Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

“…And yet thou wilt tutor me from quarrelling!”

“An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man should buy the fee simple of my life for an hour and a quarter.”

I hadn’t seen this scene unfold, I’d been too busy practicing lines and avoiding people. I sat in the top row of chairs, even Mr. Sanchez couldn’t get me to do anything, so he just let me do my own thing. Well, so long as I didn’t interrupt production as his Juliet.

“The fee simple! O simple!”

I watched as Bert and extras entered the stage and Mikey and Jeph remained on their far left.

“By my head, here comes the Capulets.”

“By my heel, I care not.”

Bert’s character cut across the stage directly towards Mikey and Jeph.

“Follow me close, for I will speak to them. Gentlemen, good den; a word with one you.”

“And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something; make it a word and a blow.”

“You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an you will give me occasion.”

“Could you not take some occasion without giving?”

“Mercutio, thou consortest with Romeo.”

“Consort! What, dost thou make us minstrels? An thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords. Here’s my fiddlestick; here’s that shall make you dance. Zounds, consort!”

I was impressed with how easily Mikey and Bert bated each other in character. It made me giggle, of course inside, I couldn’t make a sound to give away my location. Not that anyone would hear me down there, but I was rather close to the sound booth.

I watched as they exchanged more dialogue and then Quinn entered the scene.

“Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting. Villain I am none; therefore farewell; I see thou knowest me not.”

I knew what was coming but I wondered what Bert thought of his beloved Quinn killing him. But my hopes held for the death of my best friend foremost. He steps forward, determination etched across his face.

“O calm, dishonourable, vile submission! Alla stoccata carries it away. Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?”

“What wouldst thou have with me?”

“Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your nine lives; that I mean to make hold withal, and, as you shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out.”

My attention was drawn completely to the two men about to fight. I watch in awe at the display of ill-care Bert uses as Tybalt, he stabs Mikey right in front of Romeo, even after he reminded them of the Prince’s banishment of such actions.

“Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.”

“No, ‘tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door, but ‘tis enough, ‘twill serve. Ask for me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague a both your houses! Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat, to scratch a man to death! A braggart, a rogue, a villain, that fights by the book of arithmetic! Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm.”

I could sense the emotional turmoil on that stage—here two good friends say their final goodbye.

“I thought all for the best.”

“Help me into some house, Benvolio, or I shall faint. A plague a both your houses! They have made worms’ meat of me. I have it, and soundly too—your houses!”

I watched as Jeph slowly took Mikey off stage and yet tears sprung to my eyes. I swear I was turning into a girl at the rate I’ve been going. I should be a prune with how much water I’ve shed through my eyes between the past few weeks.

“Iero, what are you doing out here, your part’s coming up soon?”

I glanced over at the beanie clad, blue-eyed Bob and the ever growing fluff-ball that was hair attached to Ray, both of which expected a response. I just shrugged, wiping my eyes; thankful that neither said anything.

“Word is you pissed off Bert the other day. Finally someone put him in his place, but I hear he’s been more ruthless when it comes to his taunting.”

I’d heard the rumors too but my mind was weighed down elsewhere.

“I’ve got to go, can’t miss my cue.”

I quickly left my seat, ignoring their slight comments at my leave. I hurried backstage and into the make-shift costume I had to start wearing. I hate dresses with a passion, especially since they can’t hem the damn scrap of sheet they gave me as one to wear.

I let my thoughts roam as I ran through my lines with the kid playing my nurse. I let the emotional distress of my actual life flow through Juliet’s own turmoil. I couldn’t help but to let tears fall every now and then. You try dealing with the death of your cousin who was killed at the hand of your husband, your husband’s best friend is killed by your cousin and all the while the person you so adamantly say you’re not in love with, that same person who has ignored you day in and day out—all the while you realize that you just might love them. I was happy the moment my last line was said, the left wing of the stage was my haven till it was a scene with Romeo and I.

“Then, window, let day and let life out.”

I could feel his warm breath on my cheek as he climbed over the rail to the make-shift balcony.

“Farewill, farewell! One kiss and I’ll descend.”

A brief kiss and he climbs down. This was the first kiss that Mr. Sanchez has let them see, he usually stops beforehand; something about it spoiling the actual opening night experience.

“Art thou gone so, love—lord, ay, husband, friend! I must hear from thee every day in the hour, for in a minute there are many days; o, by this count I shall be much in years ere I again behold my Romeo!”

“Farewell! I will omit no opportunity that may convey my greetings, love, to thee.”

“O, think’st thou we shall never meet again?”

“I doubt it not; and all these woes shall serve for sweet discourses in our times to come.”

Our eyes never left the others.

“O God, I have an ill-divining soul! Methinks I see thee, now thou art below, as one dead in the bottom of a tomb; either my eyesight fails or thou look’st pale.”

“And trust me, love, in my eye so do you; dry sorrow drinks our blood. Adieu, adieu!”

He was gone and in this moment, my heart was broken.

“O fortune, fortune! All men call thee fickle. If thou art fickle, what dost thou with him that is renown’d for faith? Be fickle, fortune; for then, I hope, thou will not keep him long, but send him back.”

“That is all.”

I could hear the slight strain in Sanchez’s voice—we had made him cry.

“Frank, I need a word.”

Great; I watched as everyone filed off stage and out of the wings and Mr. Sanchez came up to me.

“I dare say if you put as much emotion into your words as you did today next week, there will not be one dry eye at the end of the night. Your way with Juliet’s turmoil moved me today; I can only wonder what tomorrow will hold when we practice your deaths.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He just smiled and waved his arm off to the right; I could get out of this sheet.

“Oh yes, one more thing. Your costumes have come in, would you like to see them?”

I couldn’t help but grin—what more reason to delay my return to the people I knew were itching to get a hold of me. I nodded and followed him down the hall to the costume room.

I saw five white bags that had tags that read, Juliet. The first was my costume for the ball. It was beautiful, each of them were. I adored the last one though, my death dress I dubbed it. It was an intricate weave of black and red.

“We’ll have to hem a few of them I believe, but they’re yours for the show. Just be glad you’re not the only one to wear a dress.”

He left me alone to finger my costumes. I loved the different fabrics, the textures each left on the tips of my fingers. I was so lost in my admiring that I let out a small squeak when I heard voices and footsteps approaching the slightly open door.

“…were late.”

“Couldn’t help it, they wouldn’t shut up about him being missing, again!”

I heard the door shut; I had hid myself in my dresses.

“How long do we have?”

“Oh just a few minutes, are you going to waste them talking or are you going to kiss me?”

I knew those voices—I couldn’t bring myself to look. I heard the sound of mouths connecting, their breathing altered and hands moving along cloth. I tried to focus on something other than the fact that two people were making out not even five feet away from where I hid amongst my dresses.