The first time I cut my hair was when I was nine. I had been
giving my mum hell on Sunday evenings when it was time to get it woven
for school. She just decided to put an end to my nonsense and took me to
Baba Barber in Obalende . I remember being strapped to his squeaky old,
reclined metal and torn brown leather-chair. It must have taken four
adults to hold me down . I can never forget. How can I? Baba gave me the
full treatment. He was determined to impress my mother. He not only
shaved off all my hair. He took off every strand that lined my face and
replaced it with a sharp concave line from ear to ear with his manual
rusty clippers. I was devastated. I walked into class the next day
greeted with what sounded like a silent but long eeeeeeew from every one
. The experience marred me. I’ve seen baba in a few nightmares
attempting to dispossess me of my Afro. So imagine my horror when my
hair started dramatically falling out two months after my boys were
born. I was deluded by someone who told me I was lucky to be carrying
boys as ‘boys don’t take you hair away’ they give you even more. She was
right. Initially at least. Never had better hair than when I was
pregnant. So slowly but surely Baba barber was beckoning another visit.
But I decided that this time around. It was going to be on my own terms,
I was going to love my scalp back to a happy place and then cut hair
myself when the time was right. Just to start over. Today was that day, a
shoot didn’t happen so I had a lil time in my hands I chopped it all
off. Not with old rusty clippers but my own scissors, It makes me look
even more like my mum. So will I be missing my big afro? Absolutely!!
But then again, I’m a Nigerian woman in 2015 and I watch YouTube I know a
thousand ways to get that baby bouncing in air again In a heartbeat.
I’ll just have fun with this in the mean time. I think I did better than
baba barber tho….
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