05.02: Ballet

The battered door was down a side street off the mainstreet of Salem Center, Noah De Haan paused for a long moment before pushing it open and ascending the stairs on the other side. He was expected.
“Have a seat Noah.”
“Thanks Ms Hunter.”
“I am wondering, if you wanted a chat, why you haven’t spoken to me when I have been doing classes at the Institute. You have been there for some time now.”
Noah was surprised that Stephanie Hunter even knew who he was.
“You haven’t even been to a class.”
“Ja, I know,” said Noah quietly.
Stevie Hunter was working on something behind her desk that involved cups, and let the silence linger for a while, she knew she didn’t have to say anything.
“Isn’t it a bit of a coincidence that you are here in the town where I end up at mutant school.”
“I contacted you, because your mom got in touch with me through a mutual friend, when she realised I was so close by. Tea.” She gently slid a mug across to him. “So I waited for you to get back to me.”
Noah started to give a shake of his head then his nose twitched. “Is that Rooibos?”
Hunter smiled. “Redbush yes. It was your mother that got me to like it.”
“Weird. I hef not seen any over here so far.”
“Have you been looking for it?”
“Not really no.”
“There you go then. So, a couple of things. First, never refer to the Institute as mutant school, even to a friend. You never know who is listening. And as for me being here in Salem Center, your mother knows or knew many many people in the world of ballet. Especially in Ballet Beyond Borders. She knows you are here in America, and whilst I could not claim to know her well as I would have wanted to, I liked her, she was a friend.”
“She’s a dief.”
“Yes she is.”
“She stole millions of rand.”
“She did.”
“My dad says I am not his son and he abandoned me in a township. Turns out that's true and she had cheated on him.”
Sat at her desk now Hunter savoured the aroma of the tea, she liked hers with milk, as did Noah. “She made mistakes, Noah. Whoppers. And I am not going to try and excuse what she did, that’s not my place. I was happy to hear from her and wanted to catch up, she filled me in on everything. And that you were at a private school nearby. Luckily I have had a very close relationship with the school for some time.”
Noah mumbled something in his native tongue.
“When your Mom and I danced together I picked up a little Afrikaans, so be careful what you say, Noah.”
Noah looked across at her and shrugged. “Sorry.”
“Don’t sweat it.”
“You knew her so I thought it only polite to come and see you. After all the sh… stuff she put us through she is still my mother. Well, I looked all my teachers up online, there’s not a lot. But you were a world renowned ballet dancer, and I saw you were both in the Joburg Ballet at the same time.”
“Your mom was good.”
“But not that good.”
“She wasn’t prima, no.”
“As for ballet, I did lessons for a few years when I was six, when mamma bankrupted us by not handing back what she stole, ballet ended. Along with everything else.”
“What sports do you do at the Institute Noah?” Hunter asked him.
“Ah sokker mostly. Some of my class do fencing, so I have tried that a bit. I like tennis too.”
“Hmm. So ballet?” She stood and went around her desk, she firmly took Noah De Haan’s upper arms and pulled him to a standing position. “Let’s take a look at you, stand up straight.”
“What the? What’re you doing?” Noah asked suddenly panicked.
Hunter crouched before him and started moving his legs. “Put some force in your legs and bring your knees together! Move your feet so your heels are touching!”
“Hey! Wait, I don’t want to be doing ballet.”
“You have a good figure for it Noah! But she already knew that, that’s why she contacted me. With the right teacher you could be a great dancer.”
“I don’t really want to do another sport.”
Hunter laughed lightly. “I am not asking you if you want to do a new sport, Noah. I’m asking if you want to do art. Sit and drink your tea. When I moved you there you automatically went into first position.”
“Ek het?”
“Yes, you did. You aren’t the only student at Xavier’s that does ballet you know?”
“Who is she?” Noah asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Gil.”
“Jill. He’s a guy?”
“He's are as a rule. And it's not Jill, think continental Europe. Gil.”
“Gil?” Noah was thinking hard. “I don’t think I know a Gil. I didn’t know anyone else did ballet at the Institute. Do you teach him there?”
“No he comes to classes here, you can too if you wish to Noah.”
Ballet had been Noah’s greatest delight when he was young, more than football back then, he wanted it back. He so wanted it back.
“Yes, Ms Hunter I would love it.”