Escape

Slimmer's Club

Forty. One failed marriage. Eighteen stone, and looking like a cannonball. Martha longed for a new life.

Desperately needing to lose weight, she tried almost every diet without success. Maybe if she went to a slimming club, she would meet like-minded people and get the support she desperately needed.

Looking in all the local papers, she scanned a few of the advertisements before one caught her eye:

JOIN TODAY, BE A NEW YOU TOMORROW.

It went on to explain how joining would give her the impetus to succeed as she fought the flab.

Reading it twice, she telephoned the number at the bottom.

'Hello,' a cheery woman answered.

Reading the name from the paper, she asked, 'Could I speak to Kate please?'

'Speaking.'

Martha began, 'I saw your advertisement in the Argus today and wondered if I could join your slimming group?'

'Course you can,' the same cheery voice replied.

Martha had gotten the details - apart from the cost - from the paper. 'How much is it to join please?'

'Nothing to join, but we do ask all members to pay three pounds per visit. It goes into a kitty and we all have a great laugh. The kitty builds up over a ten week course, and the one who has lost the most weight takes the money,' Kate said. 'The next course will be starting.....on the fifth of May.'

Martha smiled. She had made her first proper step to fight the flab and would be getting the support she required. 'See you then.'

Kate replied, 'We look forward to meeting you.'

Martha put the phone down, sitting on the settee as she looked at the advert. Was this about to be the beginning of the life she had only dreamt of? Laying back she nursed her stomach, 'You are on your way out,' she said, smiling to herself.

It was only four weeks to wait and her flab should start to disappear. She should be from a size twenty four, down to... She hadn't really thought about her ideal size. There was plenty of time to think about that when she started the group.

The weeks couldn't go quick enough. She crossed off each day on the calendar. Every night, she thought to the flab, 'Bye flab, I won't be seeing you for much longer.' She felt almost sad to see it go, but if it meant getting her a new life - and most importantly, a new man - she would have to let it disappear. This was going to be the new Martha.

The night before she was due to start her class, Keith visited. Seeing him stand on the other side of the door, holding a bottle of wine, she invited him in. It was the first time she had seen him since he got married because his wife hated him speaking to other women.

Before being offered a seat, Keith sat on the two-seater sofa.

She wanted to sit beside him, but the sofa wasn't big enough for both of them. He was a little smaller than she was, but he liked being the way he was.

'What would Jayne say if she knew you were here?' Martha asked.

'Nothing,' he placed the bottle of wine on the floor in front of the settee. 'Me and her..' he began to cry.

No need to ask him to continue, Martha instinctively guessed what happened. How could she have been so cruel? 'Never mind,' Martha went to sit on the floor by him.

Kneeling, she held his knee, 'You will find someone else quick enough.'

'Who would want me?' he asked, holding onto Martha's shoulders as he bent to lift the wine from the floor. 'Do you fancy helping me drink this.'

It was the eve of her first date with the slimmer's club. Whatever would Kate say if she knew Martha was doing this while thinking about slimming? What the heck, she'd start on her diet tomorrow when she'd be having the support from others.

Going to the kitchen, she got two glasses and a corkscrew. Taking them back to the living room, she placed them on the floor by the wine.

Keith rose, helping himself to the corkscrew.

Sitting on the floor by Martha, he poured the wine into the glasses. Keith lifted his first, urging Martha to do the same.

She did, and as she drank, she watched him over the rim. 'The pounds!' she thought about her weight.

Finishing the bottle, he moved his head to hers, and kissed her on the cheeks. 'Thanks for being there for me, Marth,' he said.

Blushing, Martha returned the kissing compliment.

They looked at each other, and before long Martha stood, pulling Keith with her to lead him by the hand.

Going to the bedroom, she opened the door. A mountain of chocolate bar wrappings at the side of the bed faced them and Martha went red with embarrassment. 'I was finishing them off. They've been here for so long. I was going to start a slimming club tomorrow. I wanted to make the most of the calories before setting out and not having treats for a long time.' she said.

'Was?' Keith asked.

'You heard right. I was going to join the club to lose weight and find myself a new man...'

Keith looked at her, letting her finish what she had started.

'...but when you came here tonight and told me you and Jayne had split, that was the news I had been longing to hear. I want you Keith,' she said, pulling him towards the bed. 'I have never felt like this about anyone, and the news that you and Jayne had split made me see sense. I shouldn't change who I am for no one. They should love me for who I am, not someone I don't want to be.'

Keith looked at her. 'I want you the way you are. I don't want another Jayne, trying to be someone she isn't. I love you for who you are.'

They both lay on the bed, hearing the springs stretch to breaking point. They loved being big, and that was all that mattered. They could buy a new bed, but they couldn't buy a new love.

© 2016 Tony Lawrence. All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer- The pictures are NOT mine

If you enjoyed this story, please give the others in this collection a go.  They are all different types of stories.  And, if you enjoyed it, don't forget to vote and comment.