Jessica (42): “I wake up and immediately know: my hair. I get out of bed and wake the children, who both react the same. A little surprised at first: ‘Hey, your hair color is different again!’ And then laugh out loud. “Mom, your hair is green,” the youngest sighs. They still laugh every time during breakfast, but they understand that I am not walking to school today. If it had been winter now, I could have put on a hat, but the weather is far too nice for that.
Luckily they are old enough to go together.
After I wave goodbye to the children from behind the window, I walk to the bathroom. What I see in the harsh light of day is a slap in the face. My beautiful dark brown hair has turned into a strange orange-blonde color with a green cast. I can cry like yesterday. How stupid can a person be? What was I thinking? Well, I know what I was thinking: I’m going to cut spending. This is due to the new amount we spend on gas and electricity, well over a hundred euros more per month – exactly what I spend on the hairdresser every six weeks.
carrot red
How I wish I could turn back time. I see myself again standing in front of the haircolor rack at the local drugstore. When I saw the color Royal Honey, I decided on a whim that this was my new color. Entire tribes dye their hair themselves, so how hard could it be? I did everything exactly as instructed, but when I was done my hair turned out not to be honey colored, but carrot red. I broke out in a sweat. I put on a hoodie, put the hood on, went to the drug store again and bought the color True Pearl to get my hair really blond. As soon as the kids were in bed, I got back to work. The result was blondish with a green cast.
What a gift!
While I look in the mirror, I decide to call my friend Ingrid. She always knows what to do. I dare not go to my own hairdresser, then I must confess that I have done this out of sheer frugality. Ingrid sympathizes with me and gives me the name of a hairdresser who is well known. I call immediately and to my immense relief I can be seen at 4 o’clock this afternoon. Still quite a few hours to go. I’m so restless that I’m just going to clean, that’s a nice distraction. Suddenly I realize that I forgot to tell the children to come home from school themselves. I really won’t show up like that in the schoolyard, not even with a hood on. I call the school, tell them I’m having a migraine and ask them to tell the kids to come home themselves. But then I get a text from a mother from school that she takes the children and they can stay for dinner. What a gift! I also don’t have to arrange a babysitter for later.
Two hundred euros
Well before four o’clock I get into the car, the hood pulled deep over my head again. Once plopped down in the barber chair, the barber examines my hair meticulously. According to him, it must first be bleached and then repainted. The emulsion is applied and again tears well up in my eyes, but this time from the pain. My scalp is burning like crazy. Just before closing time, it’s done and I have my trusty brown locks back. At the cash register, I was shocked by the amount. If I add the hair dye I bought, I have lost almost two hundred euros in two days. Before I drive away, I call the mother from school to tell her that my headache has subsided and arrange what time I will pick up the children. I haven’t hung up yet or my husband calls. He cheerfully tells that the negotiations have gone well and that he will be home tonight. How was my day? “Oh, good dear, just, as always,” I say cheerfully.”
You can read how this story continues here.