The Dance of Life
“May I have this dance?”
I smiled and accepted it by putting my hand on his. I counted the steps silently as it was my first formal ballroom dance and I truly did not want to disappoint the young gentleman who I was staring deeply into his eyes.
We did not speak throughout the dance but just gaze at each other. I could still remember his green eyes and how they sparkled under the dim light. I could still feel his warm arms around me and how we followed the tempo of the song, How You Look Tonight. I could still smell him from here, his awfully waxed hair that did not blend well with the hair spray.
Maybe it was just me, but I was struck by then. Just by feeling him, I felt something amazing. Just by looking at him, I saw something wonderful. Just by having him, I was in love.
I hold my body erect whenever I think about the time he touched my hair and tucked them behind my ears.
“You look so beautiful.” He whispered.
“Thank you,”
“Le’ Menn, Matthew Le’ Menn.” He continued my sentence.
“Pleasure, Mr. Le’ Menn. Melrose Scottmen.”
The hand shake was not the first time we touched but when my hand bumped onto his skin, I felt an electric current alternating in my body. My heart beat was faster than it was before, my face became redder than ever, my lust for him was quickly becoming out of control.
He took me on a pleasant walk in the park behind the Perrys’ mansion. We talked at the dusk, with the semidarkness glooming on us. The murky environment described my thoughts about him. He was a mysterious man with a past and future I was not sure of.
He took me by surprise that he did as he promised and came to look for me the next morning. My family was delighted by his pleasant manner. With just that one night and that meeting, I took off with him to Italy for the summer.
How could I describe that perfect summer I spent with him. I got to meet his entire family members. Fortunately, they loved my presence and everything went well. Their posh summer home was the opulent comfort, my unrivaled getaway.
Matt was nonpareil, or he would say, ‘crème de la crème’. He always joke around whenever he does not see the smile on my face, he would wake up early just to prepare my breakfast in bed, he tries to fulfill everything I want and need.
My dream proposal would definitely be filled with candles and roses with the man I love kneeling down with a ring that will fit perfectly on my finger. One thing about Matt was he likes to be different as well to be accepted. It was when we were visiting the museum and suddenly, I saw a ring being exhibited. He then took down the key pedant from the necklace he gave me few days ago. He used it to unlock the glass cabinet and took it down. With the lights off and only tiny spot lights that read ‘Marry me’ and How You Look Tonight being played, he kneeled down and proposed.
“The moment I met you, I knew this day would come. The more I got to know you, I knew you are my future. The more I love you, I began to realize how much I really need you. Marry me, Melrose. Make me the luckiest man that could ever live.”
From the night in counting until the day I said yes when he proposed, it was only thirty-five days. And with that, it established our future.
In between the twenty-five days to the wedding was havoc. We had to decide on the place of marriage, the dresses of the night, the invitations. We barely had the time for each other, even for our selves. Most of the time, we had to go around discussing about the event. His mother and mine was so picky about everything so we had to deal more than we should. Our approval was not enough, we had to allow the entire family to decide before it could be finalized.
“We are gathered here today to witness the beginning of two people. Two people who are in love, who have true feelings towards each other. After today, everything will change. Their affection towards each other will grow stronger as the bond each day. After today, they will be one. And after today, they shall not separate as today they promise, forever and ever.”
“The moment I saw you, I knew you were perfect. And because this ring is perfectly symmetrical, it signifies the perfection of true love. As I place it on your finger, I give you all that I am and ever hope to be.”
“I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard, These things I give to you today and all the days of our life.
“Will you, Matthew David Le’ Menn, take thee, Melissa Rose Scottmen, as your wife?”
“I do.”
“Will you, Melissa Rose Scottmen, take thee, Matthew David Le’ Menn, as your husband?”
“I do.”
“I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”
At that moment, I thought nothing will ever go wrong. He was now mine and so was I his. After today, everything would be about us. The future that will be written shall not be single, as just I thought.
Just as we were happily married for four years, he was taken away from me. Brain tumor killed him. The months he was left with was the hardest moments of my life. I wanted the pain to go away, but if it had to, he too. Seeing him getting the treatments was agonizing. It was peaceful, the night he left. We were sitting by the bench, watching the stars, I was sleeping on his shoulder while he slept on my head. I couldn’t remember how much I cried when I couldn’t get him to wake up the other morning.
He had been dead for fourteen years from now. My heart was never touched by anyone else as I have been mourning for him all these years. He left me with a son, who was like him. The face, the personality and the smile. He was named after him, Matthew Jr., as he was the only thing left for me, from him. Maybe it was too long after he had passed but I still could not move on. He was my life but he was torn away. I never tried moving on nor wanted to leave the vague presence of him in me.
I long for him. Always have, always will.
