THE DANCE
There is thunder off in the distance, and what was once a sunny day is now turning dark. A woman emerges from a carriage wearing a ball gown, and she is escorted up the stairs by two footmen. As she waits politely to be introduced to the hostess, she begins to scan the other guests to see if she recognizes anyone. Seeing no one in particular, she is disappointed but hides it well. As she is directed toward the ballroom, she begins to smile at everyone she sees but moves quickly from one person to another. Not wanting to be rude, she pretends to be relaxed and attentive to each person she talks to while all the time looking for someone else.
Feeling uncomfortable inside, she decides to go to the patio to get some fresh air. As she stops to admire the view of the gardens, she is aware of a man sitting alone in the dark. She stands there awkwardly for a moment, hoping he’ll get up and introduce himself or at least say something to her from a distance. But too much time has passed with no response from him, so she turns her back to the view and leans against the patio wall. As she nervously pulls at her dress and straightens it a bit, she turns to face the man in the dark. She knows she would like to talk to him, but she just can’t move forward. She feels excited yet paralyzed at the same time. Even though she is standing straight with her head up, she’s just not ready yet. She feels sick inside and wishes she never came to this party. She just wants to be home, and this was not a good idea at all. But when an inner voice finally tells her there is nothing to lose, she takes a deep breath, steps forward and extends her hand to introduce herself.
He is a tall and thin man that looks like Abraham Lincoln. His movements are stiff and closed up in an odd way. They shake hands and begin to talk. Although she is carrying most of the conversation, he holds her hand longer than most while she chats about how nice the party is and how pretty the view. He is smiling, nodding in agreement and seems amused but doesn’t say too much. She can tell he is distracted by something, and she starts to get the impression he is just being polite. Not wanting to bother him anymore, she lets go of his hand and apologizes for intruding. When he continues to just smile at her, she backs away nervously and he returns to the dark, sits down again and crosses his legs.
As she heads back to the party, she is a little embarrassed at having been rejected but not necessarily sorry she talked to him. He does not watch her leave and is busy in his own thoughts. He seems to be brooding about something as he lights a cigarette and begins to smoke. She lifts up her skirt as she climbs the steps and returns to the party. She smiles again at everyone she sees and soon becomes part of the group that is having the most fun that evening. She is dancing every dance now and is glad she came. Occasionally, she glances over at the window to see if that man is still there sitting in the dark. As the night goes on, he seems to get more withdrawn and more self-absorbed in his thoughts. He wasn’t interested in her and never gave her another thought after she left. She knows she didn’t miss anything with that one.
Copyright © 2014 (Michelle Parsons, Getting Back on Your Path). All Rights Reserved.
