Samsoness

It was a hot afternoon, probably around 3pm- the writer cannot be certain because many years have passed since that fourth Sunday in January in the mid 1990s. A beautiful six year old girl was crying at the top of her lungs, it was another Sunday, another day when she faced the biweekly daymare. Her aunty was about to plait her long and thick hair.

This girl's hair was unfortunately rather hard to comb due to its thickness and its tendency to tangle,  she also had two major problems- a tender scalp and a very low threshold for pain. The result was a crying spell that lasted from when the old hairstyle was loosened till when they finished plaiting the new style. This had gone on for years without fail.

However that Sunday was not a normal Sunday, her baby brother was brought home from the hospital and he was asleep. Her wails were threatening to wake him up.

Her father was ironing and watching the unfolding scene, he knew his daughter's hair issues and who she'd inherited the thick, "tangly" hair from. "Ada if you don't stop crying I'll cut your hair with my scissors" he was only threatening her, the way parents would promise to kill a child who gets himself killed in a stupid stunt.

Ada had always thought about cutting her hair, being able to have water running down her head during a shower seemed like bliss to her. She made her decision in an instant, the hair had to go. Her grandmother who had come for the customary "omugwo" was horrified (she still talks about that 'tragic' Sunday to this day), her mini Rapunzel had no idea what she was committing to. "You'll look like a boy, like Chikezerim" although her mind was made up, looking like Chikezerim wouldn't be nice, the boy was too "isi okpupu". She told her father to cut her hair, but he had to promise she wouldn't look like Chikezerim for that was a fate worse than going without cornflakes for one month. Hiding a smile, her father goes to get his scissors.

"You'll be like Samson" her pesky little brother reminded her, "Delilah cut his hair and he lost his strength". They had watched the movie and "my book of bible stories" was their favourite reading material. "I don't have any powers" she replied, he shook his head, "You're stronger than me, if daddy cuts your hair I'll be stronger than you". She considered his point, losing her strength would be terrible. "Daddy will I lose my strength?" she asks tearfully. Her father rolled his eyes inwardly, "no" his answer was terse, she knew he'd reached the limits of his patience.

Ten minutes later, she looked just like her brother and for the first time she could remember she could have water on her head while having a bath. Delirious with glee and oblivious to her grandmother's distress, she showed her new haircut to everyone who came to visit the new baby.
Only a few days later she fought with her brother, they lived to fight and would fight for any reason, looking at each other the wrong way was enough reason for world war III most times. He suddenly punched her stomach and she bent over in pain. They looked at each other, no words were necessary. Her next action was revealed to her that minute.

Two weeks later, she had her hair in the popular "puff-puff" style, by the end of the year her hair was shoulder length. Her brother eventually became stronger, but that was far in the future.