four people getting their hair did by four very pretty black stylists.
It took me a minute, but when I realized who these hairdressers were, I could hardly believe it. It was Allyah, Jalissa, Shonelle, and her sister Charmaine! “Akeilya!” they squealed, “long time no see!”. I ran over to them and gave them each a hug, which then turned into a big group hug. They were right it had been way too long.
Jamal and me took a seat in one of the orange leather chairs against the walls and we told them about our engagement, about my life in the new town I had been living in with Mama, and about my dream about being a beautician.
Turns out, all the girls had saved all their money and bought this place for cheap and had been doing successful since the day it opened. They told me they had a lot of new clients coming in and they had been running around nonstop and were actually looking for another stylist. Jalissa said she had interviewed a few girls from Jamal’s old building, but none of them really had fit the criteria of what they was looking for. Allyah, who was the general manager of the shop offered the position to me right then and there. I didn’t have to think twice or even at all to say yes. I would start tomorrow after Jamal and I finished unpacking my things tonight. As we were leaving, I told them how Mama vowed she would come in every single time she needed her hair did and Charmaine called out “Yeah, and she better bring me some of ‘dem peanut butter cookies!” That got us all laughing, even Jamal and the women getting their hair did. I told Charmaine I would let her know and then that I would see all of them tomorrow bright and early.
After we left the barbershop, Jamal and me went to “Titos Tacos”, a new taco stand that Jamal said was superb and very popular. We got our food to go, then walked back to the flat with it. When we reached the room, we sat on cardboard boxes as we ate and talked. Then we unpacked all my stuff and organized it as best as we could for the time being. I helped Jamal over in his flat too till it was time for me to go across the hall to go to bed.
That night, as I lay in bed in my apartment, I had a lot of things on my mind, not sad thoughts, but rather good, exciting, positive notions. I thought about the familiar city sounds, Allyah, Jalissa, Shonelle, her sister Charmaine, Mama back at her house in Baltimore, Jamal, and how I, Miss, but soon to be Mrs. Akeilya Beal, live back on the Brooklyn block in apartment B-6.
Matthew Stein is a young writer from Michigan who is interested in writing for the youth, including poetry. He enjoys writing short stories especially horror and is working on screenplays for films. Currently he is in a bachelor's degree program at Full Sail University for Creative Writing for Entertainment.
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