It takes two to "tangle"

"It takes 2 to Tango"


There was something about his tango class.

As a person who always seeks balance in life, Tango is just another art of balancing. It's a method of finding balance with his dance partner, in distance, in posture, in tempo, in step up and down, even in eyes contact. For him the most interesting thing is, tango with another person is so close, yet tense, and the one his hands held, is a perfect stranger yet it seems they know each other for so long time.

Every Wednesday he tangos with a lady who currently works in a telephone company as a technical research and development department. She has her way to pull this tango thing off. Being in this class for longer time, she has grown her own look during the music plays. A little pompous, proud, yet her posture is another story which can go on for another four pages.

The first time he joint the class, not like every first meeting he had attended, in those bargains he's like a shark which swims in a big pool which can practically call "his game". Conflicts are like a bow of cereal, he ever choked up in any of it. But for Wednesday Tango, he sweat a little bit by the edge of forehead. He felt his well trained Gym body doesn't help at all when he trapped his right foot by his own left foot. Awkward, stumble... then she came along with her fascinating smooth steps, that convinced him to break his jogging routine from every Monday to Sunday.

She always wears a nicer skirt which can fly with every turning, not too exaggerating, not too dull. She flys in a milky blue wool blouse. And his tango dress is like this, in pants mostly are dark blue or gray. For shirts he would pick some with light checks and definitely no ties. He always has some complex when he wears a tie, fold the sleeves to 5 center meter right below by the elbow. Sometimes he goes sloth with certain things, arrangement of his CD shelves, color of shirts and ties, but in dressing in such an activity, he never drops the ball.

Until today.

After having his hair cut, apparently the barber is all about the baseball game on TV. It's all about rules, strategy on lips yet not so much happening. He's focus on the magazine and the way the barber is going to handle on his short hair. This is one of those things (very short list) he couldn't handle by himself. After 20 minutes paying the bill, and he couldn't believe that the barber is still watching TV while checking with him. "is it OK?" He swore to himself to find a way to manage cutting his own hair. Pick up dry cleaning around the corner of his apartment, he took a quick shower and set up for his 11th tango class. He'd love it and after the class, he would call his buddy up to pick up a quick side dish in the bar "Phoenix" which is always crowded after 8. Couple of beer, maybe.

Sarah isn't there.

Not like being absent for 5 minutes for mobile phone, is, "not there" absent. After teacher explain the course tonight, walk towards to him. "Well, you're with Sarah, right? She called off for today. Here, I think you can help our new classmate out, alright?" For him it’s almost like nothing to adjust to new rules, don’t even mention how flexible he can be.

"Hi. I'm here for try out, my friend insists me to attend and sign up for me, so, where to start?" She smiles with a bit stiff on the face. He recalled his first time in the room. There's nothing difficult to help a newbie to warm up, see how Sarah did a great job, of course he can do the same. He marched to her with full confidence, even she's in a pair of blue jeans and red polo shirts, with her big and curly hair, paled face with a inappropriate big glasses, black, like those you can find in grand-pa's drawer, her eyes are rolling behind it.

Then music played, with a perfect harmony and light sweet tempo, he planned to do the best guide to a newbie and fascinate her with his precise, balanced and elegant tango moves.

After one thousand time missing steps, bumping into each other, or her right foot on his left, or she tripped him by the famous wrestling posture... he starts to miss his own blender.

"It only takes one to blend."