My first embarrassment

Throughout my childhood years, I took part in several competitions but the one that interested me the most was the fancy dress competition. I for one have always enjoyed a game of pretend. What better platform to dress up and impersonate the character you wish to be than a fancy dress contest?

I have previously been a mummy, a pharaoh and a butterfly. But the first time I ever participated in a fancy dress contest, I was a Maharani; it is a time I can never forget.

I was almost 5. The contest was held as part of Christmas celebrations at my play school, Green lawns. I was extremely keen on dressing up as a Maharani or Indian queen and was unwilling to settle for anything less. It is common for little girls to want to be princesses or fairies, etc. so it was normal that I chose to be this. My family helped prepare me a week in advance. My grandfather was kind enough to have made an artistic tiara for me to wear on my head. Much work went into it. My mother kept drilling into my head the lines I was expected to say on stage to introduce myself as a Maharani. My aunt worked hard on my costume which was bright pink in color with a lot of delicate embroidery. My father couldn’t wait to capture my first appearance on stage.

Finally the day of the competition arrived. My grandmother blessed me and wished me luck shaking my tiny palm. When my mother dressed me in front of the mirror, I couldn’t help but say to myself that I was going to make a great Maharani. My aunt finally placed the big Tiara on my head, (the highlight of my costume) and I gazed at my reflection, my smile as wide as could be. It was now time to leave for my preschool and my dad drove us there. I was in a trance the whole way, absorbed in thinking about how wonderful I looked in my avatar. I completely forgot about everything else. I was unaware about the whole point of a fancy dress contest back then. It was simply the fact that I got to dress up as whoever I wanted to be that appealed to me most.

I entered the venue with my family and saw my peers in different costumes. One little girl was running about in a ladybird costume and a boy had dressed as Krishna, the Hindu God. There was a cute little girl dressed as a fairy and I must admit she was my only rival. I was comparing myself with her when the time to go on stage arrived. As we formed a single file, I noticed that the fairy was just before me. My mum spoke my lines to me one last time. But I don’t remember why I just wasn’t paying attention. Within no time the fairy finished with her little act on stage and it was my turn.

I climbed up the three steps to the stage and the first thing I did was search the huge crowd that had gathered there for my family. I was immensely relieved to have spotted my mum who gave me an encouraging look. I felt no fear whatsoever. I stood there for what seemed like a full minute without saying anything. However, I still had a smile planted on my face. My class teacher who was just in front of the stage gently urged me to say something. I on the other hand, looked innocently at her and said, “Miss, WHAT TO SAY MISS?” in the mike so that everyone could hear it.

At this point, the whole crowd erupted into gales of laughter. I stood there beaming at them all, happy to have proved to be pretty entertaining. Later I met my parents and waited for the results. I was disheartened to find that I got the consolation prize while the pretty fairy secured 2^nd place. After many attempts, my family finally managed to console me.

This was my first embarrassment in my childhood years. Every time I remember this incident I can’t help but smile at the kind of girl I was back then.