Twenty two year old Ashley was driving in a winter storm one evening trying to get back to State University. The snow was blowing and drifting with white out conditions. Her 2 wheel drive pickup was slipping all over the place. She was hoping she could make the last 20 miles to school. Suddenly as semi-truck came towards her out of the whiteness.She veered to the right but caught a snow drift that put her off the road. She concluded after several attempts that she was stuck bad. She looked off in the distance and saw the lights of a small brick ranch house. Her cell phone was in one of those areas that was a dead zone so she had no service. Now, if she could make the ranch house she could use their land line to call for a wrecker.She put on her winter boots , winter coat, gloves and grabbing her back pack with a change of cloths she headed to the ranch house. She couldn’t risk staying in her pickup for a very long time. She slowly tredged through the heavy falling snow. It seemed she walked at an angle in the wind as she made her way to the ranch house. Finally after a 30 minute journey she reached the front door and banged on the door. A light came on and the door opened a small ways. A lady in her mid 60s with short brown hair stood there. Ashley in a frantic voice spoke to her ” Hi, I was wondering if you have a phone I can use to calll a wrecker. My truck is stuck in a drift down by the highway?” The woman looked at Ashley all covered in snow. ” Oh, you poor dear. You must be freezing. It is such a terrible storm to be caught in. Yes, come on in and I’ll see what I can do.” Ashely paused inside the door way and shook the snow off. She spoke to the woman ” My name is Ashley. I’m a student at State University down the road. Ithank you so much for opening your door.” The woman extended her hand.” My name is Sandra. Now take off your wet clothes and I’ll make you some hot coffee” AShley took off her coat and noticed that her clloths underneath had gotten wet in the snow drifts and blowing snow. Sandra went down the hall and motoned for Ashley to get out of her wet cloths and come to the kitchen for some coffee. Sandra’s eyes started noticiing something right away about Ashley. It was something her eyes couldn’t keep form lookng at which was Ashley’s waist length long shiny black hair that reached her waist and also was wet. Ashley wore it very simply parted down the middle. Ashley sat down at the table to drink her coffee and warm up.
Sandra looked at Ashley ” Ok, my phone is out due to the weather. The road is closed at least for a day or two as the drifiting is making havoc with snow removal according to my weather radio. I can’t help but notice your not Anglo and your hair is very long.Tell me about yourself.”
Ashley “My name is Ashley Sandoval. I’m 22 years old and single. Im Navajo/cherokee in heritage. I got to State College and my goal is to be a Pharmacist. Yes, my hair is long and has always been that way for many years. I get alot of compliments on it. How about you Sandra?”
Sandra ” I’m 62 and a widow. My husband was killed during his second tour of Iraq. I have a son his name is Jeremy and he too goes to State College and Majors in Argi-business. He is away now on a field project.” Now what Sandra didn’t tell Ashley was that Jeremy was single too at age 24 but Jeremy had a preference for short haired girls. Being a good mom she was always on the look out for a potentiial mate for her son. Here was Ashley sitting across from her. She had a very nice healthy figure. She was attractive and smart as pharmacy majors aren’t dumb people. Her only minus was that mane of shiny thick black hair. Now, without that long hair she knew that Jeremy would like her.
Sandra also knew the value of thick virgin hair like Ashleys in the extensions market. She brought Ashley some more cofffee and placed her hand on Ashleys mane. ” So your hair has always been long? Have you ever thought of cutting it? Ashley sipped her coffee ” Yes, it has always been long. I have thought once or twice about cutting it but I just can’t bring myself to do it.” Sandra have you ever colored it? ” Ashley ” No, not even to highlight it like some of the girls do now.” Sandra sat down and spoke to Ashley. I have a spare room down the hall. There is nothing we can do now to get you unstuck. I suggest we go to bed soon.”
Ashley ” I agree and I have some sleepwear in my back pack. Let me help you tidy up. Boy that wind sure his howling. Look at the drift forming around your garage door. ” Sandra ” Yes , it is a good thing you have found shelfter here for tonight.”
Ashley awoke to the smell of coffee and breakfast. She made her way to the kitchen. The storm had passed. but leaving big drifts in it’s wake. Sandra ” You have had such a hard night but I have a nice surprise for you. Follow me to the bathroom. Ashley sttill in her night cloths followed Sandra down to the bathroom. The door opened and there was an old fashioned stand by itself bath tub filled with hot water and bubbles. Sabdra ” Now, Ashley you get in the tub and have yourself a nice slow hot bath ang get the cold out of your bones.” Ashley ” Oh, Thank you Sandra I’m sure I’ll enjoy myself.” She didn’t notice that the back of the tub faced the door or that there was a bar stool sitting by itself in the corner. Sandra watched through the crack in the door as Ashley removed her night cloths and gingerly stepped into the hot bath water. She noticed that Ashley dipped below the water immersing herself and her long black thick mane. That it didn’t take too long for Ashley to apply the bottle of Pantene shampo she had left by the tub.
Sandra let Ashley soak and get comfortable for about 29 minutes. She entered the bathroom and came up behind Ashley carrying a footstool. Ashley saw her ” Hi Sandra, What do you want? ”
Sandra “I was wondring if you could sit up and let me comb out your long hair I don’t get to comb out hair like yours? ”
Ashley ” I guess that would be ok.”
Sandra gently pulled up Ashleys thick wet black mane from the bathtub. She comb it from top to the ends which reached over the side of the tub and to the floor. Ashley relaxed and didn’t notice that Sandra had begun to seperate her hair into ttwo 36 inch long ponytails and had silently slipped rubber tie offs right at the base of Ashleys neck. Now out of her pocket Sandra removed a large pair of silver cutting shears and placed them in her right hand. Her left hand took a tight hold of the ponytail on the right side of Ashleys head. Sandra raised her voice and the shears . “Ashley I’ have watched you and your long hair and have decided it is time for you to have a hairstyle change! I’ve decided that the time for your change is ” NOW”.” She pulled Ashleys head tight against the edge of the tub and the shears opened wide above the rubber tie off and then began to close down upon the thick shiny wet hair. Schnick, Schnick,they started to cut their way though the hair.
Ashely screamed ” Oh, no! Please don’t cut my hair. Please don’t cut it short.!”
Sandra ” I think you want me to cut it short. I think that you have wanted to cut it short but have not had the nerve. Your not a 15 year old girl but a young lady over 21 years old now. We can do this the easy way ofr the hard way but your hair is going to be cut short NOW!” Schnick, snip, snip went the shears through Ashleys virgin hair. Finally a plop like sound was heard as the first thick 36 inch tail was cut loose from it’s long time home. Sandra quickly moved to the other ponytail but this time Ashley just sat in the tub. Ashley with tears rolling down her cheeks.
“What are you going to do to me?”
“I’m going to give you a nice earlength ear bob with a tapered neck area and angled sides. I’m going to give you soft bangs and an off the middle side part. I told you I was a widow. Ididn’t say I didn’t have any skills.” The silver shears proceeded to schnick, schnick, snip their way through the thick native american hair. Hair that in the condition and thickness Sandra knew she could find a buyer for quickly. The second 36 inch tail was removed and place on the floor on a towel next to the other one.
Sandra “Now, Ashley I need you to go sit on the stool so I can finish your new hairstyle. Here is a towel for you to wrap around yourself. Ashley sat on the stool and Sandra too k a smaller pair of scissors and began cutting Ashleys hair to ear length. Wet locks of black hair tumbled to the floor. Then Sandra turned on her cordlless wahl clippers and pushed Ashleys head down so she could do the nape area. The final touch was to use a razor and shave Ashleys pretty brown neck free of any hair fuzz. Ashley just sat on the stool in a stunned captive state. Sandra using a blowdryer and brush finished up Ashleys new look. Locks 3 to 4 inches long black hair  surrounded the stool.
Sandra ” I think you look very pretty without your long mane. What do you think? ” She hands the mirror to Ashley.
” Holy Jesus, Is that me? You have cut off all my long hair! You even shaved my neck! What a change! I sure don’t look 15 anymore. I have to admit for the first time with short hair I don’t look like a boy like Ithought I woulld. ”
Sandra ” No, I think you look like a prretty young lady and you are probably mad as hell at me and want to get out here ASAP so get dressed and lets see what we can do about getting you on your way. I’ll meet you in the living room in 20 minutes.”
Ashley went to her room and put a a bit of makeup and some lifpstick. She put on the jeans she had worn the day before that had dried. She met Sandra in the living room. Sandra ok, We dig my 4 wheel drive pickup out of the garage and go get you towed out using my tow chain. The radio says the road will be open by noon.
Suddenly Sandra paused ” Do you hear that? I haven’t heard that sound in many years.”
Ashley ” What sound? That clickty, clack sound you mean?”
Sandra grabbed a pair orf binoculars and looked toward the road ” How and where did he get that?”
Ashley” Who and what get what?”
Sandra “My son got himself a Cat or a buldozer and is coming this way to rescue his poor old mom. How abut That?!”
Ashley looked through the binoculars towards the road and sure enough there sat a young man in a snow mobile suit on a buldozer wearing a cowboy hat plowing his way up toward the house.
Sandra ” My God , he will be here in a few minutes. I need to go make myself presentable.”
Ashley was already presentable but took out a hand mirror to make sure. She reached up and felt her new shorter hair do. The buldozer pulled up right to the door where Sandra and Ashley were standing waiting. A young man about 5’8” wearing a cowboy hat got off and walked up to the both of them.
“Hi Mom! I’ve come to dig you out.”
Sandra ” Hi Jeremy, where in the hell did you get that dozer and how?”
Jeremy ” I took the back road to Mr. Johnsons Ranch. He told me I could borrow the CAT if I plowed a road to his cattle and took them so hay and feed. You know Mr. Johnson at the Swing R Ranch. I think he likes you mom.Ha!”
Sandra ” Well, come inside and get some coffee.”
Jeremy couldn’t take his eyes off of Ashley ” Mom, Mom,,, Who is this girl in our house?”
Sandra ” Good God where are my manners” Jeremy this is Ashley ” She is a student at the U:niversity too and her truck is stuck down by the road. She had to spend the night here last night in your room.
“Mom, You put a stranger in my room?”
Sandra “Yes, it had to be done”
Jeremy “Mom you got anything to eat I’m starving as I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
Ashley ” I think i saw some pankcake mix in the kitchen and some eggs and bacon in the refrigerator. I’ll make some up for all of us while you chat with your mom.”
Sitting at the table across from each other Jeremy looked over at Ashley. “So, your a Student at State College too. Your hair it looks like you just got it cut. I love the style you chose.”
Ashley ” Yes, I made a change and I just had it cut recently by a new ” Friend”. ( She winks at Sandra ) I’m glad you like it. ”
Jeremy ” Ok, Ashley first I’ll get my mom’s place clearned and then we will go down with the extra tow chains out of the garage and get your pickup undstuck. I’ll grab an extra shovel as your probably drifted in real good. ”
Sandra looked over at Jeremy and Ashley looking at each other and talking. Yes, cutting off Ashley’s long hair had done the trick. She knew that she would be seeing more of Ashley aorund the house in the coming months. Turns out something good had come out of the bad storm after all.Ashley would never forget the storm, the haircut and meeting Jeremy.. That is how fate works now and then.