NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR GOOD HAIR
NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR GOOD HAIR
NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR GOOD HAIR
‘Some folks will never like you because your Spirit irritates their Demons.’
As an Adult I find the above quote to be Profound beyond dispute, but, growing up I was yet to learn this. Back in the day these Truths had not been addressed or verbalized but were quite visible in the Black Community. The one I was most familiar with was ‘Good Hair’. This is not as apparent in today’s world of Hair Weave accessible to most everyone in any community…some Venders even accept EBT [food stamp] cards for payment.
On both sides of my family most everyone had what I perceive as ‘a nice texture of hair’ be it long OR Short. I myself had long straight, shoulder-length, semi-wavy hair as a child…not a big deal as I was a bit of a Tom Boy. I wanted to cut it but my Mama would not have it until I was High School age and could take care of it myself. Mama had long black straight hair which she wore in a beautiful pageboy style. Her motto was, ‘As long as you have hair on your head it’s Good Hair.’
Junior High School integrated all the elementary schools together resulting in meeting other students that you did not know especially true of the Black Community because there were four different Black Communities in Corcoran California. They were; Bootville aka Sunny Acres where I lived, North Avenue, 5 ½ Avenue, and Pickerel Avenue/across the Tracks. Even back then one had a certain Loyalty to their Hood. These Communities in those days had definite Invisible Boundaries of Segregation that were adhered to. It was the norm for this secluded sleepy small town even though Strikes and Demonstrations for Civil Rights were being waged across the Nation.
The year was 1963 when I registered for John Muir Junior High School…Mama was so young-looking the registrar thought SHE was the one registering. Mama grabbed my hand and pushed me forward telling her I was the student, the woman raised an eyebrow as I looked more like a 5th grader. We still laugh about that. I made some new friends from the other schools but remained loyal to friends from my own elementary school.
The school year flew by and before I knew it Summer Vacation was upon us. I was going into the 8th Grade and the new 7th Graders would be enrolling. I would be a Senior of Junior High and then on to High School as a Freshman.
The only fight I ever had in Junior & Senior High was with a Black girl who did not like me because I had ‘Good Hair’.
FLASH FORWARD
First day of 8th Grade I see a group of new 7th Graders standing in a group near the school bus drop off, as I walk by this one fat, black, girl stares me down giving me an uneasy feeling because I don’t know her and don’t care to know her. She has black frizzy hair with a hint of a wave pulled back in a puffy ponytail. Her unfriendly eyes follow me as she makes a snorting noise through her nose which is running and I can see boogers from where I am. I wonder to myself what her problem is.
From one of my friends who knew her I learned that she tended to be a Bully and her claim to fame was that she has ‘Good Hair.’ My only response was Booger Bully needs to wipe her nose…that’s nasty! Little did I know that my so called friend repeated our conversation to her sooner than later.
The next morning on my way to my first period class I see Booger Bully coming towards me; tree-trunk brown legs, huge stomach, fat arms moving as she walked. As the distance closed between us her mean eyes were zeroed in on me…my stomach dropped….I knew Trouble when I saw it.
The Behemoth blocked my way as other students came and went only curious in passing briefly glancing our way.
“I heard you was talking about me.” Booger accused me.
“I don’t even know you.” I responded trying to go around her.
“You think you bad ‘cause you got good hair, huh?” She reached out and shoved me hard.
All I could think of was do NOT let this fat cow knock you down….now the other students were stopping to look.
I pushed her back with all of my eighty pounds of might…her girth solid like a wall did not budge. Now all the other students were yelling, “Fight! Fight!”.
Before I could regain my balance Booger knocked my books out of my hands and I felt myself going down. I landed on my stomach scrambling trying to bounce back up but the buffalo sat on me! I could not budge her 200 pounds of Funk….her stinky punanni smelled like rotten fish and it was making me sick. I kicked my feet and flapped my arms screaming at the top of my lungs but she did not make a move to lift her funky self off me until a teacher came and demanded she get up.
Thankfully the first bell rang and the students dispersed but me and Booger Bully were escorted to the Principal’s office. I was mad because my clothes were messed up and I couldn’t get that foul punanni smell out of my nostrils….ugh!
The Principal questioned what on earth we could be fighting about in the first week of school…I refused to elaborate other than saying Booger started it. Booger lied and said I started it. The Principal looked at me then back at her saying, “I seriously doubt that but you are both suspended for one day.”
I walked home trying to get my speech together so my mother would not be mad, I decided to just tell the Truth. I told my Mama that the Booger Bully did not like me on sight because I had ‘good hair’. Surprisingly Mama was not upset with me and just shook her head. In retrospect I’m sure she had faced the same thing growing up and therefore could relate.
When I went back to school the next day I of course was made fun of because Booger Bully sat on me but I didn’t care…I refused to back down. When I saw her I was surprised to see that I had actually landed a blow she had a huge bruise on her right cheek…it was my fist print! Whenever we encountered each other she attempted to trash-talk me but I ignored her for the most part. One day when we were on lunch break she started up again.
Before I knew it I shouted out in front of everyone, “Yeah and your Pussy smells like rotten fish!”
Booger Bully stopped in mid-sentence looked around embarrassed to see if the other kids heard what I said; they did, and were laughing uproariously. She walked her fat ass away as fast as she could. After that she more or less left me alone but whenever we passed each other she glared at me and I glared back.
I was looking forward to graduation and did not have time to be bothered with her.
It took a couple of days for that hideous smell to vacate my nostrils.
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