India Arie captures a greater imagination with just five words
‘I am not my hair.’
It is easy for a person to make a conclusive judgment in the first eight seconds by just looking at your hair. A person that has a spotless clean hair can be deemed as organized, neat, responsible and proud, while a person with unkept hair is deemed as dirty, unfit, disorganized and unkept. People fail to understand that circumstances can force a persons hair be out of place. Situation like healing because of love denied can make a person forget about his surrounding. Their are many instances that can lead to self neglect but always get up, wipe yourself and move on.
NOTICED MY BAD HAIR AT WORK
It was on a Saturday morning, I woke up on the right side of the bed ready for plans ahead. The weekend was never complete if I did not go fishing. I wanted to be alone and observe the might of the sea while catching fish. That was therapeutic for me after a busy week hustling. Just as I was getting ready to organize my fishing gear and net, the phone rung.
I observed and learned it was my college girlfriend. We dated for three years before she cheated on me with a married man. I forgave her because I lacked financial resources to take her to high end precincts and that older guys could afford to give her expensive perfumes, necklace and take her shopping at the mall. But that was water under the bridge because she was not calling to ask for another chance. She was calling to lament about a plumbing issue she had at her bath tub.
The distance was precisely fifteen minutes drive. I figured out that I might make a quick fix and come back to my house and continue with my plans for the weekend.
I drove as first as I could, she came outside to meet me once she spotted my van. I tried as much as possible to avoid a small conversation since I did not have the luxury of time. I observed her bathtub quickly and removed my snake machine. I ran it down her tub like six feet and the clog cleared. I pulled out my snake and noticed a lot of hair was captured and that was the reason her tub clogged. I explained to her about the clog and she replied.
“Speaking of hair did you look at yourself in the mirror?”
“My hair my choice.”
“A good woman would not allow her man out of the house looking like that.”
SURVIVING A DAY WITH DIRTY HAIR AND PAJAMAS
I hurriedly organized my tools ready to melt away before she changes her mind but then suddenly another call started me. I looked at my phone and the name was familiar. He was a maintenance guy of a particular building complex. I had previously done some small plumbing project for him and he trusted my work ethics. I swiped green to receive hoping it was a small conversation that could wait until Monday but his voice appeared timid, hysterical and almost begging me for help. Once he settled down he asked me to hurry up because of a plumbing emergency.
I wondered for a while if I should drive the opposite direction, change clothes and try to look professional but another voice nudged urging me it might be a quick fix then I will be able to make it on time to rescue my plans.
Another thirty minutes drive and he almost cheered gleefully because my arrival meant a moment of respite. The tenants were breathing heavily on his neck.
He explained the whole situation, took me on a tour to witness for myself and at that moment I knew that the situation was dire and magnanimous. I felt a mixture of regret, anger, rage and fear because this meant that my weekend plans were up in smoke. I nodded my head in disbelief as if following his conversation but deep down inside my thought and heart I was sulking like a kid who had been denied a trip to the zoo.
BRAVING DISHEVELED AROUND STRANGERS AND CLIENTS
The whole building that housed more than thirty families was clogged. The situation was worse in the lower units. Since waste pipes are not built to withstand pressure, the clog would often cause pressure and the pressure created flex in the line that damaged joints and caused it to leak. The clog also cause pipes to back up and overflow. The water that did not find escape route followed gravity through cracks in caulking, pipe threads and eventually causing a leak to the lower units below.
The people on the upper units made life difficult for people in lower units if they used the tubs or toilet. This meant more dirty smelly water to fill in the buckets, cooking pans or any other object that could prevent water ruining their carpet and furniture.
I decided to run my sewer camera inside the waste pipe, the water was clear at some point but then it started to blur and the visibility disappeared in the murky sludge. I continued to push my camera inside until I felt it could not move anymore. The spot that could not let me penetrate might have been the source of the clog. I feared roots might have broken the pipes and made their way into the pipes. I got my locator and it beeped seven feet at the spot of the clog. Luckily their were no trees around and I knew the blockage might be from their lifestyle caused by detergents caused by chemical reaction or maybe diapers, toys or condoms. Whatever it was I trusted my sewer jetter kit for pressure.
DOES APPEARANCE INFLUENCE BARGAINING POWER
I approached the maintenance guy and the residents and told them the source of the clog and the solution. They were happy to learn that I had the best remedy to intervene but their joy turned into shadow of doubt once I mentioned how much it will cost. I asked again who was going to foot the bill and received a nervy silence but I was not desperate, I was glad to go and plan my weekend nevertheless.
I did video inspection for free and now they wanted to take advantage of my time, I had no other option than to give them a nervy walk. They saw me collect my tools, keep everything in order and as soon as they heard the engine start, then they rushed back.
“You can fix it and we would pay later….” they pleaded
“That is not how it works, you pay deposit and complete balance after work is done.”
“The insurance will take care of that.”
More voices joined in to ruse me into clearing the clog using the term insurance but I knew the policy and objectives of insurance companies. Insurance does not cover if the tenants knew their was a problem or their was negligent from the residents. I could read grandiose malice and I had no time to wait and listen to them again. I was about to drive out when I saw a group of young ladies almost crying because they were beleaguered. This ladies had a wedding to go and they were supposed to be bridesmaid. They needed me to unclog in order for them to use bathroom to look pretty. Nevertheless everybody had plans because I could see some residents coming back from the gym, mothers wanted to do laundry and the list was endless. I gave them ten minutes to come back with the exact amount of money.
We were able to reach a consensus and I got my sewer hydro jetter because it was versatile to remove the clog and reduce natural build up of chemicals like grease and minerals lining in the interior of sewer.
It took me only thirty minutes to unclog and normalcy returned.
They paid me enough just as I bargained and tipped me enough claiming that I use the extra tip to buy enough shampoo but money was not my criteria this weekend. My time was a luxury.
I got to my house almost four O’clock looking sweaty, oily, dirty and in pajamas and sandals not to mention my hair amidst small murmuring whispers from my neighbors. Kids playing basket ball or riding a bicycle paused to observe me. Women making hair on the front pouch had a moment of silence to observe me alighting from my car but I was tired, hungry and angry.
LEGACY
A few days later I met with one of the clients at a grocery store. I went to greet them but they hardly recognized me. I reminded them how their house was leaking and buckets were everywhere and I was stunned at how ungrateful they were.
“You are the guy that we feared might infest our apartment with lice because of that hair.”
“Is that a joke.” I said as they smirked.
“And we paid exorbitant money for that service.”
I felt like turning into will smith and smacking that smirk because my hair is not what I am. What I did is not what I am. How I chose to look does not have to be an object of laughter but then I remembered humans will not congratulate anything positive but will chose to dwell on the negative one percent.
They did not remember the events of that day like the girls crying to make it on time for the wedding, they did not realize that i saved their house supporting structure because water could have brought moulds, created wood to rot and in return insects, termites and lave could have fed on their homes. They forgot the water leaking from electrical light fixtures could have electrocuted them.
I was hurt but my hair did not break my spirit. I would do it again if I get a call again during Christmas, halloween, thanksgiving or any holiday and arrive on land, air or water because my job is a calling just like any other career like police, fire man, doctor etc. I will shelve my luxurious time just to create a significance because that is a calling.