I will Help You

I will Help You

Susan looked at the small dancers. Dancers-to-be actually, they were four year olds, the earliest the school would accept them. The school wanted their dancers to be serious, apparently, they considered four to be the youngest age for seriousness.

Susan smiled, she’d known she wanted to dance as soon as she could walk, according to her parents. It was not so much a vocation as a passion.

As she watched, her eyes went to Lilli. Lilli struggled, but she was determined. One of the things they insisted the parents work with is left and right. With any luck by the time they start class they know which is which, Lilli did not. She was always bumping into the other dancers as she picked a direction and nine times out of ten got it wrong. It would come, eventually.

“Let’s try this again,” she called, “this time please point your right foot toward me.” All the girls pointed their right foot, except Lilli, who immediately switched when she noticed, and frowned at herself. Susan had mentioned it to her father, but fathers never seemed to remember dance instructor’s instructions about four year olds, and he was a single father too. Susan was too polite to ever ask about the absent mother.

After class, everyone had been picked up except Lilli, as usual. Susan was keeping her company waiting for her father. “Lilli, I know you’re having a little trouble with left and right,” she said, “but don’t worry, you will learn it perfectly with more practice.”

“I will,” said Lilli, “because I want to be a great dancer, just like my Mommy was before she died.”

As Susan’s heart broke in a million pieces for this small child, she smiled and said, “I know you will, and I will help you.”