Romeo and Julliet

When I hear the names Romeo and Juliet, I think of a very specific memory of a very hot summer night when I was about 10 years old. I still hear the frogs' music nearby from the creek down the street, I remember the humid heat, the star filled sky and the huge movie poster of Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 Italian-British production of the star- crossed ill fated young lovers, starring Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey. The giant movie poster looked naked on the bare wall of the girls' upstairs bedroom. They were about 15 and 16,  and the oldest of the two was smoking, watching the stars quietly. Their names were Rita and Marleen, and they were the daughters of our housekeeper, Julienne. I had been spending the night for a couple of days now, an exotic event for me, coming out of a fancy suburban home. I loved already at a young age to be in environments that were different from mine, it intrigued me. The daughters were already dating, were allowed make-up, and wore the latest fashion trends. All things I knew would be forbidden to me. The  poster showed the young Romeo and Juliet partly naked, in an intimate embrace, and I could not keep my eyes of them. The whole thing was very exciting, visually speaking. It seemed like the young lovers in the poster appreciated being in a room with a large open window, that looked out at a million stars on a steamy hot summer's night. It was late, and that was exciting too, I was allowed to stay up as late as the daughters, even though I was only 10. I was also fitted with some high heels, my size, someone did my hair up, and did my nails for fun, in a bright red. I felt so grown up and slightly mischievous. I got to watch movies until late at night on the black and white TV in the small but very cozy living room. I remember watching two American love stories, where I thought the movie stars looked so glamorous in their sparkly low cut dresses. I wanted to be in love, too, meet a movie star. How awesome would it be to be Olivia Hussey, and get to kiss the handsome young Leonard Whiting. That poster and that night, where no one was talking in that hot room  while the frogs had their symphony going, and the stars sparked our young imaginations,stayed with me for good. It left an imprint of the smell and feel of longing, of dreams and feelings there but not well formed enough to be put in specific words and aspirations. It was a timeless night, one that I  remember each time I hear the words Romeo and Juliet.