Second Sight

At a pivotal point in her life, Margaret, barely 40, accidentally meets a 25-year old blind musician on a train. Both are traveling to Nevada: she, for a divorce; he, for his first job out of New York on his own. By the second day, having spent some "get acquainted" time together, they decide to "jump train" and drive across the country stopping off along the way to do some sight-seeing. Slowly, they become comfortable with each other, especially when their mutual love of jazz is discovered and, specifically as Margaret learns, through Neil, how to accompany him through his sightless world. The events that occur and unfold bring about a total metamorphosis in the appraisal each has of himself, resulting in who they really are as opposed to who they think/thought they were. The story is parallel structured: The top level is what happens during their two-week drive; the underneath layer, told in alternating chapters, is a replay of Margaret´s early tumultuous and tragic years, but tantamount to the ongoing story. Because Neil is sightless, he sees the real Margaret; because it is too painful for Margaret to look at herself and her life, she takes the time to really look at Neil. The love story is short-lived; its effect -- lifelong.