The Fool on the
Hill
by Jerry Guarino
Tony and Heather arrived at
the Paris airport and were waiting for their
baggage. The airport had granted permission to
some street performers to entertain visitors.
There was a string quartet playing classical
music, two jugglers, a magician and a mime.
“Look at them, Tony. What a colorful
reception.”
“Heather, this may be the romantic vacation
you always wanted.”
While Tony watched the magician, Heather noticed
the mime, gesticulating his trapped in a box
routine. When the mime saw her, he held his hands
over his heart, indicating his love for her.
Heather smiled back at him.
That may have been a mistake.
***
The next morning, Tony and
Heather got up early from their hotel in
Montmartre, an artsy section on a hill in Paris.
They had a full day planned.
They began at the Louvre. Classical music played
softly while people gazed at the famous paintings.
Tony and Heather loved the Impressionists, such
as Cézanne, Monet, and Renoir.
“Let’s get a poster at the gift shop
when we leave, Heather.”
“And one of those replica Eiffel Tower
charms for my bracelet, Tony.”
Heather caught a glimpse of someone dressed in
red, white and black. It was a mime. Was this the
same mime she saw at the airport? He was standing
beside a painting by Pierrot, of a white-clad
melancholic mime. Heather gestured for the mime
to leave her alone. But the mime followed her
around the gallery, out of Tony’s sight.
She thought she should tell Tony, but knew they
were leaving soon.
After getting souvenirs at the gift shop, they
headed to a café for brunch.
“This isn’t Tim Horton’s, dear.
You’ll have to settle for a croissant.”
Tony laughed.
A leisurely breakfast was interrupted when
Heather saw the mime again. He was hiding in the
bushes about fifty feet behind Tony’s back.
Heather gestured for the mime to go away.
“Is something wrong, dear?”
“Just an insect, but it’s gone now.”
Next, they walked to the Eiffel Tower and took
the elevator for the iconic view. As they rose,
Heather saw the mime below, waving a bouquet of
flowers and a box of candy. Heather had to
chuckle. No one had pursued her like this since
college. Maybe this will be a story she can tell
her girl friends back home, but not Tony.
When they came back down, Heather saw that the
mime had left. “Thank God.”
“Did you say something, dear?”
“I said that the tower is like a gift from
God.”
They ended their day with a romantic dinner
cruise on the Seine. The boat had large glass
windows on both sides, where diners could eat and
view monuments along the river. There was the
Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Louvre Museum,
stops they had made that day. It was the perfect
experience to end their adventure in Paris.
The waiter brought wine to the table and their
meals, French, of course.
“Excuse me, dear. I’d like to wash up.”
Tony left for the bathroom.
The mime appeared out of nowhere! Heather almost
spilled her wine.
“What are you doing here? Leave immediately.”
But the mime pulled out a red rose from his
jacket and handed it to Heather.
“I am not your true love. You must leave me
alone before my husband gets back.”
The mime was crestfallen, but stealthily left.
After the cruise, they returned to the fountain
next to their hotel. There he was, the mime who
had been stalking them all day. He was still
trying to flirt secretly with Heather. His skills
as a mime made this easy for him, a silent lover.
He waited for his chance, but the couple headed
back to their room.
Tony and Heather were exhausted from the day, and
the mime games.
“It’s almost midnight, sweetheart. Can
we postpone romance until tomorrow? I’m beat.”
“Of course, dear, maybe in the morning?”
“That sounds perfect, sweetheart.” Tony
was snoring within minutes.
Heather decided to take a midnight stroll by the
fountain, to clear her mind from all the mime.
But there he was, waiting for her with open arms.
He puckered his lips with closed eyes, begging
for a kiss.
“What the hell,” she said to
herself.
She finally relented and kissed the mime
passionately.
“Oh, I’ve never felt a kiss like
this. More, please.”
While Tony slept, Heather continued her affair
with the mime.
“Can we move this to somewhere more private?”
The mime took Heather’s hand and led her to
a small cottage in the woods. He opened the door
and directed her to a large heart- shaped bed,
surrounded by candles lit for the occasion.
The mime ravished Heather for over two hours. She
noticed the time.
“I have to get back before my husband wakes
up. But you are the greatest lover I’ve ever
had.”
The mime blushed. He motioned that he was sorry
to see her go.
“Will I ever see you again? What is your
name?”
The mime pulled out a small chalkboard and wrote
“MARCEL”.
“Not THE Marcel?”
He wrote, MY GRANDFATHER.
Heather was shocked. “Well, I think we have
moved past the need for silence. I want to hear
your voice.”
The mime wrote quickly on his chalkboard.
“I’m mute.”
Heather smiled. “Viva la France, Marcel.”
And she returned to the hotel and got into bed
with Tony before he woke up.
The
Fool on the Hill by Jerry Guarino
Copyright February, 2026 – All Rights
Reserved
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