Three Wishes

"Snip-snip".... Goes the sound of the scissors.

Layla's hair fall to the floor chunk by chunk.

Her eyes were glued to the mirror,focused on her hair that's been cut off by herself.

~Yeah,i got tired of my long hair.

~I think short hair is the trend now.

~I just want to know how short hair feels like for a while.

~It's gonna grow back soon.

Those are the words she's gonna say to the people who asks right?

Who's even going to?

Does anyone even care about her?

They are going to mock her instead,but she doesn't care anymore.

Gone are those days she cries whenever she was been mocked.

Gone are the days she hides by her desk to avoid been seen and taunted.

And gone are the days...

"Layla! What are you doing" She heard her aunt's shrill voice.

"Cutting off my hair" She replied drily, knowing Philia,her late mother's younger sister doesn't even care what she does to herself.

Philia hates her like she hated her father.

And if it hadn't been for the death of her mother and brother, Philia would never have taken her in.

Philia hated her like everyone else just because her father is black.

"Why are you cutting it?" Phila asked as she walked closer to Layla.

"Do you even care?" Layla asked slowly.

"Of course i do, i won't allow you scare my customers away with your looks, you are ugly enough..and now cutting your hair.. Darn it! you should just say you're tired of helping me in my coffee shop!" Philia said,with a raised voice, she actually wished Layla was indeed ugly.

Who would even believe Layla was the daughter of that ugly black man! Of course Layla had taken after her mother in looks,no one would ever know she has a black father until they are told.

Her fair skin,flawless even more than those whose both parents were whites, she was born with hazel eyes which were rare and her lips,pink and plump,her nose isn't left out in the perfectness of her looks and her brown-golden hair that was long enough to her back was now being reduced to a bob which still stood fine on her head,it changed her look a bit.

Her height is perfect for her age and she only took after her father in body shape, she isn't as skinny as most American teens, Layla has a great and admirable body and her boobs were even bigger than Philia's which always made Philia mad all the time.

"I'm not going to scare your customers away and I'm not tired of helping you in your cafe" Layla said, already used to Philia's hurtful words.

"You wouldn't even dare stop helping me in my cafe except you're ready to go meet your father poor relations in Africa to fend for you!" Philia said.

"And why always speaking of Africa like it's the worst place in the world! Why always speaking of my father like he's less human, why do you hate me so much just because my father is black! You were on bad terms with my Mum till she died just because she married an African,a Nigerian. Philia,do you always have to be this way? You always claim most Africans are inhumane..If there's anything..you're the one acting inhumane here" Layla said,with a look Philia has never seen before.

She stood there, shocked at Layla's outburst.

Layla has always been mute and even cry at times, whenever her father or his relations was spoken ill of.

"So great to see you're finally acting like the black! you are!" Philia said,not sounding as shocked as she felt.

"Ohh..really? If that's truly how blacks speak up,then I'm so proud to be one" Layla smiled,now trimming the Bob she had made for herself.

She ignored Philia's stabbing glare.

"I musn't get to the shop before you!" Philia yelled before slamming Layla's door.

Layla laughed,it felt so surprisingly good to have spoken up for the first time and seeing Philia look so upset was so satisfying...she really made the right decision but she wondered sadly if she would ever have made the decision to stand up for herself if it hadn't been for what happened yesterday.

She shrugged sadly, having promised herself never to think about it.

She carefully and slowly trimmed the uneven edges of the Bob, she knew Philia isn't gonna get to the shop before her because one of the men who do shag her is waiting in her room and they do spend hours at it.

*

"Oh..well" Layla shook her head slowly, making her neatly cut Bob bounce.

She was a bit surprised to have done a good job, although she had always helped Bryan, her late younger brother trim his hair but she never thought she'd do so great at her own.

She rose to her feet and winced at the pain she felt in her leg.

"Gosh, that motherfucker" She swore angrily.

A guy who had come to get coffee had spilled a cup of hot coffee on her leg and had left without even turning to look at her or apologize.

The hot coffee had bruised her skin and it hurts so much that she now limps.

"I'm so gonna kill him whenever i see him" She said as she packed the chunks of hair on the floor.

She hadn't even seen his face,just his hair which was brown and then a scar at the back of his neck.

She lit the fireplace in her room and then started burning the chunks of hair.

🔥🔥

She stood in front of her mirror after freshening up and getting into fresh wears.

Her short wet hair clung to her cheeks and she felt a bit sad to have cut her hair.

She's missing her long wavy hair already but then it's for the better.

Of course she wouldn't have reduced her hair to a bob for no reason but for now, things are better left unsaid and even unthought.

She dried her hair with the dryer and then comb through it.

Anyone would think a professional had helped her with her hair.

Perhaps,she should go for a hair course in the future..she thought and laughed.

☕☕

Layla limped-walked into Philia's coffee shop and headed to the counter.

She said hi to Aria, Philia's only worker before dropping her bag.

Aria gasped..."You've cut your hair"

Layla nodded.

"Why?" Aria asked, she's one of the few people who remained nice to Layla even after knowing her father is black.

"I..just wanted it" Layla shrugged.

"Ohh..it looks nice on you by the way" Aria said and Layla said 'thank you' with a smile.

She washed her hands to start helping, when she saw Philia walk out of her small office.

Darn it.

No dinner for her tonight.