(6 hours before)
"Beep, Beep, bepp"
"Mhh….."
My day starts with the annoying cry of the alarm clock trying to drag me out of the soft comfort of the mattress, while the gentle warm wind comes through the window, carrying with it all the smells of nature.
When I finally open my eyes, the first sight I capture is the time on the alarm clock, 6:00 AM.
Too early for a university student, but if you're a student who starts the semester today and you're living in a place full of obligations, waking up early is the only option.
As these thoughts drift through my sleepy head, a voice is coming from downstairs.
"Stathi! Wake up my boy, it's six already!!"
Right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Stathis Karslidis, I am eighteen years old, your average young abult, I live on a small farm in the rural area of the city of Argyropetra, in Greece.
The voice you heard now belongs to my aunt, Effie Karslidou. She is the only other person who lives in this house and also my guardian.
The reason why I am leaving with her, instead with my parents? It's because they disappeared when I was three years old, without knowing where they went or why they disappeared.
The only thing I know for sure is that they are still alive and well.
As for why I don't live on my own, it's because I don't have enough money to support myself. Besides, the university is closer from here than from anywhere else in the city.
As these old thoughts run through my head, I shout back quickly, before she comes here.
Trust me, nothing good would come out of it, if she comes here.
"I am awake, Aunt Efi!!"
After I give her confirmation that I am awake, I get up from my bed and head to the bathroom to prepare for the day.
____________________________________
After finishing my shower, I begin to put on my clothes. As I am doing that, I catch my reflection in the mirror.
In society, there is a saying, those who are beautiful and well endowed, both in mind and in body, are met with respect and admiration. Yet in the opposite case, those who are unattractive, overweight, or foolish are often treated with quiet contempt.
In my own case, I belong to the latter category.
And my reflection doesn't argue with that judgment. What stares back at me is an obese body, short in stature, with a face marked by acne, short brown hair and eyes that carry more uncertainty than confidence.
"hah….."
As I look at my reflection in the mirror, a sigh comes out of my mouth, remembering all the horrible things I have been going through, because of this body.
Because of it, my life at school was a living hell. I was constantly the target of jokes and cruel comments about my body, given annoying nicknames like "pig" or "fat ass," and things like that.
And those were the good days.
On the bad days, I was deliberately tripped, punched, kicked, or even locked inside a school locker.
I've tried many times to complain to the teachers and the principal, but every time they just ignored me. Not only that, the people who are bullying me started making things even worse for me. And even more upsetting, some teachers and school officials are actually supporting the bullies.
I tried many times to complain to the teachers and the principal, but every time, they ignored me. Not only that, the students who bullied me only made things worse. Even more upsetting, some teachers and school officials actually supported the bullies.
I honestly hope things will be different at university, but with my bad luck, I highly doubt it.
As I thought about all this, I began to get dressed. Since I had morning chores at the farm, I chose to wear my farm clothes instead of my regular clothes: a white T-shirt, a plaid shirt, jeans, and boots.
When I finish, I go downstairs to the kitchen. As I arrive, what I see in front of me leaves me speechless.