Fate's Game

Romeo – Raphael (name means God has healed)
Juliet – Jahzara (blessed princess)
Rosaline – Roxanne (dawn)
Paris – Patrick (noble one)
Mercutio – Miguel (who is like God)

Fate’s Game Part 1

“He shoots! He scores!” the announcer exclaims as Raphael’s teammates lift him off the ground.
The crowd leaps to its feet in a wave of excitement – Roxanne caught in the midst of it all with a smile as beautiful as the morning sun. Raphael catches her eye and motions for her to come to him as she races to his outstretched arms. The hockey player pulls her closer and kisses her passionately, causing an even greater uproar of delight.

As he lets her go, Miguel pats him on the back and reminds him about the celebration party.

“Yeah, don’t worry, man. We’ll be there,” Raphael says.

“We wouldn’t miss it. Good job out there, Miguel,” Roxanne smiles.

“Thanks. See you guys later.” Miguel and the team walk out of the arena with the crowd at their feet, but Roxanne and Raphael linger to enjoy the moment. Their eyes lock on each other, but suddenly, Roxanne’s smile fades into a frown as she contemplates the future – the one she longs for with Raphael. Scanning what is left of the crowd, Roxanne realizes that she is not the only young woman to cross Raphael’s for the past several years that he has been winning games for his team.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong? We won!”

“Tired. Maybe I’ve had too much excitement for one day,” she lies smoothly, taking his hand and leading him out of the arena.


Roxanne and Raphael arrive in their limousine at the restaurant around seven o’clock that night – both looking as stunning as celebrities posing for pictures on the red carpet.

“Raphael,” Miguel calls. “Over here...Wow, Roxanne, you look beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Roxanne blushes.

“Hey, she’s taken,” Raphael laughs.

“Just make sure you keep her close,” Miguel jokes back.


As the night proceeds, speeches are made and dinner is served. Around ten o’clock, the tables are cleared away for slow dancing. Raphael stands up and gently holds his girlfriend’s hand, motioning for her to dance with him. She does so with ease, but feels a thought nudging her in the back of her brain – the worry about how long they really will stay together. When Raphael leans down for a quick kiss, her guilt becomes greater and she pushes the idea as far away as possible.

Roxanne and Raphael dance for what seems a lifetime, but finally they rest and return to their table. Raphael sits down in the seat facing the door and looks up just in time to see a beautiful woman walk in alone with her head down. Her wavy brunette hair bounces lightly as she gracefully makes her way into the crowd. Raphael tries to find her again, but Roxanne pulls him out of his search.

“What are looking for?” she asks, aware of the mild quiver in her voice.

“I...I thought I saw an old friend or something,” he says, hoping he sounded more convincing than he felt.

“Do you want to go see who it was?”

“No, no it’s fine. Maybe we should go. Let me just tell the guys we’re leaving.”

“OK.”

Roxanne grabs her sweater and purse while Raphael wanders, trying to find the mystery woman.

When he finds her sitting alone at a table, he hesitates – not sure if he should talk to her or simply be content that he was able to see her beauty one last time. Within seconds, Raphael finds himself sitting down across from her, acting as if they really are old friends.

“Hey. I’m Raphael. I’m here with my hockey team. We won the game, so now we’re celebrating.”

“Oh, wow. Congratulations,” the mystery woman replies with an accent that Raphael cannot distinguish. “I’m Jahzara. Actually, I’m not from the United States. I’m on vacation with my family. We’re from Russia.”

“Nice. So, how long are you staying?”

“I’m not sure. My father said that he has something to take care of, but he didn’t say how long it would take.”

“Well, while you’re here, we should chill sometime.”

“Chill?”

“Yeah, you know, hang out again. That is, if you want.”

“Oh, of course. I’d like that.”

“Here’s my cell number.”

“Thanks. Well, I think I should go. My parents are probably worried by now. Good night.”

“See you soon.

Raphael slowly walks to the door, completely forgetting Roxanne. She catches up to him and they leave in silence. As they enter the limo, Roxanne turns to him – her eyes glistening as she puts the pieces together.

“So that’s it?” she whispers.

“What? Oh, Roxanne, why are you crying?”

“I saw you. How can you sit there and act as if everything is fine?”

“Roxanne, I’m sorry. I...it’s not what it seems. Really.”

“Raphael, if I didn’t say anything, you wouldn’t have even noticed that I was sitting here.”

“Baby, you know that’s not true. It’s been a long day. That’s all.”

“That’s a lie. Just...tell me the truth, please.”
Raphael hesitates.

“OK, look. I don’t know what just happened, but I felt some strange connection with her. I think...maybe...we should take some time apart for now. You know, just so I can figure out what’s going on. I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispers.

Roxanne finally bursts into the tears that she tried to hold back earlier. When the limo arrives in front of her house, she lets Raphael hug her, but quickly pulls away – leaving him as confused as before.

“So I won the hockey game, but lost my girlfriend in one day? Man,” he shakes his head as the driver pulls off.

Sleep did not come easily that night for either one, but time changes things quickly. Neither saw the twist that fate had in store for them following that day.

Fate’s Game Part 2

As Jahzara steps out of the taxi, she cautiously finds her way to her hotel room – expecting the worst from her parents. She finds her card and opens the door silently. However, her mother and father sit on the couch with the lights on – her father’s face as angry as a bull ready to charge.

“Do you plan on telling us where you’ve been?” he demands.

“I...um...I just needed some air.”

“You needed air? Well, that’s a new one,” her mother replies coldly.

“What did you expect me to do? I’m only nineteen. I don’t want to get married to someone I don’t know. So what if he has money? He can keep it – I don’t want it!”

Jahzara storms off to her room and slams the door. Her bewildered father suddenly gets up from the chair and walks to her door.

Pounding on it, he shouts, “Jahzara! Open this door, immediately!”

“No! Leave me alone!”

“Jahzara, please listen to your father,” her mother pleads.

“Why should I? Nobody ever listens to me,” she sobs.

In all his anger, Jahzara’s father leaves the hotel room, knowing that he has no way of getting her to listen to him for now.

After about a half an hour, Jahzara begins to settle down, but she is still disturbed by the fact that her parents expect her to marry to help her father’s business.

“It’s always about the money,” she complains. “For once, why can’t people get married because they actually love each other?”

She remembers the little piece of paper with a phone number from a handsome stranger.

Quickly, she reaches for her purse and dials the number. Patiently, she counts the rings until a
raspy voice answers.

“Is this Raphael?”

“Yeah. You are...?”

“Jahzara. We met a few hours ago.”

“Oh, hi. What’s up?”

“My father’s blood pressure,” she tries to joke.

He catches the tone in her voice and asks, “What’s wrong?”

“Well, when I said my father had business to tend to, it meant finding me a husband to increase his profits. It’s completely unfair! All I keep hearing is how wonderful Patrick is – how he’s really going to help the business. My parents act as if he’s the son they wished they had. Well, then, why don’t they just adopt him? I don’t want to marry this man. I mean, I haven’t even met him yet!”

She feels her eyes welling with tears again, but tries to hold them back.

“You’re getting married? Man, I’m messing everything up.”

“What? No, you’re not messing this up. I...I’m sorry. I needed to talk to someone. I didn’t mean for you to feel bad about this.”

“No, that’s not what I meant either. I broke up with my girlfriend tonight because I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Well, I don’t know if we really broke up, but we’re taking some time apart. I mean, I know I just met you, but I like you. And now I find out that you’re as good as taken.”

“Well, not yet. Can I meet you tomorrow?” she whispers hopefully.

“Yeah, sure. Where are you staying? I can pick you up and take you sight-seeing.”
Jahzara gives him all the information and soon settles into a peaceful night, longing for the sun to rise unto a brighter day.

Fate’s Game Part 3

The next day, Roxanne wakes up at dawn to the beautiful sunshine. She slowly draws open the curtains to her apartment and contentedly stares at the perfect blue skies. As she pulls out her clothes and heads to the shower, she wonders how Raphael is doing. She also recalls the late phone call from Miguel, who somehow knew that something was wrong. Although she tries to calm down, she finds herself on the verge of tears once again. Roxanne could never be mad at Raphael – she loves him too much – but she is unsure of the friendship they hope to maintain.

That same morning, Raphael looks out his window and drinks in the golden rays as he prepares for his day with Jahzara. First, he hopes that she’ll agree to a stroll in Central Park. Then, he’ll take her to the Empire State Building, and finally the Twin Towers.

While Raphael plans the day, Jahzara focuses on how to leave the hotel room without her parents noticing. She sneaks out of her room to hear the television playing her mother’s favorite show and her father on the phone talking to Patrick about the wedding plans.

She sighs and shakes her head, wondering if her parents will ever bother listening to her. She successfully sneaks into the lobby around nine thirty. She waits for about ten more minutes before Raphael shows up. When he does, she feels her heart beat ferociously in her chest.

Raphael catches her eye and his heart leaps into his throat. Neither can speak for a moment, but
they do not need words. He takes her hand and unsuspectingly leads her into Fate’s game.

“Oh, this weather is perfect!” Jahzara exclaims as Raphael walks her through Central Park. Dogs chase Frisbees and couples sit closely and enjoy the surprisingly warm weather for a late February day.

“Hey, maybe we should go to the World Trade Centers now, instead of later. I can’t wait until you see them. They’re so tall – taller than the Empire State Building. And the inside - breathtaking.”

“It sounds amazing.”

Raphael and Jahzara continue until they make it to a smaller park.

“What do you think?” Raphael asks, pointing to the magnificent skyscrapers.

“Wow, they’re...amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Jahzara replies, astounded.

As they begin to cross the street, Jahzara pulls Raphael’s arm.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, his voice full of concern.

“My parents. And my...I mean, Patrick. They can’t see me.”

“What should we do?”

“I don’t know. Isn’t there somewhere we could hide for a minute or so?”

“Come on. We can sneak into the parking lot area. They shouldn’t see us.”

They try to move as quickly as possible, but Jahzara is immediately recognized as they approach their destination.

“Jahzara!” her father calls.

“Oh, no!” she moans.

They have no choice but to wait for her parents and her future husband. As they arrive, everyone exchanges nervous and confused glances.

“Who are you?” her father asks in a harsh tone.

“I’m Raphael, sir. Pleased to meet you.”

Raphael extends his hand, but to no avail. The cold, silent stares make him wince as he realizes that this family will not accept his love for their daughter. He begins to worry even more when he sees Patrick walking up to him.

“Why are you with him?” he asks Jahzara.

She glances at Raphael with a distraught expression. Turning back to Patrick she calmly says,

“We’re together. Patrick, I can’t marry you.”

She notices the pain in his eyes and feels guilty, but the sudden anger in her father makes her forget Patrick immediately.

“Father, I can’t. I’m sorry. I’m in love with Raphael. And he loves me, too.”

“If that’s what you choose, then you are no longer my daughter.”

“Father, please.”

As he turns to walk away, several things happen simultaneously. Raphael hears a voice calling him and turns to see Miguel running towards him, screaming for him to get far away from the Twin Towers. Miguel approaches with speed, but cannot pull Raphael away in time. A sudden explosion overtakes the scene. The source? A bomb planted in a car originally meant for the U.N. building. Smoke covers the parking lot, rising into a darkened sky.

While preparing lunch just before twelve thirty, Roxanne turns the news on to see headlines flashing. She stares, unable to believe what she is seeing. She runs to her window and looks out to see gray coloring the once perfect blue sky. As she heads back to the living room, the television announcer declares that six deaths have been determined so far: one police officer and five civilians. The police ask for help identifying the victims.

Roxanne notices that many people begin to gather around the scene, and she follows them. As she approaches, she picks up a cap with the name of Raphael’s team. She hesitates.

“No...” she whispers. “Coincidence. Please, let it be a coincidence.”

Her reassurance deteriorates as she gets closer. She cannot control herself any longer and runs to the scene. She can see two strangers’ bodies near Miguel – the only person she had left to communicate with after the break-up. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, saying a small prayer for her friend. Allowing her eyes to wander a little further, Roxanne sees intertwined hands creating the top headline for weeks to come: “A Tale to Tell: Princess Jahzara and her Raphael.”

Kaye Bassarath