Hey! You Got Eyeballs In There?<\/p>\n
By Kate Chamberlin<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As Grace grows up, some of her stories are happy, some trying, some enlightening, and a few themes are sad, but, they\u2019re all the warp and woof of what goes into the tapestry of life we call Family. The daily living skills and techniques demonstrated by the fictional characters in these stories are valid, tried and true.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to Crackers? Where is she?\u201d\u00a0 Joe asked from Stang\u2019s back seat, as Grace buckled up in the front bucket seat.<\/p>\n
\u201cCrackers is a very smart dog and she\u2019s well trained, but, she doesn\u2019t know how to dance,\u201d Grace smiled, folding her long, white cane into its three parts.<\/p>\n
The gym had been decorated with the school colors of blue and gold. There was an arched trellis with tissue paper carnations and green crepe paper ivy leaves on it. A professional photographer, who was an alum took picture after picture of all the attendees of the Home-coming Dance.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s have our photo taken,\u201d Edie said. \u201cAll four of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAren\u2019t you afraid the camera will break?\u201d Joe teased her.<\/p>\n
Grace felt Ken\u2019s arm snake around her waist, guiding her next to Joe and Edie under the archway. She knew she\u2019d never even see the photo, but she sure liked the feel of Ken\u2019s arm around her.<\/p>\n
Grace hadn\u2019t really danced with a boy before. At the residential school, she and her friends had practiced dancing with each other with a pillow between them. They took turns leading and usually fell into giggles until the floor mother came in to shush them. Grace thought that if she could follow Crackers with just her harness on, she ought to be able to follow Ken. She was right.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are a fabulous dancer,\u201d Ken said, walking back to their table after their first slow dance. \u201cHow are you on the fast dances?\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace felt panic rise in her throat. Slow dancing with his touch guiding her was one thing. But the thought of letting go, not knowing what the steps were, worried her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a Western Square Dance,\u201d Ken said. \u201cHave you ever done that before?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Grace said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFour couples form a square. There is a caller on the stage. He\u2019ll tell you which way to turn and how many skip steps, hop steps, Polka steps or Rants to take. There will be a different partner as we go around the square. Do you want to try it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on,\u201d Edie urged her. \u201cIt\u2019ll be fun. We\u2019ll keep an eye on you.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, Grace left her folded, long, white cane on the table and let Ken lead her out onto the dance floor where the squares were forming.<\/p>\n
The music began. The caller said, \u201cAllemande left.\u201d\u00a0 Grace felt Ken\u2019s hand pull to the left and passed it to the next fellow. She followed each new hand until the caller said, \u201cSwing your partner round and round.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace was super surprised to find big, strong hands on her waist picking her up so that she instinctively put her hands on his shoulders. She was a bit dizzy when he put her down, but the dance continued before she could protest.<\/p>\n
Where was Ken?\u00a0 Edie?\u00a0 Joe?\u00a0 They said they\u2019d keep an eye on her. The music was so loud. She couldn\u2019t hear the caller anymore. The people were laughing and moving all about her.<\/p>\n
When the set finally ended, \u201cAre you alright?\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s familiar voice asked her, touching her arm. \u201cYou look like you\u2019re about to bolt again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not really comfortable with so many people I don\u2019t know touching me,\u201d Grace said. \u201cI wish I hadn\u2019t left my long cane at the table. Do you see Ken?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, yes,\u201d Joe hesitated. \u201cHe\u2019s over on the far side, talking with Heather. She looks upset. I wonder what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a sinking feeling in the pit of Grace\u2019s stomach. She remembered last night when she thought he\u2019d dumped her for Heather. Was it really going to happen again tonight?<\/p>\n
Joe, Edie, and Grace threaded their way over to their table. There was an awkward silence as Ken and Heather came to the table, too.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
kathryngc1@verizon.net<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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