The Reluctant Party-goer

Janice was a pretty twenty-seven year old who was quite vivacious by nature. She was something of a party animal and enjoyed going for such celebrations. It was immaterial to her what kind of party it happened to be. It could be a relative’s engagement party or a party celebrating a friend’s birthday. It could even be a children’s party. She still liked to attend such events, and derived huge enjoyment from them. She was at her best on these occasions while meeting and mingling with friends and relatives. For her, there was nothing to dislike in a party. Everything ranging from the rich food to the gathering of people was a source of delight to her.

From her earliest days, she could recall some delightful occasions when she had been taken for parties by her parents. They had realized even then that she liked such events and when the occasion presented itself, they had taken her along with them. As a child, she had received a lot of attention at these parties, and that had only added to her enjoyment of these occasions. Her joy knew no bounds when she was at a party. At that time, a lot of her enthusiasm stemmed from the fact that there was always good food to be had there.

As she was growing up, she had begun to realize that attending parties was a thrilling experience for her. Nothing rivalled the sense of anticipation she felt just before attending a party. While she was in school, she had been invited to her friends’ homes for their birthdays. She had been thrilled to attend these parties. At that stage of her life, attending parties enabled her to chat with her friends. Most of the time would be spent by them in chattering nineteen to the dozen about seemingly inconsequential things. In later years, she had begun to go for dances with her brothers and their friends, and had had a delightful time of it. The friends had been like-minded people, both boys and girls who made up their circle. She had enjoyed the dancing almost as much as the interaction with their friends.

She particularly remembered some of the parties she had attended as these had been glittering affairs where no expense had been spared to ensure the enjoyment of the guests. A cousin had celebrated a feast of the saint which the family revered and it had been a party on a lavish scale. It had commenced with a litany and had continued with a celebration which had outdone all his earlier parties. He was known for the parties he hosted and as these were attended by relatives and friends, most of whom were known to her, her enjoyment on these occasions was unparalleled. This time around there had been dancers to enliven the party and keep the guests entertained. Furthermore, the cousin had even arranged for a live band for the guests’ listening or dancing pleasure.

There were many memorable occasions that she could call to mind when she had attended a party and enjoyed herself hugely. A family friend had hosted a party for his brother who was overseas and had returned for a visit. It had been a huge success with a lot of the local people invited to it. There had been a musician in attendance who had kept the crowd entertained with lively music. She had danced and had a marvelous time of it. The host’s brother had been a very likable gentleman and she had enjoyed a brief conversation with him; brief, because he had been busy re-acquainting himself with a lot of the guests who had not seen him in quite a while. The family friend had also hosted other parties to which she had been invited. Over the years, he had invited her to several of his birthday parties. When his daughter had decided to tie the knot, he had made sure she was invited to the marriage. When he was promoted on the job, he had remembered to invite her for the ensuing celebration. She was always invited to his parties and included it on her social calendar.

And yet here she was, apprehensive at the thought of attending a party. She could not understand her fears on this occasion nor could she recall ever having felt this way before. Granted she had some reason for the way she was feeling. She had been sick and had been confined to her bed with typhoid. This had been a particularly trying time for her as she had been out of circulation, unable to meet friends and relatives for a few months. The effects of the ailment had been quite debilitating and had kept her confined to the house for quite a while. To a person with a gregarious disposition like hers, such privation was very difficult to bear. And now, a family friend was hosting a party as it was his wife’s birthday. This party was a prominent one with the guest list reading like a who’s who of the dignitaries in the state. Everyone who was anyone would be there. She should have been flattered that she had been included in the guest-list. In spite of all this, she was as nervous and jittery as if this was the first party she was attending in her life.

  Such misgivings as she was experiencing at the thought of attending a party were unusual and could not be borne. She now came to a decision and determined that she would set aside her reservations about the party and ensure that she had a good time. She called up her friends who were sure to be invited and confirmed their inclusion on the guest-list. She went into town and did some shopping for the clothes and accessories that she would need. She visited the salon and had her hair styled. Having resolved matters to her satisfaction, nothing remained for her to do except get herself ready to attend the party.