While at work today, I came across a photo of one of my cousins posted on WhatsApp status. My dad and my uncles were in the photo, and all of them had newly barbed hair in a completely bald style, as tradition demanded following the death of my dad's step-grandfather. Seeing the photo took my mind back to when I was very young and used to barb my hair in that same style, which my mom could easily do for us.
Let me explain.
It involved using a razor blade to completely shave the head, leaving no hair behind. The head would be shining after the hair had been shaved, and oily cream would be applied to it. The hairstyle cost us nothing except the price of a razor blade, which was just ₦5 back then.
If I could meet my younger self, I would love for us to reminisce about those moments again.
I would want it to feel as though I were having a conversation with my 12-year-old son (although I'm yet to have a family of my own), during which I would share those memories of when life was stressful for everyone. Imagine how easy it was for my parents to manage our hair expenses, with my mom needing only a razor blade to shave our heads without paying a dime for a barber, compared to how things are these days.
I would share how much we disliked the idea of having our hair shaved in that style, but we had no other option because it helped our parents save money. I would also share how awkward it felt to go to school the next day with that hairstyle, knowing that we would be mocked by our classmates. However, we had no choice but to endure the mockery.
This made some of us find ways to stay away from school whenever we had our heads shaved in that style, hoping that a little hair would grow back before we returned, so our bald heads wouldn't look so obvious and shiny.
It would surely be an interesting flow of conversation.
Thanks for reading.
Photo: chagpt
This is my entry to Indiaunited contest
