God Given Gift
Story By Thiyam Ningol, Africa

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Mariam always believed that God gives everybody a special gift. The moment her daughter was born, she knew that God had given her daughter a beautiful face and body. And she made her daughter utilize the God Given Gift at full advantage.

While she was making the list of the vehicles she wanted her daughter to drive, she did not include a wheel chair.

From her very childhood, Asha was not allowed to eat food she liked. Mariam chalked out a balanced diet for Asha. Eating sweets and drinking soda was taboo. She was subjected to tiring and boring exercises for a child. She massaged her daughter’s full body daily after the exercise.

When Mariam took her 7 years old daughter Asha to enroll for primary school, the head teacher was skeptical. She noticed something not right with the child. She behaved like an adult. She had to recheck Asha’s birth date several times to confirm that she was only 7 years old. Mariam was not pleased with the head teacher’s attitude. She wanted to blast out “Madam! You are looking at the future miss universe”- but she controlled; she did not like to let the secret out pre maturely.

At 12, when Asha got her first menstrual period, Mariam was very disappointed. As the belief goes that once a girl starts getting menstruation, she would not grow any taller. Asha had not reached the required height of a Miss Universe entry. Mariam consulted many doctors, seeking advice on giving her daughter vitamins to grow taller but without necessarily putting on weight. The doctors failed her. But to her surprise, Asha got a spur of growth. At thirteen, she was 5’ 7”. Mariam got relief. She thanked God for endorsing yet another gift for her daughter. But it gave palpitation and high blood pressure to the head teacher. She gave stern warning to the teachers especially to the male, young teachers-if any teacher was found misbehaving with any student, she would have no mercy to both the student and teacher. The day Asha completed her primary school, her head teacher celebrated in a style and threw away her blood pressure pills.

Asha failed excellently in her exams but it did not bother Mariam. She knew that God had not gifted her daughter intelligence. There was no need for wasting time and energy. The certificates required could be arranged. She was right. Asha was admitted in a school where the students’ attendance was marked only on the day of payment of the school fees. No arrear in school fees-no arrear of complains.

She had private tuitions for English language-both written and spoken “To be international ambassador should know international language”. She attended swimming classes. Gym was a must on daily basis. Food was rationed strictly.

She was not allowed to giggle. She was reminded to smile like a miss universe.
She was not supposed to laugh- the skin would wrinkle.
She was not supposed to read much- eye sight should not get spoiled.

At 17, Asha was ready. Every onlooker had to turn twice to admire her figure. Her smile had shot many youths, dropping dead. Designers had to get an appointment to get her measurements. Mariam was satisfied. They had one year to prepare for the pageant.

After completing form IV, Asha was enrolled in a distant learning foreign university, got the university student identity card.
She went to the university classes with a lecturer in a Toyota mark II-Grande.
She was taken to the swimming pool by a Mercedes Benz owner.
The Salon owner collected her in her RAV 4 for the hairdo and manicuring.
The designer came with his Prado for the fitting test.
The boutique owner will bring her purchase in the Lexus.

From morning till night, the types of the vehicles passed at Asha’s gate were more than a moderate size Show Room.

The announcement had come out. Any eligible beauty wishing to apply for the pageant was supposed to appear at a given time and place for the details. Asha was accompanied by her made believe boy friend to collect the forms. At the counter heads turned, signals exchanged, marks given, final unannounced decision reached.

Asha pretended not to notice the scenario. Her boyfriend decided to give her the congratulations in advance. He could not wait to reach a safer place. They were coming back home. He was driving with Asha in his side. He wanted to kiss Asha, a gesture of congratulations. The seat belt disturbed Asha. She unhooked the belt, fondly responded to him. For few seconds he forgot all about the steering and driving. He collided with a pick -up coming from the opposite direction. Asha flew out of the broken wind shield, directly landing under the front tyre of the car following the pick up, crushing her on the hips.

Two months after, Asha was discharged from the hospital. Was confined permanently to a wheel chair.