When it comes to matters of the head, there are really only 2 types of people in the world: the
pro-weave and the anti-weave. This categorization transcends gender, social
class, nationality even and at times stirs up heated debates, inspires
documentaries & could even determine your career (so I’ve been told).
I would like to think of myself as a
blissful fence sitter.
To be
honest I’m just too non-committal in the hair department to comfortably sit in
ANY box but for the most part I have fallen into the natural hair category,
which by association would be the anti-weave camp.
So anyway, 2 weeks ago a friend of mine, after hearing me
describe the kind of weave I would get if ever I got one, decided to buy me one
of those really expensive Indian hair-pieces (that I would never personally
spend money on because I just can’t bring myself to make that kind of investment)
and as one does with unwanted gifts, I thanked her graciously and proceeded to
put the hair piece at the back of my wardrobe and forget about it.
After getting back though, from a week-long trip to the
capital of humidity, my hair was in a state and suddenly this tangle-free bundle
of perfect waviness I had previously ignored started to look more appealing so
I took it to my hair dresser who is a weave specialist and let her finally live
out all her fantasies on me.
I actually totally underestimated what a life altering thing
this weave would be. I mean
seriously, it’s just a hairstyle right??
WRONG!!
It really is a way of life that I am truly struggling to
adjust to. It’s like having a new
roommate who leaves her stuff everywhere and never ever leaves me alone. In fact, from here on out we shall
refer to the aforementioned weave as Sadika. (Don’t
ask. It’s the first name that came
to mind). I’ve decided to keep a
diary of sorts for the duration of this thing being attached to my head (might
as well make the most of it right) just so I can remember in future when I have
to justify which category I fall into.
Soooo….
Day 1:
I arrived at the hair salon at 11am with a very clear
concept of what I was looking for. Very curly, natural looking, shoulder
length. I even had pictures. This
is what I was going for:
6 hours later (yes, I finished at 5pm), enter Sadika (not the best picture but you get the idea)
I have NEVER had this much hair on my head in my entire LIFE!! I literally couldn't SEE anything on the drive home. It kept blowing into my eyes and mouth and the more I tried to move it out the way the more powerful it seemed to get.
Somehow, I got home unscathed and introduced Sadika to the family. This is the interesting part & the moment when you realise that human beings are no good dirty liars and babies and dogs are the only ones to be trusted: I was greeted by an enthusiastic chorus of "YOUR HAIR LOOKS GREAT!!" by the hubby and his 2 friends. My one year old on the other hand couldn't make eye contact with me. He eyed Sadika suspiciously from every possible angle before agreeing to be hugged & halfway through the hug started yelling and attacking my head. By the time I managed to free him from her clutches I was sure he had ingested at least 3grams of hair and was THOROUGHLY unimpressed.
I keep catching my reflection in the mirror and wondering who this strange woman is in my house but I'm kind of stuck with her for the next few weeks so just gonna ride it out & see how long this lasts.
Will keep you posted.
