My lovely friend Martha, who I personally think is one of the best hairdressers in Tamale, did my hair for me. It has been years since I have done braids or some sort of style. The weather has just gotten to me. It is so hot i just had to get my hair off my face and neck. I found some pictures on the internet and showed Martha what I wanted. She said she could do it. The days and days of over 100 degrees with another month or so to go and my awkward-growing-out-stage-of-hair, which does not quite reach into a pony tail, flies all over from the wind because my car’s air conditioning is broken. Most often I use a thick band to hold back my hair but the back sort of touches my neck and it just adds to the heat. Whine, whine, whine, I know sorry.
So, I found a braid style that pulled all my curly frizzies away from my face. Ghanaian women can go a couple months with their braided hair style but my slippery, fine hair cannot hold a braid for more than a week. I am hoping for a week. Let’s see…
Martha has apprentices she is training who all watch her and take part in small ways. I had fake hair added to my braids to make it stay in longer. They did not have my color of hair, and yes, I asked if she had grey hahaha but no, so we went with blonde! Hilarious. After she did the two braids up the back to the top and then the two from forehead to top (you will understand when you see the pics) she made a ball with the ends. It looked a bit silly, those endings, the lil’ nub of my hair. Martha asked if I wanted to add some hair and make a big braid. “yeah, why not!” and got a Princess Leia braided bun at the top of my head. It is sewed in to my hair and the other braids.
But what I wanted to be accomplished, has been accomplished. My frizzies and flyaways are tied up. It is wonderful. I have no hair on my neck. Now, I have hit my bun on my car climbing in and out, and the day after the braids were put in I had a headache because they are so tight, but after all that I am happy. And it is always nice to support local women with their own businesses. And of course, it is wonderful just to hang out with the lovely Martha.
