Salon Business

“Use product D,” they said.

I have used some hair products recommended to me to help cure this dandruff. I have washed with some shampoos and lotions but I feel like nothing works. It could be as a result of the weather, or dry skin or my scalp is sensitive to some products or some village people were sent to torment me.

I decided to go to the saloon to get my hair did. Maybe a solution can be given for the itching.

I dressed up in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, wore my flats and headed out in the blazing sun, to the salon.

Took about 15 minutes’ walk to get to the salon.

“Miss Nana, a very good afternoon to you”. I was greeted by the pastry chef.

“John, how are you?”

“I am very well, thank you. We are surviving in this heat period”.

“How we go do na? We gas survive. This weather no be here at all” I replied as John laughed.

I got to the door of the salon. Opening the door, I was greeted by the cool breeze emanating from the Air conditioners. I was grateful to be welcomed by it along with greetings from the stylists’.

“Hello, hello” I greeted waving my hand like I was royalty which brought laughs to the room.

“Nana, you have not changed”, Madam Q said.

“it has been a while. Where have you been?” Manager D asked.

“Oh well, just here and there, surviving”. I replied.

After all, pleasantries were exchanged,

“You came to do the regular?” Manager D asked.

“Yes, please. I don’t have the patience to sit for so long”.

She shook her head and smiled and instructed a stylist to attend to me.

Few minutes after I got my hair washed and a blow drier was being used, I turned around to see what the ruckus behind me was all about.

“Don’t touch me. I don’t like being touched”. I heard the lady say to the stylist who was trying to apologize.

Manager D went over to her to calm things down. She touched her on the shoulders (something the lady said she wasn’t a fan of) and said I’m sorry for the inconvenience Ma”.

Lady B (let’s just call her that), this time with a stern voice, said, “I really don’t like people touching me. I don’t know who and who those hands have laid on. Please don’t touch me, Manager. I have heard your plea”.

By this time, some of us in the salon began to question if she was ok. We know some don’t like to be touched but she should have gone easy with all the warnings.

Manager D looked at her, made a face and said, “Na wa o madam. Your own is too much”.

I opened my eyes wide as I wasn’t expecting that. The lady beside me who was braiding her hair gave out a silent whistle that meant, “Wow!”

The lady working on my hair gently turned my head to face the mirror. I looked at her while she smiled at me as if to say, “Mind your business”.

Mind what? This is an awesome “amebo” going on.

“Excuse me? How dare you talk to me like that?” lady B asked

“Madam, my girl apologized but you started to flare up. It’s not right”.

Before anyone could stop them from escalating the issue, lady B went all out.

“How dare you? Husband snatcher. You think I don’t know you? Because I have been quiet abi?”

What! What! Whattttt! What is going on? The whole salon perked up to this news.

I was eager to hear more tea. This is one of the reasons I love salons. The gossips.

Manager D was appalled by the accusation but went about her business, acting like lady B was speaking to the wind. Lady B went on with her rants.

“You think we don’t know about you? My friends and I found out you were sleeping with another’s husband. She knows about you. All the text messages, the hotels you both go to. We know it all. You wonder why we haven’t approached you. It’s because our friend demanded that we shouldn’t. Just so you know, you have been cursed. Hahaha…a very powerful curse manager…”

She was about to spill further when some ladies intervened because she was going too far, telling her how wrong it was for her to spill everything at the wrong time but she didn’t stop at all.

“Why don’t you all want me to expose her? I want you all to know the kind of woman she is.  Look at her. She’s not a young lady o. She’s in her late 40’s and you wonder why she is still single at that age. My friend has cursed you. She…”

She didn’t finish her sentence when Manager D shocked everyone with her statement.

“Abegi, it’s not my fault that your friend’s husband is after me. I didn’t force him to hook up with me. He did so on his own accord. If a man is doing that, don’t you think there’s something wrong with the marriage? Look at me (She twirled), I even look better and sexier than you who's shouting and disturbing this salon. If you are not careful, I will snatch your hubby too”.

The shock, embarrassment, disappointment, and awe on everyone’s faces. It gave me Goosebumps too.

Lady B was about to throw hands when some male stylists held her back. She laughed, snapped her fingers and said, “You will see”. And she walked out of the salon with her hair half done.

Manager D told the stylists to call her for anything important as she walked with her head up high and went to the restroom.

The salon became silent with a chuckle coming out of my mouth as I was in disbelief over what just occurred. Some ladies scoffed while some were “Nawa-ing”.

I got my hair did, paid for it and said goodbye and I got gloomy responses. I didn’t mind, I knew why.

As I headed home, I thought, sometimes friends defending you can be a good or bad thing. In lady B’s case, that wasn’t the right place or time to do so but I also understand why she did that. She was standing up for her friend and also trying to expose “the other woman” but in the end, she got shocked by what she was hearing. She wasn’t expecting that from Manager D.

Why do women blame other women for cheating when we all know it takes two to tango? Do we accuse the men and go after them too? A lot of women justify their partner’s infidelity and the men often bounce back into the family while the other woman gets the whole blame. It happens a lot.

We love to hate the other woman and rightly so. Women go berserk at one another when they should actually be getting mad at the philandering man.

There’s more to cheating than a loose woman who throws herself to a committed man (same can be said of the opposite gender when reversed).

In the grand scheme of things, the other woman actually did you a favour. She prevented you from ending up with a lying cheat or even know the kind of man you are willing to commit yourself with.

This also doesn’t justify what the other woman did (like Manager D). Why do to others what you wouldn’t like done to you if in the same situation? Unless you are heartless.

You as a partner can decide if you want to be with him or forgive him or look at what you and your partner can do to repair the relationship (if it can still be salvaged).

I might be wrong in thinking all these. What do I know?

This whole situation is a mess, either way, you want to look at it.