I was sitting at the island of granite in my kitchen. My mom stood directly in front of me, barely keeping the tears from spilling over. Her blonde hair framed her flushed face, her hands twisting uncomfortably as she finished telling me that my three year old cousin had cancer. Shock washed through my body, and I went numb all over. How could this be happening? I had just seen her, I had just held her and she was fine. Now her face was a mess of bruises with cancer coursing through her blood.
It seemed like an eternity before anyone said anything. These kinds of things didn’t happen to our family, that’s what my uncle said. It seemed like the world was turned upside down again, last week my grandmother had passed away. I felt like I couldn’t get my feet on solid ground.
That’s when my sister came slowly down the stairs. Her long hair dripping wet, dark brown and slippery. She sat down on the stool next to me and smiled. Despite everything that was happening everything would work out, that smile seemed to say to me. No matter what, everything would work itself out.
“Mom, do you think that Monica could cut my hair tomorrow?” Madi practically whispered this statement.
“Yeah, I’m already heading down there.” My mom said pushing herself off the counter, then she started scrubbing the dishes.
“I want to donate it to Locks of Love.” Madi swept her thick hair out of her face and smiled. “I meet all the requirements.”
My mom stopped and turned to look at her. “Are you sure you want to do that?” My mom’s smile matched Madi’s. I noticed that my mom was choking back tears. This was a sacrifice for Madi. A part of her, I don’t know how small a part that was, identified with her long hair. It was the only thing that could help people tell the two of us apart. Me having the short hair, and her having the long. It was a part of both of us.
“Yeah, it’s just hair. Eventually it will all grow back.” She gave a small shrug of her shoulders and let out a small bark of laughter.
“Alright, we can do this.” Mom said quietly smiling again.
Then what Madi did next completely shocked me. “My hair will be as short as yours. Is that alright with you?”
I looked at her and found myself smiling. “Of course.”
Madi gave up a part of herself for a while, temporarily turning into me despite the fact that no one would know she was herself. She let a piece of herself go to someone else, someone that she didn’t know. That day she became my hero, too.
It seemed like an eternity before anyone said anything. These kinds of things didn’t happen to our family, that’s what my uncle said. It seemed like the world was turned upside down again, last week my grandmother had passed away. I felt like I couldn’t get my feet on solid ground.
That’s when my sister came slowly down the stairs. Her long hair dripping wet, dark brown and slippery. She sat down on the stool next to me and smiled. Despite everything that was happening everything would work out, that smile seemed to say to me. No matter what, everything would work itself out.
“Mom, do you think that Monica could cut my hair tomorrow?” Madi practically whispered this statement.
“Yeah, I’m already heading down there.” My mom said pushing herself off the counter, then she started scrubbing the dishes.
“I want to donate it to Locks of Love.” Madi swept her thick hair out of her face and smiled. “I meet all the requirements.”
My mom stopped and turned to look at her. “Are you sure you want to do that?” My mom’s smile matched Madi’s. I noticed that my mom was choking back tears. This was a sacrifice for Madi. A part of her, I don’t know how small a part that was, identified with her long hair. It was the only thing that could help people tell the two of us apart. Me having the short hair, and her having the long. It was a part of both of us.
“Yeah, it’s just hair. Eventually it will all grow back.” She gave a small shrug of her shoulders and let out a small bark of laughter.
“Alright, we can do this.” Mom said quietly smiling again.
Then what Madi did next completely shocked me. “My hair will be as short as yours. Is that alright with you?”
I looked at her and found myself smiling. “Of course.”
Madi gave up a part of herself for a while, temporarily turning into me despite the fact that no one would know she was herself. She let a piece of herself go to someone else, someone that she didn’t know. That day she became my hero, too.
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