Chapter 7: CHAPTER 3

Chelsea; My Big, Fat, Fabulous Love By Nwachukwu Christopher Ishioma AvwerosuoWords: 15212

Chelsea  is the only child of  Mr Christopher Okoro and Mrs Chigozia Christopher Okoro. Her dad is a retired Government school teacher, who is 58years old, he worked for the Government for 35years. He got the teaching job, at the young age of 23.He decided to open his own  soft drink business , after retirement.  Which he  sales in crates and is running now.

Her mother is 55years old, she has her own super market, "MAMA C's SUPER MARKET", which she been running since she finished the Tertiary  institution, where she studied "Marketing".

She decided to open her own business, instead of working for someone else and utilize what she learnt in school,  which helped in expand her business to two branches, one in Warri where they live and the in  Effurun, both in Delta State, Nigeria.

They name their only daughter and only child, Eseoghene, in her father's tongue meaning ;"God's gift", For the gift God gave to them after 10years of waiting. While Amarachukwu in her mother's tongue, meaning " Praise God", Praising God for the gift of a child and Chelsea, after her father's favorite football club. Making her "Miss Okoro Chelsea Eseoghene Amarachukwu.

Her parents are both from Delta State. Her father is an Urhobo man from Ethiope East local government," Eku" and mother an "Ukwani" woman from Ndokwa west local government," Kwale" .

Chelsea, is a 23 years old young lady, who is light chocolate colour  in complexion, 5.5 feet tall, with oval face, with brown eyes and a little bit overweight, with a big tummy, which has brought her so many questions and accusations.

Having always been ridiculed for her weight, she has been embarrassed because of her weight and just from being her, even when she wasn't even fat. Which shouldn't be so, since everyone can not be this same,either in shape, colour or size . Just as our faces are different,  so are we also different. As a person or individual, it is that difference that makes us unique.

Due to constant reminder of her weight, she became ashame to even go outside her house, especially the vicinity where she lived, if not necessary or only on errands. She preferred staying indoors, if given the choice to do just that, which was so sad.

The exercise she was used to doing, which is trekking to short and long distances,which helped her to stay fit, she had to stop it. Because of fear of what people will say if they saw her weight. But staying indoors did not help at all, but instead, increased her weight.

Since her admission into the higher institute, she started going outside  frequently. Seeing that she was in a new environment, where no one knows her before ( when she was smaller in size and had a flat tummy), then no one will question her or embarrassed her because of her size, since they met her like that ( in her present size).  Although some still judged her, she sometimes wonders what they would have said or done if she was really pregnant, since that was one of their assumption.

Having struggled with weight gain, from her early teenage years, at age 14, she has passed through a lot of embarrassing moment, and has been accused so many times and also have been body shame by both adult, teenagers and children.

At one time,her new biology teacher who was about to teach them biology, call her out in front of another teacher and asked her if she was pregnant. She had to explain to her that her tummy is just big and not because she was pregnant.

Thanks that the other teacher knew her, if not the biology  teacher would have thought that she was lying.

There was also a time that she came to school late and her former basic science teacher was on duty at the gate.

The teacher insinuated that she was pregnant and was drawing Chelsea skirt down, on the ground that; Chelsea was wearing a short skirt which was not the case.  Chelsea's skirt and some of her other clothes has become too small and  short for her, due to her Increase in size and weight.

That teacher was slim the first time Chelsea met her, but at this time the teacher is  also fat, so if Chelsea has accused her of something she has done, wouldn't she be offended too.

Chelsea was in tears through out the period before class and was comforted by her female classmates. Most(not all )  people that body shamed Chelsea, were people in the same size category with Chelsea.

People behaved like being fat was a disease, instead of a size of a person. Some are slim, some are fat, while some are average in size, everyone has their own different shape and size.

A Lady she knew since she was little , although they weren't all that close, saw her one day and called her in front of a total stranger and made a statement and not a question, mind you.

" You where pregnant before and gave birth." She asked in order to get a confirmation ,which if not heard right and you weren't there at that moment it was said, it might have thought, it was a question, which it was not.

The woman who  did that to her, had a little daughter who was also fat for her age, but nobody, not even Chelsea was so emotionless like her, to say that to the child.

If they say or believe she was pregnant, that mean at that time at age 20, she has been carrying the pregnancy for 6years, which is not medically possible.

It was painful not only because of the kind of of statement, but because the person that said it has known her since she was 11 or 12 , although they haven't talk much, she is supposed to know the kind of person Chelsea is and  her character.

Chelsea  felt  ashamed for being accused of something( having unwanted pregnancy and having a child out of wedlock)  like  that, by someone she knows and greets every time she sees her, and in the presence of someone she does not know.

Before the lady made that horrible statement( horrible because it is not true) and  called her, she ( Chelsea) saw them looking at her when she walked by, before she came back  from where she was going .

That means the one she knew ( which is  in past tense, because she discovered that day, that both of them ( herself and the lady) don't really know each other, because  if they did, the lady wouldn't have  been telling the other lady ( the stranger), something about her, which was  what she later said to  Chelsea. She didn't allow the stranger to live before calling her and saying such a delicate thing to her, which is not the way something like that  is suppose to be done or said.

There is something called cutesy, which you are to show to everyone, especially to those you know, in the lady's case, someone you are suppose to know. If she really knew Chelsea, she would have known that Chelsea would not do something like that.

They was another time that year, when coming back from an exam, a driver of  the vehicle she pass by told her that the size of her tummy,  would enable or help   her to deceive a man that she is pregnant for him. Meaning she was both lose and of low morals, this is someone she has never met, is just meeting and might never meet again.

Another time, the owner of a school she later attended, when she was just 19, walked up to  her and asked her;

" Are your parents aware?." From the Question Chelsea knew what the woman was hinting on, so she  had to explain herself again, that this is just her shape and size of her stomach .

The lady could have asked her, why her stomach was like that. But she just assumed that Chelsea was pregnant, which is the obvious meaning you get from the indirect question and from the conversation they later had, after the question.

A pastor she was just meeting for the first time;asked her what was inside her stomach and he didn't even know her, because that was the first time they were talking to each other. They never give her a benefit of a doubt

In that same school, the Vice Principal called her into her office and asked her if she was pregnant.

Chelsea had to explain herself; her sexual purity, her pregnant less state and her sex life, which was really non-existent ( meaning she has never had sex and they expect her to be pregnant).

She was told by the lady ( the Vice- Principle), a female like her, that the reason she asked, was because her fatness was not normal like that of another female student in Chelsea's class.

The Vice- Principle was talking about  a girl, that Chelsea met  that was not too slim or fat,when Chelsea newly registered into  the school,  and all of a sudden the girl  started gaining weight and not the obese or ordinary kind of fat, a matured one.

And it has not been even a year, since Chelsea started attending the school and the other girl has been attending the school for years, and they think they knew Chelsea so well and knew which kind of fat is normal and  abnormal for her, what a joke and the joke is on them.

And  this so called lady is a mother at that, that also have female children, two for that matter and would not be happy if someone asked her daughters that sought of  question, even if the person has good intentions, which Chelsea is not sure she had.

Another time , a boy asked Chelsea one day," I  hope you are  not still fat?".

" Yes I am, Why!?" She answered and asked right back " I'm okay with the way I am" she added.

" So that your husband would be able to carry you on your wedding day" he answered and laughed.

What  was so funny. Was that a joke or what, because she didn't get it. When has body shaming become a joke or something funny.

That same called friend, saw her picture one day, Do you know what he said?

" Please try and reduce your weight" he told her.

Another time when Chelsea was still school, due to her ability to make friends easily, with even those she is just meeting for this first time.  A girl just walked up to the shade Chels was sitting in and sat down.  Before you know it, Chelsea started up a friendly discussion with her, mid discussion Chelsea was talking about the way she looked and her size when she first came to school, that she was not always that big, although her stomach was a little bit big.

All of a sudden, the girl said "  I thought you were married and pregnant"  The girl   told her, Which  was  what she has been thinking or the assumption she had about Chelsea, all this while they have been talking, which was up to an hour or more.

Chelsea's countenance fell, never the less she has already collected the girl's phone number, but  was just surprise that someone she was meeting for the first time will have such opinion of her.

She  sometimes wonders that,   If she had  not talked about her size, the girl would go away with that assumption and if anyone asked that girl, like that lady she has known since she was little, the girl would answer Yes, that Chelsea was a married and a pregnant woman.

Sometimes when she is walking by, some persons will mutter or call her virgin Mary.

She has been ridiculed for no wrong committed by her, by her age group and those older than her, especially by her own gender,females like her. She had to pass short cuts and corners where no one will see her.

That's why she was happy to live home and go to school, when it was time to go to the higher institute.

But living home, in  a new environment did not stop the body shaming, instead she met even more aggressive body shaming individuals , a totally new dimension of them. Through the unconditional love showed to her by her parents, friends and the love of Christ for her, she was able to scale through.

When Depression tries to rare it's ugly head or face, she gets comfort from the unconditional love that God showed to her and the world, by sending his only begotten son , " JESUS" To Die for her  sin and that  of the whole Wild world.

Sometimes  she wonders if, people think that just  because she is fat, then  she is not human like them and  does not have feelings like everyone else.

It doesn't make it right for the people she knew, and those she doesn't know to judge her.  Does it mean they don't know the effect their words and judgemental stare has on the person being judged unjustly?. It hurts, or it is that they just don't care?.

Most cases of suicide, where committed due to the spoken words by someone or some people, without them thinking of the effect their words have on the receiver of their harsh words and the emotional implication it might have on them, which would eventually lead to depression if care is not taken.

But she has found out over and over again,that they just don't care, as long as they say it. So she decided not to end up killing herself, because of something someone has said to her or did to her.

Like that time her science teacher embarrassed her at the school gate, in front of other students.

Although the temptation has come, but there is someone she respected above everyone, everything and all problem, and that's The living God she serves.  Killing herself was against her Christian believe and those people that said or did those things, that push a  individual to the extent he or she takes their own life, will continue to live their life and that individual that took that drastic choice will be gone forever, so suicide is not and would not be the last choice or option we as humans have, instead we should make those bullies ( because that is what they are) know that they are not our God , their word don't have power over our life, only God does.

But she still wonders,  That although  she is careful on what she do or say, People are still mean to her.

In this life you can't please everyone. Those that bully others are just insecure of themselves, because that person has something they don't have.

You might be slim, tall, short, average in height, dark or light skin, people will still talk. Like the saying that says, " What goes around, will come around" , that's Karma for you.

Best thing you can do for yourself and show those bullies, that their opinion of you or your size does not count, is for you to strive and live your best life.

Is it not also true that ; Do unto others what you want them to do to you, but she guess people don't just care. But what they don't know or will find out too late, is that everyone of us will pay for the wrong we have done  and are doing, one way or the other. We will also be rewarded for the good or right thing we do.

Instead of judging or accusing others why don't you encourage them, correct them lovely , give them solution to their problems, help them get help and call that person to a corner and ask nicely, it wouldn't hurt you to do that , but it would make them know someone cares.

It is not the questions Chelsea was asked that was painful, but the accusations in some of those questions and statements.

But she believes, one day she will have her day in the sun, just like everyone else, because after all; she knows who holds tomorrow   and he is her God, not those bullies or accusers.

( Thanks for reading, love you😘. Pls read, vote  by clicking on the star icon,🙏 Follow me to get notifications for updates of chapters and additional informations( My profile is below the chapter heading, which is" Ishioma21) and pls comment, I will really love your feedbacks, once again thanks.)