It was the most anticipated event in town. What made it special was that it was a rare free event. ‘Come as you are’, the poster said. Some people scoffed and said ‘who ever heard of a free Ball?’ The only deterrent was the long and narrow road which led uphill to the Castle where the Ball would hold. The road was so narrow, it could only be reached on foot. She was determined to go anyway.
As she entered the most opulent hall she had ever seen, she was greeted with the sound of beautiful music. Her heart leapt at the sound of the music and she wished she could join the dance immediately. She suddenly remembered her ‘ordinary’ clothes and fact that she had no partner to dance with…
As she stood in the corner of the room wondering why she had bothered to come, a dashing young gentleman appeared out of the crowd and asked her for a dance. Unable to resist the music and the charm of this well dressed, handsome man, she obliged him. And so they danced through two songs. It was such an enchanting time that she forgot herself quite completely and trusted this stranger as he led her in the dance steps. Soon they were the center of the floor as every one in the room stepped away from them and cheered them on… Then suddenly, and without warning, the music and the beat changed and as though on cue, the gentleman disappeared literally vanishing into the crowd. She stood there in her plain clothes, in the center of the the dance floor without a partner and not knowing the dance steps to this new and strange tune. She had never felt so alone, so ashamed….. so afraid. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she sought a way to flee the room but her feet remained rooted to the floor.
‘Will you dance this number with me, my lady?’ said a deep rich voice behind her. She turned around startled and saw the man with such a soothing voice. Nobody had ever addressed her as such. Who was this man? Another deceiver like the last man? There was something strangely different about him. He had a smile that was enrapturing and his eyes, his eyes seemed so powerful yet tender with joy and sadness that saw right through her. She quivered involuntarily as he took her hand. He leaned in toward her and whispered, follow my steps, I know the tune and the dance, I will lead you… I am the Lord of the Dance… She leaned on him as he led her and the crowd began to cheer again as he threw her in the air and caught her, swung her around, held her close and skipped about the floor expertly. She could not understand what was happening. Why would the Lord of the Dance choose to dance with her, this lowly, ordinary and rejected girl? ‘Because I love you’, he said in answer to her thoughts. ‘I have always loved you and I planned all this just to show the whole town my love for you’…
written by Olufemi Olugbemiro