The Funeral Shoes at the Dance

Mabel had bought the black shoes for her brother's funeral and worn them only once. When a neighbour invited her to a social dance, they were the only comfortable pair she owned. She polished them, then felt uneasy about bringing something connected with grief into a room where people would be laughing and complaining cheerfully about the music together.

She nearly changed into stiff brown boots. Instead, she arrived in the black shoes and sat near the door. The first song reminded her of her brother's terrible singing, which made her smile before she could stop herself. A man offered his hand. Mabel explained that she had not danced for years, as though this were a permanent restriction printed on her ticket.

He said he was not especially good himself. They moved cautiously, missing the rhythm whenever they tried to talk. Halfway through, Mabel told him about the shoes. He glanced down and said they appeared suitable for the present job. His practical response startled her. She had expected sympathy or a comforting statement about what her brother would have wanted her to do.

Later, she danced badly with two other people and left before the final song. At home, she placed the shoes beside her boots rather than returning them to their box. They had not lost their connection with the funeral. They had acquired another evening as well. Mabel could still hear her brother's singing, now competing in her memory with the dance band's slightly overenthusiastic drummer.