＃Happy 엄청난 일이 일어나 버렸어요

[혜리미]

어제는 그냥 학교 소풍이라서 다른 애들이 게임을 하는 것만 구경하고 있었는데, 영어 선생님께서 오시더니 이렇게 말씀하시더군요.

"너 대학교에서 소식 못 들었니?"
"아뇨. 왜요?"
"그럼 내가 미리 얘기를 해 주마. 어제 나한테서 편지가 왔는데, 니가 저번에 대학교에서 주최한 백일장대회에 낸 소설이 1등을 했어. 그리고 넌 졸업할 때까지 매년 1만 달러씩 총 4만 달러의 장학금을 받게 되었다고 하는구나."
".....................ㅇㅁㅇ"

오마이갓오마이갓 세상에세상에세상에세상에

그러니까, 제가 입학을 지원한 대학교에서 백일장 대회를 하길래 단편소설을 써서 냈었는데(그 대학교 영문과에 지원한 학생들만 참여 가능), 그게 예상을 뒤엎고 1등(매년 1만달러 장학금)을 했다는 거지요! 그리고 저걸 말해주신 선생님이 스폰서를 해 주셨고, 선생님은 상금 100달러를 받으셨다는 거지요!! 으아아아아아아 완전히 머리를 1000톤짜리 망치로 얻어맞은 듯한 느낌과 동시에 엄청난 기쁨이 쏟아져 내려오더라구요. 제 학교 성적 평균과 SAT 점수로 받은 9천만 달러 장학금에 보태져서 제 장학금이 총 19000 달러가 되었다는 거지요. 5천 달러만 내면 대학교에 갈 수 있어요!!! 요즘 안좋은 일들이 겹쳐 있었는데 이걸로 걱정을 엄청 많이 덜게 되었어요!!! 역시 세상은 아직 살만한 곳인거죠?ㅠ.ㅠ

그 효자 소설을 같이 올릴 테니까 심심하시면 한 번 읽어보세요. 읽다보면 누구 이야기랑 많이 비슷할 겁니다 ㅎㅎㅎ

*88 Pounds

      I was just standing there.
      I was just standing there, looking into a white paper box. With my fingers holding the lid open, I just stared into the box hopelessely. In the box sat a round, shiny object with a hole in the middle of it. It looked startling, even amazing. It was a piece of sugar glazed doughnut.
      “GULP.”
      I swallowed my appetite away. I had to resist my practice of touching food without thinking. The fact that it was the last doughnut in this household started to make me feel miserable. But still, I had to resist it.
      THUMP.
      I just slammed the lid. I simply couldn't stand it anymore. I couldn't stand looking at that piece of sinful indulgence filled with sweetness anymore.
      I was on a diet.
      It was a simple, normal day when I decided to go on a diet. I was having a little vacation while I was staying at my aunt's house during the summer. She was pregnant and I was there to help her with chores. Her belly was getting bigger and bigger every day and her movements began to slow down. I helped her to clean the house, cook dinner, take her dog out for a walk and go shopping. I was overjoyed to see my new baby cousin soon enough, so I didn't complain.
      But one day, I got up and went to bathroom in order to clean myself up. I glazed into the mirror and almost had a heart attack.
      'What the...? Is this me? Really?'
      I looked so disastrous--my face was round and fat, looking like a dinner roll that has just came out of the oven, fluffy and puffy. My chin was two--layered, and when I looked down to see my body, I freaked out. I was covered with layer and layers of unnecessary fat. Trying to stay calm, I searched for the scale. I found it, and stepped on it.
      The scale started to spin, tumbled, and finally stopped at...
      ...One hundered and ninety-five pounds.
      'WHAT?????'
      No, this can't be happening. I knew that I eat a little too much...but...what? No, I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming.
      But reality was cruel. I WAS weighing one hundred and ninety-five pounds with a height of five feet and two inches. I was FAT.
      That morning, during breakfast, I told my aunt about what I've seen just now.
      "Auntie, do you think I should go on a diet?"
      She paused for a moment, and then said in a low voice.
      "You know, Heather, I think you should."
      "Oh."
      "I couldn't tell you because I knew it would hurt your feelings, but as you have realized, I can tell you now. You've been eating too much. Especially sweets. And you don't exercise enough. That's enough to make you so unhealthy and overfattening."
      "......"
      "If you decide to go on a diet, I will help you. You know I've been to yoga lessons. And I'll let you use your uncle's bicycle and monitor your food intake while you are staying here."
      "Will you really?"
      "Of course. You are my niece. The closest one. I will definitely help you."
      "Thanks, auntie."
      So I started my diet.
      I put the doughnut box into the refrigerator. I've been on a diet for about four months now. It was a really long, hard and painful time. If you ask why, I will gladly tell you why it was so painful.
      My aunt had learned yoga stretchings before, but as she was pregnant and had to avoid any physical activity that can damage her baby, I had to go to a yoga academy. My aunt took me to the place she once went, and I registered.
      Every morning I got on my uncle's bicycle and rushed to the academy. Most of the students were young adults, so I was the youngest student there, with the age of sixteen. I did various types of stretchings, meditations and sometimes really weird ones. In case of standing cobra position, I had to endure pain in my back as I was very unflexible. I could feel my layers of fat folded as I moved along.
      After my yoga lesson was done, I didn't return straight. I roamed around the town on my uncle's bike for hours and hours. It actually helped a lot. At least bike riding was one of my favorite sports activity, so I didn't have any problems with this one.
      The real problem was controlling my appetite.
      Everytime I tried to snack on something as I felt a slight vacancy in my tummy, my aunt caught me.
      "Heather!! Not again!! Are you still not realizing that you are on a diet? Now stay away from the refrigerator, young lady."
      It was a pure torture. Being unable to eat is a scary thing. During mealtime, I had to cut the portion of my food a lot, especially carbohydrates and oils. I had to remove access to my favorite foods, such as pasta, white rice, fried chicken, coffee or cookies. Instead, I ate more of fresh vegetables, fruit, and water or green tea. At first I felt like I am going to die. I could see illusions of my favorite food levitating in front of me. Whenever I stretched out my hand to touch them, they shredded into small pieces and disappeared. I told you, it was a pure torture.
      Limits on food also tormented my fun time. My best friend Sue called me out many times, as we love to spend time together and go to various places. The problem was, she was a big eater with bottomless stomach. One good thing about her was she never gained weight no matter how much she eats. But I am a person who gains every pound as much as I eat. So after I got on my diet, I had to cut off my choices.
      "Heather! How about Starbuck's after this movie?"
      "Huh? Starbuck's?"
      "Yeah! I'd like a nice cold coffee with whipped cream and caramel syrup tossed all over it!"
      "Well, uh...I'll think."
      Man, this sucks. If i wasn't on a diet, I could have ordered a huge Caramel Mocha with extra whipped cream. But I had to order a tall size Cafe' Americano, which had nothing but pure coffee.
      "Things are going tough for you, right?"
      "Yeah. I'm not free with food anymore. Everytime I touch the refrigerator, my aunt will come right at me and drag me away."
      "I just simply cannot imagine being dragged away from the refrigerator."
      "It's not cool at all. Don't spend time on imagining it."
      "I guess I won't."
      Sue giggled as she had a big slurp of her super sweet, enormously sugary and creamy coffee. I sipped my bitter, black coffee, frowning.
      But the most painful torture was from the TV.
      During weekend, I went back home for a moment to get some of my stuff. My mother was watching TV and I soon joined her.
      "Mom, what are you watching?"
      "Oprah. She's talking about Krispy Kreme Doughnuts."
      'What?'
      Uh--Oh. It's talking about food. One of my favorites. I had to run away, but I couldn't. I automatically sat down and my eyes pierces the screen. Oprah Winfrey and one of the CEOs of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts were talking about the secret recipe. They said that there were only four people who knows all of the ingredirents of the dough mix. The talk itself was boring. As I yawned with boredom, Oprah shouted so loudly,
      "We got Krispy Kreme for all of you!!! Whoo--Hoo!!!"
      Oh, my goodness. Several people were giving doughnuts out to the entire audience. As they received nice, hot and shiny glazed doughnuts, they picked one up and took an enormous bite.
      'CRAP.'
      I turned my eyes. I just couldn't stand the scene. It was torturing. It was SUPER TORTURING. I had to get out of the living room. My head started to hurt. I lied on my bed and covered my head with pillow. It was pretty hard to forget the picture. Finally, I put on a headphone and turned on my iPod. And grabbed one of my magazines, with a picture of Michael Jackson on cover. As I read through the article, I could finally see the image of a woman having a bite of a sugar glazed doughnut fading away.
      Finally, I went to my aunt and whined about the situation.
      "I simply cannot endure this anymore. I want to stop my diet."
      My aunt gave me a serious look and said in a low voice.
      "Heather, I'm so disappointed in you."
      "What?"
      "I know my niece is not this weak. She's strong, willful and brave girl who can do anything. As you are whining and complaining about such a little thing, you must not be the Heather I know."
      "Auntie, I..."
      "Ever since you were a little child, I looked after you, took you to various places, and did so many things. And I wanted to make you into a good giel. But I guess that I've wasted all of my money and time so far."
      "......"
      "You made a vow with me. You must keep it. I'd like you to finish what you've started. I know you can do it."
      All I could do was to keep my mouth shut and never complain again.
      Times went by, and I could actually feel my body feeling a little lighter than it used to. My facial shape changed from circle to oval and my chin became one--layered. I was able to walk and run faster, and could endure more of my breath. And most of all, I started to put a belt on my jeans as they went looser ans looser. I actually started to buy smaller size clothes, and my mom and I went shopping regularly.
      "How about this one, sweetie?"
      My mother asked me as she showed me a pair of gorgeous jeans with cute crystal tatoos on them. But they looked too small.
      "Mom, don't you think they're a bit small for me?"
      "I don't think so. Go ahead and try it on."
      I trusted my mother, so I went into the fitting room with those jeans. When I put them on, I was kind of anxious to fasten the zipper.
      'What if they don't fit me? What if I break the zipper?'
      But the anxiety was lifted when I realized that the jeans fit me perfectly. I looked at the mirror on the side of the fitting room, and they looked gorgeous.
      I was able to smile, as I stepped out fo fitting room with that smile still on my face, and went to the counter in order to pay for them.
      And it was about time for school to start. I spend most of my time at my aunt's house, still helping her with chores, going to yoga academy, having a bike riding and listening to my iPod and read in order to forget my thoughts about food.
      About few days before the 1st day of school, I met with some of my friends to hang out.
      "Tracy!! Lina!! I'm so great to see you guys all!!"
      "My, long time no see, Heather!!"
      Tracy and Lina are my loyal friends. We've known each other since we were in kindergarten and we are still good friends. The problem was that Sue, my best friend, doesn't like them so I had to end up not inviting Sue whenever I hung out Tracy and Lina. Tracy was a big, cute girl with small eyes and the Beatles kind of hair. Lina was small, pretty girl with extraordinarily high voice.
      Three of us went to the mall, took a look at various kinds of stores, especially at the pet store and jewelry store. It was about lunchtime, and we went to the food court. Tracy asked.
      "What do you guys would like?"
      Lina replied with concern.
      "I don't know. I'm on a diet."
      Lina was preparing to be an idol singer. She also was on a diet, but I didn't think she needed any diet, because she was already skinny enough.
      I came up with an idea.
      "Why don't we just order one dish and share it?"
      "Say, that sounds good!"
      "Let's do it, then!"
      With the delightful agreement of Lina and Tracy, we went to a Chinese food place and ordered a meal combo of Kung Pao chicken and broccoli beef with some brown rice. We asked for some more of plastic plates so we can share. We settled down on one of the tables and enjoyed our lunch.
      "You know, Heather, I think you are getting really heathy these days."
      Tracy said with a fork spinning on her hand. I was quite surprised to hear that.
      "Do you really think so?"
      "Yeah. Before you started your diet, you were slow, and you always complained about too many things. But now you are more active, and more joyful in every way."
      "Probably that's true. As my body feels better, I become more optimistic."
      "You look very good, too. I didn't know you could be so pretty."
      "Come on, you're flattering me."
      We all laughed, and finished our meal with joy. I wore a smile on my face, a smile of pride and happiness.
      The school days started, and I began my life as a junior. Kids at school seemed to be surprised to see me changing. And I enjoyed that attention. Although school started, I regularly exercised and still controlled my appetite. As days went by, I became more fit and healthier.
      And few months later, I got a call from my mother while I was getting out of school.
      "Heather, your aunt finally had a baby. We are going to the hospital right now."
      "REALLY? Wow, mom, that's so cool! I've been waiting so long!!"
      "I know you are. Wait just for few minutes and I'll be there."
      I was thrilled with excitement. Few minutes later, my mother arrived and we headed straightly to the hospital.
      As we arrived, I rushed into the room where my aunt was staying. She was holding her baby in her arms, just in time. Jenna, my new baby cousin was lying peacefully in her mother's arms, with her eyes closed and her tiny mouth pouting.
      "Oh, my, she's so cute!"
      "She looks just like you when you were born, Heather."
      "You must be kidding, right, auntie?"
      "No, I'm not. She looks just like you."
      I looked down at my precious new family member. She looked so adorable. I could have kissed her on her forehead, but I had to give up due to sanitary matter.
      My aunt suddenly said proudly.
      "She will grow into someone strong like you. You have endured the brutal diet and now you look so healthy."
      "Thanks, auntie."
      "How much do you weigh now?"
      As she asked, I said proudly.
      "One hundered and seven pounds."
      "See? I told you you can do it."
      I smiled once again. I was proud of myself and my aunt. As I looked down on my baby cousin, I made myself a promise.
      'When Jenna grows a little older, I'll spend time with her, take her everywhere, and encourage her to become a strong, willful and brave girl, like auntie did for me.'

[라큐리]

헉 정말 엄청나네요 입이 안다물어져요 혜림씨 대단해요 축하해요 뜨아~ =0=;;;ㅋ

[젤라피쉬]

와우 정말 축하드려요!!! 저도 나중에 장학금 같은거 받고 싶어요 ㅠㅠㅠ 부럽네요..

[mj피앙세]

축하해요..대단하네요..근데 내용을 ㅠㅠ

[오혜성]

오~~~~!축하해여~!혜리미님 항상 좋은일만 있길바래여..

[이수정]

제 영어실력이 부족해서 소설을 읽어보진 못했지만 정말정말 축하해요 !!!

[파란 토마토]

축하해요~~

[갅지]

혹시 학교 어디다니세요??

[Lotus 배수민]

우워!!! 정말 축하드려요!!!!ㅠㅠㅠㅠ 고생 끝에 낙이로군요! 역시 인생은 이런 맛이라니깐요 ~ 넘넘 축하드려요!!! ^^