Dear BA,
I’m writing this in hopes that you’d read it someday.
As long as I can remember, I have seldom liked slow classical songs. On the contrary, I have fond memories of me head-banging to alternate songs and soft metal from my childhood to early adulthood, pretending I’m on the stage in front of thousands of fans singing to heart’s content (when no one was around). So, I was a little surprised when I realized I liked what I heard after my phone played Frank Sinatra’s ‘Strangers In The Night’. So I played it again. The more I listened to it, the more I liked it. Although the noises from the bus I was in and the traffic outside was deafening, it didn’t seem to matter.
The hot summer day slowly turned to night as the sun handed the reins to the moon and the stars. I always put on some music to go to sleep. That day was no exception. As the playlist went on, I began to drift away. That’s when the images started to form, so vivid that it felt real. I was somewhere fancy, a party it turned out to be (real Royal type). I was in a hall of a big building with a glass of scotch in my hand. There were many people around in all the fancy clothes: men in suits and tuxs, women in expensive clothes and jewellery. A band dressed in uniform was playing soft music. It was then that I realized that there were people dancing slowly beat to beat. Couples holding hands and swaying to the music the band was playing. Everyone looked so happy. Then I noticed that I was watching everyone one by one, searching for something, although I didn’t know what. The band played on, filling the room with slow melody that seemed to make the whole environment serene and enjoyable. Voices and murmurings of the crowd gave the whole setting a lively feature. And as I was inspecting the whole room, you entered through the door wearing that white dress and that white hat, looking just like a princess. Then the party which had been a slow glacier for me took its full speed melting and turning into a violent waterfall.
Yes, I am taking the words straight out of the song but there was something about you so inviting that I just couldn’t take my eyes off of you. Not just in the dream, you have this magnetic allure which seems to drag me towards you, always. Minutes turned to hour and I knew I had to do something. What? I didn’t know. When? When the opportune moment presented itself. As it turned out, I didn’t have to wait much longer as the band began to play Sinatra’s ‘Strangers In The Night’. This must have been the moment my phone started to play the song. I gulped down the liquor and put my empty glass down on the table. Then I went straight to you and with my hand held out asked:
“Would you like to dance?”
dreading you’d say no. But you didn’t. In fact, you didn’t say anything at all. You just looked into my eyes, smiled (which said ‘What took you so long?’) and took my hand. With a relief I smiled back and we went to the dance floor, where we slowly moved to Sinatra’s music, taking in the words. We didn’t utter a word; our silence did all the talking. You: with your head on my shoulder, so assured that I’d be there for you no matter what. Me: holding you close (all the happiness I needed right there) trying to say ‘you can always count on me’. Us: drowned in each other’s eyes, so ecstatic, so fulfilled, ignorant of the troubles of the rest of the world. There, at that moment, it was just you, me and the music. Then the surroundings began to whirl. People around us changed, the place changed but the song was the same and we were still dancing. I realized that I was old now, wrinkled and weak. You were older too but just as beautiful as the day I first laid my eyes on you. You still had your head on my shoulder and I was still holding you close. We were still ecstatic, still ignorant of the troubles of the rest of the world, dancing ours away.
When I woke up, I wanted to go straight back to sleep hoping the dream to continue. But we seldom get what we want. And funny thing is whenever I hear that song or see you, the dreams always come alive and pictures us the way I did in my dream, how we had each other, grew old together. Funnier still, I never liked dancing before then. I don’t like it now either, except with you. With you, I would dance the night away. So, if you’re reading this, would you like to dance with me?
-AD