Marcus' Diet

"Marcus, if you continue eating a box of cereal a day you'll be fatter than a cow." Edna, Marcus' mother warned, "I'm dead serious."

Marcus knew when his mother was on the verge of grounding him for life so he stopped eating his cereal and stuffed it in his bag messily. Edna's arms were folded as she glared fiercely at Marcus warning him not to eat for recess or lunch either.

"Young man, you're already heavier than me, look at yourself delicate straight hair, beautiful eyes, straight nose, perfect nails, smooth skin and cute ears just like me but you have ruined your complexion with flabby arms and everything." she sighed pitifully, "I think that I have to set some rules to prevent your obesity from becoming worse."

Marcus dropped his bag in shock as his mother had never done anything cruel to him before and he's not ready to surrender his food nor does he give a darn about his complexion. He already looked perfect in his opinion so why is his mother so worried?

"Mum, are you feeling alright?" Marcus asked, "No offence meant of course…"

"I'm perfectly fine." Edna replied sounding as if he threatened to run away from home. Marcus felt as if he had been struck by lightning and then roasted and slightly salted to feed his parents.

"Your mother is right." Ben added, "You're even fatter than me, look Edna, he's fatter than me, ha ha ha."

Sometimes, Ben could be a little bit childish at times, even more than himself. He look on the bright side imagining all the possibilities in school, perhaps he will win the maths competition and receive a delicious 'Mars Bar'.

"Bye mum and dad…" he mumbled with a tone of sheer disappointment, "why now when I'm 12?"

They shot a nervous glance at each other and nodded, "Marcus, we need to tell you something… you have been sent a letter by the Guinness book of Records stating that you're the fattest person alive at the age of 12."

Marcus didn't need them to explain the reason behind their weird behaviour anymore as he understood it fully well. He bid them goodbye and headed reluctantly to school.

"Mr Hatchments, may I ask you a question?" Marcus asked his maths teacher politely.

"Fire away Marcus."

"Am I fat?" Marcus asked feeling his face go slightly red.

"Um well…" Mr Hatchments considered for a while what to say, "if you're kind to people then it doesn't matter if you're fat or not Marcus."

"But am I fat?"

"N… Yes Marcus you are a little plumb."

Marcus felt as he had been stabbed. He tried passing the day without looking anyone in the eye or speaking at all…

"Marcus, please stay behind after class." Mr Hatchments instructed. He felt his face glow red again as eyes all over the room fixed onto his sluggish body. Marcus did his work as instructed in the tiny classroom until the bell rang then hoping to pack up quickly so Mr Hatchment doesn't remember the detention sentence that he gave Marcus earlier on.

"Marcus, I hope that you didn't take my remark too seriously…" Mr Hatchments told Marcus soothingly, "I noticed that you are beside yourself…"

"I know but it's just that I received a note from the Guinness book of record for being the fattest 12 year old child."

"WHAT?"

"See, I knew you wouldn't understand and,"

"Wait, no, not at all, I was just startled."

Marcus ignored the teacher and walked straight the door as he knew that the rumour would spread due to his foolishness.

He climbed the tree on the parking lot while waiting for his mother's car. CRACK! The branch snapped off and the next thing Marcus knew was that he was in a cubed shaped room and lying stiffly on a bed.

"Oh Marcus," he heard Edna call, "You're alive!"

Marcus attempted to reply but achieved a slight moan. Marcus couldn't move as a substance was strapped tightly around him and it made the temperature in his body rise by 20 degrees.

Edna's eyes were swollen and blood red and her face was pale. This was the first time he'd seen his mother in such a state of anguish.

"Marcus dear, umm…" Edna squeaked feebly, "the doctors can't do an accurate or thorough check to see if your organs are damaged because your body fat is obstructing the way of many tools."

That brought back all the memories of his obesity from the teacher's remark to his parent's rules. He groaned again and fell back on his back hoping that this is all a nightmare. To make sure, he shook his head violently from side to side whacking it on the metal bars of the bed.

Marcus' eyes watered due to the immense pain it caused him and stumbled back on his bed. Several minutes later, Edna left Marcus alone in the room with only the doctor who pushed him through a secret passage that lead to a darker room with lights shining at him. Marcus recognised this, he watched too much movies to not realise that this was an operating room and he was the patient! Why hadn't his mother told him that he was going to be operated on? They gripped his left arm and shoved a needle in his vein and pushed in the button which made Marcus fall asleep within the next five seconds.

Marcus' sleep was comfortable and dreamless but soon he remembered the operation, he decided to fight against the medicine. He jerked back and forth hoping to catch the sergeants off guard but he was still in a land of darkness. His next attempt of waking up was thrashing his legs everywhere but he didn't need to put in any effort and felt as if he could continue forever. Soon, the darkness swirled round and round following by a mix of many different colours ranging from white to black. Images flashed through his mind, Marcus was considering the fact that he was dead already as the movies always showed this before a death occurred. Not before long, the images reached out and patted his head which contradicted the thought of him being dead.

"Marcus…" the voice called, "Wake up!"

Marcus woke up with his whole body paralysed. He couldn't even twitch and the agony was tormenting him severely, his whole body felt tight and numb.

"ODY," Marcus groaned as that was all that could escape his breath, "ERY IGHT!"

"What was that Marcus?" Edna asked with a tone of sympathy in her voice. Marcus lifted his arm to examine it but instead, a much thinner arm emerged from the corner of his eyes.

"HAT HE ELL S HIS!" Marcus bellowed but the words couldn't come out right.

"What's wrong dear?" Edna asked.

"It's probably the operation," Ben said, "I think he can't pronounce the words probably because of all the intense surgery. He is missing the first letter of every word he says."

"ES!" Marcus groaned.

Marcus was still deep in thought about his hand and why it was so unhuman to him. When Edna opened the door to his room the truth revealed itself… he wasn't himself anymore! He looked similar except his size, it seemed to have halved itself and now Marcus was the size of everyone around him. I need food, Marcus thought as he limped down the stairs towards the pantry but when he opened it he was shocked. Everything was low in fat and oil; all the luxurious chocolate bars have vanished and had been replaced with yogurt bars which are all 99 fat free and muesli bars.

"UM!" Marcus bellowed, "HAT S HIS UNK!"

"Edna," Ben interrupted, "He meant: Mum, what is this junk!"

Edna walked into the kitchen and explained to Marcus why she had to keep him slim to build his self esteem and limit the attention about being obese.

"You have to bide by the rules alright?" Edna ordered Marcus sternly, "I have three chocolate bars in my closet and I am entrusting you not to consume them alright?"

"Es other…" Marcus replied.
"He said…" Ben interrupted Edna from speaking.

"I know and I don't need a translator!"

That day, Marcus could finally say he slept well without any regrets and with confidence. When Marcus awoke the next morning, he was still in a jolly mood as his voice recovered but he was craving for a chocolate bar… he decided that the cruelty of keeping a chocolate bar but not being able to eat it was a severe punishment that Marcus couldn't bear with. He tip toed towards the closet in the master bedroom and opened the door stealthily. He crawled towards the closet and pulled it slightly but… that triggered the alarm.

"Marcus Ben Limin," Edna screeched, "I have warned you but you still insisted on eating one, I am very disappointed in you."

That statement made Marcus seriously regret stealing the cookie. All day during school, he felt a tingling sensation that he had never felt before, he believed that this was courage and confidence.

"Marcus," Mr Hatchments called from the front on the class, "Please stay back after school."

That caused a few laughs and sneers from his classmates. Marcus didn't let that spoil his perfect day but instead ignored it completely. After the siren's ring stopped echoing through the school Marcus headed towards the teacher without fear and asked, "Why are you keeping me in?"

"I can see that your self esteem has boosted after the surgery you had."

"What makes you think that it wasn't a splendid diet?" Marcus replied focusing not to give away the truth of how he lost 50kg in a day's period.

Mr. Hatchments stared at Marcus maintaining eye-contact for five minutes. Marcus had a spine-tingling thought that Mr. Hatchments could read his mind but didn't say anything in case he was overheard.

"You're right Marcus," Mr. Hatchments said slyly, "I can read your mind."

Marcus took a step back from this maniac and then another and after three horrifying minutes, Marcus broke into a sprint and ran all the way home.

"Mum, mum!" Marcus yelled, "Mr. Hatchments, he can read minds…"

Edna snorted with laughter, "What's next, cows swim?"

"I'm serious!"

Edna beckoned Marcus to follow her and lead him to the car. He swung open the door and leapt in. Edna drove for a long time before stopping in a building, then, she lead Marcus up to an office with a sign saying: 'Psychiatrist Gregory'.

"I'm not mental mum!" Marcus bellowed in fury.

"Marcus here has had intensive surgery and I think it has affected his mind."

Several minutes later, a bold man stepped out of a door and called for patient 8D which was Marcus…

"Marcus, what's wrong?" Gregory the psychiatrist asked.

"Nothing." Marcus lied, the machine beeped loudly.

"Please tell the truth."

"Fine, I'm not mental or anything but my teacher can read minds."

The machine glowed green.

"How do you know for sure?"

Marcus explained the whole story while the psychiatrist scribbled down notes.

"Interesting…"

After an hour with this curious psychiatrist, I was allowed to leave. I watched with curiosity as Edna and Gregory chattered non-stop for fifteen minutes, then, mum took me out of the building with a file clutched tightly in her hand.

"What's wrong mum?" I asked while Edna was driving me home.

"Your guilt seemed to have affected your behaviour today," Edna replied, "Remember the cookie?"

"Oh, that…"

"Vow that you'll not eat too much fatty foods and I'll be fine."

"Why don't you design a set of rules?"

"Great idea Marcus."

When we returned home, Edna designed a set of rules that all members of the family must bide. The rules were:

Eating Rules of the Limin Family

Only one takeaway meal is allowed per month.

We must all eat non-fatty food as much as we can and avoid the fatty ones.

Eat only what there is in the pantry.

Anyone beyond the mass of 80kg will be on a strict vegetable diet.

Cookies will be only a reward for good grades.

This had been the five golden rules that we obeyed for the 84 years of our life and has been passed on to the next generation of children. There has no longer been a history of obesity in our family anymore due to this chart and Marcus Ben Limin; that also goes to show that your greatest regrets are your crimes and guilt is an incurable disease until you're forgived.