Changing hair styles, changing life styles

The salon was empty when Jess arrived. It was warm and welcoming and she shook the rain from her hair.
A perfectly groomed young girl gave her a cape and showed her to the wash basin. She introduced herself as Marya and said she was from Belarus
Jess smiled at her and settled back in the chair, feeling herself relax as Marya massaged and rinsed with practiced movements, then wrapped Jess's hair in a towel and showed her to a chair in front of a huge well lit mirror.

Jess looked at herself and a voice inside told her that it was time, she was ready for the challenge and she would be alright.
Jess thought of the word atonement and rolled it around inside her mouth, letting it take shape and give her purpose and strength.

Marya brought her coffee and biscuits and a stack of magazines. An older woman, equally pretty and perfectly manicured appeared behind her and picked up Jess's long blonde hair letting it run through her fingers. She combed through to the ends and looked at Jess in the mirror.

'Hello. I am Irina. Are you sure you want to cut this beautiful hair? Many of my clients would give anything for this hair?'

A lump came to Jess's throat but she returned Irina's gaze and nodded her consent.
Irina shrugged and started to snip away. Jess took a sip of the coffee and picked up a magazine. The pages told of another world, one of perfect skin, white teeth and a constant quest to be forever young.

As she flicked through the magazine though, an article caught her eye, 'A mother's heartache', 'How losing my son has told me the meaning of life and now I am helping others so these things never happen again.'

The words blurred as Jess read the article and she looked down to the floor as tears slid down her cheek.
She gave a start as she noticed the thick carpet that her hair had made.
Jess's mother used to call her Goldilocks and spend hours brushing and combing and making plaits while her sister Anna watched, her face full of admiration for her elder sister. Anna's hair was fine and wispy and never grew past her shoulders.


The noise of the hairdryer made Jess jump and she looked up at Irina, unable to hide her tears. Irina passed her a box of tissues and put her hand on her shoulder.

'You are beautiful even with your short hair and it will grow again so quickly.'

Jess realized that Irina thought she was crying for her hair and she gave a sad laugh. Something in Irina's face made her want to confide in her and she lowered her eyes, raising her voice to be heard above the noise of the hairdryer.

'It's not my hair I'm crying for, Irina. It is for someone I have lost. Tonight I am starting a new job and short hair is more suitable. I have finished my course to become a nurse in the A and E at the hospital on the hill. '

Once she'd started she couldn't stop and, with her eyes closed, she told Irina about the night clubs, the drinking and the dancing and her sister Anna who always wanted to keep up with her.
The noise of the hairdryer stopped and Jess became aware that she had been shouting. It was a sort of release to be sitting there, shouting out her pain and with her head feeling lighter without her long, thick locks.

Irina's face gave nothing away as she finished styling Jess's hair, but her voice was soft and kind.

'I understand my little one, you will feel a burden has been lifted very soon. I am sure of it. Marya will bring you a fresh cup of coffee and you just relax and you will be fine in your new job'.

Someone had come to sit in the chair next to her, a man with brown hair and brown eyes probably just a bit older than her. As she lifted her coffee cup their eyes locked in the mirror. He looked familiar but she couldn't place him. And then a jolt went through her when he smiled at her and she couldn't take her eyes away.

The spell was broken when Irina bustled up with some shampoo samples, helped her off with her cape and drew back the chair. She put her arm through hers and whispered,

'Let us know how you get on and come back soon. The pain in your eyes will go away believe me.'



The sister was waiting for her when she arrived for duty at the A and E. She introduced herself as Dorothy. She had a round cheerful face.

'Ah there you are, it's a quiet moment now so I'm going to show you around a bit and introduce you to all the doctors and show you how it works. It's Wednesday so should be quiet as a first night, but you never know.'

Jess shivered and breathed in to steady herself, it had been a Wednesday when it happened.

Drinks free for girls every Wednesday and half price entry. Anna had been begging her to take her along with her from the moment she turned eighteen. Life at home was miserable since their father left them. He said he'd found the love of his life with a girl the same age as Jess, their mother was bitter and depressed. Jess had found light relief and comfort in the night club with its loud music and flashing lights and the free drinks.

Dorothy was looking at her waiting for her to follow her.

'Are you alright dear? It's hard working here, but I'll give you some advice that was passed down to me. Try to be dedicated and caring but keep yourself detached. You'll be no good to anyone if you go all emotional. We have to make quick and accurate decisions to decide the urgency of each case and give them priority and which doctor to see first. You wouldn't believe the stories I can tell, but it's rewarding and thrilling too. Just yesterday we had a priest who fell out of bed, a little boy badly scratched by his new puppy, a girl with a bean stuck up her nose and a young woman who had cut her hand on a broken mirror. Then of course there's the accidents and the drunks and the drug addicts.'

Jess went pale and Dorothy stopped talking and led her to a chair.

'Sorry love I do go on a bit. I overdid it, don't want you jumping in at the deep end.'

There was the sound of a siren and a scuffling over by the entrance and Dorothy went to the nurse's station.

'They're bringing in some girl who's been found unconscious outside the night club.
We'll do this together, come into this cubicle and help the paramedics here.'

Jess could see the light of the ambulance and the men holding a stretcher, she felt sick but a strength and courage were flooding through her. She would do this for her sister, again and again. Nothing would bring her back, but maybe, just maybe, Jess could start to heal. She saw in a blur the girl's matted hair, her torn skirt and ripped tights, she felt the horror return but she moved forward towards the man who was helping her onto the bed and as she held her hand out to steady the girl she looked up at  him. She gasped as she saw it was the man from the hairdressers. This time there was no mirror, their eyes locked and she knew who he was, where she had seen him.

'You're the bouncer from the night club. The one who helped me with my sister. I never got to thank you... You're a paramedic ...' she added quietly, looking for a reassuring answer.

He nodded, his eyes said all that was needed.

She choked back the tears and went to help him hold the girl's head and wipe away the dirt from her face. She opened her eyes and looked at them, scared and helpless, she called out for her mother.

Jess almost laughed with relief,

'Hey, it's ok, you're going to be fine.'

Dorothy came to join them with a tray of swabs and antiseptic. She saw the girl trying to sit up and felt relief wash over her, then she looked at the new nurse and the paramedic.
They were grasping each other as though their lives depended on it and she knew she had witnessed something magical.

1450 words