Senior Year

One + Dami

The pointed tip of the comb trailed through my hair, sending a tingling across my scalp. The hair dresser who was to lazy to comb my hair before starting to braid hissed as she reached a tangle in my hair. She harshly pulled and untangled the hair. I was so annoyed I yelped at her so my mother would notice. And she did.

"Shey, I told you to comb that hair before you start." Mother scolded the fair girl. She pulled a face at my mother.

"I've been combing it small small, ma." She tried to defend.

"No, what stopped you from combing everything at the beginning. Lazy rat!" My mother said and  hissed at her.

"Aunty, be careful o. If no be say you be my senior." She stopped her sentence threateningly. My mother threw the flimsy magazines she was reading and stood up.

"What would you have done?!" Mother yelled. "You stupid village girl, you think you can talk to me anyhow. I know your mother didn't train you, foolish thing."

"Mummy." I warned in a low voice making Mother to glance at me.

"No. Dami, please allow me." She said to me. "Look at this unfortunate person. If you annoy me, I will beat shege out of you this afternoon."

Mother's shouts attracted the owner of the hair salon, Fasila, who came rushing in.

"What happened, ma?" Fasila asked.

"See, Fasila, I don't know where you got this little devil from but you better take care of her. Look at this one, trying to beat me." Mother accused. My jaw dropped and I shook my head. Nigerian mothers, always exaggerating.

Fasila turned to the girl who was still braiding my hair with a scowl on her face.

"Blessing, I don tell you make you no dey talk to customer anyhow. Wetin be your problem, this girl?"

"Aunty Fasila, she's the one who started it o." Blessing said rudely.

"Shut up! It's not the first time. God forbid, you want me to lose my customers. Oya get out!!" Fasila said furiously. Mother watched with a smug look as Blessing's jaw dropped.

"Eh?!" The Blessing girl said with a look of shock.

"Your ear don spoil abi? It's like you're deaf. I said get out of here."

"But Aunty Fasila..." Blessing tried to plead and I genuinely pitied her. Someone who was just trying make a living.

"If I count five and you still dey here, your mother no go know you when you reach house this afternoon." Fasila threatened. Blessing scrambled to get her bags and headed out the door. After a few seconds she came back.

"Aunty Fasila, you never pay me for this month o." She said begrudgingly. Fasila picked up the nearest thing, which was a large comb, and threw it at her. It sent the girl running.

"Sorry, Iya Dami. Let me call another one." Fasila apologized. "Nofisat!!"

A dark meek looking Muslim girl came in at Fasila's call.

"Finish that hair." Fasila pointed at me. She came closer and continued the braiding.

Mother sat down in triumph and picked up the magazines again.

"Mummy." I called her.

"If you talk nonsense now, I will slap you." Mother replied jokingly and I laughed and looked down at my phone.

That's the story of how my mother and I caused a person to lose her job.

* * * * * * *

"Take." Mother said as she handed me a pack of pencils. If you like lose all of them." She said. I nodded at her and scratched my hair.

"Stop scratching! Hair that they made just yesterday, you want it to get old."

"But it's itching me." I whined. Mother just hissed at me. I took that as my cue to continue scratching.

"So, you're starting S.S3 tomorrow." Mother said. I nodded at her.

"You'd better listen to me. Listen carefully. All these years you've been a great child. Good grades and all that.  We're proud of you, ajoke mi.

But, this is the period where you tend to get unserious. Tend, ni? You will be unserious. You will be tired of school. You will be tired of everything concerning school.

But you have to just keep reading. At least, this is the stage where you get your official examination certificate. The Junior WAEC you wrote, shey you know it's useless? It's this one you really need.

I don't need to talk much. Don't disgrace us." She finished her short talk.

"Thank you, mummy." I said as raised my hands to my hair.

"Wo, if you scratch that hair again this slippers will meet your face." She threatened raising her blue slippers at me. I reluctantly brought down my hand.

At that moment my younger sister, Funke, walked into the living room. Eyes on her phone. She was entering S.S1 and just got her own phone, so she was practically glued to it. And if made my mother very annoyed.

"Come. Hello?" Mother called to Funke. Who didn't hear her because she had earphones in. Mother chucked the slippers at the unknowing girl and she yelled.

"If you like shout. Every time phone, phone, phone." Mother complained. "Have you cut the vegetables in the kitchen? Have you boiled the meat?"

"No, ma."

"Of course. It's phone that is your concern. You will not learn how to cook in the kitchen, you will be busy with phone. Tell me what you are doing with that phone now??" Mother asked.

"Erm... Mummy, it's assignment." Funke lied. Mother threw the second slipper at her.

"Which assignment? Did they give you any assignments after Junior WAEC?? If I catch you with that phone there, you will see my five fingers on your face." Mom threatened and Funke walked to the kitchen.

"Mummy, you don't allow Dami to cook again o." Funke grumbled.

"You are still standing there, ba? It's like you don't want your father to recognise you this evening." Mother said and began stalking towards Funke and she ran away laughing.