Spotlight

Anastaesia, The Ugly Stepsister from Cinderella

You know, my life really gets on my nerves. I think sometimes of just committing suicide just to end all these woes of mine. Being an ugly—and by ugly means really displeasing to the eyes—stepsister to Cinderella has been my only role from the very beginning. Am I that bad enough? I mean, I’m not that ugly, right? And I’m not that ill-tempered and I’m not that vain and most of all…I’m not weird! Like Cinderella!

Cinderella, Cinderella, Cinderella! I’m sick of that name already! One simple plead to her to clean the house because I was sick and Grizelda and mom was out of town and she’ll gossip to the whole neighborhood that I had been cruel to her and I forced her to work on her knees. That time, the Grimm Brothers were just four blocks away from our house. They’re just like Cinderella, nosy little weirdos!

Then, everyone feels sorry for poor little Cinderelly! Bah! And what do I get? A sympathy of a pig! That’s what I get! Urgggh! I deserve a little sympathy, too. Does my fairy godmother ever turn up with a magic wand? Does the prince ever dance with me at the ball? Not on your life. The best I could expect my pumpkin would turn to is a lifeless pie. And as for the rats, well, rats are rats, with their sneaky eyes and skinny tails, nibbling and gnawing at the garbage. I never saw one yet who talked in cute squeaky voices or made dresses or even turned into a coachman. If you ask me, that Cinderella is weird. Soooooo weird!

Take it from me, she isn’t normal. Besides the fact that she has naturally curly hair and wears size 4 ½ shoes, she is so good-natured that it’s downright sickening. Don’t you see my suspicions? If you had to dust and sweep and clean all day long, would you go around singing to the birds? Of course you wouldn’t. No sensible person would. I bet…Cinderella is a witch! And I am the only one who can see for what she is: a fat and ugly wart-faced witch!

And yes! I am a bit jealous of her…not of her looks, of course. And with good reason. I did the Western diet everyday and joined in doing Taebo for three whole weeks before the ball. I did my push-up and sit-up exercises faithfully. I had my nails done at Marie Nails and even had a facial at Mayflower Inn and Spa. I even bought a new gown from my favorite Haute couture, Ralph Lauren.  Blue velvet. Designer label. I mean, I was ready.

Princey baby! Here I come!

And then what? The night at the ball at the prince’s kingdom, I was about to be asked by the prince to a dance when she pushed me aside and whispered something and the next thing I knew, the prince’s eyes were fogged as if in a trance and yes…she destroyed my only chance of leveling my life up.

Little Cindy, who has never seen the inside of a health club in her life and who doesn’t know the difference between a celery and a Toblerone, whips together a dress out of some old curtains from China market, waltzes off to the ball and the next thing I knew, there were church bells ringing and Cinderella wearing a triumphant evil smile looks at me and says, “Better luck next time, sister!”

Four words: This is sooooooooooooooo unfair!