Hair

Recently I went to Fumbisi for market and on the lorry I met a woman named Amoak Felicia who teaches KG at the primary school and is the ‘mother’ (could mean actual mother or aunt) of Headmistress Suzy at the same school. She was very friendly and said we should be friends ‘because we’re both slim.’ Once we arrived at the station in Fumbisi, she asked (or rather told me really) to come to her house to greet her family. She assured me it was close to the station so I agreed. Indeed it was right there. Upon entering the compound there were tons of kids who stopped to stare at me. Then we went to greet her mother and some aunts. I held a baby and then gave back the baby. One of the small girls then blurted out “Is your hair REAL?!?” I laughed and said “Yes it’s my hair!” I even proved it to her by putting down my hair (I always wear it up here since it’s so dang hot) and letting her touch. “Ooo!” she exclaimed. I’m pretty sure I made her day and I can just imagine how happy she was to go to her P4 class yesterday and happily telling them “A white lady came to my house yesterday and she let me touch her soft HAIR!”

Also at school the other day one of my form 3 students Abby was talking to two other teachers in Buli while I was sitting there marking (grading) some test papers. I’m pretty talented at tuning out Buli now but whenever I hear “….felika…” I know people are talking about me. So it happened this day and I looked up at the student who said “You understand Buli?” I nodded then went back to my marking- I figured whatever she was saying about was harmless otherwise I hope the other teachers would defend me. Later Madam Diana asked me if I knew what the student was saying about me. Of course I had no clue. She was wondering if my hair was what wigs were made out of since it looks so soft. I asked her why the student didn’t just ask me but apparently she “just couldn’t.” So I told Madam Diana about my donations for Locks of Love and that perhaps as we speak someone in the US is wearing my hair. But that I’d never sold my hair for use in wigs- though I suppose I could if I ever run into desperate times.

Also at school this week I was in the office and quickly let down my hair to put it up again. Two form 1 students were there and the girls said “O madam wear your hair like that. It looks so nice.” Of course I didn’t keep it down because it’s just too hot. Then the boy said “I wish I had your hair madam!” Ha