Aiyana

First Firsts

Graduation Ball
An actual ball. With adults. And dancing. And chocolate. Chocolate!!!!
Even after pinching myself a thousand times, I couldn't believe it was happening.

"Chris, pinch me. Pinch me so I know it's real." I said to my dear best friend as the both of us gawked at my dress.

It was as beautiful and as fine as the dresses I imagine myself wearing in my fantasies.

"Ouch! Not so hard Christine. I want to be sure this is not a dream, not pass out."
She shrugged.

"So who is the lucky man?" I asked
Chris was going to open the ball because she stood first in the class.
Well, the both of us jointly stood first but I do not want a hall full of judgemental adults watch me make a fool of myself trying to 'dance' ,so I politely refused.

"Honestly, I haven't decided. I will probably ask Jeremiah I suppose. I don't want people talking."

"So let me get this straight. It is your first EVER ball dance and you're going to do it with your brother? When you can easily ask Nathan?. Are you in your right mind honey? "
Christine has had the biggest crush on her brother's best friend Nathan since time unknown.

"Oh I don't know. What if he brings over a date? I'd look like an absolute fool. He anyway sees me as a child, nothing more than Germ's little sister, even though he is just two years older." she sighed.

"You can just ask your brother, casually ofcourse, whether Nathaniel is seriously courting anyone? In our last correspondence, he told me that there is an absolute dearth of beautiful women in England, let alone the university." I suggested.

"Maybe next time Tess. What about you? Any plans to cut your brown eyed puppy some slack? You do know how much he wants to dance with you, don't you? " Christine giggled.

"That's because William hasn't seen me dance yet."
Both of us began laughing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
D-Day
"I don't want to go." I exclaimed.
Everything had been perfect until yesterday. I had slept yesterday night thinking that it would be the best day of my life. I had the most beautiful dress to wear and I was going to have chocolate after a very long time.

"Why do you not want to go?" asked ma

"I can't dance. I'd be the only one who wouldn't be able to dance. And the fact that I'm looking so pretty would mean that there will always be eyes on me. Ma this is a disaster!!"

Mumma took a deep breath. She always knew what to do but this time around she was stuck. She couldn't magically help me dance better.

"Oh poppycock. There are plenty of horrible dancers at balls. Look at me. I turn up at each one of them, dance my heart out and nobody even says a word. And you cannot be worse than me."

"Pa this is because you're a man. Men are allowed to do anything and get away with it."

"And you're just a child. You're going there to celebrate and enjoy. Not find a suitor Tessie. Also, do you really not want to have chocolate? When you know your mother would never let you have it otherwise?"
Oh he knows me so well.

With one last glance at the mirror, I joined mumma and papa to the carriage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ball was hosted by Gilbert's family, as was the tradition since the whole system of the graduation ball was started by his ancestors.

We reached his estates in some fifteen minutes. As soon as we entered, I was struck by the beautiful decor outside the house, I couldn't wait to see how it would look from inside.