The oak tree falls 2/10

“Just stay there a moment dear,” said the hairdresser, “your uncle asked me to cover all the mirrors before you have your hair cut. I suppose its because he wants it to be a surprise for you, but it does seem a bit strange.”

She began hanging lengths of cloth and towels over all the mirrors that customers used when they wanted to see how their haircuts were progressing.

“You can call me Lucy,” she continued, “your uncle said your name is Joan.”

“I thought your name would be Evangeline,” said Joan, “that’s the name over the shop front.”

“That’s just a professional name dear, if we’re going to go shopping together it’ll be easier if you call me by my real name. Now then just sit comfortably and I’ll start cutting your hair.”

She opened a drawer, took out two thick elastic bands and twisted them round the upper ends of Joan’s plaits, before cutting them both off with a large pair of scissors.

“Such a pity, long hair is quite unusual, I can’t remember seeing a young lady with one plait before let alone two. However your uncle was most insistent and told me in detail how he wanted you to look when I’ve finished.”

The haircut was followed by a wash and rinse in some sort of smelly liquid, followed finally by a long wait under a hairdryer. At last Lucy pronounced herself satisfied and took the covers off all the mirrors. Joan looked at her reflection without saying a word. A young girl with close cut curly blond hair looked back at her.

“Well,” asked Lucy, “what do you think?”

“I look quite pretty in a strange sort of way, but somehow it doesn’t feel like me.”

“You wait until we’ve bought you some new clothes, then you’ll really notice a difference. Come along, one of the girls can look after the shop while we’re gone, it’s not as if we’re very busy today.”

“Won’t you lose a lot of money if you’re not working?”

Lucy laughed. “Your uncle was very generous, he gave me two whole solars to cover the cost of your haircut and new clothes and I can keep whatever is left over.”

“What’s a ‘solar’?” asked Joan in a puzzled voice.

“Never heard of a solar! Where ever have you been all your life? Why it’s money of course and quite a lot of it too. I’m lucky if the shop makes one solar a week. Surely you must have some sort of money where you come from.”

“Do you know, I can’t really remember, I think it’s called pounds, but I’m not really sure.”

Joan followed Lucy out of the shop with a very puzzled look on her face. Something in her head didn’t feel right. She was beginning to realise that she couldn’t remember anything about herself until she’d got out of the taxi with her favourite uncle.

Indeed now that she tried to think, she couldn’t even remember his name. All she could remember was that he was her favourite uncle and that he was taking her on holiday after she’d been ill.