Last weekend, I had a troubled mind about a lot of issues and the best way to feel better was to take a long walk. A long walk is a magical exercise for me, it relieves my mind. Hardly had I walked far from my house when I noticed a familiar figure. He was the biggest object on the street. As he moved his big body in a maggot-like manner, he reminded me of the old Micheline commercial on TV. How could someone allow himself to be this fat I imagined. Then I remembered an old classmate who was that fat. As I drew closer, he appeared to be the one but I didn’t want to believe because he was walking hand in hand with a very beautiful damsel I guessed was his wife. To confirm my doubt, my eyes quickly scanned his fingers, he was indeed wearing a wedding band! My God! Who could have married this UGLY guy! We almost collided while I was still wondering why after all these years he still looked the way he looked.
“Haaaaaa Emi…” He hugged me before I could say a word. I was swallowed up in his embrace just like old times. My hands could hardly spread around his sides let alone reaching his back to hug him like I would hug a ‘normal’ human.
“Long time Tom, ten years no see.” I quickly let go as I was beginning to feel intimidated by his size. He made me appear too slim.
“Yes, actually more than ten years. Sorry, meet my wife Loveth. Honey, this is an old classmate, she is Emi, I used to like her a lot but she never…”
“Ok Tom, enough of your introductions. Loveth, I am pleased to meet you.” I took a long stare at her and I couldn’t help what I felt about her. “You are very beautiful Loveth, you could pass for a model.”
“Well, I used to be a model but not anymore. I have started having children.” Her smiles were as beautiful as her looks. We chatted some more and exchanged contacts before we parted. I couldn’t help but starred after them as they walked on. How did it happen? Wasn’t Tom the ugliest human God created? How come he’s married to the most beautiful woman?
Are you thinking what I am thinking? A case of beauty and the beast right? Well, I just simply try to guess what you are thinking I didn’t say so. You see, Tom was a new student brought to our class in S.S 2. He caught the stare of the entire school when he came. He was as fat as the word FAT. He was soooooooo fat that he didn’t use the same seat like the rest of us. His was specially made to suit his big bum. It was such that one would think he was a girl because he had some two seeds growing on his chest. He was called names but he was popularly known as ‘biggy’. We teased him a lot and I remember saying that tailors would have a hard time making his clothes. He was never offended, it was as though he had got used to the teasing.
One day, he wrote me a love letter asking me to be his girlfriend. He sent it through one of his friends who read it before giving it to me. I cried after reading the letter and confided in my friend how the letter made me feel very ugly. I felt I was too beautiful to be Tom’s girlfriend. There was actually another classmate most of the girls felt was the finest boy in the class, we were already friends and were intending to date before Tom came. Having sent me the letter, he started to tell people that I was his girlfriend. I felt bad for days that I didn’t talk much in the class. News went round that I was Biggy’s girlfriend. It made me feel worse. Because of his size and his looks it was as though he was an abnormal human. I stopped talking to him or paying attention to anything about him. He was too ugly to worth my friendship let alone being my boyfriend. I secretly concluded that no woman would ever agree to marry him nor will he have many friends. But there was one thing I could not easily forget about Tom, he had a cheerful spirit and he never admitted that he was as fat as we described him.
When we left secondary school, I was glad to forget everything about him until I met him again recently. Nothing had changed about his looks but he looked happier and I guessed he must be getting the best out of life with such a beautiful wife and a cute baby to compliment.
As I continued my evening stroll, I paused for a minute to ponder on a line I heard some time ago “there’s someone for everybody’. As true as that is, a scripture gained attention in mind, “you are fearfully and wonderfully made…” It made more sense with Tom, the Biggy and ugly classmate.
The truth is, no matter how ugly you think you look or even with the way situation may be for you now, you are someone’s angel and that person will do anything to have you by their side.
A lady I know got married at 36, it had been severally said of her that she was ill mannered and proud. Some people said no man would marry her because of her character, but just last year, a man did take her to the altar!
Whose report will you believe about yourself? If Biggy had listened to our teasing in the secondary school, he would have been suffering from poor self esteem.
Take a look at yourself in the mirror, no one is created like you and no one will ever be like you. You are unique in every way and that is the truth. If you couldn’t achieve something you attempted doesn’t mean you are bad, it’s just that you are trying to gain the experience of how not to do it.
Remember always that you have been WONDERFULLY CRAFTED by your Maker.
*From my archive