A Suprise Pack

‘’ Well you look prettier and younger in life than the picture at the back cover of your book. The Chairman of the selection committee observed.

’'Oh really?'', I responded. He stammered visibly disconcerted with my innocuous question, scratching his head. He cast a stolen glance at my long fixed painted nails. Thick cloud began to gather on his face, covered with a labyrinth of wrinkles. Doubt was written boldly on his face. I guessed he could not come to terms with the issue of the outflow of original brilliant poetic verses from these dent fingers fixed with long nails and neatly painted with Peach colour nail polish.

I was becoming upset, with his scrutiny look which swept through my succulent full lips adorned with unique turquoise colour lipstick. Then his eyes rolled over to my smooth spotless girlish chocolate colour complexion baby face decked with perfect finish foundation face powder. Quickly, it moved to my head bejeweled with fixed shiny brownish weave-on, afro hair. In a split of a second, his scrutiny eyes moved from my head to the trunk of my body dressed in a butter coloured skirt suit. I presumed that he would not pick holes with that since he also was in a suite.

However, from the look on his face, as his scrutiny eyes rolled over to my slim, smooth, spotless long legs, it appeared that he was not comfortable with the brevity of my skirt, which stopped at my kneel area. His presumptuous look seemed to condemn the fact that my skirt perhaps offered onlookers with insight into the full sexual details. I took a deep breath praying that this would not turn into another embarrassing situation for me in this event. Gradually, a burning rage started to wobble inside me. ‘’Why should I permit anyone to judge my outwards appearance as if I have no dept inside?’’,

’Why should I ----‘’ the flow of my thought was interrupted by the clearing of the throat by the chairman of the selection committee.

He took me to the centre of the stage and formally introduced me to the audience. He noted that I was a beautiful reminder of the wisdom in the adage that said one should not judge a book by its cover. He handed over to me the iconic symbol for the winner of the award this year. Also, a written cheque of ten thousand dollars was handed over to me amidst the cheers and excitement of the surprised audience. I was given some brief minutes to respond.