Nonfiction Essay — Musings of a Fat, Black Muslim — Leah Vernon Social Media Influencer NYC

Hard Candy

The front door was open, and somehow I ended up on the porch. I remember it being one of those cool summer nights in Michigan. I sat down on the first step and unwrapped the transparent wrapper hungrily and into my mouth the candy went. The sugary layers melted onto my tongue as I savored the sweetness.

Minutes passed and I found myself not being able to breathe—in or out. The piece of candy had somehow lodged itself in my throat. My eyes bulged. I grabbed my neck with both tiny hands in panic. I stood up still facing the streetlights, trying to heave the object outwards. But it just wouldn’t budge...

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By: Leah Vernon

Word Count: 1092

Synopsis: The Shirt That Swallowed Me Whole is a hilarious essay of shopping at a department store with Mom as an overweight Muslim girl in the 90’s.

The Shirt That Swallowed Me Whole

“Turn around,” Mom ordered.

I twisted around with slumped shoulders. She did the same thing to the back of me and allowed the shapeless shirt to fall. “Good. Your butt is covered.”

I glared at the ugly red shirt that would probably look better on a tree trunk. She laid the monstrosity on top of Little Bad Sister’s pretty clothes. Mom continued to go up and down the aisle and choose different colors of the same kind of shirt: an ugly blue one and an ugly black one were added to the pile with the ugly red one. All big. All shapeless but modest to her Muslim mom mind. I was never going to get to be like any of the characters in Clueless: no cool afterschool parties, or 90’s montages, or making out with a high-school boy in the back of a really cool convertible that my white dad gave me for my birthday.

All hope was lost. And the day only got worst...

In order to read the rest of this hilarious story, you can click >>>here<<< to go to my 'Buy a Story' page. This story is only $2.99. Support your fellow artists and writers. All proceeds will go to my self-publish book fund.