I have been wearing locs for close to ten years and in
January, I decided to cut them. As the
temperature increased during the summer, I cut it close – practically
bald. Everyone complained or had
something to say but I was happy and that’s all that mattered.
Since cutting my hair, I have notice Man-child’s strange
hair care routine. Man-child goes to
the barber every two weeks for a haircut.
Whenever he gets a haircut, he stops in the beauty outlet store and buys
a new hair brush and doo-rage for his head.
I never really paid this any attention until I went in his room to
borrow a brush for my hair. Man-child
had at least 12 hair brushes on his night table – hard and soft brushes. I asked “why do you needed so many”? His response was they get old after a
while. Hmmmmm. Next, I noticed all the different types of
gels he has purchase –wave gel, moisture cream, green tea oil, jasmine oil,
shea butter cream and a few others. I
asked “what’s up with all the gels?” He
said to help make his hair wavy.
Hmmmmmmm. Next question – “why
do you need all of these scarves for your head?” His response, “they are not scarves, they are
doo-rags to help me get waves". I counted
at least 15 in different colors. Last
question - “Well, why do you keep buying them? Can’t you just wash them
out?” (I think I insulted him with this
one) He said very loudly, “Ma, you can’t wash them because they lose their shape
and don’t fit right”. I just backed out
of his room and said no more.
Man-child begins his morning by brushing his hair at least
30 times, he puts some cream or gel in his hands and rubs it in his hair and
then he brushed it again at least 30 more times. After getting dress, he
brushes his hair. He eats breakfast and
brushes his hair. I watched him walk to
the subway station and he did it again – took the brush from his pocket and
brushed his hair. Later that evening, I
asked him to take Rosa for a walk. There
he was – holding the lease with Rosa in one hand and brushing his hair with the
other. After he took a shower, he stood
in the mirror drying his head with the towel and the routine started all over
again – gel and brushing.
I laughed out loud as I thought about his hair routine in
comparison to what women do – rollers, scarves, gels, blow dryers, hair pins
and who knows what else. Since cutting
my hair, I hardly think of it. I get it
cut every two- three weeks, brush it and go.
All I could think of is – What Next for Man-child And Laugh.