A Strange Request at a Piano Bar
A sassafras leaf floated past the pavement catching my eye with its bright green color calling to me like a beacon in the dark. I made my way toward it stumbling upon a Piano Bar in the late night mist. Men and women all breezing past holding bright red masks. “You’ll need this,” I heard from behind me. A smirking young man with midnight black hair approached me swinging a mask in his hand. I inspected him as he held the mask out to me the twin to his own. He looked to be at least two years older than me and much taller and more handsome than I’d seen in a while.
A smile began to play on my lips, what a controversy this would be. Mother and father would not approve, a young lady unchaperoned in a bar at night no less. They had a habit of treating me like a juvenile even though I’d been 19 for quite some months now. His eyes lit up mistaking my smile as a sign of acceptance. He didn’t know that although I’d love to set my parents heads spinning with the audacity I didn’t have the backbone to do so.
Reluctantly I took hold of the red clothed material that made my pale skin even paler in the moonlight. I gave it a twirl as he moved past me only turning to say, “see you inside.” Staring at the large iron door, which was peeling with the oxidation of the metal, I made a quick and hasty decision. Only stopping to think twice as I stumbled forward almost reinjuring my previously sprained ankle on the uneven cobblestone road that lay the path toward certain freedom. A quick glance over my shoulder confirmed that the carnival I’d been attending with my older sister was in full swing, so I wouldn’t be missed.
With determination in my every step, I hauled the heavy door opened revealing the smoky interior of the bar. I shuffled in as I watched all the bodies crammed into one room laughing and dancing. Some sat at tables drinking heavily while playing card games amongst themselves. “You must consume an apple from the bar in order for you to officially be part of the fun,” the same stranger said coming up beside me. He extended the red apple toward me and I took it although not before looking at the others consuming them as well.
“It’s tradition in this bar,” he said as he noticed my hesitation. I took a large bite savoring the sweetness of the apple in my mouth. “The fun will soon begin,” he concluded as he smiled down at me. How odd this was to be in a bar with a complete stranger but, yet I felt completely at ease as the piano in the back started a low enchanting melody. My skin flushed an awkward pink at the heat in the room from all the people surrounding me. “Would you like to dance?” he asked. I nodded my agreement and we both pushed through the crowd getting closer to the pianist.
