Sunlit Shadow Dance by Graham Wilson

could have a night out
together, perhaps go to a movie of something. What do you
think?”
    The idea
sounded really exciting to Jane. She said, “That sounds great, I
will say it to Vic. What night is good for you?”
    Thea said,
“Why not tonight?”
    Jane said she
would check with Vic at lunchtime as he was working around the park
today and would be back then.
    So, when he
came home for lunch, she said it to him.
    Vic agreed
with a wide grin, she suspected it was as much to please her as for
himself, but he had told her before how he had loved going to the
pictures with his friends when he lived in Alice Springs.
    So tonight
they decided they would go to the picture theatre in Caloundra,
just the two of them, and she felt thrilled. She said to Vic that
even though they had been together for months it felt like a first
date.
    When Vic went
back to work she told Thea they would go and asked her for any
suggestions about what to see. So, over a cup of tea, they sat down
and looked at the paper together which listed the movies.
    Thea pointed
to a movie called “Once”, saying she had seen it a couple years ago
and loved it; it was a sweet romance about an Irish busker and a
European immigrant. Now the musical of it was coming to Melbourne
and the movie was being re-shown as part of the publicity. So Thea
said perhaps Jane would like it. Then Thea pointed to a couple of
other movies and said Vic might prefer them, they were more action
movies.
    They each went
their own way once they had confirmed arrangements. Tonight, once
Vic got home, about half past five, Jane and he would get ready to
go. Thea would come to their unit at 6 pm so she could mind David
and Anne in their own place; feed them and put them to bed once
they were tired. Then Thea would bunk her children down on the
lounge next to her while she watched TV until they got home.
    So Jane
dressed up, washing her hair, putting on lipstick and perfume the
way Thea had shown her. She could feel happy anticipation within
her.
    Then Vic was
home and in fifteen minutes he was ready too. So they sat and
enjoyed a beer until Thea came. Jane felt the excitement; it was
her first remembered date. Tonight would be special, she would make
it so.
    As they were
finishing their drinks there was a knock on the door and Thea with
children in tow, came in. The children settled down in front of the
TV to play while the three adults chatted for a few minutes. Then
Thea shooed them out telling them to go off and enjoy their night.
She said not to hurry, to go out for some supper after, because she
would just fall asleep if she was tired.
    As they walked
out to his car Vic took Jane’s hand, which she really liked, and
then told her how beautiful she looked, which she liked even more.
He asked did she know what she wanted to see, and she said that
Thea had suggested a movie called ‘Once’ which was on at seven
o’clock, but she was happy if he wanted to choose something
else.
    Vic said,
“Once sounds great to me.”
    They parked
the car in the town and walked up the road to the theatre. Other
people were gathering in the foyer, creating an excited buzz. Vic
went to the sign called “Box Office” and bought tickets, then
handed one to her.
    She read;
“Once – Cinema 3”. They walked into the dim room and she chose a
seat towards the front, just off to the side, it was as if her mind
had unconsciously known where she wanted to sit.
    She felt a
thrill as the lights dimmed and then watched with fascination as
the ads for local businesses and a series of what turned out to be
previews to other movies came on, all looked really exciting.
Unconsciously she slipped her hand into Vic’s and snuggled into
him, her head resting in the space under his neck.
    Then their
movie was on and she settled into the story. There was a man
sitting on the pavement playing music and this girl came along,
drawn to him and fascinated by his talent. They went to a place to
make music. Now they had