The next morning I woke up a little late.
I could hear everything going on downstairs…it sounded very lively.
I quickly washed up and dressed in a plain, blue cotton dress, before going downstairs.
Everyone was gathered around the kitchen. Eva was cooking breakfast and Linda, Greg and Crisann were all sitting around the table.
“Oh, good morning honey! I hope you slept well,” Eva greeted me as soon as she saw me.
“Good morning, I did, thanks,” I answered.
Linda stood up, “There you are! Are you ready to go?”
“Go where?” I asked a little puzzled.
“To go riding around, remember?” Linda reminded me as she walked toward me.
“What about breakfast?” Eva asked sounding a little piqued.
“We can stop somewhere,” Linda answered, ignoring Eva’s irritated tone.
“I’ll eat as much as I can ma,” Greg spoke up; no doubt feeling the slight chilliness between his wife and mother.
“I’m sure a lot has changed since you’ve last been here…plus I have a little surprise for you,” Linda said, actually sounding excited to show me around town.
“Um…ok,” I answered, although unable to match Linda’s excitement.
Eva seemed to calm down a little from hearing Linda’s willingness to make me feel welcomed.
“E-va…will you watch Crisannwhile I show Diane around?” Linda turned and asked, although it didn’t really sound like a question.
“OK,” Eva mumbled.
Again, it was obvious that Linda and Eva had a few issues with each other.
I followed Linda outside to a purple colored aging hatchback. We got in and drove off.
“So Diane, where did you return here from?” Linda asked starting a conversation.
“Midnight Hollow,” I answered.
“Ugh…sounds creepy,” Linda answered.
If only she knew how true her statement was.
Linda showed me all around…focusing on parts of town that were newly developing. We talked and talked; soon finding that we actually had much in common. I could see the possibility of a friendship forming between us.
We eventually passed the old high school that I graduated from and where I first met Nick.
Just seeing the playground next to the school brought back the memories,
…as if time had never passed…
It was a cold fall morning, and I was hanging out on the school’s old playground…sitting on the slide like a kid, waiting for my best friend Sasha to arrive before classes started. For some reason I felt calm back then thinking about childhood.
Two of my classmates Mel and Kelsey spotted me sitting alone.
They were the pretty girls…the popular girls, the type that all of the guys wanted to get with and the girls wanted to be.
I tried to avoid them whenever I could, because they never missed an opportunity to remind me that I wasn’t one of them.
“Diane…when are you going to get with the program and get acquainted with a pressing comb or a relaxer?” Mel called out.
“Ha! Right? Weren’t afros outlawed or something after the 70s?” Kelsey joined in.
I reached up and touched one of my wooly afro puffs; hair that the other girls made me hate, but that I had to endure, because momma wouldn’t allow me to straighten it. I wanted hair like them…hair that could actually blow in the wind.
Then out of nowhere, he appeared… “Why do you always have to do that? You see a girl that tries to be different…who’s not a carbon copy like you and your sidekick and you just can’t resist trying to put them down!”
I couldn’t believe that this boy that I didn’t even know was sticking up for me.
“What do you care? She’s just some loser nappy afro chick,” Mel responded as if that was enough to justify making fun of me.
“No… a loser is someone who has to put other people down to feel better about themselves! That sounds more like you to me,” Nick responded making a loser sign on his forehead.
“Whatever Nick!” Mel said before she and Kelsey walked away.
Nick walked over… “You okay?”
“Yeah…,” I answered; in shock that he was even talking to me.
“I’m Nick, ” he said, then added, “Ilike your hair…makes you stand out.”
“Thanks…I’m Diane,” I answered quietly staring down at him. No boy had ever complimented my hair before.
“What was that?” I asked Linda, realizing that she was telling me something while I was distracted by my memories.
“I was saying, since I’m supposed to help you with your new beginning, we’re going to make a few changes. I didn’t tell you that I was a cosmetologist and stylist, did I?”
“No,” I answered.
“Well, I’m going to take you to my shop and see what we can do!”
Linda’s shop was a nice luxurious place…complete with stars on the walkway, designed to make anyone who walked in feel like a celebrity.
I felt a little out of place as I walked into the pretty space; covered with red wallpaper and furnished with modern red leather furniture.
“Nobody’s here, because we’re usually not open on Sundays. So you get the grand treatment today,” Linda said turning on all of the lights and getting all of her equipment ready.
I was a little hesitant, “You own this place?” I asked continuing to look around.
“Yep…all of our money is tied up here, but it’ll pay off soon. Come sit down here…this is where all the magic happens.”
I reluctantly sat down. “What are you going to do?” I asked.
“Well, first I’ll do a black henna dye treatment to add some life to your hair.”
Linda led me to the sinks and washed my dull hair adding the henna to give my hair that jet black look. She trimmed it and shaped it; already taking a few years off my appearance.
Back in the chair, Linda ran her fingers through my hair, “You have a lot of thinning…maybe caused by stress.”
I knew she was right. Carmina had put me through the worst type of stress.
“What do you think about braids…with extensions to add fullness?” She asked.
I was fine with anything she did as long as she didn’t use chemicals.
A few hours and several breaks later…Linda put the finishing touches on my braid extensions.
She then pulled out her makeup kit and went to work applying foundation, concealer, eye shadows and liners, as well as a new lip color. She stood back admiring her work, but didn’t quite look satisfied.
“We’re missing something she said. Go over there to my styling station,” she instructed.
I stepped over to Linda’s styling area and saw myself in the mirror for the first time since she got started. I was speechless…
But Linda wasn’t done with me. “Boo…that dress has got to go,” she said.
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing if you’re Eva’s age. If you had an ass, I would say that it looked like a sack of potatoes. But on your skinny behind…it just looks wrong. Uh un…take it off, I know I have something over here that’s your size.”
I slipped into the dress that Linda picked out; along with a pair of shoes that went with it perfectly. “Oh my god! Is that me?” I asked when I finally saw myself in the mirror. Besides all the weight I had lost…I almost looked like my old self again.
“Yep…my newest work of art,” Linda said finally looking satisfied.
I stepped away from the mirror almost in tears.
“Don’t you dare ruin that makeup…no tears!” Linda warned.
I didn’t cry but I felt a little overwhelmed and very grateful for the kindness shown to me by Linda and Eva. I wanted to be completely joyful and revel in it all, but a part of me hesitated. I just couldn’t help but wonder how long my good fortune would last…
