The House Party With A Twist

You have decided to spend a long weekend up north with friends and from the time you arrive it feels as if you have entered a small town pre-Christmas house party zone. One on Thursday, one on Friday and tonight you have yet another. Although you feel partied out you have no readily acceptable excuses available so you console yourself by plotting to put in a brief appearance and then make an early getaway to prepare for your return trip home in the morning. The glow from the brightly lit home shines through the large bay windows reflecting off the newly fallen white snow in the front and the small river at the back. The cars drive slowly down the small street and dislodge the guests who gingerly make their way up the path to the front door. Then it is your turn and the large wooden doors open. You step in from the cold, hang your coats and as your eyes adjust to the light you see the other guests; some seated some standing all with drinks in their hands all in party conversation mode. You join a small group and wonder only for a moment why the conversational tones are hushed, but only for a moment because that is when you hear it. The soft background music that gently wafts into the foyer and seems to settle like a melodious cloud over everyone. No piped in Christmas carols here, but instead, the brilliant sounds that can only come from a live musical instrument. You find yourselves drifting towards the piano as if under a spell. Then you see her, the pianist, tucked away in the corner by the fireplace. Your eyes are drawn to her magical hands and for a long moment you are unable to take your eyes off the perfectly formed fingers that glide effortlessly across the keyboard. Ice cubes tinkle in glasses as people wander in and out of open rooms and somehow, as soft and unintrusive as it is, the music is everywhere. The pianist has created the perfect background pallet for the rainbow of colour that her music seems to paint. This house party is perfect and you know that you will be staying a lot longer than you'd originally planned.