Beauty comes in surprising shapes

HI! HOW are you?" The woman smiled as she took the seat beside me.She had to lower herself slowly, squeezing her ample bottom intothe seat, filling all available space.
Positioning herself comfortably, she plopped her enormous arm on ourcommon armrest. Her immensity saturated the space around us,shrinking me and my seat into insignificance.
I cringed and reclined towards the window.
She leaned towards me and repeated her greeting in an upbeat, friendlyvoice.Her face towered above my head, forcing me to turn to look at her."Hi," I replied with obvious loathing.
I turned away to stare out the cabin window, sulking silently about the longhours of discomfort I was going to experience with this monster beside me.She nudged me with her meaty arm. "My name is Laura. I'm from Britain.How about you? Japan?"
"Malaysia," I barked.
"I'm so sorry! Will you accept my heartfelt apology? Come, shake my hand.If we're going to spend six hours side-by-side on this flight, we'dbetter be friends,don't you think?" A palm waved in front of my face. I shook the handreluctantly,still silent.
Laura started a conversation with me, taking no notice of my unfriendlyreactions. She talked excitedly about herself and her trip to Hong Kong tosee her friends. She rattled off a list of things she was going to buy forher students in the boarding school where she was teaching.
I gave her one-word answers to her questions about me. Unperturbed by mycoldness, she nodded as she made appreciative comments to my answers.Her voice was warm and caring. She was considerate and obliging whenwe were served drinks and meals, making sure that I had room to maneuverin my seat. "I don't want to clobber you with my elephant size!" she saidwithutmost sincerity.
To my surprise, her face which repulsed me hours before now openedinto extraordinary smiles, lively and calm at the same time. Icouldn't help butlet down my guard slowly.
Laura was an interesting conversationalist. She was well read in manysubjects from philosophy to science. She turned a seemingly unimportantsubject into something to explore and understand. Her comments werehumorous and inspirational. When our topic turned to cultures, I waspleasantlysurprised by her intelligent comments and well-thought-out analysis.
During our conversation, Laura managed to make every cabin crew whoserved us walk away laughing at her jokes. When a flight attendant wasclearingour plates, Laura cracked several jokes about her size. The flight attendantroared with laughter as she grabbed Laura's hand, "You really make my day!"
For the next few minutes, Laura listened attentively and gave pointers totheflight attendant's weight problem. The grateful attendant said before sherushed off, "I've got to work. I'll come back later and talk to you aboutit."
I asked Laura, "'Have you ever thought about losing some weight?""No. I've worked hard to get this way. Why would I want to give it up?""You aren't worried about cardiovascular diseases that come with beingoverweight?""Not at all. You only get the diseases if you're worried about yourweight all the time.You see advertisements from slimming centres that say, 'Liberate yourselffromyour extra baggage so that you are free to be yourself.' It's rubbish!You're liberatedonly if you're comfortable about who you are, and what you look like anytimeof the day and anytime of the year! Why would I want to waste my time onslimming regimes when I have so many other important things to do and somany people to be friends with? I eat healthily and walk regularly;I'm this sizebecause I am born to be big! There is more to life than worrying aboutweight all day long." She sipped at her wine. "Besides, God gives me somuch happiness that I need a bigger body to hold all of it! Why would I loseweight to lose my happiness?" Taken aback by her reasoning, I chuckled.Laura continued. "Folks often see me as a fat lady with big bosoms, bigthighsand a big bottom that no man would even bother to cast a glance at. They seeme as a slob. They think I'm lazy and have no willpower. They'rewrong." She heldup her glass to a passing flight attendant. "More of this magnificent winepleases." She smiled sweetly at the attendant. "Great service from yourcrew.May God bless all of you?"
She turned to me, "I'm actually a slim person inside. I'm so full ofenergy thatpeople won't be able to keep up with me. This extra flesh is here to slowme down; otherwise I'll be running everywhere chasing after men!"
"Do men chase after you?" I asked jokingly.
"Of course they do. I'm happily married but men still keep proposing to me."Most of them have relationship problems and they need someone to confidein.For some reason, they like to talk to me. I think I should have been acounselorinstead of a school teacher!"
Laura paused before she said thoughtfully, "You know, the relationshipbetween men and women is so complicated. Women worship men and callthem, 'Honey' until they find out they have been lied to, and then they turninto bitter gourds! Men love women so much that they see them as their soulmates until they look at their credit card bills, and then women becomedevils with tridents!"
Laura's enthralling conversation had turned the flight into somethingthoroughlyenjoyable. I was also fascinated by the way people were drawn to her. By theend of the flight, almost half the cabin crew was standing near theaisle by us,laughing and joking with Laura. The passengers around us joined in themerry-makingtoo. Laura was the centre of attention, filling the cabin withdelightful warmth.
When we waved goodbye to each other at the arrival lounge at Hong Kong'sKai Tak Airport, I watched her walking towards a big group of adoringadults andkids. Cheers sounded as the group hugged and kissed Laura. She turned aroundand winked at me.
I was stunned, as the realisation set in: Laura was the most beautiful womanI had ever met in my life.
Have a nice day…