The Illusion Of Beauty

By David Ocasio

This parable is about a young lady’s journey through the circumstances of life that can affect us for better, or worse. She starts out life disfigured but through the wonder of cosmetic surgery is transformed into a beauty queen. During this time, she gets caught up in a world that affords her all the advantages that come with pronounced p

• Language: English
• Publisher: TOPLINK PUBLISHING, LLC
• Release date: May 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9781733056045

Book preview

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The

Illusion of

Beauty

David Ocasio

Copyright © 2019 by David Ocasio.

Hardback:   978-1-7330560-3-8

Paperback:   978-1-7330560-2-1

eBook:   978-1-7330560-4-5

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Synopsis

Chapter One

It was early Saturday morning at the local playground, and a short distance from the swings sat a little girl dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. She possessed a light olive honey-hued complexion and the loveliest of eyes that were a deep shade of blue. She had hair so dark that it shone as blue as the sky on a moonlit evening serving to compliment her other faultless features. However, this beloved child’s face had been deformed from birth. As she sat in dismay wishing she could be like the other children, her mother walked up to her and asked why she wasn’t playing with the other children. Christine told her mother that her friend, Penny, had moved away, that Penny was her very best friend ever, and that she missed her very much. Valerie was a lady who waited late in life to have children, a bit passed middle age but well-kept. She had an oval face with typical Caucasian features. Though Valerie was considered a plane Jane, she possessed angelic qualities and an amiable smile that could light up the day. Valerie assured Christine that the other children would be more than happy to play with her if she joined them. However, Christine continued to sit in dismay wishing for her best friend. Valerie then said to her, If you want, I’ll play with you, Chris tine.

Do you love me, mommy, even though I’m ugly?

Of course, I do, and I always will.

Will I always be ugly, mommy?

You’re not really ugly, sweetheart, as long as you are beautiful from within you can’t ever be ugly, and no one can ever rob you of that beauty because it is real.

But I want to be beautiful on the outside too, so that I could be loved by others.

Valerie explained to Christine that true love isn’t rooted in one’s external appearance - it comes from the heart. Valerie comforted her daughter by reminding Christine of the surgery that would correct her deformity when she was older.

That evening before going to bed, Christine sat in front of her ivory-lased vanity and stared in the mirror rationalizing what her appearance might be after her surgery. After gazing in the mirror, she turned her attention to a pair of dolls which she kept on her vanity. At first, she gazed upon a beautiful ceramic doll – it was a dainty figurine clothed in rosettes. After having imagined herself all grown up, and in such attire, she turned and faced the other doll which she’d found in the trash. It was made of plastic with a tattered dress and the face was warn and blemished. She had taken great care in restoring the doll as best she could, which she took to bed with her every night; it was her favorite doll. That night before going to bed, she picked up the doll, caressed and held it as a mother with a newborn.

I know you were thrown away because everyone believes you’re ugly, she said to the doll, but I would never throw you away because we all deserve to be loved. So, I’m going to love you even if no one else will.

As Christine lay in the bed hugging her doll, she began to cry. As the tears began to roll down her face, a fairy princess appeared by her bedside. The fairy princesses extended her hand and a tissue appeared. Then, with a warm, gentle touch, she wiped the tears from Christine’s face. And, in a calm soothing voice, she asked, Tell me, what is it that troubles you, dear child?

No one wants to love me because I’m ugly, Christine replied.

If no one will love you, then tell me why it is that I love you, Christine?

How did you know my name?! Christine asked in astonishment.

The same way you know that I am a fairy princess.

As Christine looked upon the fairy princess in adoration of her loveliness, she asked, Why do you love me, fairy princess?

Because I can see with the eyes of my soul, and unlike mortal eyes, the eyes of the soul can see deep inside of an individual and see their true beauty. There will come a day when you too will have learned to see with the eyes of your soul, and unlike those who haven’t, you will know what it means to be truly beautiful.

But I want to be beautiful on the outside too, Christine insisted.

The outside will continue to change, Christine. However, if you remain beautiful on the inside, there comes a time when the outside will be just as beautiful as the inside.

But how will I know that I’ve become beautiful fairy princess?

I know that at this moment, time may seem immovable, but if you are willing to be patient and have a little faith, there will come a day when you will be blessed with the chance to know others who know what it means to be beautiful, and where it can be found. And like us, they will also know that for beauty to be true, it must first be real. To those individuals, you can’t ever be ugly, because they also know where true beauty lies, and that is where they will look.

The fairy princess explained to Christine that as long as she is loved for who she is, and learned to love in the same way, she would forever be beautiful. After having illuminated the significance of that perspective, the fairy princess sang Christine a lullaby, bringing her to a gentle and peaceful sleep.

A couple of years later, Christine was now a five-foot-four teenage high school freshman with a gawky appearance and braces. And, to add insult to injury, she had to wear corrective glasses. On one particular occasion, Valerie was sitting in her living room waiting on her daughters to serve them supper when, abruptly, Christine steamed through the house like a run-away freight train. As she stepped into the living room, she looked at her mother, then angrily told her that she was going to drop-out of school and quit life. After that, Christine sped to her room and shut the door. Valerie waited a few minutes then went to check on her daughter. As she stood outside Christine’s room, Valerie cracked the door open to look inside. Christine just lay in her bed face down and in tears. Then she opened the door slowly, went over to Christine and sat next to her. Christine reiterated what she’d told her mother in the living room. Valerie, knowing how much Christine enjoyed learning, reminded her, But you’ve always enjoyed school and your teachers - you wouldn’t want to disappoint them, would you, Christine?

High school stinks, mom. The girls are a bunch of bimbos and the boys are stupid jerks, Christine mumbled from underneath her pillow.

Next, with a serious tone but not really meaning it, Valerie offered to quit her job and home school her daughter.

You can’t quit your job to teach me at home! Christine shouted out. We can barely exist on the meager pittance that your job provides you. If it weren’t for Melissa (Christine’s older sister), we’d be living in cardboard boxes and walking around in the nude.

Valerie laughed in a blessed tone and reminded Christine that like her father, Melissa had always retained a benevolent nature. As Valerie wiped the tears from her daughter’s face, Melissa arrived. Christine, not wanting Melissa to ever be disappointed in her, swore her mother to secrecy before allowing her to leave the room. Valerie assured her that it was their secret. Melissa stood at five-six with a curvy athletic physique, had dark hair like Christine, and dark grey cat-like eyes. She was a carpenter by trade, well versed in the martial arts, and five years Christine’s senior.

Later that evening, while Melissa, Valerie, and Christine sat having dinner, Christine used her fork to place her vegetables over her pasta and vise-versa as she stared at her sister. Eventually, Melissa began to laugh as Christine went on with her antics.

What are you doing, Christine? asked Melissa.

Do you think I’ll ever be as pretty as you, Melissa?

I’m quite sure that you’ll be much prettier after your surgery.

Next, Christine began to stare at the cabinets above the sink. Are those cabinets made of real wood or pretend wood?

Melissa reminded Christine that she had made those cabinets from scratch and none of them were pretend wood.

They’re great cabinets, Melissa, Valerie interjected, and they’re quite functional.

I appreciate that you appreciate the cabinet’s mother, Melissa replied in jest.

Christine looked at her sister, and said, Is it at all normal for the dining area and kitchen to be located in the same room?

That depends on one’s preference, Christine, Valerie said to her.

I’m tired of this house, I’m tired of living here, and I’m especially tired of being poor! Christine shouted out and went running to her room. Once Christine was gone, Melissa asked her mother what that was all about. Valerie informed Melissa of the episode that had taken place earlier. Melissa assured her that she would have a talk with Christine.

As promised, later that evening, Melissa went over to Christine’s room. Melissa knocked on her sister’s door but Christine would not answer. Melissa opened the door and Christine buried her head underneath her pillow, continuing to ignore Melissa. Melissa smiled, walked over to Christine, sat next to her and said, Being that my sister refuses to talk to me, would you lift your head from the sand and speak on her behalf, Ms. Ostrich?

Christine smiled as Melissa raised a corner of the pillow. Next, Melissa let go of the pillow after seeing her smile. She then walked over to the door, closed it and stood outside of her room. A few seconds later, Christine ran over to the door, opened it, and when she did, Melissa grabbed a hold of her. Christine laughed as she struggled to get back inside with Melissa holding on. Once back inside, Melissa told Christine that she wasn’t letting go until they spoke. Christine finally gave in and took a seat in front of her vanity as Melissa sat on the bed.

Mom tattled, didn’t she - I knew she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

As if you left her a choice by the way you behaved, Christine.

You’re not going to lecture me, are you, Melissa? That’s mom’s job.

No, I’m not going to lecture you.

Are you sure you’re not going to lecture me?

I promise I will not lecture you, Melissa responded in a light-hearted manner.

As she sat on the bed, Melissa noticed that Christine’s favorite childhood doll was no longer on the vanity.

What happened to that raggedy plastic doll that you used to keep on your dresser? Wasn’t it your favorite?

I grew out of it, she responded. Besides, it wasn’t raggedy, Christine emphasized in defense of the doll.

It was such a pretty doll. It’s a shame you got rid of it.

I believe you need to have your eyes examined, Melissa.

Did you tell mom you were dropping out of school?

Yes, I did; I’m not going back, and you can’t make me! Christine adamantly stated.

Won’t you need an education of some kind or professional training to make a living?

No, I won’t. I’ll just marry an ugly man and he’ll have no choice but to take care of me because he’ll be ugly just like me.

Men with money, even if they are ugly, can afford to be choosy, Christine.

Then, I’ll just become a bum and live in a cardboard box.

You don’t really mean that. Besides, you already have all you need, and I’m sure that life will bless you with even more.

Is it true that when you were in private school some of the kids called you rag doll?

There were those who did, but they did so behind my back. If you remember, after daddy’s death, things were tough for a while. But I really wasn’t cut out for private school. When I went to public school things changed for the better.

It never bothered you, Melissa?

At times, but I never really gave it much thought, besides, I was too busy helping mom. What matters most is that you are loved, Christine. Even more important is that you learn to love and respect yourself, and at the same time carry yourself with dignity. If you learn to think and behave in this way, then own it; you’ll become it. You’ll attract others who’ve come to own these virtues, and you’ll come to see and understand that these are the best friends one could have. Simply because they will accept you for who you are, as do I and mom.

But it’s just so hard, Melissa, Christine exasperatedly cried out, you don’t know what it’s like attending the school of hoity-toidy, it’s saturated with hoity-toidies; it’s exhausting.

You forget, Christine, I did briefly attend a private school.

I could do like you and go to trade school. I could become a welder or a brick layer, or whatever else, can’t I?

Is that really what you want? You should never allow the ignorance, intolerance, and prejudices that surround us to be your guiding light because it is a manner of thinking that is directed by darkness. Nor should we ever create self-imposed conditions routed in thoughts that keep us from who we need to be. You’ve always said that you wanted to be a teacher. You know that if it wasn’t for my math teachers everything I made or repaired would not be correct in dimension, not fit into place, and would come out crooked, thus, rendering it intangible. We all have a role to play in life, Christine. We feed off of each other and that’s how things get accomplished.

Christine laughed lightly as her sister’s observation made complete sense.

You know, Christine, I’ve always been so proud of you for earning that scholarship to such a fine school. Mom is too you know.

You always do this to me, Melissa.

Do what, Christine?

Tell me how proud you are, tell me how smart I am, tell me how proud I should be over how much I’ve accomplished. You don’t know what it’s like to be a monster-faced geek.

Christine began to make faces causing Melissa to laugh. Melissa tried to contain herself but just couldn’t do so.

You see, even you think it’s funny.

I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh.

Then why are you still laughing?

Christine eventually stopped making faces and as Melissa’s laughter subsided, Christine looked at her sister enigmatically and said, Do you think I’ll ever be as popular as you, Melissa?

Where did you hear that?

Christine reminded her of the time she met Melissa at work and they had gone shopping. Melissa explained to Christine that there weren’t many women in her line of work. Christine made clear to her sister that it wouldn’t have mattered where she worked because with a body like hers, guys were going to pay attention. Christine then asked Melissa if there were any way to speed up time and hurry up her surgery. Melissa assured her that the