Damn you, Rich!
"Well, I am not much of a dancer..."
"That's ok. If you don't know what to do, just twirl me around!"
And so he did, and they danced...
The band played Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the U.S.A' and she told him she wasn't even born in the USA. He told her that he was a Canadian born in Europe. She wanted to ask where in Europe and how he ended up here. But she didn't. Because that would have meant telling him her story as well and she didn't want to.
She didn't think he was untrustworthy, but she just wasn't sure what her story was anymore. She didn't know if it mattered what her story had been. She just wanted to forget, stop thinking and enjoy the music. Dancing made her feel alive. She needed a drink to loosen up sometimes and the right pair of shoes. After three ligament injuries to her knee, two back injuries, one of which was sustained dancing in the rain, she wanted to make sure her shoes were right. She wore boots that night and loved the sound they made on the dance floor. She felt the music and it made her come alive again. She always felt the music. She was a little dramatic and cliched in that sense. Maybe even a little old fashioned. But at 30, she was old!
He asked her her name. Without missing a beat, she replied, "Su". She just knew she was Su tonight. Not Sunaina. She saw Sunaina in the mirror, but Rich told her that she should go by "Su". He called himself Rich, because he thought Richard was too long a name! She told him they all called her Naina, but he told her she looked like "Su". So when this stranger asked her her name, she said "Su", because she was tired of being Sunaina. Sunaina had gone through a lot of pain and she was here to forget. The anonymity that "Su" afforded her gave her comfort, because she was here to run away from her feelings and didn't want to be found tonight. She wanted to ask his name, but then that would mean getting to know him. She didn't want to get to know anyone or feel close to them. She wanted to feel the music and she wanted to feel her body move. She always said her body was made to move. She could never sit still. It might have had something to do with how restless her mind had always been, but she didn't think too much about it. She over-thought a lot of things, but this wasn't one of them.
Su enjoyed herself dancing with the stranger, who by the way, was a real gentleman. She had no way of knowing, but he left his friend alone and danced with her, because she asked him to. So he must either be a terrible friend, or somewhat of a gentleman. Rich told her that guys found it tough to approach girls and wished sometimes that girls would approach them and make it easier. Rich said a lot of things like that and she wasn't sure she trusted him. But that night, she had had two drinks, which in Naina's world was one month's supply. It was in her old world. In her new world, she easily went through a wine bottle a week, all by herself. Wine was the only alcohol she allowed herself to drink alone, and it might have been because she secretly thought wine was a food group. It was when she was enjoying her Merlot and telling Rich about the guy she wanted to ask out at a bar, but didn't, that Rich told her that she should ask guys out and show them some mercy. So after two drinks and an insatiable desire to dance, she decided she would find herself a partner. She got asked to dance sometimes, but that night she went with a friend who was a boy and nobody would ask out a woman who came in with another man. I say boy because he was supposed to be her wingman but was too shy to introduce her to anyone. Maybe that's why Rich got in her head and as she walked back to the dance floor after a little break, she stopped by their table and asked, "Which of you knows how to dance?"
And so, Su danced. And she danced to Born in the U.S.A as well. She had no clue why the band would pick that song, but they did a really good rendition and Su felt herself move. And felt him twirl her. They always liked to twirl her. She looked pretty when twirled. Her dress would flare out, and her hair would fly and she would look free and happy and unburdened.
He asked her if she was about to get married to the guy she came in with. She laughed and said, "Him? Oh no! He's my brother!". She's not sure why she said brother and not, friend-who's-a-crappy-wingman. It might have been because it was a mouthful and all she wanted was to dance. To tap her feet to the music. To know her body moved perfectly to the beat of the music. She was a perfectionist, even when drunk. And so she danced with the Canadian. And then she felt bad for having him leave his friend alone, and after a while, told him to go back. And he was still very chivalrous and gracious towards her "brother", who he thanked for letting him dance with Su. But Su wasn't done dancing that night and she danced with some not so memorable men, a woman who also twirled her and executed a perfect fall! She loved that, because her hair fell back and shined and looked just perfect!
Damn you, Rich! I had a good time. Thanks for getting your bullshit in my head this one time. Only this one time though, ok?
"That's ok. If you don't know what to do, just twirl me around!"
And so he did, and they danced...
The band played Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the U.S.A' and she told him she wasn't even born in the USA. He told her that he was a Canadian born in Europe. She wanted to ask where in Europe and how he ended up here. But she didn't. Because that would have meant telling him her story as well and she didn't want to.
She didn't think he was untrustworthy, but she just wasn't sure what her story was anymore. She didn't know if it mattered what her story had been. She just wanted to forget, stop thinking and enjoy the music. Dancing made her feel alive. She needed a drink to loosen up sometimes and the right pair of shoes. After three ligament injuries to her knee, two back injuries, one of which was sustained dancing in the rain, she wanted to make sure her shoes were right. She wore boots that night and loved the sound they made on the dance floor. She felt the music and it made her come alive again. She always felt the music. She was a little dramatic and cliched in that sense. Maybe even a little old fashioned. But at 30, she was old!
He asked her her name. Without missing a beat, she replied, "Su". She just knew she was Su tonight. Not Sunaina. She saw Sunaina in the mirror, but Rich told her that she should go by "Su". He called himself Rich, because he thought Richard was too long a name! She told him they all called her Naina, but he told her she looked like "Su". So when this stranger asked her her name, she said "Su", because she was tired of being Sunaina. Sunaina had gone through a lot of pain and she was here to forget. The anonymity that "Su" afforded her gave her comfort, because she was here to run away from her feelings and didn't want to be found tonight. She wanted to ask his name, but then that would mean getting to know him. She didn't want to get to know anyone or feel close to them. She wanted to feel the music and she wanted to feel her body move. She always said her body was made to move. She could never sit still. It might have had something to do with how restless her mind had always been, but she didn't think too much about it. She over-thought a lot of things, but this wasn't one of them.
Su enjoyed herself dancing with the stranger, who by the way, was a real gentleman. She had no way of knowing, but he left his friend alone and danced with her, because she asked him to. So he must either be a terrible friend, or somewhat of a gentleman. Rich told her that guys found it tough to approach girls and wished sometimes that girls would approach them and make it easier. Rich said a lot of things like that and she wasn't sure she trusted him. But that night, she had had two drinks, which in Naina's world was one month's supply. It was in her old world. In her new world, she easily went through a wine bottle a week, all by herself. Wine was the only alcohol she allowed herself to drink alone, and it might have been because she secretly thought wine was a food group. It was when she was enjoying her Merlot and telling Rich about the guy she wanted to ask out at a bar, but didn't, that Rich told her that she should ask guys out and show them some mercy. So after two drinks and an insatiable desire to dance, she decided she would find herself a partner. She got asked to dance sometimes, but that night she went with a friend who was a boy and nobody would ask out a woman who came in with another man. I say boy because he was supposed to be her wingman but was too shy to introduce her to anyone. Maybe that's why Rich got in her head and as she walked back to the dance floor after a little break, she stopped by their table and asked, "Which of you knows how to dance?"
And so, Su danced. And she danced to Born in the U.S.A as well. She had no clue why the band would pick that song, but they did a really good rendition and Su felt herself move. And felt him twirl her. They always liked to twirl her. She looked pretty when twirled. Her dress would flare out, and her hair would fly and she would look free and happy and unburdened.
He asked her if she was about to get married to the guy she came in with. She laughed and said, "Him? Oh no! He's my brother!". She's not sure why she said brother and not, friend-who's-a-crappy-wingman. It might have been because it was a mouthful and all she wanted was to dance. To tap her feet to the music. To know her body moved perfectly to the beat of the music. She was a perfectionist, even when drunk. And so she danced with the Canadian. And then she felt bad for having him leave his friend alone, and after a while, told him to go back. And he was still very chivalrous and gracious towards her "brother", who he thanked for letting him dance with Su. But Su wasn't done dancing that night and she danced with some not so memorable men, a woman who also twirled her and executed a perfect fall! She loved that, because her hair fell back and shined and looked just perfect!
Damn you, Rich! I had a good time. Thanks for getting your bullshit in my head this one time. Only this one time though, ok?
posted by Pearl @ 7:32 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home