"I know we dreamt of these things, but now it seems like your standards are too high."
Adira Archibong wants to be a supermodel, but as she steps into a world of money, fame, and sex, she learns that the only people she can trust are her friends.
...
"A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life." - Coco Channel.
Just like every other person who suffered from loss, her life would not be the same again. She knew this because she knew she was changing.
Throughout everything, she learnt that the only people she could trust were her friends and family. No one else really cared. They just came into her life to mess it up, break her heart, and leave. She didn't need anyone anymore. She was alright by herself.
Adira hadn't really thought about what Brenda told her. Well, she did but she didn't really put her mind to it. She was so bent on cutting her hair that she didn't actually think about any other thing. The thought haunted her at night and woke her up in the morning. When it happened like that, things had to be done.
She got up from bed early in the morning, did the needful house chores, and prepared herself a decent meal. This time, she ate it all. She didn't remain a single grain of rice and she felt really proud of herself.
Screw being skinny.
Screw being a model.
Screw everything.
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A few minutes before ten in the morning, Adira stood at the entrance of a barber's shop. She debated whether to go in and get it over with or just go home and rest her head.
The decision she was about to make was hard, maybe the hardest she could remember because her hair was over ten years. Cutting it off would be like betraying a close friend. And she wasn't going to just cut her hair, she was also going to dye it, she reminded herself.
It was too late to turn back.
She inhaled and exhaled quickly before she pushed the door of the shop and entered.
The shop looked more like a beauty salon than it did of a barber's shop. The whole room was covered in white; the paint was white, the lights were white, and even the barber's beards. The rest of the properties like the pictures and chairs were in pink. It was really amazing and dreamy.
"Good morning," she greeted the man, eying his beard. It took all of her will power for her to meet his gaze. When she looked up, she noticed that he was very tall. Very tall.
"Morning," he answered and quickly looked behind her. "Are you here with someone?"
"Um, no. I came alone."
"Okay, you want to cut your brother's hair?"
She chuckled. "Oh, no. Not at all. I'm here to shave my head," she said with great feeling.
"Ah ah!" he exclaimed. "Why would you want to do that? Your hair is very long and thick. Why would you want to cut it?"
"Because it's my hair and I want it off. It's too stressful to maintain," she lied. She just wanted a new life. "See eh, the time I use to trim, condition, and shampoo this hair, if I'd put all that time on my education and school, I would have gotten a second degree by now."
The barber laughed, not believing a thing she had said. "You know a woman's beauty is in her hair."
Adira ignored him and sat in one of the plastic chairs opposite the mirror. "I'm ready."
"Okay," he said when he noticed how adamant she was on her decision. The barber got the clipper out of the sterilizing box and got down to business.
The process was very painful as Adira watched herself being transformed into a very handsome woman. She realized that shaving one's hair was underrated and very life-changing. It was like taking in a new form of oxygen.
The most severe moment was dying the hair. It was breathtaking. Literally. Due to the amount of ammonia and peroxide content in the dye, it was hard for her to breathe. The chemicals were almost killing her. She had to suck her breath to survive throughout the dying process.
"Does your mother know that you're dying your hair red?" the barber asked, concern in his voice.
Adira stared at him from the mirror. She didn't give him an answer.
Why was he questioning me? She wondered. Do I look like I'm five to him?
She hadn't thought of what her mother might think of the hair, but now that she did, she knew her mother would kill her if she saw it. Throughout her now dead modelling career, she tried not to go too wild or over the edge because of how much respect she had for her mother. Now, everything had changed. Maybe her mother would too.
After everything was done, Adira took a hard look at herself in the mirror and smiled. The heavy colour on her head made her look fierce and wild, all at once. She felt sexy, different, classy, and lightheaded and it was all in a good way.
"You can call me ugly now," she said confidently.
The barber chuckled lightly, "You're so funny. You look beautiful, dear."
"Thank you. What does my bill look like?" she asked, stretching her neck to like up to him.
The barber looked at her in wonderment and shook his head. "You'll pay just five hundred naira for the hair."
Adira's eyes distended. Just five hundred naira? It was really just. She couldn't believe how cheap it was to shave one's head.
The barber looked confused. "Three hundred naira for my barbing service and two hundred naira for dying of hair," he explained. "It's pretty cheap, isn't it?"
"Three hundred naira to shave my head?" she asked surprised.
"Yes," the barber said and pointed at his price list.
It read:
Barbing price: Adult. Men - N1500 Women - N1000 Children. Boys - N400 Girls - N300 Extras - N200
Adira almost fell from her seat. He had mistaken her for a child. She couldn't remember the last time someone mistook her for a child. It was a hilarious moment for her but she couldn't laugh out loud.
Her ears stung with embarrassment as she opened her purse and redrew a five hundred naira note. She handed it to the barber and smiled. "Thank you."
