MY BIG FAT ROMANCE

MBFR : 1

EPISODE 1: ONE OF THOSE DAYS

I was walking on the red carpet with a basket of rose petals. I covered the ground in petals with each step that I took. The colorful tulips were hanging in the pathway. I felt as if I were a princess at that moment, the eyes of the audience spoke adoration while staring at me.

I was almost there until I stepped on the edge of my pink gown, and my face collided with the carpeted floor. I stood up quickly, and I was alarmed when I heard a tearing sound behind me.

Napuno ang simbahan ng malutong na halakhak bago ako tumingin sa sarili, alam ko na ang dahilan bakit sila nagtatawanan.

My dress was torn straight at the back. Fortunately, the front part of my dress did not suffer any damage, so they could not see the entirety of my figure.

The last moment I remembered was my mother rushing towards me, covering my body, and leading me out of the building.

The memory flashes in my mind as I read "What is your most embarrassing moment?" in my slum book.

I have written it down without hesitation. I am about to close the book when someone suddenly snatches it out of my hands. I raise my head to see who it was.

"I was a flower girl at the wedding. My dress was torn in front of the crowd," after Emily reads it aloud, everyone in the room breaks into laughter.

She turns to me, "A flower girl, my foot! You mean a flower pig?!" a smirk graces her lips as she gives me a look of disgust.

Emily is one of the popular girls in our school. She comes from a wealthy family. Her thick eyebrows, pointed nose, and heart-shaped lips give her a more intimidating aura. Her skin is as fair as the clouds. Anyone can easily say that she has the stance of a Miss Universe pageant.

She slams the slum book onto my wooden desk. Wala akong nagawa kundi ang yumuko na lamang kasi lahat sila alam na tama ang sinabi ni Emily.

I'm fat. I'm like a pig.

Nobody tries to befriend me, because doing so would mean social suicide. I have been enduring harassment at the hands of my schoolmates since grade school.

I am used to hearing the words pig, fat, and dambuhala; and I couldn't agree more with them.

Though today is my first day as a TVL-HE senior high school student, it is a typical day for me, kasi wala namang bago.

Typical lang na pangungutya ang naririnig ko. I consider it typical kasi parati ko naman naririnig ang mga salitang 'yan. More than usual, kaya nasanay na ako.

Sino ba naman'g hindi masasanay na simula't sapul pagmamaliit at katawa-tawa lang ang tingin ng tao sa'yo?

Sa mundo ko, kailangan maganda ka, kailangan sexy ka, walang lugar dito ang mataba na kagaya ko, kapag mataba ka, basura ka.

Hinagod ko ng tingin ang aking sarili at isang buntong hininga ang aking pinakawalan, kahit ako nauumay na mismo sa sarili ko, sila pa kaya?

Everybody is busy chatting with each other when the bell rings; it is time for the morning ceremony. I rise to my feet timidly. Unang araw pa lang pero tinatamad na akong pumasok.

We line up in the green wide oval, para akong mapapaso sa sikat ng araw, alas-siyete palang ng umaga at ang sakit na ng init kaya pinagpawisan ako ng husto. Ang malala pa ay nakalimutan kong magdala ng panyo.

"Hays kapag minamalas ka nga naman," tanging nasambit ko na lang sa aking sarili.

Lahat sila nakatingin sa akin dahil halos naliligo na ako sa pawis but thankfully kahit na mataba ako hindi ako nangangamoy durian kapag pinagpapawisan, and that's my biggest flex.