The Voice of Southwest Louisiana January 2019 Issue

ADVENTURES of the Lake
The ‘Big Chop' for
A Fresh
Start
By Lela Gholar Tizano
Dasia Launza and Kenya Franklin
been natural since 2013
Saturday mornings held a regular
routine in Lisa’s life. She had a
standing appointment with her
beautician, Sharon. Week after week
she had asked for the same hairstyle.
But today she strolled into the beauty
shop with a different air about herself.
Sharon noticed it but decided to finish
the customer she was working on and
would just talk to Lisa when she got in
her chair.
“What is your New Year’s resolution?”
Sharon asked Connie, as she curled her
hair.
“This year I am going to lose twenty
pounds,” Connie answered with
confidence.
One of the other customers snickered
at her response. Connie shot her a pair
of evil eyes and kept on talking.” I also
want to go back to school and finally get
my degree,” she added as she stood and
looked at herself in the mirror.
“That sounds like a plan,” Sharon replied.
“I’m going to hold you to that resolution.
Next time you come in I want to hear
some results.”
22
“You got it,” Connie said as she walked
out the door.
Sharon motioned for Lisa to sit in her
chair. She covered Lisa with the cape,
and she followed the usual routine. She
already knew what services Lisa wanted
so to even ask would be a waste of time.
“Chop it,” Lisa demanded, much to
Sharon’s surprise.
“What?” Sharon asked.
“I said chop it, cut it all off, I’m going
natural.”
Sharon spun her around in the chair, so
she could look directly in her eyes. “Did
you say, chop it?”
Lisa looked back at her and said it again,
much slower this time. “Yes, I did. Chop.
It!” She told her.
“Lisa, maybe you need to sleep on it and
try back in a couple of days. There is no
way you expect me to cut off your hair.
You have hair down your back. Are you
sure?” Sharon asked.
“I don’t need to think about it, I don’t
need to sleep on it and I am not crazy.
I know what I want, and I want you to
chop it. I want a fresh start for the new
year.”
“No,” Sharon replied, as she placed the
shears back on the counter.
Lisa took the shears and held them up to
her hair. “If you don’t, I will.”
The look in her eyes let Sharon know she
meant business. She couldn’t have Lisa
cut her own hair, she’d mess it up and
folks all over town would think Sharon
did it.
“And I want that color right there,” Lisa
pointed to a burnt orange hair color in a
magazine.
“You really are getting a fresh start,”
Sharon said. She took a deep breath and
took the shears and did as she was told.
She watched in disbelief as long locks
of hair fell to the floor. It didn’t take long
for other women in the shop to start
commenting on what was going on.
“We get hair sewn in so we can look
like that and here she is cutting it all off.
She must be crazy,” one of the women
stated.
Lisa waved her hand at the woman to
January 2019 WWW.THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 6 • Number 6