Dear Happy (Formula 1 - Daniel Ricciardo)

ELEVEN

May

May passed very much the same as April and before we knew it we were approaching June.

Restrictions had gradually started to ease throughout the country, but this didn't make much of a difference to our household. We were still only leaving the house for essentials, and in my case to increase the milage I was doing. I'd now decided that I wanted to run a marathon, however when this would be, I still wasn't sure. Maybe I'd just do one virtually?

We'd also managed to finish the little outbuilding, now fully converted into a small studio apartment. I'd had great fun decorating it and Mum had done an amazing job with the furniture. It would be perfect for other members of the family to come and stay without coming into the main house. It wasn't the original plan for the small building, but it was certainly a good use now in the current climate.

George was also currently winning the virtual GP series, having won the last 2 races with two more to go in June. If you'd have seen how seriously he was taking it to begin with, you certainly wouldn't have expected that.

And me? Well on the last day of May I was sat in the kitchen surrounded by my family, to have 12 inches of my long blonde hair cut off for charity.

*

"Mum can I cut it?" George was grinning widely. Mum had been a hairdresser in a previous life, so it wasn't a hard choice for who I'd allow to cut off so much of my hair, whatever the cause may be.

During lockdown my hair had continued to grow, and now that it was almost to my waist, I'd finally decided that it was time for a change. So what better way to do it, than to cut it off for a good cause. Lando Norris had already shaved his head during lockdown to raise money for the NHS. And this was in part where I'd got the idea. But I wasn't raising money, I was actually donating my hair to charity that made wigs for young people.

Mum had already wash, dried and trimmed my hair before tying it off in sections with elastics at the top bottom and middle of each section to be cut. Now all that was left was to cut each of them off just above the bands.

"As long as you cut it exactly where you're told to," I told George sternly. I was sat on a stool in the middle of the kitchen, the whole family watching on. George was the most eager to get involved in cutting off his sister's hair, something I should maybe been more worried about come to think of it. He'd probably dreamt of chopping off my plaits plenty of times when we were younger, and we'd had one of our many arguments.

Cara was watching on with great amusement at this. Probably also quite thankful that it wasn't her that our brother would be wielding scissors around. She was also playing the part of the videographer, as George was streaming on Instagram to the whole F1 community.

Dad and Dan were sat in the corner drinking coffee and waiting their turn. Mum was planning on doing all the haircuts in one go to save on cleaning the floor later.

"Ok George. Cut just above the band," Mum directed, the pair of them stood behind me.

"And that's one done," George guffawed, handing me the first of the three ponytails. There was no going back now.

The next two ponytails were gone within moments, all three sections of hair being carefully placed into a thick pre-addressed envelope ready to be sent to help young people in need. And for me it was a new start, as mum began tidying up my new bob and cutting in what she would call 'movement'.

George had finished his livestream soon after Cara had handed him back the phone after he'd chopped off the last ponytail, walking back into the room just as my phone started to ring across the room.

"Do you want me to answer it?" he asked, picking up the phone from the counter.

I didn't need to guess who was calling. It was around about lunchtime, and we hadn't spoken in a few days. "Sure go on."

"Hey Danny." I watched as George grinned at the camera. Cara's head cocked to one side in thought and looked at me. She still didn't know who it was I'd been calling so often. But now of course she did.

"Daniel Ricciardo?" she mouthed at me as a distinct Australian accent replied to George through the speakers.

I nodded, my sister raising her eyebrows at me cheekily as Mum continued to finish up cutting my hair. 

******

Hello. Thankyou so much to everyone that has recently discovered this story and added it to your reading lists. This chapter is pretty short and sweet but I'm sticking to how I envisaged this section of the story, its not crazy exciting but let's be honest neither was this period in any of our reals lives. 

I hope you enjoyed reading. x