I walked up to the hospital glad to be back in Scarborough. The sun was shining and I could feel it warm on my neck. Matron’s office was just off the foyer (this was a small private hospital after all) so I walked through as I had been told to do. I knocked and waited. “Come in.” I pushed open the door and stepped in. Matron was sitting behind her desk and she looked up at me and smiled. “Karen it’s so nice to have you back. I’ve heard very good things about you in Manchester.” I smiled and took the chair she gestured towards. She continued on talking about my new job and responsibilities and being very warm and friendly. “Now of course it’s Matron out on the wards but here in my office you should call me Jeanette.” I smiled and thanked her for the great complement. Business over I prepared to leave but of course she had to comment about my hair. “You’ve had your hair done, is it freshly permed?” I nodded. “Yes I had it done four days ago.” She beamed.
“You made an excellent choice, it is very conservative and respectable, just the image we are trying to present here but it is also very severe and no nonsense. It gives the perfect message to your staff. You must try and get your nurses to present a similar image. Turn around let me see the back.” I did as I was told and felt her scrutinise my neck. “My but that is short…that is a very severe look, excellent!” I thanked her for the complement and left her office to go to my ward for the first time.
Jeanette was right, my new image seemed to present a no nonsense look which brooked no question at all from my staff. I like to think my professionalism and experience were what really counted but I am sure my appearance did nothing but help. My first day went very well indeed and I left work feeling very satisfied with myself. I got into my flat and was about to settle down to relax when I realised it was now nearly five days since my perm and it would be ready for a wash. I didn’t want to just wash it and leave it so I thought I had better see if I could catch Dawn’s before they closed.
“Hello, Salon Coiffure, can I help you” the receptionist’s voice was sing-songy on the phone. “Oh hello, it’s Karen, Karen Reeves.”
“Hello Karen, are you back from Manchester?” Well one of the by products of being a regular at a hairdressers must be that they gossiped about you. “Er yes, just back, I wondered if it were possible to make an appointment for a shampoo and set for tomorrow?” The receptionist was obviously checking the diary.
“You like Tina don’t you – she is free at 4, in fact it’s your usual slot.” I smiled.
“Great I’ll be in after work.”
“See you then.”
At four O clock sharp I walked into the salon. The receptionist looked at me twice before saying “Oh hello Mrs Reeves, I didn’t recognise you; you’ve given up on blonde have you?” I hadn’t thought that the change in colour would be the first thing they noticed with my hair being so much dramatically shorter. Soon I was sitting in front of the mirror gowned and ready waiting for Tina, this was unusual since normally I would have sat in the window. Tina appeared and I hardly recognised her. Her ubiquitous ponytail was gone. In its place were short permed curls set into one of her own trademark helmet dos. “Oh my, your hair!” we both said it at exactly the same moment then squealed with laughter. Tina gave me her story first. “Dawn felt I really should fit in with the rest of the salon and had been pressing me to have it cut so I gave in about four weeks ago and just said “OK cut it for me.” I hadn’t expected her to perm it too but I think I’ve gotten used to it. What happened to you?” I smiled and told her my own tale of a sleepy little traditional salon. She grinned when I told her the hairdresser said I had to “chop it all off and start again”.
“Well she certainly chopped most of it off; your hair is only two inches long!” I smiled ruefully. “
OK shampoo and set?” I nodded and was pushed forward into the sink. “There’s some colour coming out of your hair Karen” she said as she shampooed. I admitted that the shade was a semi permanent rinse and should wash out over the next few weeks so I could go back to blonde. It wasn’t long before I was rolled and netted and under the drier.
After three quarters of an hour I was back in front of the mirror my short hair dried much quicker than my longer locks used to. As Tina untwisted the smallest of rollers I was left looking at very tight tubes of hair. Tina began to ease these tubes into a full helmet style. She struggled for a moment getting my ridiculously short fringe to lie straight but managed in the end. She was just putting the finishing touches to the comb out as Dawn appeared in the mirror. We passed the usual greetings before she looked at my hair. “Well Karen you took my advice and went shorter, good for you.” I couldn’t admit that I had not really asked for it to be cut so I simply thanked her for the complement. “The colour change is dramatic too, what shade is that Violet?”
“Aubergine” I admitted. Tina chipped in.
“It’s only a semi though…” Dawn smiled.
“No problem I’ll see we get the tint in stock for you. You might think about having yours done like this Tina, such a brave cut as this would be very reassuring to our clients.” Tina rolled her eyes and we shared a glance which Dawn missed. “With it so short and dark now your neckline must look untidy very quickly. Give Karen a tidy up please Tina.” Tina looked at the dark stubble on my neck and looked puzzled.
“Yes Dawn – er how short?” Dawn looked at her a little crossly.
“Skin of course, shave it bald…” Tina still looked a little puzzled but reached for the clippers. “Erm just the neckline?” Dawn was now looking irritable.
“Don’t be silly, Karen obviously has the whole nape done and don’t mess about with the clippers use shaving foam and a razor and take the entire nape back to skin. It looks lovely on her…It would on you too.” She left the comment hanging in the air as with a submissive “Yes Miss Dawn” Tina proceeded to soap and then shave my neck.
Soon it was time for the obligatory heavy lacquering and I was paying and leaving the salon. Knowing I had another appointment for Saturday afternoon. The fresh shaving made my neck seem very sensitive as I walked down the street resigned to the fact that my hair would be staying very short for at least the immediate future.
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