Mercie

A few weeks later, Mercie asked me to take in her mail and water her plants while she went to a clinic in Chicago.

The Strange Reign of the Diet Queen Gita M. Smith 2011

By late April, Mercie was seen around town, shopping aerobically for size 8s.

The Strange Reign of the Diet Queen Gita M. Smith 2011

Mercie's regular bridge partner, Francine, had once made the mistake of remarking to Mercie that she seemed to be bulking up, and the resulting hell that rained down taught us all to zip our lips.

The Strange Reign of the Diet Queen Gita M. Smith 2011

All eyes swung to Mercie, and all hands went involuntarily to their owners' thighs, as if to protect that soft meat from cruel, invasive suction.

The Strange Reign of the Diet Queen Gita M. Smith 2011

But this year, Mercie did not start her annual diet to get “in shape” for summer beach wear.

The Strange Reign of the Diet Queen Gita M. Smith 2011

The 14s were replaced by 12s; the 12s were replaced by 10s, and finally the 10s were pushed aside for the blessed 8s, Mercie's target size.

The Strange Reign of the Diet Queen Gita M. Smith 2011

And every morning, Mercie perused the shelves of her fridge and pantry, writing down a meal plan for the day, with special attention given to fat grams and caloric values.

The Strange Reign of the Diet Queen Gita M. Smith 2011

Mercie showed up for bridge, as usual, in her slightly stretched size14 pants and blouse, and she nibbled on Raisinettes through five games.

The Strange Reign of the Diet Queen Gita M. Smith 2011

As the weeks of grim determination went by, Mercie moved her clothing according to size along the double-decker racks of her walk-in closet.

The Strange Reign of the Diet Queen Gita M. Smith 2011

“Mercie, don't you want to walk with me these days?” she asked, as casually as she could.

The Strange Reign of the Diet Queen Gita M. Smith 2011