As the ugliest baby in the orphanage home, I was the least of the nun's favourites. They cleaned my soiled pants once a day, feed me last, and never sing me a lullaby as they usually do with other babies. And this made me the saddest baby inside the Calvary orphanage home.
Since I hardly smile and never laugh, other babies avoid me like plague, and I learnt to be my companion in a few days of my existence."Who will bathe Ugly-face? He had been making that horrible sound since morning!" Alice who seemed to be the only nun who is indifferent towards me asked when I didn't stop crying because of my soiled pant.
Alicia who hated me and never hide the fact answered back, "I have chills whenever I stepped near him, please attend to him yourself.""Come and attend to ugly-face, Betty."Alice called another open enemy of mine to attend to me, but she shakes her head and mumbled, "I can't, Alice. I always have nightmares whenever I touch him."
Alice seemed to be angry when the other two nuns refuses to attend to me, and when I cried louder, folded my two fists and screeched at the top of my voice, she had no choice but to stand from her seating position and marched towards me.
"Both of you had never touched Ugly-face since he was brought here three months ago," Alice said as she walked towards me, picked me up from my couch with her left hand, and carried me like a piece of rag into the washroom.
"He is all yours, Alice. You were the one that agreed to accept him when we all refuse," Betty answered back. "What did you want me to do?.. Reject him?-. This place is owned by the state, financed by the state, and we don't have any reason to reject any baby, regardless of his or her physical challenge," Alice answered back as she removed the pampers on my buttocks, placed me inside a bowl and began to scrub the dirt off my body."We can reject him because he is not a baby but a monster. Have you ever seen any baby as ugly as that?" Alicia let out."I wish I know his mother. She needs to explain how she ends with an awful-looking baby like this," Betty added, and both ladies giggled after.
After thorough washing by Alice, I was fed with nutritional baby food, tucked into my cot, and was left to brood alone when something like a holographic image suddenly appeared in my front.
'What the fuck is this?'
"Host found... System activated." An automated voiceover sounded in a whisper beside me.
'Host!.. Am I infected?'
'No.
"What am I supposed to do?"
"To stay alive and unlock your next strength, you must kiss the three nuns before you are a year older."
"What!" I frown my face and as look as uglier as I can, and my impossible mission made me throw my two arms in a fitful rage. "How am I supposed to kiss the three hateful nuns?"
"Maybe your profile will help, " the automated voiceover answered back, and the holographic display of my profile appeared in front of me.
'Strength: smiling, giggling and crying.
Weakness: awful-looking.Target to remain alive and unlock more strength; kiss the three nuns.'"How the hell is smiling, giggling and crying part of my strength?" I asked after reading my unbelievable profile.
"A baby is not supposed to say profanity words," the system answered back.
"What will happen if I failed my missions?" I asked.
"You will be sent back to the judgement room, and then proceed to hell. You won't dare fail, will you?"
"I don't know how on earth I'm supposed to kiss the three nuns who hate me with passion."
"I will appear to you when you accomplish your mission, or when the time-lapse. But I think the latter won't be the best for you."
As soon as silence returned to my vicinity, the thought of how to accomplish my task flowed into my head.
During my previous life as a beautiful woman, kissing the opposite sex is one of the easiest things for me, and I kissed two to three different men daily. But now, I am reborn as a male. Worse of all, I am ugly and not pleasant to the eyes.'How will I kiss before I reach a year?' I asked myself, turned towards Alice as she walked closer to my cot, and offered a smile at her sight.
"Oh my gosh! He is smiling!" Alice exclaimed when she see my horrible smile.
Though I felt shameful at her exclamation, the remembrance of my task made me smile like a moron until the other two nuns arrived at my cot and gawked at me.
"He looks uglier with that smile!" Betty exclaimed."No. He looks a little handsome. I won't hate him with passion if he keeps smiling like this."
"Alice is right, " Alicia said, giggling and letting out, "he looks less horrible when he smiled, and I prefer it to his awful cry."
"One of you should pick me up and kiss me," I mumbled."What is Ugly-face babbling about?" Alicia asked as she make a face at me, pinch my left cheek and said, "you can smile as long as you like. I am not a fan of yours, and your smile can't change my mind."
"Let's go and play with other children. His bizarre smiling is giving me chills," Betty announced, hissed and walked off.
"Will you play with him for a while?" Alice asked Alicia.
"No chance, buddy. I can't touch that thing with a six-foot-long pole," Alicia answered back, peeked at my face and let out, "babies' smiles are supposed to make someone feel relaxed, but your smiling is giving us chills."
Alicia left, and I was left alone with Alice who keeps smiling back at me.
"Give me your hand, sweetheart," I mumbled as I stretched my right hand towards her."Poor baby... He is lonely and wants me to carry him."
"Yes, Babe. Carry me up and plant a wet kiss on my lips."
Alice picked me up and nestle me in her chest, and then began to sing a lullaby to put me to sleep. Using that opportunity, I pulled her long and silky hair and tried to kiss her.
"I don't want to sleep, Alice. I want to be kissed by you," I yelled when she keeps pulling me away from her face.
"Not that face again," Alice mumbled, sighed and quickly placed me back into my cot.
All my efforts to kiss the three nuns failed and the fear of death and being thrown back to hell made me keep trying.Yet, it seemed my best is not enough to accomplish my targets. Since I have been told that smiling is my greatest strength, I always make sure it's planted on my ugly face daily. A few months before I clock a year old, one of the babies in the orphanage home was celebrating its second birthday anniversary, and a party was arranged to mark the day. As expected, our large hall was thoroughly cleaned and decorated with balloons, purple linen and ribbons, and impeccably white chairs were arranged in a line. "We need to make all the babies look good because of the dignitaries that will be visiting us today," Mother Maggie who is the head of all the nuns announced as she stepped into the midst of several babies, peeked at each of us, and halted at my cot, and then mumbled, "Ugly-face seemed not to be changing despite various creams and medication given to him."All nuns
"Betty, wait!" Alicia cried out, stepped closer, placed the baby in her hand inside a bathing bowl and stood with arms akimbo and then let out, "I just want to be sure you are kissing him... And also note that I will have your weekly allowances if you failed to kiss him."Betty smiled, shrugged and mumbled, "it's a deal. Now watch me as I kissed his pink lips.""That's my babe," I mumbled and smiled broader. "He is not bad when he smiles... Have your first kiss, Ugly-face," Betty announced, giggled, close her eyes, and brought me close to her lips, and then, the most horrible thing happend.It was for an instance, the nastiest you could ever imagine. It started a cough, followed by loud sneezing, and mucus flew out of my nose and mouth, and then splashed on Betty's face."Holy Madonna! What the hell is this?" Betty opened her eyes when something liquid splashed on her face. And when her fingers touch something sticky, all hell broke loss.'Gush! What a dirty and ugly baby.""Hahaha.
As soon as Alice's lips touched mine, a ding-ding sound boomed beside me, and I turned and peeked at the holographic display in the air."Congratulations! The first section of the mission is accomplished. Few more days to complete the remaining two sections."I ignored the message from the system, suck on Alice's lips as if my life depended on it, and then yelled louder when she pulled me away."You see... He is not that bad when you close your eyes," Alice mumbled as she held me close to her chest, she peered at me, then at the two nuns in her front and asked," hope you both agreed that I won the bet, and your weekly wages belong to me?""Yeah, sure. Enjoy yourself," Betty answered back, hissed and announced, "I hope you won't be traumatised whenever you remember kissing him.""Damn you, Betty. You almost kissed me some moment ago," I said with a smiling face. The three ladies keeps conversing among themselves, while I still glowed from Alice's kiss. As the most beautiful among the
Having no other choice, Alicia picked me up, gawked at my face, close her two eyes and chewed on my tiny lips. And the whole hall erupted with commotion when she did."Alicia had kissed Ugly-face. Hahaha!" Betty announced. "What's special about kissing Ugly-face? Just close your eyes and chew his lips," Alice mumbled. "Wow!" Madam Maggie exclaimed as she turned towards Alice and asked, "truth or dare?"I was so happy that I didn't hear Alice answer. Among the three nuns, Alicia seemed to be the most difficult for me to kiss, because she hates me with passion, and rarely gets closer to me. 'Boom!'The holographic picture suddenly popped up, and the familiar automated voice whispered into my ear, "second task achieve, perform the last task to unlock a new power, and save yourself from death and the torment of hell.""You don't have to keep reminding me of my fate," I babble back, and the image disappeared after. After the game of truth and dare, Mother Maggie declared the floor open
Since all my babbling fell on Betty's deaf ears, I became annoyed at her, opened my mouth wide and burst into a loud cry."Shh!" Betty put her wide palm over my mouth to hush my hysterical cry. She shakes her head in anger, frowns and lets out, "you are evil for trying to wake all the babies with your stupid cries."I ignored Betty's insult, inhale deeply and cried louder as Alicia's footsteps stepped closer to my cot."Ugly face hasn't slept yet, has he?""No, Alicia. He is crying like a banshee and trying to wake everyone up... What can I do to make him sleep?""He is pulling your face towards him with your ponytail. I think he wants you to kiss him.""Yes, Betty. That's exactly what I want," I mumbled and immediately stop my insane cry."Hmm... Did you think he will sleep if I kiss him?" Betty asked with her usual angry look."Yeah, Betty. Kiss me and I will fall asleep instantly. Otherwise-.""I am not talking to you, Ugly-face," Betty cut into my babbling, sighed when Alicia shru
I was as sad as doom after hearing that I will soon be adopted, and the thought of death and everlasting hellfire made me miserable throughout the day. "What's wrong with Ugly-face? He seemed unhappy since you took him to see Madam Maggie," Betty who seemed to notice my grief asked Alice. "I have no idea. Maybe he is sick due to his golden pupils," Alice responded, shrugged and glanced at me. "Mother Maggie said he may be adopted anytime from now." "Really? That's good news. At least we will be rid of his ugly face." "That's cruel. Don't tell me you won't miss him." Betty batted her eyes, hissed and let out, "no, I won't. Why will I miss Ugly-face?" Alice glanced at me and muttered, "he is a kind-hearted baby, and just unfortunate to be born ugly. I have grown some kind of likeness for him." "Why won't you? When you don't have a boyfriend." "Ahh!" Alice exclaimed, stepped closer to Betty and asked, "have you forgotten that we are nuns, and under the oat of celibacy and chas
My mind was busy with plans on how to suck Mother Maggie's nipple, and this seemed to rob me of my well-deserved sleep. Poor me, I tossed from one edge of my cot to the other edge through the night, and it was when the day was almost breaking that sleep finally take hold of me. My dream was filled with fire, thunderstorms and lightning. And I was soaked with sweat, despite the chilly atmosphere that is always common during this time of the year. Because I slept late, my eyes were red and still heavy with slumber when Alice picked me up and carried me into the washroom, and I nodded off as she removed my soaked clothes and pampers, and then pour hot water on my body and washed me with sponge and soap.The cries and moaning of babies boomed louder inside our orphanage hall, and this made me sigh with annoyance at their unnecessary whimpers. 'I need a silent place to brood on my task. But it seemed this baby won't allow me to enjoy the peace I so much desire,' I whimpered to myself a
I was in a deep sleep before the service came to an end, and it was when I was laid in my cot at the orphanage hall that I opened my two golden eyes and peered around. After several yawning to attract the attention of my chaperones, I burst into uncontrollable howling and then moaned loudly when Alice hurried closer to my cot and peered at my face."Why are you crying, Ugly-face?" Alice asked as she picked up my feeding bottle, prepared my baby meal and began to feed me."Thank you, Miss Alice," I mumbled, gulped down the cereal and smile to ease her furious face."I will be taking you for a medical check-up today, and I hope your health is not threatened and you won't be admitted to the hospital," Alice mumbled as she peered into my golden eyes."Can't it wait till tomorrow? I need to suck Madam Maggie's nipple tonight," I babble back.Since Alice didn't understand my babbling, she brought me closer to her breast and began to sing me a lullaby. And then danced to rock me back to sle
Thanks to Nana's timely arrival, Brown would have snuffed the life out of me. I picked up my gadgets and ran out of his room in fright. "What is wrong with Jasmine? He looked like someone who saw a ghost," Nana asked as I hurried past her. "He is a strange baby. We were having a chat when he heard your voice and scurried out. I thought he was on his way to meet you." "No. He almost collided with me and he ran off before I asked him what is wrong." Without waiting for Brown's answer, I ran as fast as my tiny legs could carry me, arrived at my room and banged the door after. 'He knew that I am after information. What should I do now?' "Hey, System. Are you here with me?" The holographic image appeared instantly, and the automated voice sounded after. "Yes. I am here with you." "I already copied all his information into a USB Drive. I need the mail to them too." "Good. The entity in charge of exposing him will message you soon. You can forward all the information to him." I
My chance came a day later. Brown returned home drunk and slept through the day, so I sneaked into his room, replaced my laptop and my phone with his own, and scrambled into my room. 'All I need is some minutes to access this laptop. I am sure I will get all the necessary information if I can hack his mail.'"Hey, Jasmine. What are you up to?"Mary's voice jolted me out of reverie, and I promptly frown my face and answered back. "None of your business. I have something important to check online, so I suggest that you go away.""You are a weird baby, Jasmine. A baby of your age ought to be obsessed with cheaper toys, and not expensive gadgets.""Thank you, now go away."I quickly locked my door and get to work. Each time is precious and should not be wasted. Brown can wake up any moment from now. Since I don't know Brown's password, I pressed the forgotten password button, received the code on his phone, and then log into his mail. In a few minutes, everything was copied into a USB
The drive from the government reserve area to the centre of the City takes almost an hour, and I peeked through the car window as she raced through the crowdy community. Despite my pilgrimage around the world, I was surprised that I had never visited any of the cities around here. And the fact that I was reincarnated on the other side of the earth made me despise the entity that sent me here.'The system promised that I can see anyone I wish. Should I ask to see my mother?'I wonder if she is still alive. Wonder if she still hated me, and wish she had grown old with no one to cater for her. Indirectly, my mother was responsible for my death. She was the one who always tell me that I am not good enough, not beautiful enough. And it was her negative words that made me lose the belief I had in myself. Even when the money is flowing in, and I have thousands of suitors seeking my hands for marriage, I still believe I can be more appealing, and richer. I wasn't satisfied because I want
Thinking about Alice and her mysterious disappearance robbed me of a well-deserved night of rest, and it was when the day is about to break that I finally drifted to the dream world. As usual, my dreams were filled with demons and hell, and I woke up with a scream and a horrific look. "Good morning, Jasmine. You must have been dreaming."I opened my eyes, smiled to welcome my foster mother, and then rolled to the edge of the bed and let out, "Yes, Nana. I was having a bad nightmare. Is it daybreak already?"Nana giggled, pointed at the reflective sliding glass and let out, "Stand up lazy bone. The sun is about to come out.""Ouch. I feel weak and exhausted," I muttered, stretched my arms and yawned out loud. "Where is Brown?""He is getting dressed up for work, and he will be going without me.""Why is he in a hurry? You always drive out at the same time.""Yes, Jasmine. I have a presentation at a university in another state, and then another presentation at a seminar. I won't be bac
The following day was the worst since I was born, torn between my loyalty to my new family, and my dependency on the system, I was unable to decide my next step of action. 'How will I get the documents needed to convict Brown for exploiting and using illegal immigrants?' I asked myself aloud and then moaned softly when I realized that no answer is forthcoming. I wish I can eat my cake and still have it. I want to achieve the special mission, and then save my family from the impending shame and punishment.Realising I have to forgo one for the other, I sighed, shrugged and shakes my head at my resolution. I have no choice but to stand for truth and fairness. If Brown had been using illegal immigrants, then he must be punished for his crime. My emotions can stay aside. I was lost in thought through the daytime, and my wandering mind denied me the pleasure of sleep afterwards. As soon as the sun peeked in the sky, I leapt out of my bed, stepped out of my room and arrived at Brown and
After failing to find her among the new intake of the high schools in Barbados, I decided to track her through her phone number. It was an easy trick. One that I had done several times in my previous life. All I need to do is to send a spam message to her line, and the moment she opened it, her location will be visible to me. Unlucky for me, I don't have her phone number, and worse of all, I don't have a phone. Realizing that I will have to wait until Nana comes back, I stood up and went to my room, and I was enjoying the breeze from the Air Conditioner as I lay on my king-size bed.Perhaps the system senses my restlessness or just a sheer coincidence, I was surprised when the circle of light appeared beside me, and the automated voice boomed out."Host found, merging activated... I checked for hours before finding you. Barbados is such a large city.""Sorry, pal. I was about to summon you when you appeared. I hope finding me is not much trouble for you.""Yes it is, but never mind.
'Boom.' 'Where am I?' The room was painted white, the roof made with a white POP, and the floor perfected with impeccable white tiles. And when I caught sight of the white bed cover, white duvet, and my white nightgown, I burst into tears. 'Where am I?' Despite achieving my task, the system had betrayed me, and now I am dead and back in heaven. 'Of course, that is the only reasonable explanation -. But wait, how did I die?' I hopped down from the bed, walked towards a white-framed standing mirror, and then gawked at the image standing in my front. 'Oh my gosh! I am not dead." From my experience during my time in the gathering of the dead and purgatory, I discovered that the soul of a human doesn't possess a human shape, but looks like a ball of light. Luckily for me, the image before I possessed an oblong shape head, big golden eyeballs and a weird-shaped mouth. 'If I am not dead, then where am I?' I frown, put my right folded palm on my chin and look lost in thought. 'I w
"We heard you get adopted, and the driver of your new family is on the way to pick you up.""Oh, What a lucky baby!""Hey, Alicia. Did you hear that his foster parents were rich and influential?""Geez! How lucky you are, Jasmine.""Let him breathe. All of you are now acting like his friend because of his good fortune.""Enough, Betty. We all know you are his greatest adversary."I watched as the nuns fussed over me, smiled when they all struggled to dress me up, and then sighed when Betty carried me like a crate of eggs, hurried out of our washroom, and caresses me as she walked towards Mother Maggie's section of the villa. "Put me down and let me work with my legs. Why are you treating me like fragile materials?"Betty ignored my pleading, and with her free hand, she jerked Mother Maggie's office door open and stepped inside. "Here he is, Mother. Don't he look cute?""He sure did. You can seat down, Betty," Mothed Maggie mumbled. She stretched her hand towards a young, good-lookin
Agatha didn't bring me more chicken as she promised. Rather, she keeps avoiding me. Since I don't care, I ignored her and the rest of the nuns, spend my days on the grassland, and never bothered to make a friend with any of the orphans. After what seemed like weeks of living a lonely life, I eat my grub which keeps reducing as I grow older, took some glass of juice, stepped out of the orphanage hall, and then walked toward my sanctuary. "Hey, come here, Ugly face," one of the bullies of the orphanage shouted at me and then waves his hand as a sign for me to walk close to them. Since I am not in the mood for chit-chat. I ignored them, hissed and change the direction of my movement. A moment later, the three of them raced closer and stood in my front. "Johnny. I don't have the time for your pranks this morning, please excuse me.""Stay there, Ugly-face. We have some questions to ask you," Benny announced. "What questions?""Where did you see the chickens, sweet and biscuit that we