The low sun cast long shadows among the olive trees and our Aquarius rested his legs by a field.
Snacking on strawberries his droopy eyes fell upon the olive skin, sweat-beaded and glistening, of a young man working the field.
The peasant paused a moment and turned his chest to meet the last rays of the sun and his face, up-tilted, as he drank from his canteen.
Aquarius felt his breath fly from his lungs as the doe eyed object of his eye turned to meet his gaze.
"I feel queer." he thought to himself.
The young farmer`s pleasant face burst into a good natured smile.
"Good morrow, there. I didn`t see you!" he called and made his way to the shady patch Aquarius was resting. He flopped down by our antihero and thrust out a browned hand in greeting,
"Call me Romeo," he grinned.
Aquarius tried not to worry about his dampedned palms, "Aquarius."
"Aq-wary-ius," Romeo smiled, "Is that you? Shy, my friend?" He gave him a light punch on the shoulder and Aquarius forced a smile, though his heart was racing, his stomach fluttering and he felt cool goosepimples prickling his neck.
"No, no..." he stuttered, "not at all. I just feel."
"Dizzy?" finished Romeo.
"Yes," Aquarius looked up at Romeo, surprised. "Yes, I feel a bit..."
"Light headed, butterflies in your tummy?"
"Yes!" Aquarius began to relax. "How did you know?"
Romeo`s hand, his perfect tanned hand, brushed against Aquarius` "I don`t know. I feel the same."
The afternoon became a frolic.
As they lay by the cooling stream as it burbled over rocks and waved fine reeds, watching dragonflies mate in the dappled light, Aquarius wondered at his luck.
"That my search is already over!" he thought aloud.
Romeo who had been dazing looked up,
"What search?"
Aquarius blushed a little but then steeled hismelf sure his friend would understand,
"I was seeking love and here I am."
Romeo burst into hard, loud laughter. Aquarius turned crimson but was confused,
"You said you felt the same."
Romeo gave a short sigh and for a moment he looked down into the dandelions, ashamed. But then his glorious smile returned and he looked up through his long, fan-brush lashes at his friend.
"Aquarius, you have just begun on this journey. It would be a shame for you to stop now. What adventures await you!" he nodded as though encouraging the idea.
Aquarius felt cold and unwell, again, but this was different again.
"I must get back to a city not far from here where my family is expecting me to be a man and maybe marry soon. I come here for fun, sometimes, and fun we had!" he laughed as shadows darkened his face and he buttoned his cotton shirt.
Aqaurius watched Romeo, is sullen silence, as his friend gathered up a bundle of his things and began walking away.
"Fare thee well, Aq-wary-ius." his laughter faded as he did, into the sunset.
Follow Romeo`s love story.
The meeting
The story
The masterpiece
The history
