Winter Hearts

The End of the Night

Leo stepped back, watching Siana and her father embrace after he had finished singing.

He didn't understand the lyrics, but he understood the singer.

Mikhalis' voice was rich and strong, but he sang with such a deep sadness that Leo couldn't help but understand him. He sang about love, and all the things about love that can make one sad. Leo didn't need to know the words to know that.

Her father had laid his soul bare and Siana was touched.

There was no place for him in this picture right now, so, he stepped back.

He found his way back to his table and sat down next to N, who had been watching from the edge of the crowd too. He now sat with his head bowed, his hands together in his lap.

Leo put a hand on his shoulder, and was startled to see N look up with tears in his eyes.

"What's the matter?"

N sniffed and blinked away the tears. He shrugged, smiling. Leo guessed he had been moved by the music, and by the connection Mikhalis and Siana had made.

Next to him , Ravi and Ken were quiet, looking out at the crowd, observing.

Leo looked around to find Hongbin and Hyuk still watching as the crowd began to disperse and the musicians readied for the next round. The music started, heavy, not too fast nor too slow.

He saw a swarthy older man, the one who had supported Siana's cousin when he had danced earlier, come up to the dance floor with his arms raised, his face a mask of sorrow over a small lingering smile.

Several other men knelt before him, clapping their hands in support.

At first he swayed to the music, snapping his fingers to the beat. Leo realised he couldn't keep a count of the music. Again, it was in a strange time signature, and it took him a moment to figure out the rhytm. He glanced at Ravi, who looked at him, perplexed. Mutely, they tried to follow the rhythm, looking at each other for cues as to how it went. When they finally figured out the count, they gave each other looks of surprise. Leo had come across strange time signatures in his studies, but experiencing the music in this setting gave it a life he never sensed sitting in classrooms.

The music, and the dance, seemed heavy, ponderous. Grave. But because of the odd extra beat, it felt like at every phrase of music, there was a deep sigh, a rest, a pause.

And by the look on the dancer's face, it was meant to convey the darkness, sadness and loneliness of life.

But, rather than being depressing, it seemed to be uplifting. Dancing made the dancer and his onlookers feel their sadness, live it, then let it go.

And even though there was only one dancer on the floor, it seemed as if everyone was experiencing a communal catharsis together.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hongbin turn to come and join them, followed by Hyuk.

Hongbin's face was sombre, though Hyuk seemed enthralled by the atmosphere and music. They were all coming back together, and Leo felt as if every one of his brothers had experienced something new to them this night.

As they joined the table, Leo sat down next to N. He glanced around to check on Siana, and saw her standing behind Mikhalis,his arm around her shoulder as they watched the dancer together. She was still teary, but her face, rather than sad, seemed resigned, almost peaceful.

Suddenly she looked at him, her wet eyes like pools of soft vulnerability. She smiled softly, leaning against her father's shoulder as she did so.

Her look was so open, so clear of any shyness or inhibition. She just wanted to see him, that was all, and she looked at him as if to etch his image into her brain.