A Love Story

The room was dark, even though it was the middle of the day. The heavy drapes were drawn fast across the windows, as they had been for days now. If not for the spots where the fabric had worn thin from age and repeated cleanings, tiny holes which let in even tinier pinpricks of light, there would no light in the room at all. Every now and then a warm breeze gently pushed at the stout cloth and it stirred, causing the pinpricks of light to dance across the walls and floor like glitter in a music box snow globe.

The room was totally bereft of sound, the air soggy with a deafening silence. The scent of Gardenias faintly hung in the air. The air was stifling and heavy; sluggish, yet peculiarly alive just below the surface. There were spirits inhabiting this place, earth-bound and attached as surely as if they were physically chained. Their presence was tangible. It could be felt, touched, even tasted there, in that room where the darkness was teased by fairy dust sparkles of light.

The door to the room began to open sluggishly, it’s hinges protesting the unaccustomed movement. Mariah blinked here eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness, as she entered the room. She slipped quietly into the room, almost a wraith herself, disturbing nothing.

“Gram? Gram, are you in here?” Mariah stood by the door, speaking softly. She hadn’t seen Gram for a few hours and thought that she might have escaped here into the room which held so many memories for her.

The tinny sounds of an old music box came faintly from the far side of the room. Mariah could barely make out the tune of the Blue Danube Waltz.

“I’m here, Mariah” Gram’s voice was barely more than a whisper. “Right over here, honey, listening to my enchantment.” Mariah could hear the smile in Gram’s voice, even though she couldn’t see it.

“Come, Mariah. Come dance with me.”

“Oh Gram – you know I don’t know how to waltz!”

“It’s easy, Love, just feel the music in your heart. That will wake up your soul and your feet will follow it’s lead. One…two…three……One…two…three……One…” Gram’s voiced trailed off and Mariah could hear the light scuffing of Gram’s shoes as she began to twirl her way across the floor with a grace that belied her 92 years.

Mariah smiled as she caught sight of Gram moving in a flawless waltz step through the sparkles of light from the curtains. Gram’s arms were outstretched as if embracing her dance partner with familiarity and affection. As Mariah watched, the years began to fade from Gram’s face. The wrinkles smoothed and the short gray hair grew long and auburn, cascading down Gram’s back like a luxuriant mane. There were Gardenias woven into her hair. Gram had always loved Gardenias. Tiny diamond and pearl earrings glistened in her ears. As Mariah blinked her eyes in disbelief, the rather dowdy housedress that Gram wore every day now seemed to be replaced by a long gown of the deepest purple which swayed in time to the music as Gram criss-crossed the floor, lost in the dance.

There was something familiar about that dress. Mariah tried to remember where she had seen it before. Then her eyes, more used to the darkness in the room now, moved across the room and lit on the portrait above the mantle. It was Gram and Granddad’s engagement portrait and Gram was wearing that very same dress. Mariah gasped involuntarily, then returned her eyes to Gram and gasped again.

Gram’s loving embrace now encircled another form. Mariah rubbed her eyes and shook her head, but when she looked up again both Gram and Granddad were moving together in an intricate dance rhythm. But Granddad had died twenty-seven years ago. Mariah started to speak, but her voice caught in her throat and stayed there. The tinny rendition of the Blue Danube Waltz continued to play and the faint scent of Gardenias seemed to strengthen and fill the whole room. Tears rolled unnoticed down Mariah’s face as she stood entranced by what she was seeing.

“Mariah! Mariah!!” Her mother’s voice, sounding tired, angry and tinged with sadness, broke into Mariah’s reverie. She spun around quickly and called out to her mother “I’m in here, Ma, in Granddad’s old library!”

“Stop stalling, Mariah! This is no fun for any of us, you know.” “The limo is here and if we don’t leave right now we’ll be late for Gram’s funeral!” “I hope you remembered to dress appropriately – you won’t have time to change now!”

As she stepped through the door to join the rest of the family for the dreary afternoon ahead at the funeral home, Mariah looked back over her shoulder. The room was quiet and still once again. Mariah wiped the tears from her cheek and blew a kiss into the room. “Good-bye Gram. I love you. And I promise to learn how to waltz.”