"I said it's set. You're going to get all dressed up and have a good time whether you like it or not, and you're going to make me proud and give me something to brag about when I'm with my
girlfriends, hear? This is one Saturday night you're not going to be shut up in your roam singing to yourself or out there with your father and me listening to his antique records."
"But--"
"No buts, Ice. I want you to make a good effort toward having a good time. Do it for me if not for yourself." she added in a softer tone, practically begging, g. Her face looked pained with the effort.
I stared at her a moment and then looked down, "Well?"
"Okay. Mama," I said.
"Good. Good. You're going to be thanking me afterward,'" she predicted. "You should be grateful that you have a mother who knows how to dress up and look good. too. Other girls depend on their friends or something they see in a magazine and usually look pretty stupid. I'm right here, at your side, giving you the knowledge I have from real experience.
"First thing we at to do is get your hair cut right."
"What? No. Mama, I don't want to cut my hair," I moaned,
"Of course you do. You don't know it right now, maybe, but once you're in the shop and my personal beautician Dawn starts working on your mop, you'll be very happy about it." she practically ordered. "You can't just keep your hair brushed down all the time. It looks drab."
She reached out and touched my hair
"And it doesn't have the body and silky satin feel it should. Men like to touch nice hair and see a woman whose face is framed right. You're not taking advantage of your good qualities. Ice. I've been after you for months to do something about this... this mess, well now we have a reason to do it and we will.
"After that, well go look for a dress. Maybe we'll take advantage of some of those discounts your father gets, discounts we don't use enough. You'll need some new shoes. too."
"I don't want to cut my hair. Mama."'
"I already made your beauty parlor
appointment. It's tomorrow at nine."
"Tomorrow at nine? But be in school. Mama."
"Not tomorrow, you won't."'
"But--"
"You don't ever miss a day. Ice. You can miss one and don't tell me you can't. I see some of the girls in your class hanging around here during the school day, pretending to be sick or something and having a good old time of it. No one comes around to check on them either. At least you have a good reason not to go."
"Getting your hair done is not a good reason to cut school. Mama."
"It is to me, especially when you don't ever go and get it done, and especially when you have an important occasion coming up," she insisted.
"Important occasion." I mumbled under my breath.
"Yes." she said wagging her head. "it is an important occasion. It's like what they call those debutante balls or something, a coming-out."
I started to smile and her face turned hard and cold. "Are you laughing at me. Ice?"
"No, Mama."
"Don't you go showing your stuck-up face to me."
"I'm not being stuck-up. But Mama, this is not anything like a debutante ball."
"It is to me and it should and will be to you. Now that's it. You can thank me later." she added and left me stunned and anxious about what she had don't.
It was almost like the old days when parents arranged the marriages their children would have. If any of my classmates found out what she had dont. I would really be the object of ridicule. I thought. Knowing Mama's girlfriends. it wasn't hard to believe the gossip would fly.