Visual Trigger

 

VISUAL TRIGGER:

 

She love mimicking the birds. One of her little quirks little knew about. Of course, if they knew about it, she’ll be living a life of misery for the rest of her time working at the firm. Her first day there was horrendous; the way she dressed up was the highlight of the century for her colleagues. It was illegal, a tres fous in the making.

The office was a cool breeze of envied colleagues and tres chic secretaries. Aina walked in sluggishly, with her laptop bag, her lunch bag and her niece’s school bag all in one hand. At one look, she looked like a female Shrek without the greens. A couple of the workers there gave her glares. She knew why, but somehow the nonchalance got the better of them and she went directly to her booth. Her job’s simple enough. Calls and more calls all day.  It was much easier than her previous one. No face-to-face clients. No rowdy customers. Just pick up the phone, dial numbers and regurgitate information about insurances.  Somehow, she finds this therapeutic. Doing the same thing over and over again. The familiarity that comes along with it.  She doesn’t need to worry about her looks, what she wears, what the customers think she might be wearing, and her ever-knowing stutter problem.

“Aina, please make yourself available for our weekly meeting. I want you to take over Blake’s. He’s on leave.” For a while, Aina thought this was social acceptance but little did she know, humiliation was dogging her footsteps since the moment she left her house.  There was a familiar feeling of eeriness as she stepped into the meeting room. Everyone looked at her with glaring eyes; she almost died if it wasn’t for that uncanny self-esteem she seems to have plenty of.

“AH, here comes little Ms Bouncy. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce”

There we go again, Aina mumbled inside her head.  But she was used to it. She’s been handling this “fat issue” for 27 years, she could do one more embarrassing moment. 

“Aina, what can you tell us about Blake’s progress? “

“Urhh. Well, for starters. He’s gathered a colossal  amount of support for the proposal he submitted to you. And…” there, she froze. She hasn’t been doing her research. NO, actually she did. She did her research like everyone else.

“AH! Here we go again. Bouncy oh bouncy. Writer’s block? Maybe you should do something about that ugly flower corduroy pants and we’ll pray that your writer’s block fly away” 

Aina looked at Jash, he had that evil glint in his eyes. Her eyes averted immediately to the senior director who then gently quipped, “ He do have a point, you know” and she froze. SHE FROZE.

 

The mirror looked back at its owner. There she stood again. Barely naked, with undergarments she brought from the local night market. It wasn’t her fault she looked like this. For generations of generations, her relatives, and her family members even her great grand parents are huge people with huge appetite. It’s in the genes; they used to say when she almost brought up the subject of obesity at the dinner table one night. Aina looked back at the reflection, her breath grew erratic and her pupils dilate with anger and frustration. Then, there was the silence epiphany. What she went through today was enough. Enough is enough.

 

Things like this would be hard and it would require a vast amount of discipline which unfortunately she seemed to severely lack. But she’s determine. Aina had gotten rid of all her old clothes. Anything to do with the past. Those ugly boot cut high wasted jeans. The flowery dress she wore during her dead aunt’s wedding. The really outdated boots. Everything.  Emptying the wardrobe is the first step. Second to go, “Massacre of the Fridge”

“Third would be EXERCISE REGIME!!. Screw you bastards.” She shouted at the top of her lungs. For once in her life, she’s actually caring what others think and say about her. All this while, her nonchalant ignorant had made her the laughing stock of others.  But now, she’s going to make sure nobody does that to her anymore. She’s not going to hide in her pinkish room anymore. She isn’t even going to let her ignorance get the better of her. From this moment onwards, Aina vowed to be someone she’s always wanted to be. Someone strong and brave with guts and wits. It was that pivotal moment of her epiphany and she’s determined to make a change.