Hair girl

I know a girl who recently got a haircut; a crew cut. She previously had long strands; ink black, beautiful and complimenting her dark skin. Hers had been a mane to envy but she chopped it off for no apparent reason. Shaving almost all the back of her head and the sides, the middle anterior part of the hair was trimmed giving it a jagged edge with the longest strands in front and shorter ones going backward in the middle of her head. It was a bold step that made a statement – a loud statement in the conservative community we reside in. I’m interested not just because I knew her when she had a full mane and believe me when I say there wasn’t any prettier one that I ever saw; to chop it off just like that (for fun maybe) seems outrageous to me - and this isn’t some teenager struggling with her identity, but also because it is an action that has generated many responses as is common with controversial matters.
You see, in this part of town, church folk stay out of controversy, avoiding and frowning at those who try to discuss such matters. Most people live their lives quietly, doing their best to adhere to the norms of society and ostracising those who can’t. It is difficult to discern who defined the terms of “normalcy” in this place but everyone seems to understand the dictates of “normal” and therefore everything that is considered ‘not-normal’ is a sin worthy of punishment which could come in numerous forms. For example, those who hit their children in public are seen as monsters but no one talks about the obvious beatings that go on behind closed doors which leave some of those children grounded so that the evidences of the parent’s unbridled anger or drunkenness will not be seen. It is normal to whip a child behind closed doors no matter the reason or outcome. Another example is the issue of alcohol; church people consider themselves too decent to ‘use the bottle’ and they frown at all forms or means of consuming it. Their children are forbidden to attend gatherings where strong drink may be served. In fact, the organisers of any parties their children might attend must be morally upstanding before they can be endorsed. I can see the customary look given in which the guilty one is observed with upturned noses of the pious. Some of these people and their wards take a sip every now and then yet maintain that alcohol is the devil’s drink. Still they stand at the corners of accusation, throwing murderous glances and frowning in righteousness, waiting for the sinner to repent and when such is not forthcoming, they shoot angry missiles with their words of condemnation and impending damnation in anticipation of the tears of the guilty. It is considered a taboo for their piety to be ignored; anyone found guilty of such rebellion is quickly committed to the hands of the devil to do with as he likes and heaven forbid that common folk relate with such a one, they all will be doomed for punishment with the offender.
Back to the matter of the hair girl as she has become because all other parts of her ceased to exist the moment her hair became a defining factor. Such a cut was deemed unacceptable along with the Mohawk a few years ago when it started trending. All sons were warned against mortgaging their future with the devil’s haircut as it was termed, never mind that some of these boys’ role models were sporting similar cuts. Quite a number of things are attributed to the devil, don’t you think? The boys were charged not to fraternize with the devil’s sons so that they would not be influenced negatively. How incredulous does that sound! Some of the older children who have “escaped” from the clutches of small-town-life have become notorious in the eyes of the community because they’ve embraced the trends of the times (which is unbecoming BTW). As a result, youngsters aspire to grow up and leave town, never to come back. Yet, there are a few children who are being modelled to be just as narcissistic and chauvinistic, including self-righteous just as the elders are. I have an inkling that these would-be leaders are going to beat the elders at their game. Ah, I’ve deviated, again. Pardon me. So, hair-girl is being frowned upon by the elders and the young ones alike. In fact, just yesterday, she was called out by one of the youth executives who started to interrogate her about her hairstyle, asking what benefit was it. The older ones hadn’t been as direct but need I add that they looked on with approval as hair-girl was being harassed. Unfortunately, things took on an unexpected turn as hair-girl started to argue in her own defence and two young people took sides with her. One of them was a girl who though has not been caught “in sin” always receives disapproving glances from women because of her size. She’s large in all the right places making her the object of male ogling. The other was a guy who schooled abroad but so far has been conforming to the rules that I’m not sure he knows he’s following. Anyway, things ended in a bit of a mix. That’s a first for Haven community church; the condemned usually do not speak.
    I saw her again this morning rocking the hair and I thought, “Go girl!” Though I ain’t pitching sides, someone oughta give these people a run for their money - that’s entertainment. But that’s beside the point; the main issue here is that no one is talking to people about things like truth, motive and all the other virtues that can make them strong in faith, rather the talks are about maintaining proper behaviour, something that can never truly be enforced. Young people are seeking for answers and attention in all manner of ways.

#SalientMatters
08/11/2016
(c) ‘durotimi