First Dance
It was my turn and I greeted her with a innocent kiss on the cheek. I held her hand and copied what everyone else did before me. I really didn’t know what to do. Clearly, it was my first dance.
“Pasensya na ha, baka maapakan kita, babagalan ko na lang (Sorry in advance, I might step on you.)” I whispered to the girl I was holding with the first public social dance I ever did in my entire life. She smiled innocently and those precious minutes seemed like an eternity with the anxiety that I might ruin the night of this girl in front of me. The last thing I want with this first dance is step on something other than the floor and with a long history of having disagreements with gravity I was already anticipating some kind of disaster. I was smiling all the time signaling the tension with every stride and every step. “Anong year mo na kuya? Ilang taon ka na? (What year in college are you now? How old are you?)” her voice breaking the silence between us. “I’m already working.” I smiled and continued “I’m 21, di lang halata (I’m 21, it’s not obvious though). She smiled and to my relief the dance was almost over.
I went back to my assigned seat and watched as the guy after me danced with her. I was the third to the last guy and I could see that the guy after me was someone special. The girls smile was different from the smile she flashed before me, it was sweeter. I would not have made her smile like that when we were together.
Looking from the distance, I noticed the mistakes I did while I was the one dancing. They were clearer compared to when I was the one in the dance. I should have raised my shoulders a bit more, I should have held her more closer, I should have moved a bit more and more should haves I could think of. It came to me, if only I could dance with her once more, I could have been more gracious. But you only get one chance, that’s the thing with this kind of dances. You only get one shot.
But the good with it is that after every dance you learn where you lacked, where you overdid, where your partner lacked, where you should have done something to assist her and where to stop and let her go to dance with somebody else.
After every dance, you stop, observe and appreciate the moment of not dancing. Wait until the next dance.
That next dance where you’ll do better.
I went back to my assigned seat and watched as the guy after me danced with her. I was the third to the last guy and I could see that the guy after me was someone special. The girls smile was different from the smile she flashed before me, it was sweeter. I would not have made her smile like that when we were together.
Looking from the distance, I noticed the mistakes I did while I was the one dancing. They were clearer compared to when I was the one in the dance. I should have raised my shoulders a bit more, I should have held her more closer, I should have moved a bit more and more should haves I could think of. It came to me, if only I could dance with her once more, I could have been more gracious. But you only get one chance, that’s the thing with this kind of dances. You only get one shot.
But the good with it is that after every dance you learn where you lacked, where you overdid, where your partner lacked, where you should have done something to assist her and where to stop and let her go to dance with somebody else.
After every dance, you stop, observe and appreciate the moment of not dancing. Wait until the next dance.
That next dance where you’ll do better.
Photo Credits: Love
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Short Stories
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