In Part 4, Aunt Steffie, as she was referred to by the four amigas, had praised Melissa and Christine telling them that they were were so good looking as bald white girls that she might have to modify her belief that black girls like she and Audra always carried off a bald head the best. She kept her hair cut in a very short clippered style. After seeing Melissa and Christine she urged Audra to get her own hair cut in a short clippered style. Audra was tempted but still hesitant. Aunt Steffie had told her to think about it and when she came back to visit in two weeks she would take Audra with her to Sam’s Barber Shop. The two weeks had passed and Audra had decided to go with Steffie, although she still reserved the right to change her mind at the last minute.

Saturday Week 3 Audra and Steffie

Steffie was up early on Saturday. She had puttered around the kitchen helping with breakfast. She was eager to get going with Audra to Sam’s Barber shop where she had gotten her hair cut for years until she moved to a city about 75 miles away.

“Audra, where are you?” Steffie called up the stairs.

“I’m coming Aunt Steffie. Be there in a minute.” With Melissa’s urging and the enthusiastic support of Penny and Cindi she had decided that she would go with Steffie and get her hair cut the way Steffie suggested. Audra had told the other girls that Steffie would be visiting and that she would probably stay home at least in the morning. She had not told them of her plan because she was still a little nervous and wanted to keep open her option to back out.

Penny had asked Ginny to find some pictures of black girls with very short hair or shaved heads. She found several which she printed and gave to Penny who passed them on to Audra. They all thought the girls in the pictures looked great and were certain that Audra would also. That had helped as well. Of course the fact that Melissa and Christine had become enthusiastic converts to the bald look had made an even bigger impact.

“I’m here Aunt Steffie. I’ll be ready to go as soon as I have some breakfast. What are we having?”

“Hot cakes and sausage, coming right up. How many cakes do you want?”

“Just two. You always made such big ones that’s all I can eat.”

“OK, two BIG hot cakes, a sausage patty and orange juice on the side. I’m eager to get going because I need to get mine cut too.”

Steffie drove past the shop without finding a place to park. Finally they found a spot in the small public lot about a block away. They got out and walked back.

“When did you start getting your hair cut like that Aunt Steffie? Audra wanted to know because she couldn’t remember it being any different.

“It was when I was eighteen. I had been wearing it long and straight for a while, just like all the other black girls. I decided that I wanted to make it blond. I’d seen a couple of girls who had blond hair and I thought it look good, still do. That’s why I sometimes get it bleached with it short like this. I like the look. Anyway, it was a mess. It was blond all right, but it was so brittle that it kept breaking off about half an inch from my scalp. No one could do anything about it and the next time I tried to straighten it, it just came out in big chunks. There was nothing to do but cut it off into a short fro. I started to let it grow out intending to straighten it again, but my boy friend said to keep it short. He liked it like that. So I kept it in a fro for a while then one day my barber suggested I would look better with it even shorter, so I took the plunge and he cut it close, not as close as it is now, but a lot closer than the fro. That got things started. It took almost a year before I had it the way I’ve been wearing it ever since. So you couldn’t possibly remember any of that. I think you were only a year old.”

“I would like to see you with long straight blond hair. That would be pretty interesting.”

“Don’t hold your breath Steffie. I’m never going down that road again. Louis likes it this way too.”

It was only nine fifteen whey they entered the barber shop where Sam was working on one customer with another waiting. There was a big sign proclaiming that they did all types of haircuts on men, women, boys and girls.

“Hi Sam. How’s business?”

“Well, well. Good to see you Miss Steffie. Business is look up if you’re bringing me a new customer.”

“You got it Sam. This is my niece Audra. She’s ready for a change I think.”

“I’m always ready to help someone with a mind to make a change. Augie will be back in a minute or two. So I’ll be able to take one of you right soon. Just grab a seat.”

“Hey Augie, I’ve got these two ladies to do so you’ll need to take our next couple of customers. Miss Steffie brought her niece in for one of my specials I think.”

“No problem Sam. Next.” Augie boomed. He had a huge deep voice that almost rumbled when he spoke.

“Steffie who’s next, your or Audra.”

“Audra Sam. She wants me to oversee it. You ready Audra. You’re going to be some looker when Sam’s finished.”

“I’m ready Aunt Steffie.” She stepped up and sat in Sam’s big barber chair. Audra was already 5 feet 4 inches tall and growing rapidly. She fit the chair easily.

Sam proceeded to put a strip of paper around her neck and then faster the cape with its velcro tabs. Audra sat with a little apprehension not quite sure how this was going to turn out. Sam boosted the seat a little higher so that Audra was at his ideal height.

“What’s it going to be Steffie.”

“How about a one? If it needs more I’ll be able to tell after you’ve done it.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me.”

Sam picked up a large black clipper, cleaned the teeth, put on a few drops of oil and ran it briefly. On the white counter there was a white towel with an assortment of attachments. He picked up a small one and snapped it onto the clipper.

“Well young lady, you’re going to be something very special when I finish. You’re be one fine looking sister, no doubt about it.”

With that he flipped the switch on the clipper and they started up, sounding like a huge lawnmower to Audra’s already on edge senses.

The sound suddenly died.

“Well, Miss Audra, I should have told you that this big clipper makes a lot of noise. I suppose they just about scared you white.”

Audra couldn’t help but give a little nervous laugh. “They were loud Sam, but now that I know what to expect I’ll be OK.”

He turned them on again and this time he put them behind Audra’s ear and began to move them purposely up the side to the crown of her head. Another path followed to the right of the first and another followed. Soon the back of Audra’s head had been sheared to the specified No. 1 length. Sam continued on the left side then on the right carefully removing what had been Audra’s carefully maintained bob. She had needed to have her hair straightened ever four week, and this would have been the week to do it, but instead she was here in Sam’s barber shop having her hair clipped off close to the scalp. She had butterflies doing remarkable acrobatic feats in her stomach. When Sam lifted up her bangs and buzzed her hair from front to back, the butterflies outdid themselves. Audra clung to the arms of the chair with all her strength. Sam continued more slowly now, going over her head carefully to make sure it was all perfectly even.

“OK Steffie what do you think.” Steffie examined Audra from every angle. What she saw pleased her. Audra had a very well shaped head, small close set ears and a good hairline that was only a little ragged in places.

“You’re right Sam she is going to be a beauty, no doubt about it. A little more perhaps. What do you think.

“She’s got what it takes. She does need it tighter.”

“OK, take it down a notch.”

Sam picked up a different clipper this time. Instead of a guide he snapped off the head and r
eplaced it with one from a drawer. When he turned it on it was obviously quieter than the original one.

Once again he started behind Audra’s left ear and worked around the back of her head then returning to the left side to clip the side and around her ear.

Steffie watched closely and thought that it was just right. She didn’t often get this close a cut herself, but when she did she always thought it looked especially good. It left only a shadow of dark hair on Audra’s medium to light brown skin – just enough to be noticeably, but leaving her head completely exposed.

Sam went over her head several times in different directions making sure that every hair was cut to the same length. He turned off the clipper and turned to Steffie.

“That’s perfect Sam. She going to be outstanding when you’re done.”

“You want me to clean up the edges?”

“Of course. I think a high moon back would look good. What do you think about outlining it all the way around?”

“Good idea. That always give it a nice sharp appearance.”

Sam took a small clipper from a hook under the counter, cleaned it and added a drop of oil. When he clicked it on it make only a quiet hum. Starting on the left he squared off Audra’s sideburn, or at least tried to. Audra’s hairline didn’t extend much lower than the hairline around her ear. He turned to Steffie with a questioning look.

“Just make it straight across Sam” she instructed.

He complied making a neat line from the temple area in front of Audra’s ear and continuing around it where he made a curved line following the hairline behind her ear. Here he produced a sharp clean line to the nape that curved inward slightly. He proceeded to the other side and repeated the process. In the back he used another clipper with an even smaller head to produce a shallow arch from the left to the right side. Once again he turned to Steffie.

“That’s good Sam, but do it a little higher. She has a very nice nape and neck that should be shown off.”

“How much? I could go a half inch more.” He indicated what he had in mind.

Steffie stepped closer and indicated with her finger where she thought it should be. “How about here, Sam” her finger about a quarter of an inch above the original line.

Sam quickly complied The top of the arch was now right at the occipital bone and curved downward to form broad points at each side.

“That’s perfect Sam.”

Audra had sat quietly while this process was on-going. She had a good idea of what was happening and it didn’t bother her, because she had seen Steffie with her hair outlined the same way on many occasions. She had always thought that it looked very sharp. Even her own bob had sometimes sported a defined arch such as the one she heard Steffie ordering. She had gotten over her jitters and was looking forward to seeing her new look. She heard Steffie and Sam discussing her hairline in front and wondered what they had in mind.

“You’re right Sam’s. It would look better with it cleaned up around her face. Go ahead.”

Sam used his small trimmer again. This time he produced a hairline that made a perfect arch from ear to ear. Audra’s forehead hairline was already a nearly perfect curved line from temple to temple. Only in the temple area did he need to make a significant change. He continued the line down to meet the short sideburn that he had already outlined. The result was an oval line that was unbroken and that framed her face beautifully.

“You’re going to be absolutely outstanding Audra. You will love it. Sam just needs to finish cleaning up your hairline and you’ll be done.”

Sam had already begun preparing to do the razor shave along Audra’s hairline. He ran some foam onto his hand and spread it from temple to temple, around each ear and along the nape line. Stropping his razor was the final step. He wiped foam from the left temple and following the line already created shaved downward using just the end of the razor. The same process continued as he shaved behind Audra’s ear to define the slightly curved line there. Cleaning up the nape area with its arched line required short strokes along the line of demarcation which he accomplished with his usual deft skill. Then he was able to make longer strokes to clean up the area inside the arch and down Audra’s neck. He repeated the process on the right side. Finally he returned to Audra’s front hairline.

“Miss Audra, I’m going to tidy you up just a bit. It’s a tad uneven right here and this will make it right for you.” Audra nodded her understanding and held still while Sam created a sharply defined hairline in the front just like he had done along the sides and back. He wiped off the excess foam, made sure it was dry and then dusted off any stray hairs. Once again he looked at Steffie and nodded.
?”You look amazingly good Audra. Are you ready for your first look?”

“OK Aunt Steffie. I’m a little scared. I know you made it really short didn’t you?”

“Yes, it is short, but it suits you beautifully. You could be a model for sure.”

All this time Audra had been facing away from the mirror and had not seen what was happening. She had been to a barbershop a few times with Steffie and had seen her get her hair cut and undergo much the same process that Audra had just experienced.

“She examined the girl in the mirror. She seemed older than the fourteen years that she had passed three weeks earlier. Her ears were visible and they were cute she thought. Her face seemed a perfect oval and her eyes were larger than she remembered. The effect was quite different from the bob she had worn for the past two years. She had liked how she looked with it, but now the new look seemed less little girlish. She liked that effect.

“Can I see the back please.” She wasn’t quite ready to pronounce final judgment, but she was being won over by the new look.

“Sam turned her around again and handed her a large hand mirror. She examined the nape line and thought that it was interesting and neat. Then she observed that she now appeared to have a very long neck. The hairline is up high in the back and that makes it seem as though I have a long slender neck, she thought. The arched hairline emphasized the effect. Audra handed the mirror back and Sam turned her to face the big mirror again.

“I’d like to see the side view.” Sam turned the chair ninety degrees and handed her the hand mirror again. The shape of Audra’s head was ideal for the bob she had worn. It had allowed her to have a ‘shingled’ back that cut in very sharply from the longer hair above it. The effect had been to emphasize the rounded back of her head. With the new cut and the high nape line the rounded back of her head was very apparent and very attractive. She couldn’t help but like the way it looked.

She handed the mirror back to Sam and he dutifully rotated her to face the mirror again. This time she reached up to feel the tiny amount of hair that remained on her head. She didn’t know how long it was, she suspected it was shorter than any haircut that Steffie had ever had. Still, she couldn’t help but admire the way it made her look. Finally she smiled. “I like it Aunt Steffie. I never thought I’d ever have it cut this short, but I think it looks great. The kids are going to flip out over it. They wanted me to get it cut short, but they would never believe that I got it cut this short. Thanks Aunt Steffie. How am I going to keep it cut? I can’t get to Sam’s unless someone drives me.”

“You told me about that lady barber that gave Penny and her sister their haircuts. And isn’t she the same one that shaved Melissa the first time. You can go there when I’m not around to bring you to Sam’s place. We’ll need to take some good pictures of you and get some instructions from Sam. How will that be. I’ll help pay for your haircuts too. That way your folks won’t have to worry about it.”

“That’s super Aunt Steffie. I can easily bike to Kate’s shop. She loves to do short hair o
n girls.”

“Great. It’s my turn now. Do you suppose you could give up that barber chair so I can get a haircut”

Sam had already removed the cape, but Audra had continued to sit in the chair admiring her new style. “Oh, sorry Aunt Steffie. I forgot.” She quickly climbed out of the chair and went to sit in one of the waiting chairs. Sam brushed off the seat and turned it for Steffie to step up into.

“Well Miss Steffie, what will it be?”

“Shave it Sam. Shave it clean and smooth. I’m going to enjoy it.” She leaned back and smiled.

Audra’s eyes opened wide. “You’re really going to get it shaved smooth like Melissa, aunt Steffie?”

“Yes I am Audra. I’ve been wanting to try it for a long time. But seeing Melissa and Christine finally made me decide I had to do it. And I’m sure Louis will love it. I think I will look good. If I do and Louis likes it I may just make it permanent.”

“Are you serious Aunt Steffie” Audra was incredulous. “You would make yourself permanently bald?”

“I think having a permanently smooth head would be awesome. Think how easy it would be to take care of. And if I look really good I can’t think of any reason not to do it. It would save me a lot of money too. I read about a sister whose hair fell out because of some funny disease. She’s permanently bald now and likes how she looks. She said that people mostly tell her how great she looks. She got rid of the wigs that she wore for a while when her hair started falling out. It was her husband who finally persuaded her to shave what remained and just go bald.”

“That really is a wild idea. Do people actually do that?”

“I don’t know for sure, but one place had an ad on the web with what it cost to do permanent hair removal from all different parts of you body such as arms, underarms, legs and such. They had a price for men’s beards and heads. So probably some men do it. Maybe even a few women.”

Same had caped Steffie and now had his big clippers with no guard on them. They cut very close. He didn’t bother to say anything to Steffie, just started going up the back of her head. When she felt the clippers she smiled broadly.

“Aunt Steffie, how are you going to keep you head shaved if you do like it. Melissa and Christine shave each other and sometimes shave themselves. Are you going to do that.”

“Didn’t you say that they got everything they needed from Kate. Maybe we should go there after Sam finishes and see what she recommends. I sure can’t come to Sam’s place every day. Besides I couldn’t afford it. Sorry about that Sam.”

“Not a problem. You could just use disposable razors and a can of shave cream. Not as good as one of my shaves, but it’ll keep you looking good.”

“That might work Sam, but I’m afraid I would nick myself too many times. Besides that kind of shaving would probably irritate my scalp. I felt Melissa’s head and it was very soft and smooth and she has been shaving every day. So they sure know how to do it without causing a problem.”

Sam had finished with the big clipper. Steffie head looked almost as though it had been shaved. There was a shadow on the honey colored skin of her head if you looked close.

“That looks so cool Aunt Steffie. I think you will look great with your head shaved really smooth.”

Sam had pulled a hot towel out of the steam cabinet and held it by a corner until it cooled down to the point that he could put it on Steffie’s head to soften up the hair for a close shave.

“That’s hot Sam. Do you do that for all the women you shave?”

“Ha! How many women do you think I shave. You’re the second one this year.”

“I’m surprised that I’m not the first. It does feel good now that it’s cooled off a little.”

“It’s coming off so I can lather you up now. The lather is hot too.”

Sam dispensed a large handful of hot lather into his hand and quickly began rubbing it onto her scalp, around her ears and down the back. While it was doing it work he stropped his razor. Stepping in front of Steffie he held her head with his left hand and turned it slightly to the side so that he could work more easily. He wiped the foam off and made a short stroke in the direction that Steffie’s hair grew leaving a clean path behind. Working from his right to his left he cleaned the front of Steffie’s head. He repeated the process going further back on her head. The third repeat left the top of her head shaved smooth. Sam started on the right side shaving forward and down around her ear. It didn’t take long to finish the sides and start on the back. Steffie had a big smile on her face as she watch the transformation take place. In a few more minutes Sam seemed to have finished. He checked his work and shook his head.

“Miss Steffie, I’ll have to go over it again to get it properly smooth for you.”

He proceeded to re-lather her head and then cleaned and stropped his razor again. He worked methodically over her head around her ears, down both sides and then down the back of her head. He went back and put a little shave cream on the crown of her head and shaved in several directions. Finally satisfied he removed the last vestiges of foam and wiped her head with the damp towel that had been her hot towel. He dried her head carefully.

“Do you want me to put anything on it. I don’t think you’ll want anything with alcohol in it.”

“Do you have any sweet smelling oil Sam? That would be nice.”

“I think that I do have something like that.” He rummaged around in a cabinet that had dozens of bottles of various lotions and oils. “Yup, here it is. I don’t know why we have anything like that here. It’s been there a long time.” He took the lid off and handed it to Steffie.

She read the label and put a few drops on the back of her hand to test its aroma. “Its lavender oil and it still smell very nice Sam. It will do fine and should keep my scalp from getting too dried out until I get some proper moisturizer. “

Sam applied a little oil to her head spread it around with his fingers and then added a generous amount more. This time he was able to spread it completely to cover her head. He took out a clean dry and wiped off the excess that had gotten down her neck and forehead, then wiped the rest of her head lightly. The result was a noticeable shine.

“That’s wonderful Sam. Just what I wanted. I’m going to have to find something like that to make it shine.”

“It looks great Aunt Steffie. Melissa and Christine have something to make theirs shine too. Christine carries some with her so she can put it on after she showers when she finishes her workouts.”

“I’ve got to find out what those girls use. Let’s get on over to Kate’s shop and find out their secrets.”

“Sam you did a great job. Best haircut I’ve ever had. When I come to visit again I’ll let you shave me just because it feels so great and you do such a good job.”

She paid Sam and they left and headed for Kate’s shop. It was ten thirty. Both haircuts had taken only a little more than an hour.

The little bell jingled as they walked in. There were three customers waiting. The young blond girl in the chair was receiving a short shingled bob that covered only a little more than half her ears. Kate was cutting her bangs. The rest seemed to be finished. The wedge or shingle in back blended perfectly with the longer hair above. It was shorter version of the bob that Steffie had just relinquished to the clippers. The blond women that waited was probably the girl’s Mother. Her hair was parted on the right side and went up and over to drape casually down to somewhat below her cheek bone on the left. Steffie couldn’t see the right side but the left side angled up and covered only the top third of her ear before blending with the back which was shingled up all the way to close to the top of her ear. It was clippered quite close at least up two inches before it began a taper to meet the longer hair from the top. She could see that it must have grown out from a
n even shorter version because the Nape seemed rather ragged for such a precision type cut. The young man sitting two seats down had a nice chin length bob that apparently needed a trim. A teenaged girl sat in the last seat. She sported a most interesting cut. It seemed to be feathered in a circle around her head with everything inside the circle cut to less than an inch.

“Kate turned to greet them. Oh, hello, come in.” Kate paused as she took in their haircuts. “Those are wonderful haircuts you have, so I don’t suppose you came in for another one so soon. What can I do for you?”

“Hello Kate. I’m Audra, Melissa and Penny’s friend. And this is my Aunt Steffie. We need your help when you have a chance.”

“Oh, Audra. I’ve heard your name before. So you’re friends with Melissa and Penny. I must say the three of you certainly have some of the most interesting and beautiful head styles I’ve seen in a while. I’m quite busy as you can see, so let me keep working and finish up Chloe here. While you tell me what you need.”

“Well Aunt Steffie needs to know how to keep her head shaved like Melissa and Christine. And I need to tell you that I’m going to be coming in every week to keep mine in shape. Aunt Steffie can tell you the details.”

“Goodness. The first part is easy. Your Aunt Steffie can buy the same battery operated shaver that Melissa and Christine use. I can also sell you the shaving gel and moisturizing lotion that they use. Over time the moisturizer will make the shaving less frequent. They use something to make their heads shine, but I don’t know what it is. Your head already has a very nice shine.”

Steffie replied. “Its a lavender oil that my barber had on hand. It would be OK but I’m afraid it would be too oily for regular use. I can find out from Paula what her girls use. I definitely want get the things you mentioned though. Audra needs to be clippered regularly to keep her cut in shape. It’s done with a zero cutter. Sam said that it is one sixteenth of an inch. It should never get longer than an eight of an inch and that means a weekly buzz.”

“Come over here Audra and let me have a look. Yes, I’d say that is about a sixteenth of an inch. Maybe less. I can certainly do that in just a couple of minutes” Kate said.

“Yes, but that’s not all though” Steffie continued. “Sam shaved her hairline completely around her head to make the clean sharp outline that she has. Can you do that too?”

“Come back Audra so I can see what it is that Sam did. I like the nice crescent in the back. It’s pretty high so it’s well above her natural hairline isn’t it. I can handle that easily. When she comes in I’ll be able to see it and redo it perfectly. Same with the curved sides. I see there are no sideburns and that’s easy. Steffie, come and show me what he did around the front.”

“He made this whole edge from here all the way across the top to the other side a smooth curve with a sharp edge. Her hair grows out here, and he shaved that off.”

“OK, I got it. No problem. You know Steffie, if she keep this style, you might consider having the hairline waxed so it wouldn’t need shaving. I do that for some of my customers. Chloe you’re all done.” Kate took off the cape and lifted Chloe down from the booster seat she was sitting on and then quickly removed the booster and brushed off the seat. “I’m ready for you Holly. Let me take care of Steffie and Audra. It won’t take a minute. Steffie do you want to buy the shaver and the other things. You can pay me and pick them up at the wholesale place over on Colfax.”

“Yes, I do Kate. Waxing Audra would be a good idea, but we’ll wait until she’s sure she wants to keep it like this for a good while.”

“OK, I’ll make out a requisition form and a bill.” Kate wrote hurriedly on the form for the bill, then a little more carefully for the requisition. “Here’s the bill. Just pay me and take the requisition form to this address on Colfax. They’ll give you the things you need. I only ordered a quart of the moisturizer for you. The next size is a gallon. That seemed like too much for one person. Oh, almost forgot. For trims like Audra, I only charge $7.50. It doesn’t take long, although the shaving takes a little longer. But I want Audra to keep looking good so she gets the same special as everybody else.”

“Only $7.50? That’s a bargain. Thanks Kate. She’ll be here next Saturday for sure.”

Steffie paid Kate, who gave her the requisition form. They left as Kate was starting to cut Holly’s hair. Audra now saw that it was an asymmetrical style with the side she hadn’t seen being cut short and clippered above her ear.

Back home they were subjected to a lot of looking, evaluation, questioning and finally approval. Audra’s Mother Hallie had looked at her closely, had her turn in a circle and then asked her a number of questions about how she felt about it. When, in response to a particular searching question, Audra had responded “Momma, I really do like it like this. The more I see it the better I like it. I think I always wanted to get it cut short like Aunt Steffie, but everyone kept telling me I shouldn’t. But now that it’s cut I want to keep it cut. I think Melissa and Christine are really beautiful with their bald heads, and Aunt Steffie is the most beautiful woman I know.”

That just about ended the discussion. Her Father Victor had kept out of the discussion, but Steffie knew that he liked Hallie’s hair style which was cut short and relaxed so that it lay close to her head in neat waves. Steffie wondered why Hallie had been so determined to make sure that Audra actually liked her new cut. Finally she realized that Hallie wanted to be absolutely certain that Audra actually wanted it and that she had not just bowed to pressure from Steffie or Audra’s friends.

Hallie was finally satisfied. “It look very good on you Audra. I’m glad you got it the way you like.”

“Very good looking head Audra. Suits you just fine. Easy to take care of too.” Victor finally weighed in with his opinion.

“Thanks, Momma and Daddy. I’m going to keep it this way at least for a while. We went over to Kate’s barber shop and she said that she would keep it trimmed every week for only $7.50. Aunt Steffie is going to pay for it.”

“Very generous of you Steffie. I must say you look very elegant and sophisticated with that smooth shiny head. I’m very impressed. Do you plan to keep it like that? Hallie was fascinated with Steffie’s new look. “Will it be be any problem with your job?”

“Not at all Hallie. I meet a lot of clients, but seeing someone like me as head of the graphics design department seems to reassure them that we have the imagination and skill to do the job right. I think they see me as a walking advertisement. It’s kind of funny in a way the way they look at me when we first meet.”

They had retired to the back yard and big glasses of iced tea around a table under a large fifty year old oak tree. It was a beautiful for doing nothing but visiting. The conversation had dwindled when the phone rang.

“Audra, why don’t you get that please.” Hallie said.

Audra was already on her feet and ran in to answer. A few minutes later she ran back out to bring the news.

“It was Melissa. A whole bunch of kids and Mom’s are going to go to the Herb Garden for brunch tomorrow. Penny, Ginny, and their Mom are going. Christine, Melissa and their Mom, and another girl named Sandy who just got her head shave last week, and her mom and I don’t know who else. They want me to come and bring Momma.”

“I would love to come Audra, but I’m singing in the choir tomorrow and they’re counting on me to be there. Why don’t you go in my place Steffie. I’m disappointed that I can’t go. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten together with Paula and Heather or any of the others.”

“Sounds like fun Audra. I’ll be glad to stand in for your Momma.”

“That’s great, I’ll call back and tell them we’re coming.”

“I wonder w
hat that’s all about” said Hallie. “It must have something to do with all those girls with their heads shaved or cut very short.”

“I think you’re right Momma. Penny said that Ginny had cut hers off about as short as mine, and that her Mom had gotten a buzz cut. And there was another girl who got her head shaved by Kate after she saw Melissa at the barber shop last week. I better call Melissa.” She hurried off to the phone in the kitchen.

“I’m looking forward to this” said Steffie. “That is going to be quite a sight with so many girls and women with very short haircuts or even bald. I’ll be just one of the crowd.”

“We’re supposed to be there at about ten thirty. It’s a buffet mostly, but they have a menu if you want it” said Audra. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

To be continued in Part 9