Integrity, Freedom, and Love, these are the things that should be held above all. A simply love story is about all three. It is about a young and upcoming writer; who is put in to a position to compromise his freedom of expression to appeal to the masses. It is about a young woman that forced to deal with an ailment that has shaped her life, and has forced her to depend on others for help. It's about the love of two people, and the strength they get from it. From music to just living, they need to look to themselves and each other, and find greatness. Because, without the pursuit of greatness, why even be motivated to get out of bed.

A Simple Love Story

By Nicholas M. Clevette

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2011 Nicholas M. Clevette
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4634-1128-2

Chapter One

Alone on a bench is where I sat, on a hot and humid day in Saint Augustine. I was facing the cool sea air and taking in the smell of cool, salt water. There were the sounds of gulls overhead and children playing on the beach. The sounds calmed me that day. I could not see any of this, for I had been blind since birth.

My sisters would leave me alone here when they went to be with their boyfriends. How I dreamed to feel like they did when the men came around. I was ignored because I think they were uncomfortable around me. My name is Tilly, and I lived a very boring life then.

That day was different from the rest, though. I did not know it at the time, but it felt very strange. The air felt stronger and the humidity was thicker. My sisters helped me look my best, yet still I sat there on that bench with only my cane to keep me company.

Maybe it was just me. There were mornings I woke and said to myself, "Tilly, it's your lucky day." That had not happened that morning. I woke up like always, yet I still felt strong and beautiful that day. That was the day I met him, and everything changed.

As I was taking in all of the sounds, I heard footsteps walking toward me. They were soft and light, and they sounded very cheerful. The person stopped in front of me. Then there was the whir of a camera shutter, and then a voice. "Sorry, I'll be out of your way in just a second," the voice said. It belonged to a man. Well, a young man. He sounded like he was in his twenties at least, which was perfect. I was only twenty-two years old.

"That's okay, it's not like I can see it anyways," I said in return.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea." His voice sounded soft and sweet. I tried to hide a smile. I felt him sit next to me on the bench. "You come here often?"

"I do," I said.

"I've always loved the smell of the sea. There's nothing like it."

I sat quiet for a second. This guy sounded great and warm. "So, is that all you do over here?" I asked. I was still trying to hide my smile and start some small talk.

"No," he began. "I also like the pubs in the old part of town. It's always a good way to spend a day. The candy store is kind of cool, too."

"And, I take it, you find a girl and talk with her."

"Well, that's the best part," he said. "I always take time to talk to a beautiful woman on a park bench."

I blushed. "My name is Tilly." I held out my hand. He took it in his warm hand and shook it gently.

"Well, Tilly, my name is Alex."

"Hi, Alex, it's really nice to meet you."

"Same here, Tilly," Alex said. "What brought you out here today?"

"My sisters wanted to go out with their boyfriends, and they take me because our mom makes them."

"I'm glad they brought you, then," he said without missing a beat. He was a smooth talker. I didn't know what to say. I just sat there like an idiot. Finally, he spoke. "Here, take this," he said while he stuck a piece of paper in my hand. "It's my phone number."

"Is it in Braille?" I blurted out like a dork.

"No," he said, chuckling. "Take it and I'll tell you. The paper is in case you forget." Then he whispered in my ear. I could feel my face warm up. I repeated it back to myself. Then I put the paper in my pocket.

Just then, my sisters and their friends came up to us.

"Hey, Tilly," Amanda said. She was the oldest. "It's time to go."

Sara was the noisy one. "Who's your friend?" she asked. She was being a pain. I could hear it in her voice, so I put my hand on Alex's arm. It was a solid arm, too. He was built nicely. I wanted to feel more, but I knew that would rude. "This is Alex," I said. I heard Alex say hi, and I felt him get up.

"Tilly, I must be off. I'll talk with you later?" he said.

"Yes, you will," I said, hoping not to sound too eager. I put my hand in my pocket and felt the paper in my hand. Then a warm feeling came over me. Amanda helped me off the bench and led me in the right direction.

"He's a cute one, Tilly," she said.

"He seems really nice," I answered.

We all walked to the car and got ready to go. I was still on cloud nine. His name kept running through my head. The ride home didn't feel that bad. Normally, I felt like throwing up in a car. It had to be the strange movement. It was like I was on a rollercoaster for an hour. Thank God Florida didn't have any hills, or I would never have left the house by car. I would have walked or just stayed home.

"So, Tilly," Amanda said, "are you going to call him?"

"Yes, I am."

"Good luck with that," Sara said next me. She was trying to be humorous, but failed.

"I have a pretty good idea how to dial a phone. The numbers don't change. One will always be in the same place."

"Sara, stop," Amanda said rather sternly. Amanda normally did what she could to curb Sara. Sara was one of those really bright people, but what she had in intellect, she lacked in people skills.

"Sorry," Sara answered.

We got home just in time for dinner. Not always a fun time of the day for me. That's when Mom treated me like a baby, always telling me where my mouth was, like I didn't know how to eat. People seemed to think that because I was blind, I couldn't live like other people. For the most part, I did. Yeah, there were some things I couldn't do, like cook, or clean, or even drive. I hung in there with just about everything else.

After dinner, I sat in my room with the phone in my hand. I also took the piece of paper out of my pocket, though I didn't need it. I knew the number off the top of my head.

I had sat there for a few minutes when Amanda walked in. I knew it was her because of her perfume. "Have you called yet?" she asked.

"No, I don't know what to say."

"Just say hi. Everything else will come to you, but you can't start without calling."

"I know, I'm just nervous," I said.

"Don't be. You'll be fine. I don't think he'll hang up on you, or get mad if you call. Hell, that's why he gave you his number." Amanda laughed.

"You're right," I said, then took a deep breath and slowly dialed the number. I had to do it slowly because ... Well, you know.

"Hello?" a voice said on the line.

"Hi, is Alex there?" I said.

"This is him."

"It's Tilly," I said.

"Hi, I was hoping you would call. How are you?"

"I'm good. I just ate dinner and I'm sitting in my room."

"Same here, there's nothing going on tonight," he said.

"So, where do you live?" I asked.

"Orange Park," he answered. His voice sounded nice in my ear. That warm feeling came over me again. I felt light. I lay back on my bed, and we must have talked for hours, though it felt like only ten minutes. I learned so much about him: where he lived, what he liked to do, and what he did for a living. Apparently he worked as a parts guy for a dealership in Jacksonville, and liked taking pictures and watching kung fu movies. I really didn't know a whole lot about movies. It wasn't like I could watch them. But they sounded interesting. I had always wanted to go to a movie.

I told him all about me, of course. I lived in the World Golf Village, and I didn't really go out much. I loved just sitting at the beach, enjoying all the sounds and smells. I dreamed about one day seeing the water rush up to the land. It had always seemed so beautiful in my head.

"What are you doing Saturday night?" he asked

...