Chapter 4

One morning I poked my head in to see the group starting on their workout.

"Ok, now...wait what's this bulge?" Heidi asked as she reached in Angela's pocket. "Ah ha." She took out a bag of candy.

"It's not just me." Angela protested, "Go check in Larisa's room; she hordes her junk food."

"Thanks a lot," said Larisa, scowling.

Heidi was already eating the candy as they marched up to Larisa's room.

Sure enough, Heidi found doughnuts, cupcakes, Twinkies, etc., hidden away in Larisa's desk.

Heidi gathered them into her arms and ordered the group back downstairs where each child took a turn on the treadmill.

To my astonishment, Heidi lay on the couch, eating Larisa's stash of junk food while saying, "Faster, you can do it. Keep up the pace!"

Marcela looked exhausted as she panted her way through the workout.

"How come you get to eat that stuff?" Angela asked.

"Because I'm in shape!" Heidi snapped back. "Besides, it's one sure way to keep it off your chubby waistline."

Heidi wasn't setting a very good example, but the children seemed to accept whatever she told them. It seemed to me this girl Heidi was a bit lazier than she had led us to believe. But, as I had said to my wife, as long as she helped our kids lose weight, she could do whatever she liked.

A month after our new guest's arrival, the numbers were in. Larisa was down five pounds, Angela seven, Marcela seven, and Ricardo four.

My wife Paula and I lay in bed that night and I was remarking how effective Heidi had been so far.

"She really knows her stuff," I said. "She will have them in shape in no time."

"You're right, dear," said Paula. "I thought the kids would be more resistive, but they seem as happy as ever. Did you notice, though? I think Heidi is getting a little chubby.

"It's no wonder," she continued. "She eats such big meals, the servants even made a comment the other day."

What my wife said was true. I had really started to notice some new rolls around Heidi's middle over the last week. Her tight clothes could no longer cover her belly, which crept out from under her shirt. When she sat down, a nice roll of fat was visible hanging over her pants' waistline. She was by no means overweight, but definitely getting softer.

A month later the trend continued. All four of our children had begun to shrink. Larisa's clothes now looked loose and her face began to lose its pudginess. My wife and I were ecstatic.

On the other side, Heidi had grown! She had had to have one of the servants let out some of seams in her clothes (that is when there was enough extra material). Heidi's thighs were getting thicker and her pants were very tight as they stretched across a new, flabby belly which now bulged over her pants.

"More steak please," said Heidi as we enjoyed our lunch. She held her plate out to Margarita the servant. "I think steak and eggs is becoming my favorite," she beamed as she started on her seconds.

"What isn't?" my wife whispered to me, laughing.

After lunch, I watched Heidi walk away from the table off to take her siesta. "My, my," I thought to myself, "that rear end is getting wider too!"

As on the first day, and most every other day, Heidi's nap lasted well into the afternoon.

About dinner time, I went into the family room. Heidi was sprawled out on the plush couch watching the satellite television.

"Almost dinner time, Heidi!" I said.

My eye couldn't help but catch glimpse of her exposed belly that was visible hanging out of her shirt. It had really gotten pudgy in the last month or so.

That night we had an American food night. It was no surprise to see Heidi put away two cheeseburgers and a huge stack of French fries in about the same time it took most us to get through half of our more modest portions. She looked at the kids, who had been given a burger as reward for their efforts. To our surprise, Heidi went around the table with her plate to each of the children and snatched the remaining burgers from their plates.

"That's enough for now," she said. "We wouldn't want to ruin all our hard work now, would we?"

"Yes, Heidi," the kids answered almost too obediently.

"Now, we wouldn't want these to go to waste now would we?" Heidi said, being a little snotty.

I couldn't believe it, but she proceeded to eat all the remaining cheeseburgers as the children looked on.

"Well, I'm going to watch some TV. Angela, bring me a piece of that pie and some ice cream, would you?"