about the dolls, rings and things.  She was very sweet and loved when we took photos of her.  She had the sweetest smile, big blue eyes, a cute little pug nose with freckles on it.  Every time she smiles she would wrinkle her nose and roll her top lip under her mouth.  Her hair was dark brown and all in different chopped up layers, and she had on side tucked behind her ear.  She wore a dirty blue pajama top and little playsuit panties, with suede brown shoes.  She had a mad passion about carrying one of the girls pocketbooks and loved to look like a “lady.”  

 I know a lot of you would be interested to know some of Heather’s comments about Paul and Linda.  Here are some scattered comments.  When we were playing in the grass the 1^st day she asked us if we smoked and we answered, yes and she said “not cigarettes, grass (She picked up some grass from the ground) You know, pot.”  So then we said, “No.  do you?”  And she said yes!  So we said, “come on, get out of here.”  “Alright, I don’t’. But I know 5 people that do.  Promise not to tell, they’ll get arrested.  Mommy, Daddy, and the rest of the band.”  “They don’t give you any?”  “No….”    Then she also complained that she had too many chores to do and she would get “hit” if she didn’t do them.  “It’s not fair.  I get hit at least once a day.”  She had to be by 5 so that she could feed the babies, clean the dogs and feed them and make dinner.  She would imitate her mom yelling at her in a slang nasal American accent.  Once she said she liked the band except for her mommy and daddy.  At one point, Goldie commented that it was  a shame that they didn’t have a ball to play with.  Heather said, “Ball?  Do you know what balls are?”  Goldie said, “Yes, but you shouldn’t because you don’t’ have any brothers.”    “But I have fathers….” She complained about not being able go to the movies because “Rosie’s children go and they’re much poorer than we are.”  She said Ruth, Paul’s step sister was in love with David Cassidy and her favorite idol was Mick Jagger.  Someone asked if she ever saw him, and she said, “Are you kidding?  Mommy and I knew him real well in New York.  She photographed him.”   

Back to Mary.  She was the average 3 year old that loved to watch the budgies (pigeons) and follow them around in the park.  We were all very thirsty and went to the nearest bake shop to get something to eat and drink.  At first Mary said that she wasn’t hungry b ut after offering her a big doughnut, she agreed.  There were little flowers on the table which she picked up and had everyone smell.  When the owner told her not to play with them she just smiled and said, “they’re the ladies.”  She ate the doughnut and got the sugar all over her hair and face.  She was very polite and offered pieces to everyone.  Then Heather came looking for us because we were gone for so long.  We went back to the park to the little bathroom there to clean Mary up.  She had a little cut on her face and screamed and cried when we washed near it. 

 We met Heather the next day and she said that she would be gone tomorrow.  She said that she hated touring, it was very boring and she had to sit in the hotel room all the time.  We saw Mary again and she was half naked (no bottoms on) and she waved at us and smiled.  Mary is a very sweet, kind and pleasant baby.  She was reserved and friendly.  Heather on the other hand, was very aggressive, clever and bratty.  But she enjoyed us as friends and seemed upset when she knew we had to leave.