A4ny
The Coercive Summer Haircut: Emmi’s Story
Emmi was known for her long, wavy, brown hair; it flowed over her shoulders and back like a silk river. She was a sweet girl who always felt that her long hair was a part of her identity. However, her mother, for a reason she never directly stated, constantly wanted Emmi to cut her hair short. She didn’t want her to have such long hair, so a suitable excuse came to her mind: the summer heat.
One hot summer day, Emmi came out of the shower and began drying her beautiful hair. Her mother quietly entered the room.
“Emmi, you have to cut your hair,” her mother said softly.
Emmi looked up, “Okay, Mom, I know it needs a little trim to get rid of those dry ends.”
Her mother replied with a forced smile, “No, my dear, I don’t mean a little. I mean you have to cut it very, very short. It’s summer, and you’ll get hot with this long hair. A nice, cool cut would be appropriate.”
A huge shock washed over Emmi’s face. Her eyes widened. “What!? Cut it short? Mom! My hair, I can’t! I love my hair. It never makes me hot.”
A long discussion full of requests and refusals began. Emmi tried in every way to convince her mother to change her mind, but her mother was insistent.
“Mom, if you can just cut it up to my shoulders. That’s short too!” Emmi pleaded.
Anger appeared on her mother’s face. “No! Listen to me, Emmi. This is the final word. We have to cut it. Accept the short, modern hair. If I get really angry, I will take you to the bathroom and shave your head!”
That threat, the threat of an ugly shave, crushed all of Emmi’s resistance. Emmi was terrified of that look. She had to nod her head, a tear rolling down her cheek. “Okay, Mom.”
The Beginning of the Great Change
The next day, Emmi’s mother took her to an expensive salon. The hairdresser, with a wide smile, approached them, “Ah, Emmi! The sweet long-haired girl! I’ve wished so many times to cut your hair short. So many beautiful styles would suit you!”
Emmi only felt suffocated, but her mother eagerly said: “I want you to cut it in a Bob style, up to the neck.”
“Okay,” the stylist said, “but let me tell you, a Pixie cut would look much better on Emmi, especially because of her face shape. It’s a huge change and very cooling for this hot summer.”
Emmi looked at her mother in shock, “A Pixie cut!?”
Her mother quickly agreed, ignoring Emmi’s disapproval: “Yes, a Pixie cut is very beautiful! Very striking!”
Nothing was according to Emmi’s opinion. Emmi sat on the chair like a doll.
The stylist started to work. First, she brought Emmi’s long, silky brown hair over her shoulder and cut it short according to the Bob style. Then, meticulously and piece by piece, she raised the hair even higher. She took the electric clippers and started shaping and thinning the hair at the back of her neck, raising it tightly. Emmi felt a light weight leaving her head; she heard the sound of the scissors working heartily. Next, the sides of her hair were cut shorter, revealing her ears completely, and a short, attractively styled layer remained on top—a suitable and sharp Pixie cut.
Emmi lowered her head, not wanting to look at herself. But her mother happily exclaimed: “Amazing! It’s so beautiful! But… to complete the transformation, I want you to change her hair color to red! A bright color for summer and this new style.”
Emmi screamed internally. The stylist gave an even bigger smile.
From that day on, Emmi became known for her combination of flaming red hair and a Pixie cut, after being forced into a major change that was completely outside of her will. Her long brown hair remained in the salon’s vacuum, and her mother’s coercion resulted in a major transformation in the girl’s life
