Page 38 of See You at the Sunset

She laughed and then squealed with delight. An honest-to-god squeal.

“Henry is gonna help us with our next move,” she announced to the class. “The snake.”

Oh, this did not sound good.

“Right, and left,” Jia called out as she pulled Henry right and then pushed him left. “Now snake it out, snake it out, that’s right.”

Henry watched as Jiasnaked it out, moving her upper body in a wave that seemed almost too risqué for a group of seniors. But as he looked up in the mirror and those dancing behind him, everyone was swaying their bodies in delight, including those seated.

“I don’t see you snaking it out,” she said.

“My body doesn’t move like that,” Henry tried to convince her.

There was a twinkle in her eye that matched her wicked smile. They were thinking the same thing—Jia knew very well how Henry’s body moved. She laughed it off and goaded him on.

“You’d have to actually move it to try.”

Henry suddenly felt two hands land on his shoulders from behind him, and before he could react, Jia was pushing his right shoulder down. And then his left. He was alternating shoulders to the beat, an awkward and choppy motion. But he definitely was not dancing.

The crowd hooted and hollered for Henry. He heard Jia laugh behind him.

This was humiliating. And for some reason, he thought maybe that was exactly the point.

“Gotta loosen up, Hank. You’re carrying around too much stress for all that very important work you do,” Jia said, mocking him.

A tiny twinge of guilt crept up his neck, but he tried to ignore it.

“Sunseters, let’s give Henry here a little more encouragement. He needs to loosen up the shoulders and sway!” she shouted.

“Sway! Sway! Sway!” the crowd shouted to the beat.

“You can do it, Henry,” someone cheered.

“You got this,” someone else encouraged.

It was the most positive reinforcement Henry had gotten in his life, ever.

And though he was utterly embarrassed at his lack of coordination, he didn’t think that everyone was having a good time athis expense. No, actually, everyone was just having a good time, period. The fact that he was terrible at Zumba but giving it his best shot seemed to just heighten the mood.

Jia moved to stand in front of him, facing him. She had a small smile on her face, this one not wicked or nefarious like her others. It was kind and patient. Like he’d seen her be with so many of the others here at The Sunset.

She held her hands out between them. “May I?” He wasn’t exactly sure what she was asking, but he nodded.

She put her hands on his hips and pushed them from side to side. “Keep the shoulders going,” she encouraged. He did as he was told and followed her directions. “That’s it, there you go,” she said. Her smile spread to cover her whole face like she’d seen a miracle happen right before her eyes. “You’re doing it!”

Henry did not want to see himself in the mirror. So instead he focused on the faces of those behind him in the mirror. Everyone was smiling, laughing, having the best time. And people moved their bodies to the best of their abilities, dancing to the music.

He found his granddad in the crowd. He’d pushed his walker behind him, and standing on his own without any support, he’d found the rhythm. Dennis had the step, the clap, AND the sway down like clockwork.

Henry hadn’t seen him look this happy, or mobile, in a very long time.

Jia had left Henry and moved among the crowd. He snuck a peek at her as she walked up and down the rows of people encouraging every single participant. She danced next to some. Hip-bumped others. Gave a high five to a few. And was met with enthusiasm and joy by every single person.

And though Henry was quite possibly the worst dancer knownto man, he did know how to follow instructions. Whatever move she called out, he tried to follow. Step right, clap, sway. Step left, clap, sway.

The women in the front row cheered him on and wolf-whistled in delight.

It was ridiculous.