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BOB's Banter by Robert Clements
This article appeared in 'The Examiner' -
www.the-examiner.org, of 19 Nov 2005
Fairness cream..!
And now theres a fairness cream for men! And before
you rush of to chemists to buy one or are already
using the one for women, heres a story:
His thumb softly rubbed the twisted flesh on my cheek.
The plastic surgeon, a good fifteen years my senior,
was a very attractive man. Hmmm, he said quietly.
Are you a model?
Is this a joke? Is he kidding? I asked myself, and I
searched his handsome face for signs of mockery. No
way would anyone ever confuse me with a fashion model.
I was ugly. My mother casually referred to my sister
as her pretty child. Anyone could see I was homely.
After all, I had the scar to prove it.
The accident happened in fourth grade, when a
neighbour boy picked up a hunk of concrete and heaved
the mass through the side of my face. An emergency
room doctor stitched together the shreds of skin,
pulling cat-gut through the tattered outside of my
face and then suturing the shards of flesh inside my
mouth. For the rest of the year, a huge bandage from
cheekbone to jaw covered the raised angry welt.
A few weeks after the accident, an eye exam revealed I
was nearsighted. So above the ungainly bandage sat a
big, thick pair of glasses. Well, sighed my father
that evening, youll always be pretty to me, and he
hesitated, even if you arent to the rest of the
world.
Right. Thanks. In a culture that values beauty, an
ugly girl is an outcast. My looks caused me no end of
pain. I sat in my room and sobbed every time my family
watched a beauty pageant or a talent search show.
Eventually I decided that if I couldnt be pretty, I
would at least be well-groomed. Over the course of
years, I learned to style my hair, wear contact lenses
and apply make-up. Watching what worked for other
women, I learned to dress myself to best advantage.
And now, I was engaged to be married. The scar,
shrunken and faded with age, stood between me and a
new life. Of course, Im not a model, I told the
doctor with a small amount of indignation.
The plastic surgeon crossed his arms over his chest
and looked at me appraisingly. Then why are you
concerned about this scar? If there is no professional
reason to have it removed, what brought you here
today?
His voice was low and soft. Let me tell you what I
see. I see a beautiful woman. Not a perfect woman, but
a beautiful woman. Lauren Hutton has a gap between her
front teeth. Elizabeth Taylor has a tiny, tiny scar on
her forehead, every person has an imperfection, and
that imperfection makes their beauty more remarkable
because it makes them human.
He pushed back the stool and stood up. I wont touch
it. Dont let anyone fool with your face. You are
delightful just the way you are. Beauty really does
come from within. Believe me. Then he left. I turned
to the face in the mirror. He was right. Somehow over
the years, that ugly child had become a beautiful
woman. Since that day in his office, I have been told
many times by people of both sexes that I am
beautiful. And, I know I am. When I changed how I
saw myself, others were forced to change how they saw
me. The doctor didnt remove the scar on my face; he
removed the scar in my heart..!
Still feel like buying your fairness cream?
Robert Clements
====
Cheers !!
Joseph Fernandes
Mumbai
__________________________________________________________
Enjoy this Diwali with Y! India Click here
http://in.promos.yahoo.com/fabmall/index.html
