It’s just hair… – Ilze Gopal | My Denke
I was on the line-up at our favourite wateringhole for the soul, Expression Session Kuilsriver, on Sunday 26 June 2016. I contemplated doing a deep, insightful piece about living with Bipolar Disorder. I wanted to change perspectives en al dai goed. I ended up writing the piece an hour before I delivered it to the ears of eager listeners. I have never done a piece like this one, maybe it’s one of many. Through it I have discovered my love for storytelling.
I was gonna blow your minds with this amazing piece. I figured it was going to be about my mental state, basically about being a bipolaroid. An activist, spokesperson, sufferer of this acclaimed disorder. But then… The disorder got me. So I didn’t write the mind-shifting piece because I basically live the piece. Instead I’ll tell you about the past few hours.
Ons het omtrent half 8 vanoggend uit Worcester uit vertrek. My ma en sussie het ons op die stoep in die mis afgesien. Dit was die laaste ‘enkel-ma’ naweek met haar. Sy trou mos volgende naweek.
So ek en my Calvin vat toe die pad aan. ‘n Oggend koffietjie was eerste op die lys. Die kry ons toe by vida e caffé net buite Worcester. Ja mense daar is nou twee vidas by ons, een aan elke kant van die N1. Koop toe vir Cafe Mocha en toe ons al te ver is om om te draai – proe ek dat myne soos suurmelk proe! Curse of the first customer? Want Calvin se hot chocy was perfek!
Ons land toe nege uur se kant hier in kuila, daar by Kelly se kerk. En ek besef toe… Is ek dan nou ‘n pastoor se vrou? Dis al die tweede week dat Calvin preek. Moes ek hakskoene aangetrek het?? Maar ek’t vinnig daaroor gekom. As die pastoor (Calvin) net sneakers dra, is my rooi stewels seker okay.
Na die diens moes ons weer inderhaas huistoe, want Calvin moes gaan werk. Ons besluit toe op McDonald’s (baie gesond) en Calvin vat toe die triple boerie burger. Daai naam moet eintlik triple droë burger wees want daar’s nie n blaarslaaitje of sousie in sig nie. My meal was natuurlik die hele R29.90 werd.
Ek bly toe alleen oor by ons flat en try toe om my culture nap te vang. Maar my hare pla my toe al ‘n paar weke al. Ek kon dit nie gisteraand uitkam nie. My curls were amazing maar die gekoekery! My ouma sou die horries kry.
So toe vlieg ek op, trek aan en ry na die naaste barbershop. I walked in with my pounding hear and asked, can you cut my hair? Maar dink toe – natuurlik Ilze, dis n barbershop! Felix, die barber, sê toe take a seat en ek vat toe vir seat. En toe begin ek heeltemal uitfreak. Sê nou my man dink dis lelik. Sê nou die lemme is vuil. Sê nou die kar word gesteel. Sê nou, sê nou, sê nou….
Toe bid ek maar en smile en luister na die gezoem van die masjientjies. Eyes closed, I took everything in. From the sound of a bunch of buzzing bees, so close to my ear (dis nou die masjientjie ne). To the smell of surgical spirits and baby powder. English and French and the sounds of the commentators on wrestlemania filling the small shop. The questions – It that all your own hair? How long have you grown it? Why are you cutting it? And in the meantime I am thinking – Sny jy net my hare brother. But out of my mouth came a silly giggle want eintlik stress ek toe want Felix skeer dan nou net een kant se hare af. Al wat hy te sê het is toe; close your eyes I want to surprise you. All I was thinking was, my husband will surprise you with something else as jy nonsins anvang meneer. Maar clearly ken hy toe sy storie want hy het stap vir stap verduidelik wat hy maak. En als die vir net R40.
Soos die vuurwarm lem al teen my kop gesny het, bid ek toe net meer en bless toe sommer Felix hulle se besigheid en almal wat daar sit. Net om die nerves te kalmeer.
Maar een ding kan ek met groot oortuiging sê- cutting hair is an art!
So that was my storytelling session… It’s meant to bring insight into the mind and the life of someone living with bipolar disorder. Impulsivity was at the order of the day. Perhaps it was a gift, a better-received one. The previous Friday’s gift was rage that was not very well received. Living with this disorder is living life to the full. It’s lying down to take a nap and then cutting off 80% of your hair.
Author Ilze GopalPosted on July 12, 2016 July 12, 2016 Categories Bundles of jumbled words
July 12, 2016 at 14:07
Feels amazing to change one’ s hair. You’re fortunate in that you rock both long and short. Beautiful! Saludos 🙂
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