Chapter 23 – The Moves
I watched as Martin began his instructions. He had a small white board in hand and drew a quick diagram with quick strokes. Then he drew numbers on the sketch and proudly displayed it. It was big blobs and little blobs, with precisely drawn numbers and letters. He looked down at his two pupils perched on our sofa, and neither one looked very happy, as he displayed the diagram.
James was in reception pushing a toy train around the room, perfectly happy to be on his own for a little while.
Meanwhile, our front room had become a classroom.
Al looked white as a sheet, but Morwenna's face was fixed in an awkward smile.
Martin said, "Right. These are the basic moves. I trust that you may be somewhat familiar with the basics, however, I remind you that this is not any of that wild thrashing that goes on nowadays. The letter M marks the man, and the W…"
"The woman?" Morwenna blurted out perkily.
Martin recoiled. "Yes… now…" He looked over at me, seemingly at a loss because of her interruption.
I smiled at my husband encouragingly. "Perhaps this would be easier if we – you and I – showed them?"
"But, that is why I drew the diagram," he mumbled.
"I mean, it might be more straightforward if we used ourselves as a visual aid?" I went to Martin and laid my hand on his shoulder.
He sighed, but I took his hand and turned him around, so we faced one another. "Now," I started to say.
He mumbled, "Louisa? I thought that you wanted me to demonstrate?"
"I do. So, go on then," I whispered. I grinned at Al and Morwenna. "Why don't you two stand up and do what we're doing?"
"Right," Martin was saying. "Al, take her right hand in your left. Uhm, put your right hand on her waist. No, no! Not that low! Raise your hand..." Then he sighed. "The woman puts her arm on the man's right shoulder. Around the side, not over the top. And don't crush her against you like that, Al! Give the woman room to move, for Heaven's sake! You're not going to drag her about holding her like that. You must guide her. You are in control; she you're willing partner."
Morwenna giggled but pushed Al away a few inches.
Martin looked down at me, and I saw a bead of sweat on his forehead. "You're doing fine," I told him.
Air hissed from his nose. "Shall we begin?"
"Yes," I told him.
Martin addressed our guests. "Now we're not doing this with music yet for that will confuse you. Al, you step forward with your left foot, and at the same time, Morwenna you take a step backward with your right. Then Al, you move your right foot forwards, but at a 45 degree angle. Morwenna you do the same, only a mirror movement. That is your right is his left and vice versa."
They awkwardly tried to follow his directions.
He cleared his throat. "Then the man steps sideways with his left foot until it is flat on the floor next to his right. Got it?"
Al and Morwenna looked down at their feet afraid to move another inch.
"Then," Martin went on, "Al, you take a step backwards with your right foot. Follow with your left, but backwards to where it was, also at a 45 degree angle. Then your right foot moves sideways to rest next to your left foot." He nodded. "That's the basic waltz box step. You can make any variety of minor turns to move about the room, otherwise you'll be stuck only staying in one spot."
Morwenna and Al tried gamely to follow his instructions but it looked like a horse who'd been into the beer. She giggled, but Al swore.
Martin let air out of his nose slowly. "It's not that difficult! Basic waltz step – The Box. And let your shoulders move freely while you hold your partner, but we'll get the steps down first."
"Perhaps we ought to show them?" I asked.
"Couldn't hurt," he muttered. So, he and I waltzed slowly around our guests, for a few turns. We stopped, and Martin said, "perhaps it might be better if I danced with Morwenna, and Louisa… Al."
They self-consciously dropped their hands.
"Come on Al," Morwenna urged him. "Give it a go. Show Louisa what you've got!"
Al sheepishly took my right hand in his left and I put my left around his right arm. Martin took Morwenna in his arms, and I must admit I felt a brief twinge of jealously to see how he held her in his control.
"Now… Morwenna, let's dance," he said to her. "Slowly. Smoothly. Follow the man's lead."
She laughed, but cut it short when Martin gave her a dark look. "Right, Doc."
Martin started to dance and in a very few seconds, Morwenna caught on.
"Mor!" Al exclaimed. "You're dancing!"
They were dancing, for Martin was in control. He smoothly waltzed her around the room and back to the starting place. "Fine. All good."
Al dropped his right hand then scratched his face. "Well, if she can do it, I'd better get up to speed. Louisa? Shall we?"
It turned out that after Al got the steps down he was a good and gentle dancer. I could see what Morwenna saw in him, with his warm hands and lanky build, and he had a boyish grin as he got better.
Morwenna clapped her hands. "Oh, Al that's wonderful!"
He turned his head to smile at her, then lost a step, almost tripping me; just missing falling on me by an inch. But he came out of the stumble and got right back into step.
I saw Martin nodding his approval. "Good. Now you dance with Morwenna, Al."
I took Martin's arm and watched as Morwenna took Al's hands as they began to dance. It was jerky at first, but they smoothed out into a beautiful waltz.
Martin almost smiled as his pupils moved about the room.
I whispered to him, "I knew you could do it."
He sighed. "Stands to reason, as you pointed out, that they needed to learn to dance for their wedding."
I patted his back. "I knew that you were talented, Martin, but dance master as well?"
"Hardly," he muttered. "I learnt in school."
After an hour he'd moved them into a variation on the waltz, as well as doing it faster and slower, even with music.
It was a magical hour, as the former vascular surgeon turned GP once more showed the depth of his knowledge and caring.
Martin let them go home, and admonished them to practice, while I started the bedtime routine with James. I heard Martin downstairs mumbling over the dog, then he came upstairs and read James his bedtime books.
After James was gently snoring across the hall, we prepared for bed, and I was very full of praise for his help tonight.
"It was simple," he said, as he flipped through his journal.
"Not simple; not at all. You never cease to amaze me, Martin."
"I hope it, I, was useful. Those two… uhm, young people… they're so…"
"Young?"
I put his journal down and turned off his reading lamp. "Raw."
"Be that as it may, Martin, they are adults – young adults. And they will be parents soon enough."
He nodded. "Hard enough – to be parents, though."
"As well as a married couple."
"I hope they know what they're in for," he grunted.
I patted his leg. "Not all hearts and flowers, is it?"
"No."
I turned off my light, rolled onto my side to face him, and nuzzled into his warm body. "You must guide her," I said huskily.
"What?"
"You are in control; she you're willing partner," I repeated from the dance lesson.
He turned his head. "Oh?"
I kissed his mouth. "Yes, Martin."
His eyes widened in the dimness. "I see," he answered.
I kissed him again.
"Ah," he mumbled, "Shall we…?"
I pulled him closer. "Yes Martin. Let's dance, shall we?" He had the moves...