Seems Like Old Times-Part 2 The Shopkeeper
I spent the last 2 weeks in a bit of a fog. I still could not get used to my new curly hair, even though my husband was definitely a fan of it. Our love life hasn’t been like this for 10 years. Still, I certainly wasn’t ready to become a regular customer of Edith’s.
The Thursday after getting my hair permed my mother called and said our next appointment with Edith was cancelled. When I told my husband that I wouldn’t be having my hair set for the weekend I could tell he was upset. I, on the other hand, was glad that I had escaped another session with my Edith, and, whatever her and my mother had planned for me.
After feeling like I was off the hook, I was not as tense for the next few days. I started to get back to my old self doing projects around the house, and, enjoying myself. My phone rang early on Tuesday morning. When I saw the screen had my mother’s number on it, panic again set in, she never called me in the morning, so, there must be a problem. When I answered, I immediately asked what was wrong, but my mother said she got a call from Kathy to let her know that Edith had a cancellation that morning and could take us at 10 o’clock. I tried to get my mother to go by herself, saying that I was too busy to go on such short notice, but my mother insisted I take her because she doesn’t drive in the rain anymore. She told me to be at her house by 9:00 so we could have a coffee to discuss what I would have done at my appointment.
I got in the shower and let the warm water run over my head for several minutes. I tried to think about what Edith, and my mother had planned for me today. After I dried off, I looked in the mirror and decided that whatever was going to happen couldn’t be much worse than the old lady style that I currently had.
I really didn’t want to sit with my mother and talk about what Edith will be doing today. I knew that her and my mother already had everything planned, and nothing I said was going to change that. Surprisingly, my mother said that she had talked to my husband before the appointment I was supposed to have on Friday, and they discussed possibly touching up my color this time. This was a surprise to me. In all the years we have been married, I cannot recall my husband ever talking to either of my parents on the phone, except when he called after our kids were born. I then remembered from my last trip that I saw a modern coloring station in Kathy’s area with some several top brands of hair color that had been used on me at my regular salon. I thought maybe I could get away with just a little color this time, hoping that while mom was with Edith that Kathy could tend to my color.
When we walked into salon, we were greeted by Kathy. She offered us a seat in her area and told us that her gram would be right out. I was still hoping that there was some chance Edith would take my mother first, and they would let Kathy sort out my color. Several minutes later Edith came out of the back area and asked why we were still sitting in the front area. As we entered Edith’s area I tried to tell my mother to go first, but, Edith jumped in and said she would take me first, and she would set my mother’s hair while my color processed. My body went cold again. I had convinced myself that I could have some control over the situation, and that I could tell them I wanted Kathy to color my hair. The truth set in that as long as my mother and Edith were involved in my hair styles, I would have no control whatsoever.
I was ordered to sit directly in the salon chair so Edith could put the tint in my hair. When she said it I assumed that was an old term for hair color. Edith went to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of liquid that was unfamiliar to me. She showed the bottle to my mother who gave her approval. Edith then began squirting this unknown liquid on to my head. I couldn’t see, until she covered the front of my hair, that it was a dark brown liquid that looked like thin brown paint. Edith finished coating my entire head, then covered my head with a plastic hair cap. I was told to sit in the waiting area so Edith could set my mother’s hair. Edith made quick work of my mother, who was under the dryer in 15 minutes. Edith then beckoned me over to a wash station and proceeded to rinse and vigorously scrub my scalp. I still had no idea what they had done to my hair now, but, as I sat in the styling chair, and Edith pulled off the towel, I was shocked. My dark blonde hair, with all of its natural highlights, was now a medium brown color. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. The hair looked like it had been painted with brown paint. There were no more highlights, or even shine of any kind. It was just flat, lifeless brown. I asked what she had used on my hair and was told it was a wash in hair rinse that would last for 2 weeks up to a month. Before I could even process what had just happened, Edith began to roll my hair in small rollers, and what looked like hair gel. When she finished, she started directing me to a hair dryer next to my mother. My mother then tells Edith that she thinks I should have the bottom cleaned up again. This is not what I wanted, but I knew speaking up was going to get me nowhere. Edith finished up my mother’s set, then it was my turn in the chair. Edith picked away at my hair then, when it met her approval, reached for the hair spray, giving my head several heavy coats. Just before I was let loose from the chair, Edith puts her hand on my shoulder and pushes me back down. Edith then states that I “wanted the bottom tidied up again.” Before I could tell Edith that it was unnecessary, she grabs her clipper, and again starts shearing down the bottom half of the back of my head. I had no idea until she came around to the sides that this time there was no guide on the clippers. She was shearing me right down to the skin, only a faint shadow was left a full 2” over my ears and across the back. My mother came over and tells me she told Edith to shave it this close. This way it will look good until our next appointment in 2 weeks. Well at least my husband will be happy.