Looking up the steps, I watch the dark figure of Daniel standing quietly
observing from aloft. Climbing the steps to him, he turns and smiles to me
before once more looking over the joyful crowd. Taking a position next to
him, leaning on the engraved banister, I let the happiness of my people
wash over me as well as the peace I feel from Daniel's body as he leans by
me.
"You enjoyed the ritual" I say, glancing sideways to him and watching as the dim light only reveals part of his face to me from this angle. He smiles at my comment, knowing I already know the answer.
"Yes, it was an amazing sight to watch" he says, not turning to look at me as he speaks. However his arm slips under mine and his fingers entwine into my own. "It was strange, and beautiful. Intense."
As he speaks it seems as if he cannot find the words in which to express himself and I smile to myself. He does not realise we do not need words to know what one is trying to say all the time. He continues oblivious to my understanding.
"At one point it was as if you were all one..." again the words fail to come to him and yet I understand. I felt it, I was part of it, we were all one. One mind, one body, one entity. We are one, and now he was part of that one, at least in some way. "It was fascinating to watch, to experience it without being part of it."
I am about to reply when a voice shouts from below us.
"Rani, are you and Daniel going to stay up there all night"
Looking down below us, I spy my good friend Kiana, hands on hips, head on its side. A sparkle in her eye as she looks at our entwined fingers. I feel a sparkle of childish play emanate from her and quickly stand. A few eyes stray to us, hearing Kiana and I pray the colour in my cheeks is not rising as I take in knowing looks. Pulling Daniel with me down the steps, Kiana links arms with the both of us and leads us to the tables. Planting myself between Parn and Kiana, Samantha sits opposite me by Parn and Jack beside her. I raise a brow as Jack is slowly picking at the petals in a bowl in front of him, casting a glance to Samantha. The marriage petals. Jack clearly enjoys their taste for before one has melted on his tongue another is at his lips. Samantha sees my glance and smiles, as does Nina who places more of the petals in the bowl, she and Samantha giggling before eating some of the food on their own plates. Shaking my head, I place my hand over my mouth to stop the rising laughter. Parn also bows his head but I can feel the enjoyment he finds of the situation.
The food is filled on the tables as quickly as it is devoured and the music plays louder as people stand and dance and frolic together wherever they can find a space. Around me, voices discuss the new-found information they now hold and people near to our new friends ask them questions. Two languages now fill the air. The colour in Samantha's cheeks rises as Dalsh asks her to dance, Parn and I urge to go ahead but we both feel her embarrassment. Dalsh steps back smiling, still holding out a hand. Glancing at Nina we both stand, I pull Parn to his feet and Samantha, who reluctantly stands also.
"I'm really no good at dancing," she says as we pull her to a space near other dancing couples and the children.
Taking her hands in mine, I look her straight in the eye.
"Reach out, feel the music, feel the people around us. Enjoy it" Smiling to Dalsh I put her hands in his, she looks from me to her comrades and then to Dalsh, finally giving in and moving somewhat to the music.
Nina and I both turn to Parn and each outstretch a hand. He shakes his head, gives a hearty laugh, takes a hand in each of his own, and pulls us to him as we start to dance. Joining in with his laughter we twist and turn to the rising sounds of the music. Our enjoyment and laughter fills the air, mixing with the peoples around us.
As the eve passes and more dancers join us we collapse into our chairs once more, taking rest for a moment and sipping the sweet wines laid before us. Jack applauds as Samantha retakes her seat and drapes himself over his chair to watch the musicians. Kiana has taken to dancing with Tealc and Daniel applauds us, a wide smile on his lips.
"I never knew you could dance like that Sam," he says with approval over the table.
"Thankyou Daniel, I enjoyed it. And thankyou Dalsh" she said smiling to Dalsh who had seated himself by Jack.
"This is turning into quite a eve," says Daniel looking to us all.
"It is not over yet" replies Parn with a twinkle in his eye.
"There's more?" asks Jack sitting up and eyeing the bowl of petals lying near him.
"Oh there is always more at a celebration such as this" I reply, as I pull the bowl to me. I can feel Daniel's eyes on me and feel his curiosity. It is a feeling I feel most from him and it seems it is never sated. It is a strangely attractive emotion, I close my eyes and shake my thoughts clear, aware my attraction of this man will be easily interpreted by those close by. I am suddenly aware of Parn and sit a little straighter. I take a glance his way and notice the widening smile on his lips, and I cannot stop the smile gathering on my own. Jack oblivious to this carries on.
"What more could there be? We've observed a ritual; we've had food, drink, dancing. What more could we ask for at a party" Grinning he smiles over to Samantha and his eyes rest longer than his smile which softens but does not disappear. I am not the only one giving out feelings of attraction. Smiling I raise my glass to my lips.
"You will see" I reply. As we speak the dancing couples are already seating themselves down and the music settles, some of the oil owls are blown out and the children settle quietly at their seats eyes open in anticipation. Parn rises and a hush descends along the long tables. I smile and sit back into my chair, glancing to Daniel and then back to Parn as one of the temple servants sounds a gong for silence.
I sense the anticipation rising around me as all eyes settle on the man before us expectantly. Parn, a gleam in his eye as he takes in his audience standing before us, oil bowls placed about him casting shadows eerily away from him in all directions.
"A story my friends?" he offers us a, eyes glinting and hands raised before him. A cheer arises from us the audience. "Or perhaps a song and dance"
A simmer of laughter echoes through us who know Parn best. He is not one known for his singing or solo dancing skills. Smiling jovially to us, he performs a quick jig and we applaud to him laughing.
"A story it is then" he concedes, and we applaud even louder.
"You enjoyed the ritual" I say, glancing sideways to him and watching as the dim light only reveals part of his face to me from this angle. He smiles at my comment, knowing I already know the answer.
"Yes, it was an amazing sight to watch" he says, not turning to look at me as he speaks. However his arm slips under mine and his fingers entwine into my own. "It was strange, and beautiful. Intense."
As he speaks it seems as if he cannot find the words in which to express himself and I smile to myself. He does not realise we do not need words to know what one is trying to say all the time. He continues oblivious to my understanding.
"At one point it was as if you were all one..." again the words fail to come to him and yet I understand. I felt it, I was part of it, we were all one. One mind, one body, one entity. We are one, and now he was part of that one, at least in some way. "It was fascinating to watch, to experience it without being part of it."
I am about to reply when a voice shouts from below us.
"Rani, are you and Daniel going to stay up there all night"
Looking down below us, I spy my good friend Kiana, hands on hips, head on its side. A sparkle in her eye as she looks at our entwined fingers. I feel a sparkle of childish play emanate from her and quickly stand. A few eyes stray to us, hearing Kiana and I pray the colour in my cheeks is not rising as I take in knowing looks. Pulling Daniel with me down the steps, Kiana links arms with the both of us and leads us to the tables. Planting myself between Parn and Kiana, Samantha sits opposite me by Parn and Jack beside her. I raise a brow as Jack is slowly picking at the petals in a bowl in front of him, casting a glance to Samantha. The marriage petals. Jack clearly enjoys their taste for before one has melted on his tongue another is at his lips. Samantha sees my glance and smiles, as does Nina who places more of the petals in the bowl, she and Samantha giggling before eating some of the food on their own plates. Shaking my head, I place my hand over my mouth to stop the rising laughter. Parn also bows his head but I can feel the enjoyment he finds of the situation.
The food is filled on the tables as quickly as it is devoured and the music plays louder as people stand and dance and frolic together wherever they can find a space. Around me, voices discuss the new-found information they now hold and people near to our new friends ask them questions. Two languages now fill the air. The colour in Samantha's cheeks rises as Dalsh asks her to dance, Parn and I urge to go ahead but we both feel her embarrassment. Dalsh steps back smiling, still holding out a hand. Glancing at Nina we both stand, I pull Parn to his feet and Samantha, who reluctantly stands also.
"I'm really no good at dancing," she says as we pull her to a space near other dancing couples and the children.
Taking her hands in mine, I look her straight in the eye.
"Reach out, feel the music, feel the people around us. Enjoy it" Smiling to Dalsh I put her hands in his, she looks from me to her comrades and then to Dalsh, finally giving in and moving somewhat to the music.
Nina and I both turn to Parn and each outstretch a hand. He shakes his head, gives a hearty laugh, takes a hand in each of his own, and pulls us to him as we start to dance. Joining in with his laughter we twist and turn to the rising sounds of the music. Our enjoyment and laughter fills the air, mixing with the peoples around us.
As the eve passes and more dancers join us we collapse into our chairs once more, taking rest for a moment and sipping the sweet wines laid before us. Jack applauds as Samantha retakes her seat and drapes himself over his chair to watch the musicians. Kiana has taken to dancing with Tealc and Daniel applauds us, a wide smile on his lips.
"I never knew you could dance like that Sam," he says with approval over the table.
"Thankyou Daniel, I enjoyed it. And thankyou Dalsh" she said smiling to Dalsh who had seated himself by Jack.
"This is turning into quite a eve," says Daniel looking to us all.
"It is not over yet" replies Parn with a twinkle in his eye.
"There's more?" asks Jack sitting up and eyeing the bowl of petals lying near him.
"Oh there is always more at a celebration such as this" I reply, as I pull the bowl to me. I can feel Daniel's eyes on me and feel his curiosity. It is a feeling I feel most from him and it seems it is never sated. It is a strangely attractive emotion, I close my eyes and shake my thoughts clear, aware my attraction of this man will be easily interpreted by those close by. I am suddenly aware of Parn and sit a little straighter. I take a glance his way and notice the widening smile on his lips, and I cannot stop the smile gathering on my own. Jack oblivious to this carries on.
"What more could there be? We've observed a ritual; we've had food, drink, dancing. What more could we ask for at a party" Grinning he smiles over to Samantha and his eyes rest longer than his smile which softens but does not disappear. I am not the only one giving out feelings of attraction. Smiling I raise my glass to my lips.
"You will see" I reply. As we speak the dancing couples are already seating themselves down and the music settles, some of the oil owls are blown out and the children settle quietly at their seats eyes open in anticipation. Parn rises and a hush descends along the long tables. I smile and sit back into my chair, glancing to Daniel and then back to Parn as one of the temple servants sounds a gong for silence.
I sense the anticipation rising around me as all eyes settle on the man before us expectantly. Parn, a gleam in his eye as he takes in his audience standing before us, oil bowls placed about him casting shadows eerily away from him in all directions.
"A story my friends?" he offers us a, eyes glinting and hands raised before him. A cheer arises from us the audience. "Or perhaps a song and dance"
A simmer of laughter echoes through us who know Parn best. He is not one known for his singing or solo dancing skills. Smiling jovially to us, he performs a quick jig and we applaud to him laughing.
"A story it is then" he concedes, and we applaud even louder.