You Will Be Found

Chapter Seventeen

We settled into a routine in the apartment. I renamed the place 'Kitty Manor' and began inviting my friends over for a visit. Well, I invited Joan and Grant, then last minute sent the text message to Ms Margo. We had an impromptu house warming party where I fed my guests yummy snacks that I'd learned how to bake that day. Sir Percival also arrived, so I had to put the kittens away. When I thanked them for coming and invited them into Kitty Manor, Sir Percival complained with a whine at the door, refusing to enter the apartment.

I huffed a breath at him, asked him if he needed a pair of diapers to go with his puppiness. He growled low in his throat as I laughed at him and trotted into my home as if he owned the place. Then promptly sat on the cat's chair in the corner. Dumb dog had a spiteful side.

Ms Margo arrived just as I finished pulling the dog of the chair and leading him to a bowl of fresh doggy treats I'd also made that day. He scoffed them down in record time and then pushed me over when he didn't get more. I had to tell him off firmly for that as it wasn't behaviour that reflected his training. He sat in the corner for two minutes before he came back to apologise for being rude.

Ms Margo fell in love with Sir Percival as soon as she saw him in the corner side eyeing me with his big puppy-dog eyes.

I had fairy lights strung up outside on my otherwise empty balcony. I pulled out a couple of futon rugs and three large floor cushions. We went out and had a drink of wine that I'd found in a not-so-hidden wine cabinet. It was a lovely evening.

When I let it slip how I was currently making money, they demanded to know who I was writing under and that lead to my series of web novels, then my freelance page. They couldn't believe the paintings and drawings were really mine until I pulled out a fresh book from my newly purchased and delivered art supplies. I drew a picture of Sir Percival standing in the corner looking over his shoulder like a naughty boy. I gave that to Grant and Joan, then drew a picture of Ms Margo outside my door with her cat ear hat on from the other night. She loved it and promised to place it on the fridge at home, just to piss off her siblings. When I asked why they would be upset about her picture on the fridge, she said something about jealous kids and the rights to rule the upper cabinet... I have no idea.

I went to bed after my party that night content with my kitties in my arms. The bad dreams and nightmares held back for a while.

Nearly two weeks have passed by since I arrived in my new home, four since I was reborn. It still feels so unreal, living this new life. I'm much happier and healthier this time around. I've put on weight. Sqee! I have more than just flat pancakes on my front now.

So today's Big Scary Mission, is to get a hair cut. I have never had a hair cut in my whole entire life – that I can remember. I was worried about putting myself in the hands of a perfect stranger who wielded sharp objects. I mean, seriously? Which sane person does that? Apparently a good sixty nine percent of the population... That's actually quite a lot of people if you think about it. I also googled if hair dressers had scissor licenses, like hunters had gun licenses. They don't. They should.

So I found a cute little hair dresser in my neighbourhood in the small shopping complex in the interior of our community zone. They call these shops 'hair designer' now which I guess makes about as much sense as a professional Lego block builder would. I arrived on time, was greeted by a salon staff lady. I fidgeted in the chair the woman put me in as she wrapped me up in a thin cape. She offered me a drink which I accepted. Warm fluids helped settled nerves, a good practice for offering scissor wielder's clients. Put them at ease before you chop off their ears.

I didn't know what I wanted in a hair design (cut), so I quickly looked through the hair magazine that she gave me for inspiration. I handed it back after one minute and asked her to figure it out. She looked exasperated with my lack of concern. She also seemed to finally pick up that I was terribly shy and finally we got to the hair cutting part. Water sprayed down my neck all of a sudden, causing me to give a little squeak. I became incredibly embarrassed which the hair designer lady politely ignored, then started treating me like her grandchild and chirped away the whole forty minutes it took her to cut all my hair off.

My hair was really long to begin with. Like long-long when I first came in for a cut. All the ends were brittle and yellowed with neglect. Most of it is now gone. I ended up with a lovely long styled concave bob cut, high at the back, low at the front and parted on the side. My face looks so different now and my head feels lighter. There is less strain on my neck and my scalp is tingling a little bit. It looks healthy and shiny. After I paid nearly a hundred dollars (ouch!) I floated out of the salon and back to my apartment.

The down side to having a new hair cut design was that people started noticing me now. I mean, everyone I walked past looked up at me, some turned to follow me as I passed them on the footpath, and others nearly ran or cycled into light poles. True that. When someone walked into the lobby door from not watching where they were going, I squeaked and ran into the open lift, press-press-pressed the close door button and breathed a sigh of relief as I arrived home on the top floor.

Now I was wondering if my new hair style was really a curse. Sob. It was a chocolate and raspberry kind of day, but now I was too scared to go out and buy it. I ended up eating teaspoons of chocolate flavoured nutty spread while contemplating the life cycle of stars.

I watered the plants tonight, on schedule then went to bed.

Speaking of plants, it was discovered that many of them should really be out there on that beautifully big open aired balcony, so it was time for my next project.