Esther looked herself over in the mirror of her room. Everything was nice and appropriate for Bible study with her girlfriends. Even though there would be no boys there, the girl had pinned up her long, brunette hair as to say she was not a lady looking for a date.
She walked briskly downstairs and was at the door when her mother called,âHold on young lady, let me take a look at yaâ
âMomâ,Esther smiled as she groaned,âI am dressed proper and there will be no boys at Bible studyâ
âI knowâ,her mother replied, turning her daughter around to make sure everything was covered up nicely,âYouâre such a good girl, Iâm proud of youâ. Estherâs mother kissed the girl tenderly on the cheek,âHave a good Bible studyâ
âThanks momâ,Esther headed out the door with her mother waving her off.
The girl walked down the street with her Bible firmly in her hands. Her friendâs house was across town so Esther started that way. When she was walking through Main Street, she heard a voice,âHey, missyâ
She shouldâve kept walking but she whirled her head around to see an auto body shop. In its garage, six ladies in white shirts and overalls were looking straight at the girl.
âWhere you headed?âa woman, who was sitting on a crate ,asked.
âBible studyâ,Esther replied.
âDressed like that?â
Esther looked herself over on the street,âWhatâs wrong with thisâ
The woman who sat on the crate rose from her seat and came over to the girl,âItâs the hair, sweet peaâ
âMy hair?âEsther touched her updo as the tall woman took her into the shop and sat her on the crate,âWhatâs wrong with itâ
âTo be honest, missyâ,the woman went over to a workbench and took the sheet that was draped over it,âIt needs a shape upâ
âItâs a good hairstyle for a girl my ageâ,Esther defended her style with her nerves getting continuously more tensed,âIâm confusedâ
âDonât worry, dollâ,a woman who relaxed on the hood of a blue sports car,âWeâll have you right as rain in a minuteâ
Before Esther knew it, her ironed, white dress was being enveloped by a sheet. The woman that had placed herself behind the girl secured the sheet in place and was taking the updo as one of the other girls came out of the back with some clippers. Esther wanted to run but her body was frozen to the crate.
âBo-bo-bo, thank youâ,the woman took the clippers from her sister. She switched them on and started to bob Estherâs hair. Brunette rain started to fall onto the concrete floor as the woman made her way around.
When Esther heard the buzzing stop, she thought it was over. But then, she heard her barber call out,âCombâ. A sister of hers retrieved one from the of her boot and tossed it to her. With the comb, the woman with the clippers started them back up. She started to use the comb to select the amount of hair to cut and after a couple times of doing that, Estherâs hair was very short on the sides.
With the top, the clippers glided over it diagonally. When the clippers died again, Esther ran her hand up the backside of her head. It was all very short but fuzzy instead of prickly. Her crown was long somewhat. The floor was littered with hair and Esther hoped that was all. But instead, the woman set down the clippers and pulled from her pocket a straight razor. She started to shorten the top and line up the girlâs edges with the razor. Folding it back up and putting the razor away, the woman ruffled Estherâs hair a little and removed the sheet,âNow, this is what I am talking aboutâ
âI-Iâ,Esther rose slowly from the crate,âI have to goâ
Esther feet started to run out of the shop, she had to get to Bible study. Coming to her friendâs house, she knocked on the door. A girl about Estherâs age answered the door. She was shocked at the girlâs appearance,âEsther! Your hair! Whereâs your Bible?â
âMy Bibleâ,Esther realized she mustâve left the book at the shop. She said she simply forgot it and she didnât know what happened to her hair.
After everyone was astounded by Estherâs new look and the girl was heading home, she walked by the auto body shop.
âHey, missyâ,the woman that had cut her hair smiled,âYou left this hereâ
Esther took back her book nervously and smiled meekly,âThank youâ
âNah, thank youâ,the woman waved,âYour hair is now very becoming and I dig itâ
âWellâ,Esther giggled,âYou cut itâ
âSee ya, kidâ,the woman started back to the shop.
That was something that needed to be done. The story offers many possibilities for the future.