First Gnossiene - Satie
Paris, 1924. Three minutes to midnight. The party is a glamorous affair, overrun with young socialites and freely flowing champagne. Everything glitters, from the rhinestone buckles on ladies’ shoes to the crystal chandeliers dangling from the ceiling. This is a place where history is made. Where business deeds are signed away over plates of foie gras. Where the darling of one wealthy dynasty seduces another. Yet through the sea of black tuxedos and black evening dresses, a spot of bright yellow can be traced, weaving its way through the partygoers. Without hesitation, it slips out the glass door at the end of the ballroom and onto the balcony. The yellow dress belongs to a young woman with big, dark eyes, who came to this party not to lose herself but to remember.
It was at this same reception, on this same balcony where she met Fernando that night three years ago. So much has changed since then, yet the railing is still supported by the same squat sandstone pillars and the same electric lights of the city glitter miles down the road. It feels like an affront, this sameness. Does the universe not dare to care about the pain she has endured since that night? Can it not just change a little? Why is she the only one who must change? From the moment she and Fernando first spoke, it was like living in a new world. Both foreigners in a massive city, they were able to forge their way together. They understood each other. More than just lovers, they were the best of friends. The world beyond Fernando barely seemed to matter. That is, until it rudely forced itself back in. The day had been rainy, the cobblestones slippery, the automobile driving too fast. Just like that, the kingdom she had built with Fernando was gone in an instant, washed away by the same rain that now carried Fernando’s blood into a gutter.
She didn’t fancy herself a romantic, yet here she stood alone in the freezing night, gazing down at the unforgiving city and drowning in her own lamentations. Perhaps it was time for some self-evaluation. Never again would she experience love like she did with Fernando, but she could still live on with his memory on this balcony, lingering over her like a ghost. Finally, she turned away from the railing and took the garden path back around to the lobby, avoiding the party altogether.