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I dejectedly waddled off of the scale that showed me to weigh over 650 pounds, and still gaining at an increasing rate. Eliza asked with a sad look in her eye, “So what happened that day…with the old lady?”

I retold what I could remember about the events of that fateful morning. And that’s when I remembered what I had said. So I told Eliza.

“As I ran off, I said, ‘Sorry! I’ve got to keep my pace up!’ And now I remember what she said back – ‘You won’t need to worry about that much longer.’ And then she started speaking under her breath, and I was already down the path.”

Eliza smiled, like she was solving a puzzle. “And ever since then, you’ve been trying to keep running, watching your diet, doing the weights, it was all in an effort to keep going as fast as you could.”

“Yeah. But it didn’t help.”

“Actually, I think it made your body do the opposite of what you wanted. Maybe, if she did curse you based on what you said, then as long as you were concerned about your pace, you would keep gaining. Have you ever tried just stopping all that?”
“No, I was too scared of what might happen.”

“Also perhaps as you got bigger, your determination actually increased, and so did the rate you gained. I guess.”

I looked at Eliza for a moment before replying. “Okay, if you’re right, then what should I do about it?”

“Well, maybe if you just gave up on the idea of keeping as fast a run speed as possible, maybe it would stop.”

While my heart started to fill with hope, it also felt dread. “But what if it just makes it worse?”

“Well, I guess you have to decide how much worse it could get. I think it should be worth a try.”

I thought about it for a moment. “Okay, you’re right. So…what do I do?”

“Maybe. Since it seems to be your determination that kept it going, maybe intention is enough. If you are ready to stop, truly ready, then that might do the trick. Go on, give it a try!”

I thought about my life for the past several months. When I was thin, I didn’t really think about my routine, because it did what it was supposed to do so I could run. But no matter how strong I got from the weight training, eventually I would become so large and heavy that I wouldn’t be mobile. No matter how strong I was. And with the rate at which I gained still increasing, that day would come even sooner. So, really, if I was going to become a huge immobile blob, there was no point in continuing with my efforts. I decided at that moment to give in and stop.

It was weird to think so, but I thought I could feel something. Like if there is a very light pressure, so light you wouldn’t notice, until it stops. I didn’t know what to think, but I turned to Eliza and said, “Let’s get back on the scale.”

I stood back up on the scale, and it went to 665.4, as expected. But it didn’t change from that. We waited the 26-and-a-half minutes, and then another 20, but the numbers stayed steady. Smiling, I stepped off, and lifted up Eliza in a massive hug.

We stayed like that for several awkward minutes, with Eliza essentially lying on my gut as I stood there holding her. As my unease set in, I released her, and she slowly slid off of my belly to rest her feet on the ground. There was a bit of jiggling as she used my girth to steady herself to a standing position. I started stammering out an apology. “I’m so sorry…I didn’t mean…I was just so excited…”

Her gorgeous smile was unbroken. “No need to apologize. I was happy too, and actually did some of the hugging myself.”

I managed to smile back, and said, “So…what now?”

She thought about it for a moment and replied, “How about dinner? I think I owe you one for your help today, and I’m getting kind of hungry. We could go to the same diner as yesterday.”

I nodded, so she took my hand and led me around behind the farmers market, which was now closing for the day. We walked a short ways down the road to the diner. Fortunately, it had about the same level of patronage as the day before. The same hostess greeted us and took us to the same table. This time though, she pulled over a second chair for me. The same waitress came out of the kitchen, smiling.

“So, what can I get for you today? Same as yesterday?”

I spoke first while Eliza was looking over the menu. “Uh, could we have a few minutes to decide? Thanks.” The waitress nodded and went off to the kitchen. Once I was sure she was out of earshot, I said, “I don’t know what to do here. I mean, if I ate another salad like yesterday, that's not really an indication I am giving up, is it? And if I were to order something else, I have no idea what I’d like.”

Eliza contemplated, then said, “Well, I guess it would be best not to take chances, and get something other than a salad. What do you think you’d like?”

I looked over at the pictures in the menu, and still hadn’t a clue. Then I thought of something. “You liked that steak from yesterday, right? Maybe I should try that.”

The waitress exited the kitchen, and, seeing that we were finished with our conversation, approached us. “So, folks, what’ll it be?”

I smiled back weakly, and said, “Well, I’d like to try your chicken-fried steak. I hear it’s good,” I joked, indicating Eliza.

The waitress let out a small giggle and said, “Well, she’s right. Mashed potatoes and corn okay for sides?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Alrighty. And what would you like, honey?”

“I think I’ll try the stroganoff this evening. The sides that come with it are fine.”

“Okay, it’ll be right up!” And with that she went back in the kitchen.

While waiting for the food, we talked some more, about nothing in particular. As she spoke and I was staring into her beautiful green eyes, I slowly began to realize something. This woman who I’d met only yesterday and today probably saved my life, this beautiful person who never once judged me or even looked at me like most other people did, just might be the best thing that ever happened to me, curse or no. At that moment I realized that I was falling in love.

Before I felt the courage to say anything about it, the food arrived. Good lord, that was a lot of food! I didn’t know if I could finish it. When I cut a bite of steak and put it in my mouth, I was certain that I wouldn’t. Even though I liked the taste, it was way more greasy than my system was used to. I ended up eating a little less than half of it and about the same of the potatoes. I did eat most of the green beans, buttered though they were. In contrast, Eliza had eaten most of her meal.

We got the check without ordering any dessert this time. Eliza paid it, and we walked out into the night. As I walked, the food I ate was settling into my stomach like a small brick. It was definitely a different experience than the lighter stuff I had usually eaten. Eventually, a burp tried to force its way out of my mouth.

Eliza saw me trying to fight it, and (of course) smiled. “It’s okay if you have to belch – in many places it’s actually a compliment o the cook. So you can go ahead even though he won’t hear it. Besides, it’s probably not healthy to hold it in.”

I smiled back, nodded, and stopped walking. She stopped with me and waited patiently as I worked up the courage to do this in front of her. I also let the gas build up so I’d only have to do it once. When I let it go, it turned into a huge belch that seemed to echo through the woods and lasted a good 10-15 seconds. After that performance, all I could do was give out a meek “Excuse me.”

“That’s okay,” she said as she placed a calming hand on top of my belly. “Between the farm, market, and the occasional diner, I’ve heard it all!” Something about her words made me feel more at ease about having belched like that in front of her. I took her hand in mine and we continued to walk.

As we progressed through the woods hand-in-hand, I worked up the nerve to tell Eliza how I felt. “Eliza, I know we only met yesterday, but I think I have feelings toward you.”
Eliza slowed to a stop and looked up to my face. “Feelings?” she inquired with some hesitation.

I looked right back into those eyes of hers, and replied, “Yes. In the short time we’ve known each other, never once did you react to me or look at me in any of the ways that other people have. I felt so alone before, but that ended yesterday the second I saw you. And besides, there’s no doubt you saved my life today. Eliza, you may think it foolish, but I really feel that I love you.”

When I first started my speech, she looked away, but then looked back at me. After I finished, for once the smile left her face. Oh no, I thought. Now I’ve driven her away by moving too fast. I heard the irony as soon as I’d thought it.

She stared at me for what seemed like quite a while. Then she did something I didn’t expect – she jumped up, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me. I was in shock for only a moment, then I began kissing her back. I used one of my tree-trunk arms hugging her harder than before, pushing her deeper into my belly and soft chest, while I gently cradled the side of her face with the other hand. We stayed like that for what seemed an eternity, but when she started letting go and sliding back to the ground, it felt way too soon.

Apparently I had used up all of my eloquence on that one speech, because all I could utter was, “Um…” She shushed me into silence by holding a finger up to her again-smiling lips and placing the other hand on my chest. Then she used that hand to grasp the bib of my overalls and gently lead me through the woods, me hauling the cart behind.

Soon we arrived at what must have been her farm. Although it was dark, I could make out a house and barn and maybe a few smaller structures. I left the cart in the yard, and we climbed the four or five steps to the porch. Some of the boards creaked considerably under my weight, but fortunately everything held. The front door was one of those ones with the wider frame that are sometimes found on older houses – it was nice to not have to squeeze through a doorway for once.

She signaled for me to be quiet at she led me down a hall of the ranch-style house. The doorway she went through was standard-sized, so I did have to force myself through a bit. This was obviously a bedroom; the large, king-sized bed with the sturdy frame gave evidence to that. I may be stupid, but it was only then that I realized what Eliza’s intentions were.

She led me to the bed and sat me down on it. It was right in the narrow range of a good height for me – not so high that I’d have to haul myself up onto it, but not so low that I’d have to do any squats like I had with the rock. The bed hardly creaked as my weight pressed down on it. Once I was seated, Eliza removed my shoes one by one, then began to undo the buttons on the overalls. Once she had them all unbuttoned and folded the front down to uncover most of my huge, sweatshirt-covered belly, I stood up and allowed them to drop to the floor. Then she removed the size 9X sweatpants I still had underneath, as well as my ridiculously-sized boxer shorts. Of course, there was no sign of my junk from my perspective, even looking through the full-length mirror across the room.

I sat down once more and she removed my sweatshirt, causing my belly to flop up then back onto my lap, as well as leaving me completely naked. Awkwardly, I whispered, “Well, here I am. How can anyone stand to see my huge body?”

In response, Eliza merely smiled, and began to remove her own clothes. Soon she stood before me, naked, and the most beautiful sight I had beheld. This made me feel even more uncomfortable in my own body. As if sensing this, she climbed up on the bed and got me to put my feet up and lie down. Nuzzling up next to my enormous gut, she began to kiss me in earnest.

The night went on, and though I am not the sort to go into detail, I will say that what we had was the best experience I had ever knew. She made me feel things that, on some level, my mind was convinced I would never feel, or maybe even deserved to. She brought light into my dreary existence, and because of her I realized that someone could love me no matter what I looked like on the outside.

As I drifted off to sleep with Eliza snuggled against my enormous midsection, I wondered what the future would hold for me.