Just a matter of time

Monday Morning Traffic

Ugh, Mondays. Why does it have to be Monday? I'm stuck in traffic with my Grandma driving her to her early morning Pilates session. I start tapping my wheel in time with the music. I'm gonna be so late for work! Ugh. After what feels like hours, the cars in front of me start moving. Yes!

"Did you say something dear?" Damn it! I must have spoken out loud again. "My hearing aids aren't working very well. I'll have to go to the, the um, what do you call it again? You know the one that tests my ears?"

"You mean the otolaryngologist?" I say pushing my foot hard on the pedal making her jerk slightly. Oops.

"Ah yes! That's it! He's a nice chap you know. Good strong British accent he has, reminds me of home." She stared outside the window, deep in thought.

"I'd like to take you there one day you know, show you around the place. Oh well, I guess it's too late now." She gives me a warm smile and pats my knee. I could only smile back at her. She was the sweetest person I've ever known in my whole twenty four years of life. She's taken care of me since I was a child.

When I was younger, about 6, my parents decided to go on an anniversary/honeymoon trip around America. They ended up loving Texas (I don't even know why) and bought a small house near a farm. I stayed in Australia with Grandma and we kinda took care of each other since then. It's been great since I've gotten my licence. I have more independence now, and I can drive myself wherever I want.

I pulled into the car park and let Grandma out. She just said a simple bye and walked off. I liked the way we understood each other. She wouldn't embarrass me in public, or grab my cheeks and pull on them. She's kinda cool.

I had work today, so I drove down to the salon. Tracy had already started washing some kids hair, while her mom sat and read a magazine. I gave her a quick wave and she nodded at me. I put on my black apron over my blue jeans and white shirt.

My first customer walked in. Quite awkwardly might I add. I then realised that she had 6 inch heels on her feet and quickly sat down on the waiting chair and massaged her feet. She looked pretty dressed up if you ask me, but her makeup was smudged. She had long, thick, dark brown hair going down to her hip.

I slowly walked over to her. "Hi, I'm Sophia, can I um, help you?" I said pushing my hair behind my ear. Well, talk about my amazing speaking skills right there. She swang her legs over the couch and stood up.

"Yeah I'm Rachel. I've booked for a hair dye?" I checked my computer, and sure enough she was there.

"Yep, you're booked, come take a seat. I'll be back in a minute." I gesture to a dressing table and walk to the back room where the colours are and pick out the magazine choices.

"Hey Sophia! Now you know how much I love your work ethic..." I knew that she wanted me to cover her shift so she could be with her boyfriend so it was fine with me.

"Go ahead." I smirked. Tracy hasn't seen Blaine in 3 months, and he's only in Australia for a couple more weeks before he has to go back to Hong Kong.

"Oh my god thank you so much Soph! I love you so much! I owe you big time!"

"Go get 'em tiger!" She kissed me on both cheeks, chucked her apron on the hook and skipped out the building. Wow, I wish I was that enthusiastic.

Okay back to Rachael. "Did you have something in mind?" I gave her the magazine and started brushing her perfectly straight hair. She flicked through a couple of pages and then closed it quickly. Looking slightly scared.

" I, I think I want, um....." She paused for a moment and pointed to a picture of a girl with a blonde shoulder length perm. Boy, that's gonna be tough.

"Okay so you want everything, colour, perm, length?"

"Um, yeah I guess." She sounded so nervous.

"Uh, sweetie, is there a reason why you want this style? Like you hair is really healthy and dead straight. So many girls your age would literally kill for this. I mean I'm cool with it and all, I was just wondering."

She nods her head then shakes it unsure, and puts her head in her hands sobbing unevenly. All I could do was think of Grandma would do so I turn her around to face me and give her a big hug and let her cry into my chest. I rub her back softly and push her hair behind her face. She finally looks up and all her make up is now run down her cheeks.

"Rachael? Here I'll go put the kettle on." I hand her a box of tissues and run to the kitchen. Poor girl, what has happened? Finally, the tea is ready and she seems to have calmed down. I hand her a hot cup and join her.

"Here, it's herbal. So Rachael, if your comfortable that is, why are you upset?" I've been a part-time hair dresser for a while now, and even though my speaking skills are great, I sure know how to be a friend when they need one.

"I don't even know anymore." She sipped her tea carefully and I could see her hands shaking. "I just don't remember much that's all. It comes and goes in flashes."

"It's okay, we can get there," I paused. "Just tell me what you remember."

"Well yesterday was my 18th and as a celebration my friends took me out for dinner. My mum was fine with it and my dad, well let's just say he doesn't care what I do anymore." She wiped away the running mascara between sniffles.

"Are you parents split?" She nodded.

"So we went by train to the city and met my, uh, boyfriend I guess at his apartment before we left. At around six o'clock, we left for this new restaurant in town. We were all good, having a laugh, they sang Happy Birthday to me, and ate some delicious food. By this time, we had had a few drinks each. So my boyfriend suggested we go to some clubs. I remember beer pong, and dancing, and sweaty people everywhere but not much else. I'm pretty sure I drank my way through the night. All my friends had rides so I was planning to get a taxi home. But to be honest it was so late, I just couldn't be bothered."