GOING TO THE OSCARS
Caroline Dubois stood in front of the mirror, her massive frame draped in a black evening gown, watching as the seamstress made the final alterations. The dress minimized her morbidly obese body, yet accented what her husband Alvin called her bodacious booty and mammoth breasts. Normally she would have worn clothing that masked her enormousness, but not this time. She was going to wear this dress to the Oscars in two weeks and she wanted to look her best. Her husband snapped a photograph, which would appear in the newspaper two days later.
Diagnosed at an early age with dyslexia, Caroline worked with her mother daily to overcome her disability. Always conscious of her large size, she discovered that writing allowed her to venture outside her painfully shy existence and explore the world in a way she could not do otherwise. A world in which anything and everything she imagined was possible.
Her stories were rich with color and imagination, and by the time she was fifteen, three of them had been published in Highlights for Children.
She was a junior in college when she wrote her first manuscript, "Girls' Night Out" about three women celebrating their recent divorces. It was rejected by every publishing house she submitted it to, and for a while she thought about quitting writing. But her mother told her that only quitters quit and Caroline was not raised to be a quitter, reminding her that she had overcome adversity before and could do so
again.
She rewrote the novel, and eventually it was accepted and published. Then came "Returning Home." The same publisher accepted it immediately, and six months later, it was on the New York Times' Best Seller List. Shortly thereafter, she was contacted by a movie studio in Hollywood who offered to buy the screen rights for $750,000.
And now the film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay; the lead actress was also nominated. The director had invited her and Alvin to the awards show, and Caroline was thrilled. Her creation was going to be acknowledged, not just by the reading public, but also by moviegoers all over the world.
So here she stood, twenty-eight years old, living out her wildest dreams. It didn’t matter to Caroline if the film or the actress won or not, although of course a win would be wonderful. What mattered most was that her name would be mentioned as the author on whose book one of the nominations was based. All her hard work had paid off and she was going to the Oscars!
But as she stared at herself in the mirror, a sense of foreboding came over her, and she knew she would never live to see that night. So when she went to sleep that evening, she prayed for a dream of what that special moment would be like.
Her prayer was answered as she envisioned walking the red carpet, the black dress' tulle train flowing behind her, her hair stylishly cut. And Alvin by her side. She smiled as she slept.
At 7:30 the next morning, her husband tried to awaken her, but her body was cold and lifeless. The paramedics said it looked like a heart attack, probably caused by her obesity and her enlarged heart.
She was buried wearing the black gown.
On the night she had longed to see, her husband, accompanied by their seven-year-old son, Alvin Jr. (AJ), walked the red carpet, and when "Returning Home" won Best Picture, the director beckoned them to the stage. He handed Alvin his Oscar and then gave a brief speech on a life cut short. Sobs could be heard throughout the auditorium, none more audible than those of Alvin and his son, whom he held in his arms.
To this day, the Oscar stands on the mantle, next to the picture of Caroline in the black gown. It is a constant reminder to their son that you can achieve your dreams. You just have to keep trying.
Caroline Dubois stood in front of the mirror, her massive frame draped in a black evening gown, watching as the seamstress made the final alterations. The dress minimized her morbidly obese body, yet accented what her husband Alvin called her bodacious booty and mammoth breasts. Normally she would have worn clothing that masked her enormousness, but not this time. She was going to wear this dress to the Oscars in two weeks and she wanted to look her best. Her husband snapped a photograph, which would appear in the newspaper two days later.
Diagnosed at an early age with dyslexia, Caroline worked with her mother daily to overcome her disability. Always conscious of her large size, she discovered that writing allowed her to venture outside her painfully shy existence and explore the world in a way she could not do otherwise. A world in which anything and everything she imagined was possible.
Her stories were rich with color and imagination, and by the time she was fifteen, three of them had been published in Highlights for Children.
She was a junior in college when she wrote her first manuscript, "Girls' Night Out" about three women celebrating their recent divorces. It was rejected by every publishing house she submitted it to, and for a while she thought about quitting writing. But her mother told her that only quitters quit and Caroline was not raised to be a quitter, reminding her that she had overcome adversity before and could do so
again.
She rewrote the novel, and eventually it was accepted and published. Then came "Returning Home." The same publisher accepted it immediately, and six months later, it was on the New York Times' Best Seller List. Shortly thereafter, she was contacted by a movie studio in Hollywood who offered to buy the screen rights for $750,000.
And now the film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay; the lead actress was also nominated. The director had invited her and Alvin to the awards show, and Caroline was thrilled. Her creation was going to be acknowledged, not just by the reading public, but also by moviegoers all over the world.
So here she stood, twenty-eight years old, living out her wildest dreams. It didn’t matter to Caroline if the film or the actress won or not, although of course a win would be wonderful. What mattered most was that her name would be mentioned as the author on whose book one of the nominations was based. All her hard work had paid off and she was going to the Oscars!
But as she stared at herself in the mirror, a sense of foreboding came over her, and she knew she would never live to see that night. So when she went to sleep that evening, she prayed for a dream of what that special moment would be like.
Her prayer was answered as she envisioned walking the red carpet, the black dress' tulle train flowing behind her, her hair stylishly cut. And Alvin by her side. She smiled as she slept.
At 7:30 the next morning, her husband tried to awaken her, but her body was cold and lifeless. The paramedics said it looked like a heart attack, probably caused by her obesity and her enlarged heart.
She was buried wearing the black gown.
On the night she had longed to see, her husband, accompanied by their seven-year-old son, Alvin Jr. (AJ), walked the red carpet, and when "Returning Home" won Best Picture, the director beckoned them to the stage. He handed Alvin his Oscar and then gave a brief speech on a life cut short. Sobs could be heard throughout the auditorium, none more audible than those of Alvin and his son, whom he held in his arms.
To this day, the Oscar stands on the mantle, next to the picture of Caroline in the black gown. It is a constant reminder to their son that you can achieve your dreams. You just have to keep trying.
