“Can you see anything?”Julie asked after he hit her foot three times with his cane.
“Not what I want to see,” answered Monty who was wearing dark glasses and a baseball cap in a dark club where a woman was dancing with a pole.
"What do you want to see?" asked Julie.
"That is a great question," said Monty. "I want to see more light. I don't want to see so much darkness."
“There isn't much light in these sort of places,” said Julie.
"Why are you here?" asked Monty.
"Birthday party," answered Julie. "My cousin turned twenty one today. She is happy to be here."
"What do you want to see?" asked Julie.
"That is a great question," said Monty. "I want to see more light. I don't want to see so much darkness."
“There isn't much light in these sort of places,” said Julie.
"Why are you here?" asked Monty.
"Birthday party," answered Julie. "My cousin turned twenty one today. She is happy to be here."
" Let me guess. You are five years older and you are not impressed. You have seen it all before," said Monty.
"Seven years," said Julie. "Yes."
“Please take my card,” said Monty holding out a card with his name, address, and phone number.
“Why?” asked Julie.
“Because I want you to have it. You don't see much light either,” said Monty. "We may be compatible."
“Please take my card,” said Monty holding out a card with his name, address, and phone number.
“Why?” asked Julie.
“Because I want you to have it. You don't see much light either,” said Monty. "We may be compatible."
Julie took the card."Montague," she read out loud. "You are a Montague."
“Is that something I should have already said ?” asked Monty.“I don't know,” answered Julie.
"I know I want some coffee," said Monty."Do they serve good coffee in here?"
"I don't think so," said Julie. "There is a cafe outside on the corner. It is good there."
"Lets go," said Monty.
"I am a Capulet," said Julie.
"Your invisible. I can't see you," said Monty. "Do you want me to care about your parents name?"
"But..." said Julie.
"What?" asked Monty.
"I can see," said Julie.
"Then help me get some coffee," said Monty. Julie helped Monty find his way out the door with his cane swinging in front of him. "Thank you," he said. "Now right or left?"
"Left," said Julie.
"I am buying. And anything you want to eat," said Monty. When they were drinking coffee, Monty asked questions. "Do we have insurmountable differences? Do you hate me?"
“No,” said Julie eating at a piece of pastry. "But for sure other Capulets probably do. They would say this is sacrilege."
"I am buying. And anything you want to eat," said Monty. When they were drinking coffee, Monty asked questions. "Do we have insurmountable differences? Do you hate me?"
“No,” said Julie eating at a piece of pastry. "But for sure other Capulets probably do. They would say this is sacrilege."
"True," said Monty.
“But what is in the names other than sacrilege?" Julie questioned.
“Blood of a stupid feud,” said Monty about the years of war between their families which constantly erupted into bar fights and school yard fights, market fights, slashed tires, alley bashings, window smashing, injury, murder, and incarceration.
"I was never told about a real blind Monty," said Julie.
“But what is in the names other than sacrilege?" Julie questioned.
“Blood of a stupid feud,” said Monty about the years of war between their families which constantly erupted into bar fights and school yard fights, market fights, slashed tires, alley bashings, window smashing, injury, murder, and incarceration.
"I was never told about a real blind Monty," said Julie.
"Because I went to private school. I was raised upstairs, indoors ,”said Monty.
“Did they teach you hate up there?” asked Julie.
“Yes,” said Monty.
“Of course they did,” said Julie.
"But it is difficult to teach hate to a blind child,” said Monty.
“Yeah,” said Julie." And her phone then started ringing. "Okay. Now they found us."
“Yes,” said Monty.
“Of course they did,” said Julie.
"But it is difficult to teach hate to a blind child,” said Monty.
“Yeah,” said Julie." And her phone then started ringing. "Okay. Now they found us."
“I'll answer it if you want,”said Monty.
“Hello? What? Shot?" asked Julie after answering her own phone. Then she turned the phone off and set it down.
“Hello? What? Shot?" asked Julie after answering her own phone. Then she turned the phone off and set it down.
" Someone has been shot?" asked Monty.
"My dog! A Montague sent a note to my mother to explain that,” answered Julie, very upset.
"My dog! A Montague sent a note to my mother to explain that,” answered Julie, very upset.
"I am sorry," said Monty
" But what did my dog ever do? He is hanging from a tree in the park with a bullet in his heart," said Julie.
"I am sorry. Please !Believe me that I am sorry!" said Monty."Are we responsible for what our families do?!"
" I have to go," said Julie.
“No,” said Monty desperately. "It is a trap. They want you to hate! They want you to fight! I am not a trap! You do not have to fight with me!"
“I am going to bury my dog,” said Julie. "I don't leave my friends hanging in trees."
“I know you don't. I am blind but I can see you are a beautiful person!" said Monty.
“I am going to bury my dog,” said Julie. "I don't leave my friends hanging in trees."
“I know you don't. I am blind but I can see you are a beautiful person!" said Monty.
Julie shook her head. " Thank you for the coffee and the food."
"Don't leave me," said Monty.
Julie left him in the cafe after she also said, "I am sorry."
“Perhaps someday the Montagues will all repent,” said Monty when Julie called him later.
“They will not,” said Julie. “And neither will the stupid Capulets."
“Don't hate me,” said Monty.
"Have no war with me."
“They will not,” said Julie. “And neither will the stupid Capulets."
“Don't hate me,” said Monty.
"Have no war with me."
"I can't hate a really blind Monty who can see ,” said Julie.
Monty and Julie talked on the phone several times in as many weeks.
"What if we could mend this feud between our families?” then asked Monty. “Do you ever think about your children being neither and both Capulets and Montagues?”
"What if we could mend this feud between our families?” then asked Monty. “Do you ever think about your children being neither and both Capulets and Montagues?”
"They would kill us," said Julie. "Or they would kill our children."
"They might," said Monty.
One evening ,several days later, Julie was watching the evening news when she learned that Monty was a Montague. This she already knew. She also learned that he was not blind. The cane was a fake and he was going to be married. That was news to Julie. He was suppose to marry a daughter of a friend of the Montagues tomorrow , but he was now missing and feared dead. The newscast explained that Monty's truck had exploded in a parking structure last night. His body had not been located.
"They might," said Monty.
One evening ,several days later, Julie was watching the evening news when she learned that Monty was a Montague. This she already knew. She also learned that he was not blind. The cane was a fake and he was going to be married. That was news to Julie. He was suppose to marry a daughter of a friend of the Montagues tomorrow , but he was now missing and feared dead. The newscast explained that Monty's truck had exploded in a parking structure last night. His body had not been located.
Two weeks later, Julie's phone rang. Monty left a message, "please call me."When she called him back, he explained he had lied to Julie. He was not blind. And he said he was not in his truck when it exploded. He had escaped an unwanted marriage. He had made the bomb himself to vanish, to change his name and live in some far off city.
Two weeks later, Julie's car also exploded. It burned at night at the side of an empty road. And her body was also never recovered.
Two weeks later, Julie's car also exploded. It burned at night at the side of an empty road. And her body was also never recovered.
This story is copyrighted.
Author's note: This is a variation of the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet.