Note: This story was originally written in Spanish and has been covered (the best it can be) using an online translator, if someone wants to clean it up more I would appreciate it. The reading can be difficult as it is.

Ana was a twenty-something girl that studied third of architecture in the Upper School of Lisbon. He lived with his parents in a modest flat of the Rua two Navigators, in the neighborhood of Madragoa, to a step of the basilica of the Star, road of the cemetery of Prazeres. With the weekly assignment that he gave Mr. Antonio, its father, and with some drawings with views of its city that sold the Saturdays through a friend in the weekly street market of the Clear field of Saint, he had for its expenses, that the truth were not many, therefore from girl had accustomed to live with narrownesses and to save. Did not it dress clothes of marks, neither smoked, little with the friends left and besides enjoyed a scholarship that the university registration covered it, the transportation, some manuals and the basic material of drawing. Occasionally it descended to the bookstores of old of the Chiado and searched among the old engravings of his city, but almost always they were worth more than what she had saved; in spite of it he was happy.

At the beginning of course the Plastic professor of Design I, the doctor Mr. Sebastián Lopes Pereira, he sent a work for the first one semester: they should draw with every precision and most greatest detail a symbolic building of Lisbon. For it it recommended that besides the usual sessions of drawing al free air front al monument they should grasp a large quantity of images, to the most hidden and insignificant details, for which them would be of great utility to have a digital chamber. Ana had clear what building would decipher with its drawings: the old convent of franciscan clarisas of Mother of God, at present become Museum National of the Tile where pleased it to go some Sundays to see its magnificent collections ceramics that already knew itself almost al dedillo. But it knew well what did not have: the digital chamber to obtain the thousand and an images that needed. She could utilize with facility, and in fact thus he did it, the computers destined reserved for the students in its School, but there they did not arrange of digital chambers for its loan, neither knew did nobody that have it. That week passed it all of store in store asking the price of these chambers. Quite prompt it ruled out a new one, since the most economic one, that also, clear is, was the one that less benefits had, left for some of 450 euro. Did neither it find none accessible second-hand, therefore or well were enough faces still -the most acceptable did not descend of the 400 euro-, or the cheapest did not have the desirable most minimum resolution that the professor had recommended it. And that yes it had it disheartened.

A night, of return home, and while bore the pleasant one I shake of the trolley 28 seated in the last bank, saw a small announcement of the size of an octavilla that someone had left abandoned in the adjacent bank al theirs: “small models for gala of salon are needed”. The abrupt turn of the trolley among the Rua Antonio María Cardoso and the Plaza Luis of Camoes displaced it of its seat and faced it against the crystal, in which their face was reflected. It went then when saw how its hair, not of the all limp, black, thick and brilliant descended for the shoulders until falling enough more below the chests and was asked al instant ¿why not? Following the morning called al telephone that indicated the announcement and arranged an appointment for that same afternoon in the salon “Line Three” situated in the Avenue gives Liberdade, 27. At four o’clock less five Ana already was in the door of the salon. To go harmonious with the youthful style that they sought in the models (according to it they said for telephone) an adjusted white undershirt of cotton was put stamped with a modern abstract logo that they had created their companions of faculty and some cattlemen that highlighted still more its long and thin legs. The localities of the salon combined modern elements with other classics in a mixture of good flavor. Al moment attended it Jorge, the first official of the salon, a boy of very good to see -as thought Ana for its adentros-, with barely thirty years that, according to it said, was the responsible for doing the selection of the models. Since it saw Ana knew that was one of the eight that needed for the parade, though should explain him clearly the girl what asked in exchange for the 350 euro that was going to gain in barely one morning and an afternoon. The first thing that asked went if had always carried the thus long hair, and she answered so that he was very conservative and barely went a pair of times al year to the salon so that the tips they reorganized it. Badly matter was said Jorge. – ¿AND if had yourself to cut the very, very short hair in the gala? – Has Always there to be a first time in all -retorted she with energy-.

Jorge breathed, knew that already had a model arranged one. Ana left their telephone and remained in returning to the salon the day of the pair of models in the morning so that they washed it and they prepared their melena. Al to leave saw again their hair reflected in the crystalline shop window of a store of bags and was said for concienciarse and to be reaffirmed that if Paris well was worth a mass, their chamber well was worth a good cut. In spite of that resolution and intial entirety during the remainder of the week not to stopped giving him returns al matter; even a night consulted it with their parents and they did not put hits none. They passed quick the days and almost without being given account at two o’clock of the afternoon of on Saturday Ana left of “Line Three” with their melena smoothed, brilliant and reinforced with a black color of tonalidades azure. The appointment was at six o’clock in the parlor Magellan of the Hotel Barcelona, Rua Laura Alves, neighborhood of Field Pequeno, near the plaza of bulls lisboeta. While it went in the meter of road to the gala the doubts assaulted it again: ¿the hair or the chamber? And this time they were a great deal more strong, the firmness shown previously yielded before the remembrance of the words of Jorge: “very, very short”. Something ready was to be descended in the station of Saldanha to return of new al Rossio, but the voice of its conscience shouted it interiorly: “who wants, something costs it”. And arrived al parlor Magellan at twenty minutes after five. Jorge it had not lied: “very, very short” had said it, and in fact, short, very short was going to remain the hair of Ana, exactly al number three of the winch by the most long parts. Briefly, and before leaving al small setting, explained him that she would be the third model, and that as opposed to the two previous and of the five after her they would cut him the alone hair, and he would do him. First they went two courts of season, later its, of fantasy said it -“small fantasy” thought she-, later a process of color with permanent included, other two more classical courts and as end of the gala two collected for girlfriends. After some curtains saw something of the two first courts and of the parlor. More than a hundred persons, the majority peluqueros and peluqueras, they were seated in the front and the sides of the setting; many of them recorded the gala with chambers of video or they photographed with digital chambers (as the one that she wantedTo be bought) as much as happened on the white one moqueta that little to little went darkening with locks of hair. Still they sounded the at two o’clock first applauses models, mixed with a distant musical thread, when Jorge said him: – Ana, we go already; spirit and tranquil. It shows your better smile and thinks about the chamber -therefore Jorge already he knew the motives that carried to Ana to the door of “Line Three”, she had confessed him while the head he washed him that same one tomorrow-.

Ana swallo
wed saliva, straightened the neck and to way of sentimental farewell before be to transferred the curtains was touched with the fingers thumb and index of both hands the black tips that emphasized on the top heavenly that carried position. And al moment there was she, in the middle of the entarimado, seated in an uncomfortable revolving stool. Jorge was situated behind and while he explained al auditory that was going to transform radically the image of the beautiful model massaged it the neck for lowers the tension of the moment. Carefully the peluquero surrounded the long neck of swan of Ana with a wide felt role band to avoid that the hairs were strained for the narrow entrance of the peinador. Just in that moment, al to be seen tight its neck, Ana, that in the degree had been one more than notable student of History, recalled the life, and above all the death in a rainy day of Granada of a Spanish heroine that finished executed in the club vil by embroidering a liberal flag there for thousand eight hundred thirty and so many; but did not put standing then its name, therefore the mindIt had it put in another matter. Just then it felt how an immense one peinador white ribeteado in black with the anagram of “Line Three” (a great letter you go him capital letter intertwined with the number three) was girded also to its neck and covered it almost completely. It felt the fingers of Jorge among its hairs while combed it with a comb of wide sharp points that stood out the brilliant thing of its black hair in thick locks. Calming down Jorge asked it in very low voice, almost in whispers al heard, that did not be tense, that itself relajara and that only thought about the fronts manuelinas and in the cloisters of the old God Mother convent that so precise and in detail was going to photograph with its new digital chamber. Also among whispers, in a moment in which the music environment rose, communicated her before that to the “distinguished assembly of colleagues” -as later said- that first was going to cut a good piece of hair with the scissors, to leaving him a melena square to the height of the shoulders, and later, before the machine entered action, the volume was going to lowers it withThe knife. And thus it was, and thus felt it Ana, step by step. First the sound chisqueante of the various tijeretazos that were necessary to cut so the melena to the height of the shoulders. Each cut of lock was repeated the same scene: Jorge placed the cut hair to the height of its eyes and placed it carefully on the fabric of the peinador, to the height of the chests, so that since there falling quickly to the floor in a species of tobogán bicolor by an acanaladura that was born in the peinador to the height of the confluence of the two generous chestsAna and that finished just in the sandals of the model. When Jorge finalized its first phase of the cut took a container with water (green and of postmodern design) and pulverized the hair of the model, what united al color morning and al effect of the foci generated in the head of the youth some most beautiful irisaciones azure. She, with the firm head and the look always al front, could see among the public, in spite of the frontal effect of the lighting, some very peculiar expressions. Generally the women that observed it sufrían with the drastic cut; on the other hand among the men dominated the faces of satisfaction, at times trufada with evidently morbid colors.

Later not alone instants were gotitas of water the ones that fell of the head of the model, also locks of hair that itself desgajaban of its headquarters after a light one chasquido that sounded each time that the knife strolled itself upper downward by the locks wet that held strongly Jorge. Of left to right went appearing increasingly nítido and cleared the face of Ana, and went then when the pretty ears of the youth were seen for the first time, therefore their top end they marked it al peluquero the line of the cut. When it finished this second phase Jorge looked at with a point of compassion to the girl and exclaimed interrogative to all the presents: – ¿is Not perhaps this the most beautiful one Juana of Arch that have seen in its life?

The peluquero left the knife on a brief table to help that was together al taburete, was cleaned the hairs wet that they had remained among its fingers and took with most greatest care an electric winch that rested in its cargador, it showed it apparent al public, and with the finger index of its right hand it went moving the indicator of the length of the cut, that intially was in the number six and He, little to little, went lowers number to number before the amazement of the assembly to leaving it in the two. Ana, that looked at fixedly the hand that maintained the machine, was counted for its adentros with great anguish this fatal discount: five, four, three, two.

Before beginning Jorge put its hands on the shoulders of the model and it caused it rotated the taburete, of such form that Ana remained giving back al public. Barely it looked at toward the curtain when began to sound on its nuca a zumbido terrifying that rose it since the neck to the cover of the skull; without seeing it, only by the intuition, noted perfectly as the movement of the cleavers zigzagueantes on combs went lowers the hair to the most minimum expression. The machine, directed very delicately by Jorge, passed time and again by the nuca and the lateral of the head to a great deal beyond the ears. In the floor the black hair piled in anárquica. Ana while had its head looking at toward the sandals by demands of the cut was entertained in going doing a semicírculo. Then it recalled something, a name: “Mariana Pineda, yes, thus the heroine of Granada was called”. Jorge, to try to remove dramatismo al matter joked with the public: – As they will see Ana, that thus this pretty model is called, if there is been man and soldier, would be able already to pass perfectly the revision of the most exacting sergeant.

She grasped al I fly the phrase and it thought for her adentros: “therefore for already man, for already”. But not, Jorge returned to review again more to comb on machine the surface shaved after which passed very smoothly the hand by the cortísimos hairs of down up. Ana began then to feel that that was already something more than a simple one ¿simple? cut of hair. Only they reduced more long hairs of two centimeters in the upper zone of the head, but these went soon reduced to a similar length al remainder of the hair with some certain sounds of knife and a blunted with the scissors. So alone the flequillo remained a little more long, barely some hilillos engominados that did not arrive at the three centimeters. Almost token Jorge used the yemas of its fingers and the secador of hand to give form and direction al scarce and short hair that remained in the head of Ana, therefore the remainder lay down to its feet in disorderly montecitos of black locks. After this the peluquero despoiled to the model of the peinador and of the and its hand offered it to help to raising it. With a “voila” presented its creation al public, that applauded a great deal while Ana strolled with certain grace by the runway of left to right. It transferred the curtain that separated the setting Ana ran to seek a mirror of wall that adorned a pillar of the walkway; before being looked at in it contained for some moments the respiration, closed the eyes and when them opened ran lends a tear by its cheek: was born now a new one Ana, and with digital chamber thought she. Al to parade for last time on the runway, already with the remainder of the models as closing of the practical shop, felt proud how the applauses grew in intensity to its step. Already among bambalinas Jorge embraced it, the head caressed it despeinándola a little and kissed it in the front and also in it higher of the almost shaved coronilla. – ¡Olé the brave women! Tomorrow you are going to be the most handsome one of the students of architecture. Your companions will have envy.

After taking a cup, collected of hands of the manager of “Line Three”
blue an envelope that had written its name with ink rose and left to the street. The fresh one of the night fell quickly on its cleared head. Was the first notice that some things would delay in being as before. Road of the meter ran into among the mists of the night with the orientalizantes towers of the plaza of bulls lisboeta. Already inside the station, seated set against the ways while expected the meter of the yellow line (nominated Sunflower) opened the envelope and was carried two large surprises: contained a bill 500 ?, and besides a note manuscrita by Jorge: “you deserve it You ¡¡Oh! And only I am not a good one peluquero. ..” Underneath there was a mobile number of telephone.