Some Enchanted Evening

I slipped quietly into the dimly lit patio. I grabbed the branch of the nearest tree and hoped to God I was better at sneaking out than I first thought.

About an hour ago, my mama tucked me in to bed. I could smell her rich perfume and I felt her cold silver necklace touch my chest while she hugged me.

She kissed me goodnight and told me distinctly to not sneak in to the party. Being who I am, I didn’t listen to her.

I gathered all my strength in my arms and managed to fling myself to the sturdiest branch. I held on and maintained my balance while looking directly ahead. The night was chilly and the atmosphere was filled with lively chatter and music.

I could still remember the song that the band played that night, "Some enchanted evening". Yes, it was an enchanted evening.

You see dear reader; it was the night of my sister’s eighteenth birthday. My sister, Meg, they called her, was by far everyone’s favorite. It was the night that she would meet the man of her future. And it was the night that my parents had been waiting for.

Oh, you should have seen what I saw at that hidden branch where I sat. It was the most beautiful thing you could imagine.

The landscaped gardens were transformed into a lively colorful place for the party. There were hundreds of small lights scattered in all directions. Dozens of large vases with a hundred red roses each decorated each table.

The 12-man band with their violins, wind and brass instruments stayed at a small platform on one side. All the women wore beautiful gowns made of silk and taffeta. And all men looked gallant in their tuxedos for the night.

My parents were speaking to some important-looking people, seated in one of the tables. I would find out later that they were the would-be in-laws of my beloved older sister.

And right at the center of the throng of dancing men and women, was Meg, in her beautiful gown of pink lace and diamonds. She was the most beautiful one of them all.

She was dancing with every man who asked her hand. And she was giggling softly at what one of them was saying now. I remember distinctly who she was dancing with.

It was Raoul Marx, the man our parents wanted her to marry. Without knowing it, she would find out this piece of information later, when she would least expect it.

So I watched silently in the shadows, gently singing with the singer in the band:
Some enchanted evening
You may meet a stranger
You may meet a stranger, across a darkened room
And somehow you know, you know even then
That somehow you’ll meet her again and again…

I swayed along with the music. Suddenly, I saw Meg and another man walk briskly out of the dance floor. I saw them sneak out into the dark part of the garden, hidden from my view.

I tried to move closer to a better position so I could see them. In my haste though, I forgot how thoroughly wrong it was for me to move so quickly while sitting on a branch. I lost my balance and fell.

I closed my eyes and screamed out loud. I didn’t care who heard me anymore. I thought I would die. Then suddenly, I noticed something different.

I hadn’t reached the ground. In fact, I wasn’t even moving anymore. So surprised was I, that I managed to open my eyes.

And it was then that I saw the most beautiful grey eyes I’d ever seen. In a face that looked like one of those Greek statues I’ve only seen in pictures.

He smiled at me and spoke a few words. I can’t remember them exactly. All I know is that his voice sounded like rich, dark velvet to my ears.

And dear reader, I knew then, at eight years of age, that I had found the man I would love for the rest of my life.

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Hi everyone! What do you think about this new storyline? It's been trying to write itself since I was 18, so I hope its much better than how I imagined it. As for As strange as Fiction, I'm still writing the fifth part, but I'll get to it after I've satisfied my urge to write this particular story. Hope you enjoyed it!