Found in Translation by Roger Bruner

Author:Roger Bruner [Bruner, Roger E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-60742-250-1
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2011-08-25T04:00:00+00:00

chapter thrity-six

Day 4

I was glad Aleesha was more awake than I was.

“Are you sure this is the best thing to do with my hair?” I asked. I’d gotten up promptly at dawn, determined to keep my hair from getting grubbier than it already was. I would never get used to stirring up dirt whenever I moved or to sweating constantly.

At home I washed my hair twice a week—occasionally three times—and kept it looking perfect. Referring to the large binder of hair care tricks I’d collected over the years, I never had a bad hair day I couldn’t do something about. If one-armedness could be mistaken as God’s curse, hair like mine must signify His great favor.

But in Santa María I would go without washing it for two full weeks, and brushing one-handed was nearly impossible. Braiding would help tremendously, but that was a definite two-handed task.

“Yes, ma’am, Miss Kim,” Aleesha responded playfully. “I just can’t do french braids like you asked me about. You may have noticed I’m not French?”

“You’re not from Haiti, Côte d’Ivoire, or Rwanda?”

We both giggled.

“I suppose one of the other girls could help you do a french braid if you want to ask. I won’t hold it against you longer than the next fifty years—or until death, whichever comes first.”

I ignored her offer to back out. Whatever she did to make my hair easier to deal with would be fine.

“Maybe you should’ve broken a leg instead of an arm. Then you could braid it yourself.”

Even at dawn when my mind and body resisted wakefulness, Aleesha could make me laugh. “I wouldn’t move around or get so hot and sweaty with a broken leg. My hair would still get filthy enough, though. You’re sure you can finish before breakfast? I thought something like this took hours, even for more darkly complected, less French-looking girls with shorter hair than mine.”

“I never said we’d be the first ones at breakfast today, girl. But this will be the perfect solution. I can work fast when I have to. Besides, I have special shortcuts. They don’t always work on our hair, but they’ll be fine for yours. I just wish your hair was clean right now.”

“You and me both.” My sigh probably woke up our nearest neighbors.

“And eighteen inches shorter.”

“No way.”

“Don’t get me talking so much or we’ll never get done.”

I snorted involuntarily. Aleesha couldn’t not talk much.

“Cornrows. Who would ever have thought it?”

“Modified cornrows, mind you. These won’t be the real thing, but they’ll be the best ones you can get at a beauty shop in the middle of nowhere.”

“Be good, Aleesha, and be quiet.”

We both giggled. I couldn’t tell what she was doing, but Aleesha had proven so multi-talented, I assumed she was equally good at anything she put her mind to. The results would be delightful, not just satisfactory.

Aleesha worked for an amazing ten or fifteen minutes without saying a word. I was quiet, too, except for yelping when she pulled my hair too tight. I felt my confidence level slipping.

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