The Longest Braid

Hi everyone! This is my first story on this site. Let me know if you like it 🙂      

Mara’s life was a dream. As a travel vlogger for the biggest news station in the world, she’d seen it all. From the fjords of Iceland to the yurts of Mongolia, Mara was always ready to embark on her next adventure. Her ability to try anything once is what set her apart from all the other wannabe travel vloggers. But there was one thing that Mara would never, ever do: cut her hair.

Mara’s long, ebony hair stretched down to her knees. Her mane was truly a sight to behold with its rippling, dark waves and sleek sheen. Mara loved to show off her long locks. She always wore her hair in a long braid to show off its length.

One day after returning home from documenting a Brazilian carnival, Mara was surprised to see that her boss sent her an email asking for a quick meeting at noon. Mara spent the morning worrying herself sick about the meeting. Was she going to be fired?

Noon finally rolled around, and Mara stepped into her boss’s office. Her boss, Tanya, was a stylish middle-aged woman who sported a sleek blunt bob with thick bangs. She greeted Mara with a warm smile.

“Have a seat,” she said.

Mara did as she was told and sat across from her boss. “Have I done something wrong, ma’am?”

“No. Well, at least nothing that you’re aware of.”

“I’m not sure what you mean by that, ma’am.”

“The comments on your travel vlogs are mostly positive, but there are more than a few people that seem to think your braid is old-fashioned.”

“Oh,” Mara replied sheepishly. “Well, I haven’t cut my hair since I was ten years old. It’s a part of my identity.”

“So you don’t want to cut it?”

“No, ma’am.”

Tanya tapped her perfectly manicured nails against the top of her desk. “Think about how much money this company spends to send you to so many exotic places. Every human on earth would kill to have your job. All I’m asking in return is a simple haircut.”

Mara fiddled nervously with her braid. “And what will happen if I don’t cut my hair?”

“Then I’ll have to fire you.”

Mara’s heart sank and she felt her anxiety creeping in as she considered her options. On one hand, she could walk out, keep her beloved braid, and find a new job. But she knew she’d never find a job like this again. She thought about all the places she’d never get to see and all the things she wouldn’t get to do if she refused to get her haircut. After a minute of contemplation, she forced a smile.

“Okay. I’ll get a haircut.”

Tanya nodded. “Well, there’s no time like the present.”

Tanya reached into her desk and pulled out a manila envelope that was sealed shut. “Take this to the hair salon on 10^th Street. I’ve instructed them to give you the haircut in this folder. Don’t open the folder yourself. It’s only for your hairdresser to see.”

Mara took the envelope, thanked her boss, and headed for the salon. It was only a few blocks away from the office, but every step felt like a marathon as Mara forced herself to keep moving. The thin envelope may as well have been a million pounds. She imagined the haircut that awaited her. Long with layers? A bob like Tanya’s? She had no idea what to expect.

Mara stepped into 10^th Street Salon and immediately felt out of place amongst the chic décor and stylish staff. A young woman with a long, blonde ponytail approached Mara.

“You must be the girl Tanya sent,” she said.

“Yes,” Mara said shakily, “I am.”

The woman laughed a bit. “You seem so nervous. I’m Alicia. Trust me when I say you’re in good hands. May I see the envelope please?”

Mara handed her the envelope. Alicia opened it and peered at the image of the desired haircut. When Mara tried to catch a glimpse of the photo, Alicia shoved it back into the envelope.

“It’s a secret, dear.” Alicia motioned for her to follow her deeper into the salon. “Come, we have no time to waste.”

Mara sat down in the black leather chair and tried to mask her fear as Alicia draped a white cape over her body. Mara had visited many foreign places, but none of those places felt as unfamiliar as the salon. Alicia grabbed Mara’s braid and examined it with deep fascination.

“Why is your hair so long, dear?”

Mara shrugged. “It’s complicated.”

“I like complicated things,” she replied. “I am a hairdresser, after all. There’s nothing more complicated than a good haircut.”

Mara couldn’t argue with that. “When I was ten, my mother got very sick and the medicine she had to take made her hair fall out. When she died, I told myself I’d never cut my hair again as a way of remembering her.”

“Did you tell your boss that?”

“No,” Mara replied. “To be honest, Tanya scares me. I’m too afraid to disagree with her.”

Alicia unfastened the end of the braid and began brushing through Mara’s endless mane. “I think your mother would want you to embrace the future instead of holding onto the past.”

“I know. It’s just so hard to let go.”

Mara watched as Alicia draped her long hair over her shoulders. It really was a chain holding her to the past. Still, cutting it was a terrifying notion. Suddenly, Alicia turned Mara away from the mirror.

“What are you doing?” Mara asked.

“Like I said, it’s a surprise.”

Mara felt her chest tighten as Alicia reached for a pair of shears. Alicia gathered Mara’s hair in one hand and held it close to her scalp. Alicia pressed the shears onto the nape of Mara’s neck, sending shivers down Mara’s spine as the cool metal hit her hot skin.

Wait. No. Please, not that short! Mara thought.

Before Mara could muster up the courage to protest, the shears sliced through her hair with an unfamiliar snip, snip, snip. Six terrifying snips later, Mara felt her newly-shorn locks hit her face. The longest strand of hair barely reached the bottom of her chin. She desperately wanted to reach up and feel her new hair, but Alicia asked her to sit still for the remainder of the haircut.

Okay. Mara thought. I must be getting a bob like Tanya’s. That’s not so bad.

            Mara’s relief was short lived. Alicia put down the shears and reached for a pair of clippers. It was at that point Mara wanted to run away and never look back. She nearly jumped out of her chair when the clippers began to emit a terrible buzzing sound.

Mara shook her head. “No. No, no, no. I didn’t agree to this.”

“You will look like a goddess, dear.”

Tears streamed down Mara’s cheeks as Alicia ran the clippers over the back of her neck. Mara began sobbing as clumps of hair hit the floor unceremoniously. The whir of the clippers approached one ear and then the other until the hair was so short that there was nothing left to conceal the sides of her face. Mara still had no idea what she looked like, which only added to the torturous experience.

Finally, Alicia put down the clippers and reached for the shears once again. The top of her hair was still relatively long, but Mara knew that wouldn’t last. Mara resigned herself to her fate as she felt the crown of her hair being cut shorter and shorter with each snip.

Alicia brushed the hair off Mara’s neck and took off the cape. The swoosh of the cape sent a breeze up Mara’s newly-bare neck. Mara wiped the tears from her eyes and placed her hands on her head. She was greeted by the feeling she got when she ran her hands through her boyfriend Dan’s hair, and he kept his hair short.

“Oh my god,” she said. “What have you done to me?”

“I have enhanced your beauty, my dear.”

Alicia spun the chair around so Mara could see the mirror. The woman staring back was a total stranger. The top of her hair was only an inch long and the sides were nearly nonexistent. Mara stared at herself for a long time as she tried to come to terms with her new look. Her long tresses were still on the ground, and she wanted nothing more than to reattach them to her head.

“You will learn to love it, dear,” Alicia said. “I’m afraid I must ask you to leave. My next client will be here soon.”

Without saying a word, Mara paid and left the salon.   She felt like a stranger in her own body as she trudged back to her office. When she opened the door, her fellow employees stared at her with a look of shock on their faces. None of them said a word as Mara marched towards her boss’s office.

Tanya gave a nod of approval. “It’s exactly what I asked for.”

Mara felt her lip begin to quiver. “Why did you do this to me?”

“Oh, be quiet,” Tanya replied. “All the hair is gone now, so you may as well accept it. I’ve done you a huge favor. You just don’t realize it yet.”

Mara tried to focus on editing her vlog for the remainder of the afternoon, but she barely managed to get any work done. Five minutes before leaving for the day, she got a text from Dan.

Can’t wait for our date tonight, babe. Korean barbecue here we come!

“Shit,” Mara said out loud, catching the attention of a few of her coworkers. With a sigh, she texted him back.

I’ll see you soon. Love you.

            She was too afraid to tell him the truth about what had happened to her that afternoon. When it came time to leave work, she drove to the Korean barbecue restaurant across town. Before exiting her car, she threw on her hoodie and pulled up the hood even though it was hot as hell outside.

Mara stood outside the restaurant and paced back and forth nervously while she waited for Dan to arrive. After what felt like an eternity, he pulled into the parking lot. He gave Mara a puzzled look as he approached her. It was at that moment Mara realized her hair was even shorter than his!

“Hey,” Mara said quietly.

“Why are you wearing a hoodie?” he asked.

Mara shook her head and fought back another wave of tears. She explained to Dan what Tanya had made her do. Dan pulled her into a hug and gently rubbed her back.

“May I see it?” he asked.

“Fine. I suppose there’s no point in prolonging the inevitable.”

Mara peeled back the hood part of her hoodie, wincing as she waited for a negative response from Dan. Instead, he stared at her with a sort of amazement she’d never seen from him before. He smiled and ruffled the hair on top of her head.

“Mara,” he began, “you look absolutely incredible.”

Mara blushed. “You’re just saying that to be nice.”

“It’s the truth,” Dan said. “You didn’t need all that hair. It was just weighing down your beauty.”

Feeling a bit better about herself after earning Dan’s approval, Mara followed him into the restaurant. By the time they got to talking and eating, she wasn’t even thinking about her hair anymore. It was an amazing feeling knowing she didn’t have to worry about getting long, stringy hairs in her food.

As Mara and Dan left the restaurant, a stranger approached them.

“Excuse me, miss,” the stranger said. “I run a modelling agency nearby. You have a very unique look, and I’d like to give you my business card.”

Mara couldn’t believe it. “Thank you.”

The stranger tipped his hat and walked away.

Dan grinned. “See? I wasn’t lying. Short hair is the best thing that has ever happened to you.”

Still, Mara wasn’t fully convinced about the beauty of her new haircut. When she got home and went into the bathroom for her nightly shower, she found herself examining the angles of her face in the mirror. It occurred to her that she’d never truly seen the entirety of her face. She found herself a bit taken aback, but the anger and fear she felt earlier had been replaced by excitement and, dare she say it, appreciation for her new look.

The first shower with her short hair was like a miracle. She remembered the countless hours she’d spent maintaining her long hair. All the washing, drying, and combing seemed so frivolous and useless. With her new hair, all she needed was a quick shake. It dried in less than 10 minutes.

Weeks passed and Mara’s life continued as usual. She travelled, vlogged, and enjoyed life to the fullest. One day after returning from a trip to Japan, she looked in the mirror and saw that her hair had grown out a bit. Her hair was touching her ears, and the top was getting a bit shaggy. She knew what she needed to do.

Without a hint of hesitation, she drove to 10^th Street Salon. Alicia greeted her with a wink.

“Ah, welcome back, dear,” she said. “I knew you would learn to love it.”

Mara sat down in the chair. “You can cut it the way you cut it last time,” she said. “Actually, you know what? You can take the top even shorter this time.”

Alicia grinned proudly. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

THE END.