The BIG CHOP

16^th OCTOBER 2011
I got to the salon at about 12:30 pm straight from church to take out the ‘corporate dreadlocks’ that I got done 10 weeks prior. It was soo hard to take out though and as soon as it was out, I combed my now under-growth stricken hair (which i was growing out and did not intend to relax) and decided in about one millisecond to do the BIG CHOP. In one magical moment, I was sure I was sick and tired of attaching foreign bodies (South American, Indian.. to be precise ) and LYE to my hair and decided to return as some sort of ‘phoenix’ to my ‘nappy glory’… YAYYYY!!! Just as I was born!... The thought alone was like nirvana and besides my boyfriend isn’t around for another 11 months (he went for an  MBA in September).. No better time than NOW!!!!… I knew I was tired of trying to un-ME myself. I mean for Christ’s sake, these Caucasians don’t buy my African, kinky hair at cut-throat prices to put on their heads nowwww… (P.S Under duress, again, maybe in some 2 years or something, I may have to fix these ‘things’ again) but right now I am sure i'm taking the "fake" hair out…My thoughts exactly…

So I get into this uber dramatic conversation with ‘Mama Paul’, my stylist down the road, telling her in a nutshell that I’m cutting my hair. As expected, she screamed, threw some tantrums and even ‘trimmed ’the hair to satisfy me. But like they say, ‘if you want something done well, you’ve gotta do it yourself’. So… I get hold of the pair of scissors elegantly smiling at me on the table, and in a somewhat supernatural snap, I got all the relaxed ends out of a majority of my temple/front hair. Turning around to meet a horror stricken face, she knew just exactly what I was talking about. And without saying another word, in about 3 minutes, I had done the BIG CHOP…

Ok … soo I smiled at myself in the mirror… I felt soooooo good as about 5-6 inches of locks of my hair lay all over the floor and I looked at all of them and stuck my tongue out at them…lol.. I had never felt sooo FREE, LIBERATED and WHOLE before. I felt sooo complete as I embraced my ‘Black Heritage’… Jumping excitedly, I take a picture and update my blackberry display and typically, in a matter of 3 seconds post the update, I had about 25 pings at the same time… ATTENTION TIME!!! I knew already that I was gonna get a multitude of reactions but I dint care. I really was still contemplating fixing a weave on, but the responses I got actually made me bolder and sooo i decided to actually wear the TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro). However, like an anti-climax, I remembered that I hadn’t mentioned a word of this spontaneous decision to my boo… AAARRGGGHH!!... Im gonna be in trouble mehhnnnnn… I immediately pick up my phone and send him IMs telling him im sorry and that it would have grown back by the tym he returns.

Brushing the negative thought aside, I focused on the positive energy I now felt and attended to all my ‘fans’ of the moment, all dropping their irrelevant, good/neutral/bad feelings and opinions about my new look. I knew they’d get over it with time so I dint mind cause most importantly, I felt completely BEAUTIFUL!

As I waltzed out of the salon, I really didn’t wanna get home in a hurry so I went around looking for hair products and also got my eyebrows done. After all the wandering, reality set in and I took what seemed like the shortest stroll ever down my street (shortest because my dad has the exact same opinion Bayo has…oooh yeah.. that’s his name.. Bayo…the one who makes my world circular…*sigh* ). I walked into the living room expecting ALL the attack in the world and strangely my dad said in his oh-so-gentlemanly voice..”what did u do to your hair?” and I said “I cut it. The hair I just took out did a lot of damage” (so while it did SOME damage, I still lied) and he goes “Oh..ok..not bad..you just look a tad bit too young”. What!! That’s it?????... WOW!!! Life is indeed full of surprises.

Having crossed that "hurdle" (much easier than I thought), I knew the next one would be my mum, and then work tomorrow… I got to my bed and chatted with my boo a little… Trying to calm him down!!.. Sheeshhhh mehnnn!!! I thought this was MY hair!!... Anyway, I think I succeeded in making him a little calmer before I had my first nap with Nappy.....

17^th OCTOBER 2011

Sooo… I wake up at 4:45am, 15 minutes earlier than normal! Gosh! My first bath with my nappy glory…*sigh* I would not trade this freedom and peace I feel within myself for anything… Did a co-wash and made my first discovery – Nappy LOVES water!!!… WOW its sooo soft and as I work the Shea butter and Tea Tree oil in, it gets even softer…*another sigh*..  I am soooo excited and can’t wait till everyone sees Nappy (that’s my hair by the way)… My colleague picks me up at about 5:45am and on sight, she goes…”Anu u’re crazy ooo… you really cut your hair… you look the same tho” and with a wide grin, I say “Doyin, I haven’t been happier!”

The drive to work was constituted majorly of me just rambling about how much I love my hair.

As I strode into my office at about 7:50am (after a short nap in Doyin’s car), the screams started from the entrance… a multitude of comments and opinions came in – a couple of compliments but mostly “No-No’s” as they were in shock. I really didn’t care as the most important thing was ME – I was happy, I AM happy! And I thot to myself “They’d get used to it”.

My day was going by really great and the comments kept pouring in… whether GOOD or bad, I really did not care (really, really), I just loved the feeling and the attention *insert wide grin*… UNTIL Bayo decided he could not keep pretending that he’s okay with the hair and informed me about how LIVID he was n etc….*rolling eyes*.. Aaannyyywaaaayyy… I still had a great day J (though he told me to take d pictures off my BB status)…

I got home at about half nine and my mum was in the sitting room…(she hadn’t seen the hair) and as soon as I walked in…wait for it…wait for it…”Oh wow.. kilo se si run e(what did u do to your hair)? Did u cut it?” and I go “Yeah”.. n she goes..”Anuuu…mo ti bi eleyi na (A humorous way of saying “This my child!!”)”. After confirming to her that it makes me happy….She just smiled and said “Have a ball lashing out and discovering yourself, just make sure whatever you do won’t affect your career and that the police doesn’t come looking for you”. Yipeeeeee!!! My mum actually gets it!! I CAN do what I want as long as no one gets hurt.

On this note, I proceed to bed sooo happy and light headed, ready to really start Nushy’s Adventure of the Strands of Nappy!!!……