gum web
Last night I did something stupid. I fell asleep with a gum in my mouth. Mum often said, one day I would wake up with a gum web on my face. Well, I didn’t. Instead I had gum webs all over my hair. It looked a right mess.
And when Mum walked into my room in the morning, she said,
“A right mess you’ve made of it. We’re off to the hairdresser’s for a total shave off.”
I sulked all the way to the bathroom then I said,
“I’m not having my hair shaved off. I’ll wash it.”
Mum said, “No amount of washing will get rid of this mess.”
I growled and said, ‘I’m not going to the hairdresser’s.
Mum stayed quiet whilst I brushed my teeth.
I made faces in the mirror to comfort myself. Then I came up with a brilliant plan.
“I’ll ask Tommy my special friend to help. No one will know any different.”
Mum said, “Come along Lisa. Stop making faces in the mirror. We have breakfast to get on with and then straight off to see Sally.”
Down stairs in the kitchen, Dad was buried in his paper, and drinking his coffee in small funny sips.
“That’s a right mess you’ve made of your hair.” He said, “Nothing short of a miracle or a complete shave off will sort it.”
I stuck my tongue out at him, pulled my cereal bowl towards myself, poured out some cornflakes, then milk, and tucked in. I often thought Dad was really rude the way he talked to me.
After a few mouthfuls and a total silence, I whispered, “Tommy, please help.”
Tommy’s face shone through the patio windows. He made a V sign for victory, with his right hand then disappeared. I knew he was going to help.
Dad continued to read his paper. Mum was at the sink washing up, and I pushed my chair back and ran outside. I sat on the grass, picked a daisy and started counting. ‘will it work, or will it not?’
There were eight petals. When my counting ended with ‘will it not’, I started to cry.
Tommy wasn’t there, and the petals didn’t work. May be I imagined the V sign and his face in the patio windows.
A feeling of extreme heat round my head startled me, but I stayed calm. I sensed Tommy’s presence though I couldn’t see him. After a while the heat subsided. I stopped crying and touched my hair. It was all smooth. Not one knot was left in it.
I whispered a quick thank you, and walked back into the kitchen.
Mum didn’t notice a thing, and Dad was still buried in his newspaper.
Mum said, “Come on Lisa. Let’s go. Sally the hairdresser is waiting for us.
I didn’t make a fuss. I thought Mum will see it for herself when we got there.
And when Mum walked into my room in the morning, she said,
“A right mess you’ve made of it. We’re off to the hairdresser’s for a total shave off.”
I sulked all the way to the bathroom then I said,
“I’m not having my hair shaved off. I’ll wash it.”
Mum said, “No amount of washing will get rid of this mess.”
I growled and said, ‘I’m not going to the hairdresser’s.
Mum stayed quiet whilst I brushed my teeth.
I made faces in the mirror to comfort myself. Then I came up with a brilliant plan.
“I’ll ask Tommy my special friend to help. No one will know any different.”
Mum said, “Come along Lisa. Stop making faces in the mirror. We have breakfast to get on with and then straight off to see Sally.”
Down stairs in the kitchen, Dad was buried in his paper, and drinking his coffee in small funny sips.
“That’s a right mess you’ve made of your hair.” He said, “Nothing short of a miracle or a complete shave off will sort it.”
I stuck my tongue out at him, pulled my cereal bowl towards myself, poured out some cornflakes, then milk, and tucked in. I often thought Dad was really rude the way he talked to me.
After a few mouthfuls and a total silence, I whispered, “Tommy, please help.”
Tommy’s face shone through the patio windows. He made a V sign for victory, with his right hand then disappeared. I knew he was going to help.
Dad continued to read his paper. Mum was at the sink washing up, and I pushed my chair back and ran outside. I sat on the grass, picked a daisy and started counting. ‘will it work, or will it not?’
There were eight petals. When my counting ended with ‘will it not’, I started to cry.
Tommy wasn’t there, and the petals didn’t work. May be I imagined the V sign and his face in the patio windows.
A feeling of extreme heat round my head startled me, but I stayed calm. I sensed Tommy’s presence though I couldn’t see him. After a while the heat subsided. I stopped crying and touched my hair. It was all smooth. Not one knot was left in it.
I whispered a quick thank you, and walked back into the kitchen.
Mum didn’t notice a thing, and Dad was still buried in his newspaper.
Mum said, “Come on Lisa. Let’s go. Sally the hairdresser is waiting for us.
I didn’t make a fuss. I thought Mum will see it for herself when we got there.