Lira1802
Mary Martel was a sixty-five year old senior who lived in a quaint apartment in a complex. She had these two neighbors upstairs. Sonya and Alisha were a married couple who had tied the knot a year ago. They were always sweet to Mary when they encountered her in the hallways of the building but the old bat was naïve. Something was going on between the two.
One night, as Mary was getting ready for bed, she heard noises coming from upstairs. The couple seemed to be fighting.
”You’re cheating on me, aren’t you?”Mary heard from the ceiling. She tried to ignore the voices but the sound didn’t go down. Not being able to sleep sparked anger in Mary’s heart. Angrily, the woman put on a bathrobe and marched upstairs, knocking on the door with attitude.
Sonya answered the door,”Oh, Miss Martel! I’m so sorry, were we too loud?”
”You sure was”,Mary said sternly with crossed arms,”Now, you two better wrap this up and go to bed and if I hear again, I march up here and put an end to it for you”
”We’re very sorry”,Sonya apologized while shooting her partner a dirty look,”It won’t happen again”
”Best not”,Mary replied curtly,”Now, you ladies have a good night, you hear”
”Yes ma’am. Thank you ma’am, good night”,Sonya nodded quickly as she shut the door. Content with the promise, Mary went back to her apartment and settled into bed. The couple abided by their agreement with Mary for three hours. Then, the two spouses started fighting again. Voices grew louder and louder, waking up Mary with red in her eyes. She groaned and then let out a bellow, as if to tell the couple that she was on her way to preform their destruction, as she climbed out of bed and got ready to teach the two, bad girls a lesson.
Armed and ready, Mary marched upstairs to the apartment and pounded her fist on the door. She heard gasps from inside. Sonya and Aisha were finally terrified as to what was coming. And they should be. The door was opened slowly by Sonya but before the young lady could buy she and her wife more time, Mary forced open the door. There was a brief moment of silence. Mary stared at the two with red in her eyes.
“I-I’m s-s-sorry, M-Mar-“,Sonya stumbled over her words as Mary cut her off,”I told you two to settle this matter and get to bed. You haven’t put an end to it so I will. Sonya, now”
She snapped her wrinkled fingers and pointed towards the kitchen area. Like a sad, little pup, Sonya went into the kitchen solemnly while Mary marching behind her. Sonya crossed her arms childishly, as if in denial that she was caught misbehaving, as Mary grabbed a stool and slammed it in front of her. Mary snapped again and pointed at the wooden stool,”Sonya, sit”
Reluctantly, Sonya took a seat on the stool. She looked up at Aisha, who was looking at the floor and feeling ashamed, as Mary opened the black case she had brought with her and rummaged through it. Mary took out a a child-sized cape, that had pretty flowers of the front of it, and flung it around Sonya’s shoulders.
“Funny enough”,Mary flicked Sonya’s hair away in order to tighten the cape, which only covered half of of the woman’s torso, around her neck,”You two aren’t the only bad girls I have to teach with a haircut. My grand babies can be as bad as you, heaven knows my daughter’s heart is too sensitive for capital punishment, so I have to be the one to set them straight”
Mary went to her case and grabbed her clippers. Its cord was unfurled and plugged into the nearby outlet. A pop then pierced through the air, making Sonya jump a little in her seat, as an irritating hum followed.
”Haircuts are good punishments”,Mary raked her fingers through Sonya’s light brown hair that fell down her back freely,”Gives them a reminder of what it costs them when they act up. I hardly have a repeat offender in my chair. Now, hold still”
Without hesitation, Mary ran the clippers over Sonya’s head. Again and again, chunks of hair started falling like rain onto the floor. Sonya started to cry as her partner looked away.
”Crying won’t do you any favors”,Mary handed Sonya a paper towel to blow her nose and dab her eyes with before continuing. It was about a good, five minutes before Mary clicked the switch to the clippers. She ran the palm of her hand over Sonya’s stubbly head, searching for resilient rebel hairs that defied her blades. Satisfied, Mary separated the Velcro and prodded Sonya off the chair.
”Aisha”,Sonya directed with her eyes to the chair,”Come”
Aisha knew what to do and that she wasn’t getting out of it. Trembling, Aisha sat on the warm stool. As Mary flipped the cape around the young woman’s shoulders, Aisha started to cry,”Sonya, I’m so sorry”
Sonya stood by, looking away from the chair and somberly stroking her bare scalp, nodding,”I know”
”I’m really sorry I cheated on you”,Aisha sobbed as the cape was secured around her neck. Sonya was silent as Mary started to feel through Aisha’s Afro hair. And then, a click sounded. The blades went quickly in and out of Aisha’s hair, slowly but surely chipping it all away.
”I’m really glad you told the truth”,Mary said, sort of proudly,”Takes courage to own up to one’s mistakes”
”Yeah”,Sonya replied,”And to realize one had made a mistake and we all made a few”
Aisha looked up at her wife for a second before lowering her head down. Mary made sure all of Aisha’s hair was not a centimeter long before switching of the clippers.
”There we are”,Mary blew off her device and unplugged it, wrapping up its cord and put it into the case. After that, she removed the cape, folded it, and put it into the case as well. The case was finally shut. Mary turned to the girls and said,”Now, I want you two to grab a broom and clean up all this cut hair. You are to sit on the couch and wait for me when you’re done. I’m going back to my place to put this away and get you two girls nightgowns. Do you understand what you’re job is”
”Yes, ma’am”,both women nodded. Mary went out of the apartment as the two got to work. She went into her home, put away her case of tools, grabbed two, fresh nightgowns out of her closet, and headed back to the couple’s place. The older woman found the couple sitting on the couch, side by side, not talking to each other.
”You girls are already getting better”,Mary remarked as she stood over the two,”Good girls. Now, Each of you needs to take a shower before bed. Here are your nightgowns. Get dressed when you’re clean and call me when you two are done”
The two nodded, taking their nightgowns and heading to the bathroom down the hall of their apartment. Mary took a seat on the sofa, happy with the girls’ turnaround. After ten minutes, Sonya sheepishly came out in her nightgown.
”We took our showers, ma’am”,Sonya said meekly. Mary nodded, stood up from the sofa, and gently took Sonya by the arm. The two strolled down the hall and came into the couple’s bedroom. Aisha was already in bed, under the covers, feeling the back of her hair, and missing her fro deeply.
”Okay, young ladies”,Mary helped Sonya into bed,”Time for bed. Now, I hope you both learned your lesson”
”Yes, ma’am”,the two nodded.
Mary smiled warmly, approvingly, and said,”Now, you both are to check in with me for next few months. And Aisha”
Aisha slowly looked up at Mary. Mary breathed,”No more seeing that hussie down at the gym. And, when I find her, she will getting a big talking to also. And lastly, you two have a good night”
