Monday, July 10th, 1347 – Afternoon
Though the hours of sunlight are sure to last much longer on this relentless day of heated summer, I simply cannot resist the urge I have to tell you of my unexpected experiences late last night. I fear that if I continue to put off the process of detailing this entry I may forget much of what is truly important. Before I begin though, I'd like you to please forgive me for not actually taking the time to write of this last night. By the time I returned to my chambers after having seen what I'd seen, I was merely just too fatigued to light another candle and open this book.
I did not say anything of this yesterday, but after Romeo's disappearance at Lord Capulet's party and after good Mercutio and I had had enough of the night's revels, we had stumbled down the streets of our town in search of our friend. I regret this now, for I know where he had been and I know how much of nuisance we must have been to him there. You see, after having failed to find him, Mercutio and I had agreed to simply return to our bedchambers until the next morning, our plan being to question Romeo then. However, after having finished writing to you I made a foolish attempt to consummate our agreement and settle into bed. I, of all people, should have known that the unexplained absence of Romeo would remove all traces of sleep within me. Much like I have on previous nights where sleep has been unsuccessful in its search for my compliance, I decided to go for a walk. As I said, I've done this before and it has proven itself to be a useful tactic in the field of figuring things out while calming my mind. Anyway, on this night I set off in the direction of Verona's centre feeling less at ease than I usually do. Unconsciously, I eyed the shadows, half-expecting to find monsters or other beings of the like lurking there. It was unusual, fear provoking really, that things should be so different so suddenly. Regardless, I had continued only to find myself walking along a lane near Lord Capulet's home and subjected to words, hissed over a great distance. It was late and curiosity got the best of me, for one of the voices I'd heard was one that I knew and one that I knew well. Romeo, of course it was Romeo. Here I was, listening to Romeo and Juliet's romantic banter, and all I could bring myself to ponder was exactly how my cousin had managed to vault the wall that separated us, the wall that kept me from getting closer and hearing more. I missed much of their conversation due to words getting lost on air and my abrupt and irrationally weary mind, but what I gathered was this: Romeo has intention to spend the rest of his life with his enemy. I'm unsure exactly how this makes me feel. The part of my body that is ruled by my heart says to be happy for him and to have hope that their love will change the routine of the feud between Capulet and Montague. My mind, however, snarls that such a romance is futile and dangerous. Either way a high risk is run, like a tightrope over the deepest of chasms, even the slightest mistake could cause either, Romeo or Juliet, to fall to their deaths, causing chaos the whole way down.
This morning, as a result of my concern for Romeo that was left untamed, I was burdened with the task of finding him and, during the search, struggling for the right words to say to him. It seems that lately he's been a fool for love and I am uncertain of how to address that. My hunt was one soon deemed unsuccessful though, for I heard word that some had seen Romeo dashing off to Friar Laurence in the early hours of this day. I can only speculate about what he might have been doing there, but I have a fairly profound assumption.
To make matters worse, if Romeo is, in fact, inquiring about what I think he is inquiring about by visiting the Friar, Juliet's cousin, the much hated Tybalt, has sent word that he intends to duel with Romeo. Mercutio is sceptical of Romeo's chances should he accept and, though I am hesitant to doubt my cousin, I think I agree with Mercutio's reasoning. Romeo hasn't been practicing his battle skills at all since he began to mope about Rosaline and now, with Juliet to keep him occupied, I don't think he will resume his practices. This, along with the fact that Tybalt would be furious if Juliet happened to wed his enemy, succeeds in doing nothing but increasing my worry for my friend. I'd like to see him happy again, but fate seems to always step in his way and make such feelings impossible.
To conclude this first half of my day, filled to the brim with activity and mystery, some good-natured amusement seemed to be in order. To grant my silent wishes, and in some respects my pleas, Mercutio was able to put on quite a show with a lady of the Capulet house, Juliet's nurse I believe. Oh and what fun it was to see spirits lifted! Mercutio's jokes were worthy of nothing more than a gutter, but comical nonetheless. I did feel a little bad after though, for the nurse seemed to be quite upset as she and Romeo stepped aside. What that duo had to discuss was not something mentioned explicitly to me, but paired with Romeo's supposed visit to the Friar this morning and his time spent with Juliet last night it is, again, not hard to guess.
Well, as I hope you can see, life has grown no easier in the time we've spent apart and it is nearly guaranteed to remain that way in the future for the times we will meet again. Though I am still consumed with worry I can' help but try to be optimistic. Perhaps things will work out for our intrepid hero and his potential bride. However I suppose that, in order to be on the receiving end of any satisfaction, I must be patient. Time will quicken for no man.
I will return to you soon, I promise,
Benvolio Montague
