In The Shoes Of A Ballerina

Chapter 2

"Posé en arabesque, coupé dessous, small développé a la seconde, pas de bourrée dessous, pas de chat."

While Dea was waiting for the start of the performance, she repeatedly danced the Fred step in her dressing room. She stepped forward en pointe with her right leg, and the other stretched straight behind; she took a small step back, transferring the weight onto the other foot, while picking up the first foot; next, a small developpé a là seconde wherein the raised foot was brought into the ankle of the supporting leg, was drawn up a little, and is then extended out to the side; then, a series of four small steps, transferring the weight sideways in the direction of the developpé; and a sideways jump in which the knees were bent, and which began and ended with the feet closed together in fifth position - right foot was placed in front of, and in contact with the other, with the heel of one foot aligned with the toe of the other foot.

"Posé en arabesque, coupé dessous, small développé a la-Hey!" She saw Gabriel, an architect and her boyfriend for six years now, wearing the backstage pass she'd given him the hour before. She walked en pointe - which made her right foot hurt more than it did four years back - toward him so that they were leveled when she pecked him. "What are you doing here? The show's about to start," she told him with concern evident in her tone. She knew that it'd take a good of five minutes to get to his reserved seat, but there he was, looking anxious.

Gabriel started to have beads of sweat form on his brow which was odd because the ventilation in the rectangular room was good. "This should be for later, but I couldn't wait any longer. Listen to me." He held the sides of Dea's face like it were the most fragile thing in the world. "I won't give you flowers 'cos you always receive them. I won't tell you how great you are as a ballerina 'cos that's been your morning call." He smiled too when she did. "I know you're still aiming to become higher than a prima ballerina, and you also know I support you, right?"

She nodded.

One of the crews knocked on the door, and shouted, "Five minutes!"

"Okay. There's five minutes left and I want you to know that I will support your career whatever it takes." He cleared his throat before he continued, "But I also dream of us, with our children, the kids and I watching you onstage. Would you support me on that?" He kneeled with his left leg. "I know you dreamt of a fancy dinner and all, we'll have that later." He laughed then he pressed a gentle kiss on the back of her left hand before he looked up and said, "Will I see you walking down the aisle with your pointe shoes?"

Dea wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. But she held her tears which wanted to roll down. She looked to the ceiling so that her makeup wouldn't smudge. She couldn't explain what she felt. She couldn't think, either. But the only thing she was sure of that moment was her response to Gabriel. "Yes. Of course, I will," she said in an excited whisper, careful that she wouldn't fail to say her biggest approval.

Gabriel with his shaking hands put the Tiffany mount - a plain gold ring with a diamond attached to it - on Dea's left ring finger. He stood, and kissed her like she just said a thousand of 'I do's' on their wedding day. Once they let go of the kiss, "You should be preparing now, missus." He winked at her before leaving the room. "I love you. Good luck, missus!" he said before he closed the door.

She stretched her left hand and delicately examined the marvel Gabriel had put on to it. Then her focus shifted to what was behind her hand - the corner of the vanity table and Cassiel sitting on it with a straight face.

And within the blink of an eye, he was gone.

What's wrong with him? she thought, and shook her head to dismiss the idea.

The show started and she did justice to the last performance she'd have before she left ballet to undergo treatment for her injury.

Pain would strike her every time she did a pointe work. If her injury worsened and left untreated while she danced, she couldn't bear the long-term effect that might happen - instead of a tentative leave, she might also be the youngest ballerina ever in the history to retire. And she wouldn't let that happen. That was why she decided that a tentative leave would be better.