MY MOMMA THE BEST ROLE MODEL EVER!

I can remember when Mama was ready to do my hair

it seems to be always in the middle of Gunsmoke

Matt Dillon was just about to say something serious to Miss Kitty

and Mama would yell "you're next to get in here"

no chance I'd mess around getting in the kitchen because whenever it was my turn

mama was just about out of patience

see me being last to get my hair done didn't make it any better

since I had the shortest, thickest, and nappiest hair of all my sisters

after six heads of hair (I have five sisters) plus I make 6 every Saturday night was taken a toll on Mama

with all that ducking and dodging from that old straightening comb

sometimes that old straightening comb got so hot that Mama had to quickly grab one of her good tea towels to hold the hot handle

this didn't make Mama too happy sometimes almost burning her hand, hum

To grease our scalps Mama would put on the backside of her hand a big pile of My Night, Polly Peachtree, Dixie Peach, Royal Crown or whatever was on sale that week

then she put that old straightening comb into that blazing fire on the stove while the comb was heating up

mama would start to part and section my hair in preparation for the straightening ceremony

she would twist each piece and pin it down with hairpins while stabbing my scalp zillion and one time

She'd part my hair as if she was trying to draw a permanent road map in my head

out of one eye, I'd peek at that old straightening comb and watch the hot rod change from black to Flaming red from flaming red to Electric ready blue

then mama would puck up her lips and gently blow a cool mist of spit along that smoking hot rod

if it made a crackling sound it was not quite ready

if it made a hissing sound then and only then it was ready for the process to begin just knowing that old straightening comb was coming for me

had the hairs on my back standing straight up

sending chills up and down my spine

I'd clutch onto the kitchen chair seat

and dug my fingernail deeply inside the bottom of its cardboard backing

while double-twisting my legs tightly around the cold metal legs of

this ceremonial chair

Only to once again be intimidated by that hissing from that Old damn straightening comb 

But wait I've got to tell you, my mom was one of the best hairdressers on our block. Today I opened my own Hair Salon and I called it "Momma's Straightening Comb". She will always be my role model.