Chapter 3: Fateful Day

  We inched up upon the building. The pce was named ‘CraZy Fadez’. My mom looked at me with a smile.

  “You ready for your transformation, Chi-Chi!”

  “You’re going to look so grown up. Aww, my baby boy is becoming a man. Makes me kind of sad to be honest.” She started off happy but soon looked gloomy. As to not worry me, her smile came back, and I smiled back at her awkwardly.

  This pce looks like a damn scam. Who would name their barber shop ‘CraZy Fadez’? I want to trust you mom, but I know my fate is sealed. These people obviously don’t know how to cut hair, let alone know what a ‘low taper fade’ is. I’m going to look like a prepubescent twelve-year-old after this.

  “Y- Yeah . . . Sooo excited. I can’t wait–”

  As we walked into the building we sat down and waited for someone to ask if we had an appointment. Though my mom didn’t call for an appointment beforehand, I think it should be fine. It’s not like anyone else is here or wants to be here for that matter.

  “Hello, do you have an appointment?” A cute female worker walked up to us.

  Ugh. It’s a female hairdresser. I’m utterly doomed. Cooked even. I ain’t gon’ pull no huzz wit’ dis one. Though, apart from possibly cking skills and being an amateur at cutting hair, she’s pretty cute.

  “N- No . . . we don’t. Do we need one?” My mother responds.

  “Not necessarily, but it’s preferred. But seeming that you’re the only ones here it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.” She worker says.

  “Oh, well that’s good!”

  “C’mon Chi-Chi, tell her what you want.” The worker looks at me. I’m clearly nervous for my future.

  “Uhh . . . Can you do low taper fades?” I asked nervously.

  “If you show me a picture, I’m sure I can. Don’t worry, I’m the best hairdresser around! My name is Laura by the way.”

  Hmm, so she will be the one to cut my hair.

  “O- Okay Laura– This is what I want, please.” I pulled out my phone and showed her a picture of the haircut I want.

  “I see . . .” she looks inquisitively “I will try my hardest!” Laura remarks confidently with a huge brimming smile. Her smile really compliments her nice brown hair and eyes. She smells good as well. I think her hair is like a half up messy top knot type thing, I'm not one hundred percent sure though. I mean I’m not a female hair guru or anything.

  On a side note from her hair, I actually think it won’t be so bad if she messes up. Like I said earlier it’s not like my hair can’t grow back. Just looking at her, I can tell she’s not new to this type of stuff–

  Laura sits me down in her chair and proceeds to make sure that this is the haircut I want. We started to have a conversation about how she rarely gets any customers, and in fact, she’s the only person that works here. Unsurprisingly.

  “Trust me, even though I don’t get many people coming in here often, that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do my job properly.”

  “Your cuteness is safe in my hands, I promise!” Laura says assertively.

  She thinks I'm cute? She’s cute as well. Wait, how old is she anyway? I don’t want her to catch a case and end up behind bars like P. Diddy.

  “Um– How old are you if you don’t mind me asking?” I ask while forgetting my mom is sitting close enough to hear me. Without my knowledge, my mom gave us a smirk.

  “Well, I actually turned 18 a few months ago.” Laura replies.

  “Yes! Not like 20 or something.” I mumbled under my breath.

  “How about you?” She asks back.

  Thank the lord, I don’t think she heard me.

  “Actually, never mind. Asking that isn’t very professional of me.” Laura said. She’s acting like asking for my age is going to get her a one-way ticket to prison.

  “No, it’s okay. It was my fault you asked me. But I am 17.” I responded to her previous question – As I gnce at my mom, I noticed her quickly looking away–

  I think Laura is done with my hair. I’m so excited to see my new low taper fade. I wonder how she did.

  “Um–” Laura says extremely nervously.

  “Yeah? What’s wrong?” I asked curiously. The thoughts from earlier about her messing me up came back to my mind.

  Oh no. Please – please don’t say she cut too much off the top. I’m begging you lord, please don’t make me ugly.

  Instinctively, I looked towards my mom. Her face has an unpleased and angered expression.

  “I’M SO SORRY . . . I CAN GIVE YOU A REFUND IF YOU WISH.” Laura says to my mother while in a deep bow position.

  Is this chic racist? She’s bowing to us even though we’re clearly not in Asia. Never mind, I shouldn’t make assumptions.

  “It can’t be too bad right?” I remarked as to make Laura feel not as bad. From the outside it may seem like I’m not worried at all but deep inside I knew picking this pce would ruin my life. Laura turns me around in her chair and I see my reflection in the mirror. The life literally left my eyes – my expression went from nervous to speechless in an instant.

  “W- What is this? This isn’t what I asked for.” I almost started to tear up because it’s so bad.

  Laura starts to cry.

  “I’m so sorry. I thought I could do it. Please forgive me.” Her voice is trembling. This cute girl looks absolutely pitiful.

  “DID JUST GIVE MY LOVELY SON A BOWL CUT! WHAT THE HELL!” My mother yells at Laura.

  “Hey it’s okay. It’ll grow back soon enough, mom.” I try to ease the situation with clear doubt evident in my voice.

  “No. We’re leaving.” My mom firmly asserts.

  “O- Okay.” I said.

  “S- Sorry. It’s all my fault. I can make it up to you another time, I promise.” Laura whispers to me in defeat.

  Before I left the building, I gave Laura my phone number and told her to call me whenever she’s free – as to “make it up to me” – She may only be 18 but giving her my number technically isn’t illegal.

  “Okay I’ll call some time, but this isn’t going to be like a regur thing or anything.” Laura states.

  “Come on, we’re leaving.” My mom says impatiently while standing next to the door.

  “C- Coming . . .” I waved Laura goodbye and walked to the door with my mom.

  “Where are we going now, mom?”

  “Home.” She responds.

  “Goodbye, Laura. It was nice meeting ya and everything, but we got to go. Talk to you soon.”

  “O- Okay . . Have a good day you guys.” She says while wiping the tears from her face–

  “Talk to you soon? I do not give you permission to see that woman ever again, Hai-Chi.”

  “Come on, it was just an accidental slip-up. Let it slide just this once. Please” I’m basically using the puppy dog maneuver to win over her heart.

  “Fine, but if anything like that happens again, she’s done.” My mother reluctantly gave in to my tactics and we continued to walk home. Aka our ‘apartment.’

  When we arrived back to our motel room it was just quiet, my mother said nothing. She had a look on her face like she had made a huge mistake and if that was the case, she was not wrong. My hairline practically got defiled by a random girl I've never met before. I looked over to my mother.

  “Is it the haircut?” I say in a regretful tone. My mother stays silent for a minute before letting out a few words–

  “You- You look like your father.”

  “Right now . . You’re reminding of him.” She says sadly.

  Damn he must be ugly. Probably uglier than I could picture.

  “Is that really that bad?” I responded.

  “I- I don’t know. It’s not your fault, Chi-Chi. I don’t want to put it against you because you’re nothing like him.”

  “You’re smart, kind, funny, talented . . . More than I could have ever asked for.”

  “Oh . . .” I uttered before my mom delved into her life story and the day everything changed.

  “You see, your father was an amazing person. But that all changed when he got into a life-threatening motorcycle accident. It was pouring rain, and the roads were abnormally slippery. He wasn’t even going above the speed limit.” my mother begins to cry “There was almost nothing that could be done . . . The only option was emergency surgery. I knew the risks, but that didn’t bother me . . . because all I wanted was for the one love of my life to be safe.” she pauses for a moment, processing what to say next “The surgeons told me the side effects he would have if the operation was a success, the biggest one was him having a completely altered personality. Luckily the surgery was a success. But after, when he got discharged from the hospital, he was nothing like before. Your father, Haruki, became short tempered and developed bi-por disorder. He would start beating on me almost every day. Ruthlessly. So much so that I started to grow accustomed to it and it stopped bothering me. I even started to like it . . . It must’ve been a subconscious self-developing coping mechanism or something. The fact that the person I spent so many of my years with changed so much because of one small slip-up broke my heart – broke my soul even.”

  “CHI-CHI, PLEASE DON’T BECOME LIKE YOUR FATHER. I’M BEGGING YOU. STAY THE LITTLE BOY I REMEMBER YOU AS.” My mother started crying heavier than I thought was even possible. This was clearly a touchy subject that shouldn’t be delved into any further.

  “I promise, that’ll never happen to me, mom. I’ll always be your little boy, don’t worry. Everything will be okay.” I hugged my mother as tightly as possible and she reciprocated my feelings, hugging me back.

  I didn’t know she went through so much trauma in her life. She probably needs time to herself for a while. I’ll just leave the room and come back ter.

  I stopped hugging and got up from the bed with the intention of leaving the room.

  “no – please don’t leave me.” My mother grabbed my wrist.

  “I’m not ready for you to grow up without me.” Tears streaming down her face and still visibly sobbing.

  “Come back – let’s just go to sleep for now okay.” She said hopelessly. I reassured her and sat back down on the bed. It was nighttime and I was tired. She lied down and got under the covers – I followed, and we soon went to sleep–