Haircut

My mother is a principal and although principals are quite smart with their looks my mother prefers to keep it simple. It was a day of October, 2018 when my mumma had to get ready for a small function organized in the region where her school is located. In that function most of the gathering was of school principals and teachers, mostly known to my mother. 

My mother has small height with an apple shaped body, as it is called but I think mango is better because that’s my favorite fruit 🤪. She has black colored frizzy medium length hair now and back then also when she had to get ready for a function. She wore beautiful half cotton half silk lemon yellow kurta with magenta pants. She was looking pretty as always but one thing she was upset about was her hair. 

So I suggested her to get a haircut. But being really stubborn she didn’t listen to anyone really easy. And thus she started making excuses that no salon would be open at this time of the day, etc. etc. I again tried to convince her with my convincing tactics but all went futile. Then I tried emotional blackmailing which suits the best for my over sentimental mother. I said you don’t love us mumma, kids love to watch their moms to look pretty but just don’t want that. Moreover you don’t love yourself, when will you spare time for your life. Although she knew I was a drama queen. She agreed.

I immediately bought scissors and asked her,” what kind of hair cut do you want madam?”, imitating the hairstylists that I have observed so far when I go for my haircut. She said with rolling eyes and a silly grin that I just need a trimming that also upto my damaged hair and not more than that. She even warned me not to overdo it. I said smilingly, ” OK ma’am!”. She was sitting on the bed and not in front of the dressing table so she was a little worried that what her daughter might do, she would not have an idea. 

With a mountain like confidence, I put on the apron, combed her hair nicely and for meanwhile kept the scissors and serum or other essentials like hairpins, etc. in the apron’s pocket just to show how skilled and professional I am😂😅

Anyways I was a little afraid too as it was an important event where she has to go and I can’t afford any mistake. So with a prayer I started cutting her hair from the bottom. Going from top to bottom I measured the length of her damaged hair which was longer than I had expected.  But as I thought that’s what all the professional hairstylists do, so without much hesitation I cut down about 3 to 4 inches of her hair. Now my elder sister also came into this adventurous haircutting sport. She said to mumma with suspectful voice( inspired by UFO audio stories) that how she has so much faith in her? My mom said nothing and kept quiet with her eyes closed as if she was in samadhi. I said to my sister to just keep her mouth shut and watch my skill. 

Having said that, I took out serum from my pocket and applied it to mamma’s hair and also watched my sister with a cornered eye,  who was standing with a dubious stare. Without giving much attention to my sister’s stare, I then again continued with cutting my mom’s hair, which according to me looked very pretty.

Just a few minutes later, my sister picked up the newspaper on which I have kept on the floor so that all the hair could fall on it instead of the floor. She looked at it very carefully and within a fraction of seconds she shrieked out and said shrillingly, ” Mamma! See what she has done! Just stop her otherwise your remaining hair is in danger!” As my mother looked at the heap of hair she almost screamed with her eyes popping out.

She said in a strict voice, ” Just stop!”. I was perturbed at once, not knowing what to do.

To defend myself I said in a stammering voice that your hair is looking pretty fine, this is in fashion. I did it with utmost care. But my sister love to put ghee in the burning fire, so she said mumma just think! What your teachers and principals would think. She got even more mad at me and said she really made a huge mistake by giving scissors in the wrong hands!…Meanwhile,this haircut episode was going on…my father called my mom saying that he was waiting at the gate and please come as soon as possible. My mother was furious, confused, sad, flustered, all at once, which was quite obvious for her. 

She told me to get out of her sight otherwise she might cancel her plans of going to the event awaiting for her with newly cut hair. So I just removed my professional apron, I was so proud of and was still proud but couldn’t wear anymore as everyone gave it unbearable looks. I threw the scissors on the bed( I told you I am a drama queen), and went to the other room. I banged the door and locked it from inside. My tears filled with guilt couldn’t wait and started rolling down before I could even sit on the bed with a crying posture. I cried so loudly that my mom who was already in trouble couldn’t afford to watch any more mess around her. So with all the patience and anger left out, she called out to me a few times and then after a few minutes, I replied with a sobbing voice from inside that, ‘ I have destroyed your day’, to which she replied that no! Just come out but I didn’t and said goodbye to her. She didn’t have time to console me so my sister assured her that she will take care of me. When I came out after 15 minutes or so, I called my mother and she laughingly said to me,” You made my day! Everyone loved my new look, they said now you are looking like a principal.” 

I remembered this incident today after I read a quote by Coco Chanel on Pinterest. It says: 

“A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.”

I thought I contributed to a negative change in my mother’s life when I cried but when she called me with her cute  giggles, I think it was a positive change.😉🙃

To laugh more you can watch this Mr. Bean’s episode where he becomes a barber: https://youtu.be/1iewulE0ZLY