Die Tänzerin

"“Dad, Dad, come on, hurry up! The Vardo Caravan only pays a visit once every few years! The other lads at school will mock me if we miss the show!” - a young boy was pulling his father’s sleeve, jumping in place with excitement.  “I’m coming, I’m coming.” - a middle-aged man reluctantly stepped out of the house -“I bet there’s nothing special about this traveling troupe. When I was young, I could perform a couple of stunts myself. Don’t think there’s much to see there.”  “Daaad, but you promised!” - the boy pulled a pitiful face, actively expressing how unbelievably wrong his father is.  “I know, I know. Hurry up then, they’re starting in a few minutes” - the man took his son’s hand, leading him straight to the market that tonight was meant to be a center of magic and mystery. By approaching the very place, they couldn’t help but notice the transformations that had already occurred to their beloved village: the air was charged with a sweet smell of exotic flowers flavored with a touch of spices. Right ahead of the market, flashes of green, red, purple, yellow, essentially a mix of all possible and impossible colors, were illuminating the area, inviting even the most indifferent residents to this feast of flamboyance and joyfulness. The central part of the show was, however, concealed behind the colorful folding screen. There, in the middle of the town square, true miracles occurred. A lady was dancing...  Imagine smelling your favorite dish that mama used to cook, imagine being held in the most tender embrace, imagine feeling safe and infinitely excited at the same time, imagine realizing every day of your life is filled with value and purpose. The guests of the festival were experiencing those feelings all at once. The dancer’s movements were mesmerizing: fluent yet ardent, soothing yet inspiring, affectionate yet alluring. And then the voice descended upon the crowd. The sweetest voice in the whole universe: the voice of your mother wishing you goodnight, the voice of your wife saying yes to the wedding proposal, the voice of your child’s first words. The lady was singing...  The audience’s mind got filled with beautiful, vivid images of the caravan journeys. Lush meadows, horizonless realms, strange, exotic beings that live in the depths of the woods, a warm gleam of the bonfire, the scent of flowers and fruits, flavor of rabbit stew accompanied by mead, music, songs and dances, families gathered in a circle celebrating the beginning of the summer. The caravan’s whole unencompassable Odessey burst upon their eyes. The crowd was so immersed in the song and visions it was bringing, they didn’t even notice the performer wasn’t moving her lips.  Intoxicated by the romantic appeal of life they never knew they dreamed of, not a single one of them wanted for this night to end. When they finally recovered their senses, it was already morning, the caravan had already taken off, leaving the townfolks with their souls singing. Leaving them with memories of the night they’ll never forget."