Jamie

Do you ever think about a person just before they call, or have a dream of an event that has similarities to something that occurs the next week?

This happens to last week. It wasn't profound or earthshaking, only . . . well, let me describe it.

My life is ordinary during the week, just go to work every day. When I get home I feed the dogs and watch part of a movie. It can take two or three nights to finish a movie since I go to bed so early. I have a quiet and peaceful life, and save a lot of my living for the weekend, when I go dancing, sometimes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

In the middle days of last week I started thinking about a lady that I have seen on and off at the local dance hall for many years. She doesn't show up very often, and I was trying to remember the last time I saw her - was it New Year's Eve or Halloween, almost a year ago?

Then also last week I was checking out my favorite songs - and played all the versions of Honky Tonk Woman I could find. The best is still the live version by the Rolling Stones on 'Get Your Ya Ya's Out' ('Charlie's good tonight, ain't he?') .

It is a heck of a fun song to dance to, and I still remember the passion when my exwife and I would two-step to it. I am sure she does also, but would never admit it. (When switching partners everything new is good; everything old is not).

After helping my friend move on Saturday, then relaxing in the evening and taking a nap, I finally got ready to go the the honky tonk, around 10 pm, putting on my pressed wranglers and a new blue shirt and my western hat. I got my pickup out of the garage and headed down the highway.

The parking lot had more cars and trucks than normal. I pulled into my usual spot on the street back behind the dance hall. When I went in and paid my cover I could hear the band playing a song I liked, so I threw my coat under a table and found a partner right away, then another for the next song. By then I could tell this was going to be a good evening because the band seemed to favor faster songs with energy. (The worse bands are the ones that play too many ballads - on Saturday Night they need to kick it up a little (or a lot)).

Then I saw her, sitting at a table with her cane learning against the chair. She always dresses so nice - usually with a short black skirt that flares out when she spins, and a light colored sleeveless top. She is thin and athletic, blond, with her hair tied back, and wears dark glasses since she is blind.

Tonight it didn't look like she was getting to dance. She comes so infrequently that most people might not know how skilled she is.

I asked her to dance for the next song, which was a waltz. She told me her name was Jamie. She couldn't remember when she was here last, it might have been for both Halloween and New Years. She responded gently to my leads, and we both enjoyed the dance. She has to be very trusting - particularly when I spin her, and her only link to me is my hand above her head on the tips of her fingers. I told her how great she waltzed and held my arm around her waist as we walked to her seat.

Twenty minutes or so later I saw Jamie get up from her seat with a lady friend, and was disappointed she was leaving so soon. But wait - they stopped to lean on the rail near the entrance to the dance floor. As I noticed this the first few notes of base boomed from the speakers, and Jagger sang 'I met a gin-soaked bar room queen in Memphis.'

'Yes, I would love to dance,' she said.

I would hold her close and turn together once or twice, then stop and let her go on, spinning under my hand. She paused briefly at the end, waiting for my next lead. We didn't speak much that time, just held each other and stepped and swung around the dance floor.

I wonder if the feeling from that song, and her in my arms, and the beat and intensity were enough that I sensed it coming the week before. It's just one of those things that you wonder about, hard to explain.

But here I am, on Monday, back in my peaceful weekday life, thinking about last Saturday Night. By Thursday I will be looking forward to the next one.

I wonder when Jamie will be there again.