IN THE HEIGHTS

7

6 year old Vanessa hated her hair. It was long and sleek. She'd look at Nina's short, ringleted hair, golden brown with a small, silver headband weaved amongst it. Nessa would play with Nina's hair for hours, but whenever Nina braided Vanessa's hair, the twists and braids would fall out the second she loosened her grip.

When she was 10, her mom gave up washing her hair for her. It got messy and knotted and she even found a few pieces of jewellery in there once or twice. It even got to the point where Abuela was taking her inside and sitting her in the bath to give her hair a wash every week until Vanessa had successfully washed her hair thoroughly.

It took her 4 years to master how to braid and pin it herself. She came into school with it plaited and twisted and pinned into a bun, her bangs clipped to her head. Usnavi was the first to mention anything (when is he not), saying it was nice and it suited her. He would never tell her that he preferred it down, covering her shoulders and framing her face.

By the time she was 17 and 18, she was going to the club every night, her hair loosely around her face and over her shoulders. She washed and brushed it daily. Nina had told her that washing it every day was bad for her hair but Vanessa wasn't having her hair smell like last nights hook up.

As she broke free of her habits and started spending more time with the important people, her hair became cleaner, softer and better maintained. Carla would run her fingers through it and beg to plait it almost daily. Nessa would laugh and let her most days.

When she had a daughter of her own, she made sure to keep her hair beautiful and soft just as it had been the day she was born. Of course, the little girl had been curious and had smiled innocently at Auntie Dani, asking her to put her hair into that beautiful braid again for school. And from there, the cycle of hair almost repeated itself. Obviously skipping the 'I'm a grown up at I'm going clubbing' stage because to hell if Usnavi was letting his little girl out clubbing like her mom had done so many times before.