As day was melting into night in the skies over Paris of long ago, a feeling of romance permeated the senses. The street lamps were being lit, bringing the glow of flame to the streets. The light scent of their oil was nary even detectable over the lush scents of the freshly blossomed flowers of spring. In the sky, the stars appeared, one by one, forming the constellations. The crescent moon hung high in the night sky, looking as though it was suspended by a string. The air had a distinctly clean feel, the kind it seems to take on before the oppressive heat of summer and after winter takes its last, icy gasp.

Amedeo, Eva and Leda were going to the opera to celebrate the newly arrived spring. To them it symbolized growth, rebirth and new beginnings. They began the evening with dinner at “Le Blanche Lis”, the most exclusive restaurant in all of Paris. Amadeo was not of the right class, nor all that well to do to be in such a place, but he had a good friend who had the right connections to get him in. It was difficult enough for him to get himself and Eva in, but it was a true stretch to get her best friend Leda in. However, he didn’t want to disappoint her, and she had her heart set on Leda joining them, so he managed. Besides, tonight was special.

He had met her almost two and a half year’s ago. The memory of the night was etched into his mind forever.

It was twilight on a chilly winters day. He was walking through the narrow streets of the city. All he could hear was the crunching of the snow beneath his heels. Then as he passed a narrow corridor, a few faint notes of a sweet, euphonious song drifted through the air. There was something about it that had stirred something within him, and he just absolutely had to find the source.

He followed the passage way, the song growing stronger now, and found it opened to a courtyard. A majestic fountain, dormant now, adorned the centre. As he walked in, he noticed the large windows on either side of him. He peered up, and through the light, dancing snowflakes he saw her. She was standing on a balcony, looking as though she was lost in the aria she was singing. She was donning a long, lush, red gown, and had wrapped herself up in a luxurious, velvet throw. Her brown hair was loosely curled, and framed her pale face in a very angelic way. But he was most captivated by her eyes. There was a depth to them that he had never seen before, a mystery, a longing. Something that he couldn’t quite place. He knew then, without even exchanging words with her, that he could love her forever.

Tonight, after the opera, they would return to that courtyard and sit on that bench around that fountain.

However that was later, much later and for him it seemed like an eternity. Even now, after their final course had been served and eaten, there was still nearly an hour ‘til curtain. He decided that they should linger awhile longer and have a coffee. Amadeo put his hand in his pocket, and could feel the ring there, waiting impatiently to make it’s appearance.

He glanced at Leda. As they sat on the patio, underneath a navy awning, Leda could feel that something was peculiar. When Amadeo stole a quick glance at her, she saw the excitement of a small child in his eyes. She then turned to look at Eva and it was plain to see that there was something troubling her, something vital. She knew they would have to talk later.

As they sipped the last of their coffee, they realized it was time to go to the Opera House. They settled up with their waiter and walked into the bustling streets of Paris and hailed a carriage.

As Eva peered out the window, watching the statue lined boulevards pass by, she thought “I’m having my first visit to the famed Paris Opera with the two people I care about the most. Shouldn’t I be happy?”.

She hadn’t been happy since she realized that there was a whole universe of curiosities out there, and most people couldn’t see anything more than the superficialities of their materialism. No-one had the courage to look deep enough into themselves to see if they actually had a spirit. Some could blindly accept that they must, because an institution told them they did, but that wasn’t the same.

Even these two were trapped inside boxes. Leda was forever preoccupied with the inanities of being fashionable and Amedeo was constantly vying for more cash. She just could no longer ignore the glaring omission of the element of curiousity in peoples lives. How can a rose bloom in absolute perfection every single time? Is the body part of the spirit or is the spirit a part of the body? These thoughts (and peoples lack of them) haunted her as she took her seat in box five. As the curtain rose. And as the opening chords of Faust were played.

Her mind was racing so fast that she couldn’t keep her concentration on the opera. She scanned the audience, her gaze moving across to the performers. She only saw people who were as hollow as the stage. She was so frustrated that she wanted to scream.

Instead she ran from the box, tears of disdain and sadness streaming down her cheeks. She raced through the opera, and up the narrow staircases, becoming ever closer to heaven. Finally she came to the roof. She slowed her pace as she approached the edge. As she was peering down, she heard someone else come onto the roof. She looked back and saw Amadeo. When she looked into his eyes and saw nothing, she was terrified by thoughts of the futile existence that awaited her and a world ridden with the vile disease of apathy.

He raced to her, but was too late. She had flung herself over the edge. He looked over and saw her body just as it hit the pavement. Shocked, he dropped the ring and could hear it clink on the pavement as he lay crumpled on the roof weeping.