Ringo picked John up with the idea that he was giving him a ride into St. John's Wood to the EMI studio on Abbey Road. John didn't even notice that Ringo passed the turn off onto Grove's End Road and proceeded up to Circus Road, circling around onto Cavendish Avenue. Paul was waiting for him when he pulled up outside #7.
"Bloody hell, Ring! What the fuck is THIS?" John shouted when he saw Paul.
"Take it easy, John..." Ringo soothed as he opened the door for Paul. John was livid until he saw the same stunned look on Paul's face and realized that this was as much of a surprise to him as it was to John.
"What's going on, Ring?" Paul asked, leaning inside to look at John crouched down in the seat next to him.
"C'mon Paul...just get in." Ringo said. It was starting to rain and even though the studio was within walking distance, Paul really had no desire to get soaking wet. He might have walked the few blocks if the weather was good, but usually drove himself, and would have now if his own car wasn't in the auto shop. But he also didn't relish the thought of having to put up with John's sharp tongue even for those few blocks in the small confined space inside of Ringo's vehicle. So it was with some hesitation that he climbed into Ringo's back seat, avoiding John's stinging glare of annoyance. It was only a few blocks, how much could happen in a few short blocks anyway?
John refused to even acknowledge Paul's presence. Ring had never mentioned stopping by Paul's, but he should have known that Ring would try to pull something like this...always the bloody peacemaker. He knew Ringo was only trying to help, but John didn't like being lied to. He was sick and tired of being lied to, stabbed in the back...hurt by those he thought he could trust. Sulking, John hunched down into the seat next to Ringo, staring out the window in stony silence. He guessed he could tolerate a few blocks in the same car with Paul as long as he didn't have to look at him.
Paul tried to appear as if he didn't care either that John was in the car. He'd been a little surprised when Ringo had called him earlier in the day to suggest giving him a lift to the studio. He hadn't suspected anything amiss about the suggestion. Ringo often gave rides into London to both John and George and would sometimes stop by Paul's from time to time, either coming from or going to the nearby studio. But since the worst of the slagging had been going on, with tensions running as high as they were, the visits to #7 by anyone were starting to become more and more rare.
In the past, they had all seemed to appreciate the close proximity of Paul's house to the studio, especially when their sessions had run very late into the early morning hours and a late night snack or even a sleepover at #7 had been a welcome retreat.
So when Ringo called and said he was on his way to pick Paul up on his way into London, Paul had thought it a little odd, but not unheard of. But now he too was beginning to sense something was up. And his suspicions were confirmed when Ringo sped past Abbey Road and headed into the north part of London. Even John straightened up in his seat when he realized that they were definitely headed AWAY from the recording studio.
"Where're ya going, Ring?...the studio's back that way!" John said, totally bewildered.
Ringo said nothing, just kept driving. Paul leaned forward and peered at Ringo, sensing that something bizarre was going on. But before he could speak, Ringo suddenly pulled over to the curb and switched the car's engine off. It was a very dark section of road on an uphill slope. One lone street lamp was visible far up on the hill ahead of them, but it was too dark outside to make out much more than the fact that they were next to a thickly forested stretch of park. The wind was blowing, but the rain was starting to let up somewhat.
Ringo sat staring out the rain spattered windscreen for a long moment and took a deep breath before speaking. He turned around so that he faced both John and Paul.
"Well lads...this is it. I want you both to get out." he said quietly with no hint of his motive for this side trip on their way to the studio.
"Get out?" Paul repeated, stunned. "Right HERE?"
"That's what I said"
"What the fuck's goin' on, Ring? I'm not getting out here...it's dark...it's raining...yer completely off yer fuckin' head if ya think I'm gettin' out here!" John looked around trying to locate any point of reference, but saw only darkness out the windows.
Ringo finally looked directly into John's face. He smiled sadly at both of them, then turned to answer their questions. "OK...here's the deal. There IS a reason I've brought the both of ya here. I want ya both to sort out yer shit...just TALK to each other. Get it all out of yer systems once and for all...then maybe we can start to get back to the way things used to be." His voice was calm but filled with emotion.
"TALK? Yer NOT serious!" John started angrily. Paul cut him off before he could continue.
"Why all the way out here, Ring? We could have talked at my house or at your house...or anywhere! Why out HERE?"
"This is fuckin' ridiculous! I'm not gettin' out in the rain just so I can talk to HIM!" John said angrily, arms across his chest, he stubbornly hunched down in his seat.
Ringo sighed heavily and looked sadly at John. "I brought ya out here because there's no bus, there's no cabs, there's no doors to slam...there's no leavin'. I think there's a boat house up the pathway...up there on the lake, so you'll be out of the rain. You can either talk to each other or you can take a long walk home in the dark. I just know that things can't go on the way they did the other night at the studio. It breaks my heart to see the two of ya like that. It never used to be that way...I remember a time when you were better friends than that...and I think you still can be, if you'd only get this shit...whatever it is between the two of ya...just get it out in the open and get past it!"
"Yer outta yer fuckin' mind, Ring...it's fuckin' FREEZING out there!" John protested.
"Then you'd better talk fast. Now get out" Ringo said unsympathetically.
"C'mon, Ring...you're NOT serious about this..." Paul started...hoping that this was all just a joke.
"I'm VERY serious...now both of ya...OUT! I MEAN IT!" Ringo said emphatically.
Realizing that Ringo was indeed serious, both John and Paul stepped out onto the street, not really believing that this was happening.
"I'll come back by here in an hour." Ringo said from his rolled down window. "If you're here, I'll take ya home. If yer not, then I'll assume you found yer own way. Either way, yer on your own for at least the next hour. Try to do something constructive with it." And with that, he sped off up the street.
"Construct somethin' with THIS...ya SOD!" John shouted after him, his middle finger raised in the air.
The two of them were left standing there in the dark as they watched Ringo's taillights fade from view over the horizon.
