Ch. 3. Dinner and a Dance for 2
When all the guests were seated, with Carl at the head of the table and Anuk at the corner, the minister across from Anuk leaned in and spoke to Carl.
"You're not thinking of changing her back are you?" he hissed in a concerned voice.
"Oh my friend, I do not think that will be necessary. I do not believe she was fully changed in the first place. She knows the words of the feelings that have been lost for 2 years now. However, she does not know what they mean. I am going to give her time, around people like us, and see if she can recall these feelings," He was smiling again at his plan.
Anuk was staring at her plate. As she transferred the food from her plate to her mouth she was aware of the stillness of the room. She swallowed each bite for the sake of movement. And suddenly she became aware of what this feeling was called. She cleared her throat, "Well, this is awkward. May I ask where each of you is from?"
Prime Minister Carl was beaming, "Splendid! You see, she is learning. This is amazing! Go on Anuk, continue."
She stared at him puzzled and went back to eating.
Around the hall whispers erupted as Prime Ministers shared idea with one another. Many did not find it safe or just. Others found it exciting and intriguing.
A bell chimed as a butler announced the coming of a second course.
The rest of the dinner continued with no more interruptions. When guests started leaving Carl and Anuk were at the door shaking hands with everyone that passed through the doors, wishing them a good night and safe trip home. Anuk didn't know what a good night or a safe trip home was, but that was what Carl was saying, so she said the same. (This was also to the entertainment of Carl, so he was smiling at even the ministers who he disliked.)
When everyone was finally gone and the front doors were closed the P.M. turned to Anuk, "Would you care to dance?"
She tilted her head and nodded.
He smiled and led her to a ballroom. There was a band sitting on a stage and they began to play slowly when he entered. He put his left hand around her waist and grabbed her left hand with his right. She looked at his wide smile and bright eyes with a straight face.
He twirled her across the dance floor, and at one point in the song that got more intense he could almost see a smile on her face. After about 5 songs he let go of her hand, but kept one hand on her waist. He moved his free hand to her face and pushed back a curled piece of hair behind her ear. He smiled gently, wondering if she felt anything.
Anuk shifted her eyes, I don't really understand… She put both hands around his neck.
He broadened his smile and put his free hand on the other side of her waste. He pulled her closer and stared into her bottomless eyes. She looked back at his eyes and saw something flicker. It was as if the fire that had been there before had been momentarily been turned into a candle. And in that moment Anuk had smiled as wide as was possible and had pulled his head toward her. Their lips met and neither person moved.
She moved her right hand up the back of his neck and through his hair. The kiss only ended because of the most wonderful thing that the Minister could have imagined, Anuk felt the happiness that he gave and the love that he felt for her. Her breathing almost stopped as she remembered that boy. She couldn't recall his face or his name, but she couldn't shake the feeling of missing him as she ran from the ballroom.
Carl was close behind her, but he stopped at the main entrance and watched her dash down the street. He wanted to smile. After all, he had accomplished his goal. Her eyes had taken on life and she had felt.
He understood, though, that the life she had gained in that brief moment had been taken from his own feelings. Such a strange thing it is. It started as my experiment in the first month, and has turned into my loving obsession. He chuckled at himself, wondering if she would remember the events the next day. He made arrangements to stop by her house the next morning.
ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః
When Anuk arrived finally at her complex she stumbled through the door and for a minute had to catch her breath from running the whole way. She furrowed her perfect, slender eyebrows, I don't understand, why is my breathing so heavy? She fell into an armchair and sat with her eyes closed, wanting to fall asleep and erase this new feeling of loss that had come over her.
ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః౦ః
Many of the attending ministers spoke for hours about Prime Minister Carl's project. They were all well aware it was coming along as he wanted and they knew he meant to take it further. Success was never reached in the eyes of Carl, for he believed in nothing but the words "over achieving", and over achieving was the minimum. All were worried, and most exhilarated at the idea. Maybe they would find one lady for themselves if his plan worked. It was an important project and an intense idea. After two years who knows what she might have forgotten or what might happen in the recovery. No one knew her past; all records with that information had been burned. It had been the plan that no one would go back to how it was before, it didn't seem so important anymore. In fact, most of the ministers actually welcomed the idea. (Mainly because they missed daily interaction that actually meant something.)
The next morning Carl sat at his desk in his East Study. His glasses slid to the end of his nose as he was huddled over a stack of papers to be signed and letters from many of the ministers that had attended his dinner. "Well they don't skip a beat to criticize do they?" he asked himself. He had been expecting complaint letters from some of them, but the stack of unopened mail was outrageous, nearly every one of them had sent him 3 pages of script.
By the time he opened the 10th letter he was laughing hysterically. "Would you look at that!" he yelled and through his head back, "they love her!"
Dear Minister Abignail:
I was so intrigued by your lady friend I felt inclined to inquire as to your restrictions regarding her publicity amongst the Prime Ministers of the world. As you know I run the Minister's Herald as Editor In Chief. Also you know it is distributed to every minister throughout the world. I ask you to please consider this proposition:
I would deeply love if your lady would join me and a few of the ministers from around my area in a dinner, and then if she would be so kind as to do an interview of sorts, hosted by my good friend Minister Daschund of the Middle West Region. I understand the concern you might have, but I assure you I will make sure of her safety and comfort during her stay here. I can arrange for an escort to pick her up on Saturday of this week and I will have her returned 2 weeks after.
We do look forward to having her stay with us. Thank you for your generosity.
Sincerely,
Minister Charles Ronalds
"Well, well, well. Would you look at that."
Carl laughed at the letter and was about to put it aside when he read it over and scowled, "I hope he does not intend on keeping her as his own, because I was certainly not invited." He wrote a prompt letter back saying it would be a good idea for her to travel and to experience new places and the feeling of homesickness. He would have her waiting at his house at 10 that Saturday.
With a sigh he sent the letter and proceeded to go tell Anuk about her upcoming adventure.
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