The premature breakup with my best hairdresser

hairdresser

A hairstylist braids a female client's hair at a salon.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

What you need to know:

  •  And then Covid-19 happened, and just like that, our long-running, trustworthy and comfortable relationship, which had stood the test of time, was dismantled.
  • Another long-established relationship that came to a premature end was the one that I had with the mama mbogas who sold me vegetables at the market I frequented.

I am a creature of habit, so much so that I had the same hairdresser from my early 20s way into my 30s. Being a loyal customer, I faithfully followed her to every salon that she moved to in search of greener pastures, and they must have been more than five.

 And then Covid-19 happened, and just like that, our long-running, trustworthy and comfortable relationship, which had stood the test of time, was dismantled.

Working from home meant that I rarely went to the CBD, and even when I did, I was wary of sitting in an enclosed area for hours having my hair done, what with the virus being airborne and all. When my hair began to look like that of the Mau Mau, I eventually walked into the most decent salon I could find near where I lived and got my hair done.

Other hairdressers

 It doesn’t make sense, but as I sat there having my hair washed for the first time in weeks, I felt as if I was cheating on Akoth. The feeling was intensified when she sent me a message on WhatsApp later that evening simply stating, “umepotea…”

The guilt aside, though, I realised that there were other hairdressers who could do as good a job or even better. As it is now, being a creature of habit, I have become attached to my new hairdresser and see us having a long and fruitful relationship.

Another long-established relationship that came to a premature end was the one that I had with the mama mbogas who sold me vegetables at the market I frequented.

 A popular market in a central location, it was always full to the brim, especially on weekends, where moving from one vendor to the next was usually a nightmare due to teeming humanity. When Covid-19 found its way to the country that became a no-go zone for me.

Big drawback

I began to do my shopping in a smaller, less populated market nearer home. Adjusting was difficult, since in the other market, I had known where to get what and from whom. I was, therefore, there in and out within a short time. As you can imagine, it took some time to get my bearing in the new one and identify vendors that had what I wanted.

This pandemic has unsettled life as we knew it, and in a matter of days, the timetable many of us had followed for years, and which had given our lives structure, was no longer applicable. But in the process, we have learnt that there are options beyond what we knew and were used to, and that life still goes on even when the blanket is yanked away.

 That there are other ways of doing things, that losing a job, though a big drawback, crippling for some, is a chance to eventually start afresh, to look for other options that we hadn’t considered, to start a business even.

 And for those that were fortunate enough to retain their jobs, a lesson that nothing lasts forever, that it is important to have plan B, that a second stream of income is a necessity because life is not certain.