the band is playing african music

an older spanish lady gets up

starts to clap anywhere but on the beat

she laughs and starts dancing

the young woman

with dreads almost to her knees

joins her

then a couple from the other side of the bar

where are you from

the girl across from me asks

i'm local

what a great band

she says

and gets up

i don't feel like dancing

i don't want to like the band

but i do

the owner grabs my hand

don‘t sit

i get up and notice a weird plastic fish in the corner

the band finishes this one song

after what must have been twenty minutes

and i

i almost started to dance