Moonstruck On A Spring Night

     It’s a late Friday evening in late spring. The breeze is warm, gentle and comes in gusts almost like ocean waves, sporadically. The full moon shines half way up in the mostly clear sky.  It is seen clearly from the courtyard of a restaurant. It is aptly called courtyard. There is some courting going on, and the moon just seems to be fuelling it.

     The tables are scattered around the softly lit yard with old fashioned lamps on posts. There is a little pool with a fountain in the centre. The building flows gently around the pool on one side of it. There is a little stage set up to one side of the yard, where the night’s live music acts are preparing.

     There are flowers and candles on each table, enclosed by stained coloured glasses, flickering in the breeze. There is music playing very softly over the speakers hidden cleverly among the trees, umbrellas and windows facing the yard.  Dinner is being served at all the tables – waiters rushing to and fro with as much elegance as they can muster. The patrons are talking among themselves, adding up to a gentle murmur that is spread around, with the occasional loud exclamation, or a laugh, a shriek , a child’s cry or scream coming from some table at random.

Suddenly, the music playing over the public address system stops. There is a lull from the hectic activity of previous couple of hours. Everyone’s attention seems to be captured in anticipation of something to follow. One can hear the sudden quiet.  After a few seconds they can start to hear the crickets chirping, some birds calling in the distance. 

     “Ladies and Gentlemen, Good evening! Hope you enjoyed your meals and are having a good time,” called a friendly voice over the speakers, “We have our featured live music for the night starting shortly from the stage.  You can all turn your chairs towards the stage. We will serve drinks soon and the music will start in about five minutes. We invite you to join in and dance, if you feel like, in the area where the spot light is shining.  Of course, if you look up at the sky to the East, you can see someone has already set up a lovely spotlight – we thank God for a lovely full moon tonight! If any of you have special requests that you would like our musicians to play, just come up and ask them.”

     There is a sudden rush of many getting up, little groans along the way, chairs turning, tables being cleared and soon everyone sits to get a good view of the stage. Drinks are quickly served at some tables and the performers at the stage are tuning up their instruments. A couple of crooners – a middle-aged man and a woman in a stunning dress come up to the standing microphones.  The instrumentalists around them are all ready to go.

     A handsome man, in his late thirties, dressed smartly in a suit, with a streak of grey running down his neatly groomed hair, walks up to the singer and whispers something quietly. The singer nods his head and goes over to the musicians, gently murmurs to them as they gather around him.

     “Folks, we have a request for a song, inspired by the moon out tonight, from the gentleman who just came up. This is a special request for his companion tonight. They are in love. We welcome all you, other lovebirds that can, to come up and dance to this one. It’s one of my favourites – That’s Amore!”

     A few couples make their way towards the dance area and the song begins. The man who had requested the song and his partner dance elegantly and beautifully with the spotlight shining on them often.  There are older couples dancing a bit less elegantly -arthritis,  joint pains having taken their toll and knee and hip-surgeries having helped them this far. Some younger bucks and lasses are straining at the leash – for them this song is still too slow, they are restless. Their dance movements are not that elegant yet reflecting the desire for a faster beat, just like their heartbeats are faster than the older ones.

     The song is finished with a flourish from the musician and with a passionate kiss from the couples. All cheer and applaud. The mood is set. 

     One of the younger couples, looking  as if in their late teens or early twenties, come up to the singers and put in a request.  They bound back eagerly to the dance floor. The older folks see them and some doubtful smiles break out.

     “Folks, here is another moon struck song, for the younger blood among us. The song is “Vennilave Vennilave” [White moon White moon] from the Indian Tamil movie – “Minsara Kanavu “[Electric Dream]. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zDaCZggZgQ)

     Many of the older couples decide to rest out this song. The younger ones spring to their feet and strangely enough one old couple decide to give it a go. Everyone sees them and a cheer and some laughter breaks out! Now there is excitement! The song is addressed to the moon and people point to it in the sky. It seems the moon too can clearly see everyone there, just as it is seen by them.

     The music plays and the young couple that requested the song are definitely the cynosure of all eyes. They have obviously danced to this before and probably practised it many times. They are truly electric and the spotlight captures them in moments that convey the poetry of the lyrics in their movements. The singers get the song down to perfection. The older couple who ventured into this also puts all his energy into it, one can clearly see they are straining, but there is charm to their spirit, they have the whole audience behind them, just as much as the young couple do. There is no competition or comparison, there is no derision when they are less than perfect, only a collective will to encourage and enjoy their energy and attitude. The young couple evokes admiration for their beauty, energy and elegance that comes as a gift of youth and their spirit of love with abandon. The older couple manages to show that they have the same spirit, the bodies being different.

     There are couples in their sixties and seventies who just sit and watch, some just reach out to hold each other’s hands as the mood sweeps them up too. There are both wistful and joyful looks, memories of when they too danced this way, knowing they are no longer able to do so, and yet thankful to witness, enjoy and be part of this moment. One such couple just remembered their last dance together – they had not known then it was to be their last dance – he was now in a wheelchair.

     The song finishes with a flourish, the young couples whooping it up, the older couple doddering a bit on their knees, but still standing and collapsing into each other’ arms and then kissing shyly. There is wild applause, cheering, everyone gets to their feet to applaud the dancers as they are all suddenly conscious of the magic they have created. The young couple bows gracefully, and the other dancers follow their lead.

     “What was that??!!,” the singer comes on over the speakers, “What magic the moon has worked! That was great! Thank you all. What next? Any more requests?”

     The old man in the wheelchair pulls up to the stage. There is a sudden hush and quiet. Even the fluttering of the fabric of the umbrella in a gust of wind and creaking of the poles can be heard around. Everyone is curious.

The singer approaches the old man. They exchange quiet words and then the old man pulls up to the microphone which is lowered down to his level.

     “Good evening all,” he says, speaking slowly, “I want to say a few words. I want to thank you all for those lovely songs and dance. That first song was a special song for me and my wife of 60 years. We used to dance to it and it is special for our anniversary today. What a beautiful sight to watch that young couple dancing!! Thank you, you have nature’s gift of youth to be able to do what you did, you are nature’s gift to us all – to watch and enjoy, when we are no longer able to do so. To that ‘older’ couple who danced to that song – You are youngsters compared to me, hats off to you!  You have captured the spirit and heart of all of us. That’s the way to go and keep at it as long as you can. You bring out a beauty of the spirit that rises above the body and its expressions.

     Tonight my spirit sang, danced and played music though my body could not. You all danced, sang and played so well for all of us that could not, but still lucky enough to sit, watch, listen and enjoy. I feel you have connected us all in spirit. We can all be moonstruck – at any age, any place, any language. Good night and enjoy the rest of your life.”

     As the old man wheels away, a middle-aged woman sits alone at one of the tables. She dines here occasionally, by herself. She has no one special in her life. She once had, but now she is awfully alone. But she feels the same stirrings in her soul that people around her feel.  She does not have one person to direct it towards. She knows he is probably out there among the rest of humanity, so she directs her feelings towards all of humanity. She too enjoys the night, being there quietly and seeing everyone happy.

     She looks up to the moon which looks back with a smile. “I can see your love,” it seems to be saying, “even if you cannot.”

     The youngest in love there, are two kids, one 13 and another 14. They look around at the grown-ups and this sudden mood without fully understanding it. They too, however, feel the stirrings of passion, towards each other. They can tell vaguely that the grown-ups seem to be talking about the same thing. They exchange shy glances across two tables. They are moonstruck too..

     And the band plays into the night, people sing and dance and get a touch of spring madness. The moon laughs to itself as it makes its way across the sky. It knows it will keep doing this for a long time - another day, other people, the same spirit..


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2012
All rights reserved