THE ROYAL COUPLE

Papa was quite perplexed, he had inquired from Shima about wanting to book Puteri for the evening but for a bit more than a ‘reasonable length of time’, he, had not heard anything from her. Could not be that she had forgotten or just ‘insensible’, to the extent of papa surmising- he can always ‘disinterestedly’ only ‘sit down’ and ‘enjoy’ the music, should she not be ‘intent on’ his ‘custom’. Without doubt’ papa does have the peculiar affinity to, only ask for a maximum of two hours booking- being at, the consternation of the dancers, should there be none, afterwards, the number of ‘requisitions for GROs, particularly so- during quiet evenings. Howsoever, that ‘reality’ is not, concurrently- a ‘frequent’ event, given the ‘resurging’ enthusiasm for dangdut- among the ‘new and old’, consequently- the young and veterans- alike.
Alas! Papa’s petty suspicions should only arrived at, the triviality that they inferred to, right from the onset, whence- in tottered, Puteri, at nearly the- Witching Hour. Papa had forgotten that the dangdut citizens’ perspective of time is literally: quite ‘twisted’ wherefore, ‘arriving’ before 11pm is early, 12am is just nice cum appropriate and 5am above is ‘late’. Further to that, the bulk of ‘customers’ coming in, was always at the ‘wholesome’ part of 2am or a little after.
Puteri, seemed to instantly, recognized him, even after the more than four months ‘hiatus’ since papa’s- last booking. Cutting back on the usual ‘small talk’ that usually ensued a ‘chanced meeting’ she immediately pulled him to the dance floor, quite remarkably as if it were, she, having the ‘intuition’ that papa was more than ‘eager’ to ‘ ‘strut his stuff’, after his extended ‘sabbatical’ away from her-Puteri, ‘prancing with him on Mutiara’s, shuffle one’s feet- platform, or presumably so.
The slow cha-cha maneuver went without a hitch with both papa and Puteri, very much synchronized in their ‘swirls and twirls’, ‘academic’ if you may- should the sentiment then, be ‘proclaimed’. The zapin segment was ‘fluidly’ executed, especially so, by papa, In Some Way, the ‘four step formula’, truly ‘worked’- as if by magic’, it somewhat ‘enhanced’ the drumbeats, anticipating them, even before they were played out. Papa was ‘elated’, he was about to tread on the Dangdut King’s concourse, his lifelong dream could finally be realized. It, is, now the proper, Cha- Cha portion that need be tempted.
The moment of truth arrived, the Cha- Cha song blurted out of the speakers, playing of all the numbers- the song ‘Sway’, held proper, by a lady crooner, of whom, papa had heard for the very first time. She, was wonderful, lending savory justice- evermore, along with the archetypal albeit instantaneous epiphany like perception that, the song was quite the ‘epic’ wherein much welcomed ‘heavenly manna’- felicitously dispensed; at the most critical juncture. In other words, it was ‘the Cha- Cha’ song for papa- to ‘heartily’, pranced, to.
Yet, Puteri, could be said, to not really be ‘emphatic’ with, papa’s, ‘over enthusiastic cum passionate posture as regards the ‘Sway’ number, for it was within the few milliseconds- into the song, that her arms became tight and inflexible, it was as if she, wanted to lead but was quite unsure- how to. Nearly losing balance, papa yanked her to him and instantly executed a turnaround procedure, inducing her to make a ‘still turn’ within the confines of their four hands, held together at the fingertips. She complied, and it was truly ‘magnificent’, quite a sight to, behold, especially so- for papa. All the time, it was the four- step formula that was much ‘utilized by both papa and Puteri, pretty much the configuration to ‘adhere’ to in all the ‘push and pull together with the ‘one arm pointed upwards immediately after’ procedure. It was just the need to practice more to rid of the niggling irregularities and whence forth- eventually- instilling the fluidness and the graceful components- the while later. The dangdut numbers too, needed to the said four step maneuver to further ‘amplified the efficacy of the ‘Dance’
Papa, had only danced the first dangdut song before entreating the still full of zest- Puteri, to walk back to their table- he was panting. Upon seated and viewing the much wiggling on the dance floor that he noticed a veritably ‘energetic’ act committed by an equally vigorous couple, to the extent of fully outshining the ‘very mediocre’ others in the hall. They, Ameerul and Ameera, a husband a wife team- when informed later by Shima, executed a multifarious type of maneuvers that if envisaged keenly, deployed most conventional Latin and Western movements yet still maintaining the quintessential Dangdut signatures. The Graceful portion is lost but not totally, its element supplanted by a universal design that would not, be seen to be out of place in any World Ballroom Dancing Sporting Event. Dangdut’s- unconventionality, was wholesomely exploited by this Regal Duo, for they had upped the threshold of the popular dance, thence, forth, furthering its evolution into something not totally known but could, be possibly- guessed. Them’ being the reigning champions could not escaped any honest to goodness Dangduteer, particularly so when further explicated by Shima. Step aside Abdul Ghafoor, your style is out of date!
It was nearly quarter past one when a mesmerized papa, was accorded, a courteous sent off at the door by Puteri, of whom exclaimed the customary ‘Take Care and Do Come Again’ gesture, adding further the ‘Don’t Forget To Book Me the Next Time’. Of course, whispered papa to himself, but the reality of the Dangdut Kings, being- made, ‘obsolete’ by the Ever Most yet Unasked- Royal Couple- deeply mystified him.