Characters ...

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 153, 25 March 1937, Page 6

Characters ...

ALAIDA feared two things above } all else—obesity and death. ; Yet she was fat and was weary of |

J living. ‘ ! Every night as she collapsed into > ! bed. she breathed a sigh, half-glad, [ • half-regretful. “One more day j ! nearer the end!’’ ; ! And there were frequent mo- ; • ments, when the office boy slammed j ; the door on a cheeky retort or the j ! chemist’s scales received another I ! pound of flesh, that brought her in ; ! her thoughts very near to suicide. [ ■ “Oh. for the grave!’’ she would cry ! ! aloud —and mean it. I might have < ! been alarmed had I not realised how > ; grimly the possible pain of dying ! I stood between her and oblivion. . i • In the same way, the inconveni- ; ! ence of dieting and exercise robbed ] ! her of the slim silhouette she craved. I ! She would stand, revolving slowly, « ! in front of the one full-length ’ ! mirror in the boarding-house, and j ! pat her waist and smooth her hips 1 ; with gentle and reflective fingers. “I > I really must do something about my } I weight.” she would say and pull the , ; skin of her face tightly over the ! J bones, to admire the effect of aqui- < 1 line beauty. ! ! Then she would lie down on ! ! her bed and read de Maupassant and ! ■ smoke and eat fat, black chocolates. < ; So one day I took her in hand. ; ! I ranted, I argued, I cajoled, and at [| i the end of it all she rose from her 1 ! armchair inspired. “I’ll do it,” she < • vowed. “I’ll do it. I’ll eat only | J at meals and even then less than I | ! could. And I’ll do jerks in the ! ! mornings and take physical culture 1 i classes. And if you are sure mas- ; ; sage will help, I’ll let you massage ; • me every night, thank you.’ 1 i » « * j 1 The next day she was as ! ! good as her word. There were jerks > ! before breakfast, short meals all day > !r and massage at night. Maida was ‘ j so interested she hardly winced [ ; when the office boy slammed the I 1 door. ; ! The first check was the physical ; I culture classes, held at inconvenient } I hours which meant “such a fearful ! j rush.” The jerks became irregu- j ; lar as the mornings grew colder. ; ! And the meals were erratic, some- > I times mountainous, sometimes in [ ’ penance a cubic inch below normal. [ ; However. Maida was partial to ! 1 massage and submitted meekly, if > 1 somewhat sceptically, to pummel- ; ! lings and poundings and the sweep | ! of a rubber roller. She felt her ) I bulges doubtfully, but all the same ! • they were flattening out and I was , ! as proud of them as Pygmalion of ; I his Galatea. 1 ! The end came suddenly and un- * 1 expectedly. Maida had had a hat- , ! assing day and I found her, in the ! i evening, stretched out in an ex- > ! hausted condition. As I came in, | ! she laid de Maupassant on his face. < I “Look. I just haven’t the energy j J to-night to strip for a massage.” she ! 1 said. ■ 1 And she added: “You know. I > ! think it would be rather a good idea ; I to cut out chocolates. They're J ; awfully fattening . . - But the man I 1 said barley sugar only gives you j ! energy.” J 1 She put a yellow cube on her < ' tongue, and I heard her faint moan j ■; as I slammed the door behind me. I ! —O.M.A. f