THE SHOW

"Still nothing?" Sarah asks calmly, putting her hands gently on Jeremy's shoulders as she stands behind him. The young man is sitting at his desk, his face gluedto his screen.

"Still nothing," Jeremy replies without moving an inch.

"Hey, do you want to come and see my show tonight."

"Do you do shows?" Jeremy asks, turning to the young woman, interested.

"In my free time, yes. It's probably the only thing I do without Stephan."

"You've convinced me!" Jeremy exclaims immediately, clapping his hands enthusiastically.

"Perfect, but I have one thing to ask first, if I may," Sarah adds with a mischievous smile.

"What is it?"

"Can you temporarily disable that thing?" She continues, pointing her finger at Jeremy's eyes.

"My device?" He says, puzzled, pointing at his temple. "Yes, I can, but why?" He asks, intrigued.

"You'll find out!" Sarah replies simply. "Come home around 5, my mother'll drive you to the place. I have to be there earlier. The show starts at 6," she says as she starts walking away.

"Thanks for the invite!" Jeremy says smiling before turning back on his chair to ask Sarah:

"By the way, what kind of show is it?"

"It's a dance show. It's called: The New World," Sarah replies without turning around or stopping.

***

A few hours later, Jeremy and Nina arrive in a luxurious hall where an enthusiastic and noisy audience is waiting for the show to begin, holding their device in their hands, chatting away with the company sitting by their side. It is at this precise moment that Jeremy realises that it is the first time since he lost his sight that he has been invited to "see" a show. The young man observes with the silence and amazement of a child the strange universe around him, the comfortable and spacious seats, the immensity of the stage in front of him where a few stairs give access only to those who are creative and grandiose enough to go up there. 

Nina remains quietly sitting on her seat next to Jeremy, her handbag on her lap. Suddenly, the lights in the hall gradually dim to engulf the spectators in darkness whereas the stage lights up, revealing Sarah who is wearing a glittering black dress and her black wig. She immediately spots her mother and Jeremy in the audience and gives them a smile before addressing the audience. Once her speech is over, Sarah gazes at Jeremy, smiling, then she raises her finger to her eyes for a split second.

"Sarah's motioned for you to turn off your device," Nina says softly, leaning over Jeremy.

"I know. I've seen it," he replies softly as well, intrigued by the request, but he immediately switches off his device with a simple thought like an order given by his brain to his blind eyes. This is how the doctors explained it to him after the operation. He could activate or deactivate his device at will.

Darkness.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The New World," Sarah's voice exclaims into the microphone. Her voice rises like an echo to project itself against the walls of the large hall all the way to the ears of the attentive audience. It has been months since Jeremy was last able to appreciate the world like this: dark, vast, vibrant with sound and warmth.

Silence.

Nina sits up in her seat, clutching her handbag; movement. No one moves anymore. The audience remains still, frozen, their gaze fixed on the stage, waiting for the dancers. 

Stillness. 

Suddenly, soft footsteps on the wooden flooring of the stage. 

Movement. 

At the same time, the little jerky and metallic sound of water falling from the sky onto virgin land rises.

Matter. 

An intoxicating rhythm starts spreading throughout the entire hall like a wave. 

Sound.

Two hours later, the whole audience rises to cheer the dancers. Jeremy follows them in their movement, his heart still beating with emotions. The applause lasts a few minutes, then fades out as the spectators disperse in small groups toward the exit. Some are still waiting patiently in their seats. Nina leans over Jeremy to take his arm gently before guiding him to the stairs towards the stage.

"Mind the steps," she takes the precaution of telling him, adjusting her pace to the young man's.

"So, did you like it?" Sarah's voice asks in front of Jeremy as Nina and he arrive on the stage.

"It was fantastic!" Jeremy replies with a broad smile on his face.

"I'm glad to hear," Sarah's voice comes closer as she takes a few steps to grab a chair before walking towards him and her mother.

"Here, sit down. I won't be long. They don't want visitors backstage," she adds, placing the chair next to him. Jeremy reaches for the back of the chair to sit down. Sarah looks at him admiringly and curiously.

"Jeremy," Nina begins, addressing the young man. He turns his ear towards Nina's voice while raising his face to the ceiling which he can't see. Nina smiles at him.

"How long have you known my daughter?" Nina asked, smiling.

"Two or three months I think," Jeremy replies, not quite understanding why this question.

"Well, I think this is the first time in two or three months that you two actually see each other," she said simply, still smiling. Then, hanging her handbag over her shoulder, she adds, "I'm going now. I guess you'll be fine."

"Yeah, we're good," Sarah replies as Jeremy nods in approval.

"Very well!" Nina continues before blowing a kiss on her daughter's cheek, then finally another kiss on Jeremy's forehead. The young man jumps, surprised at the affectionate gesture. "See you later!" Nina waves at the two young people as she starts walking away.

When her mother is far enough not to be able to hear, Sarah leans towards Jeremy to whisper in his ear, jokingly: 

"My mother likes you."

Only at this specific moment, Jeremy notices how distinctive Sarah's voice is. Her pitch sounds so just. Distracted by all the wonders of shapes and colours that his device allows him to see, he has forgotten to continue to see the world through his other senses as well like after the accident, and before his operation. Nina is right, this is the first time he has ever seen Sarah in all her multiple facets with all her blind spots, and he finds the young woman even more attractive.

On their way back, Sarah and Jeremy walk side by side, arm in arm. The lights in the streets are dimmed to indicate to mankind, instead of the sky, that it is the evening, their body inside and out needs to rest to regenerate, then start all over again the next day the curse of birth and death. Jeremy still hasn't switched back on his device, the warmth of Sarah's body against his comforts him like a protective blanket. They are both alive. They have never been so close to each other even during practices or outings when they danced together. In old films, it is in moments like those that the protagonists should kiss, but these films date from a time when everything was codified and everything had a very specific meaning in society. In Sarah and Jeremy's time, when all human ideas, good or bad, seem to have burnt in the sun, neither young men nor young women of their generation are too sure what they are supposed to do or be in this worn-out charred world. Continuing, doing like everyone else, camouflaging one's differences and above all being quiet, have always been the best options when in doubt. Confused, fearful, too impressed by their parents' and grandparents' stories to dare to dream of doing even better, the young generation continues their way through the endless curse of birth and death. The young couple walks nonchalantly along the streets under the dimmed lights, their bodies pressed against each other like two tangled roots. It seems to them that humanity has reached the limits of human possibilities, their generation is ultimate the full stop, there is no need to look or try to reach any further. 

Why looking? And, looking for what?