“Why Nappy Heads Don’t Get Head Lice”

— for my childhood hairdresser, Sonia, and her arm

Every year

an outbreak. The letters would go home to all the straight haired people.

“We will be checking for head lice, starting on [so and so a day], at [so and so a time]. And at least 50% of the kids, would be down for the count…

And I would feel so left out. Sad that my big Afro which some people made fun of, Wasn’t white people flickable,

In your face. Like some of them would do when I answered a question correctly, or when I was in line,

Reading a book.

We did this experiment in school. Examine a strand of hair under the microscope.

I was surprised with the results.

Under a microscope, My hair was straight as a painted line in the middle of the road. The little white kids without jewfros? Crooked and uneven

and tangled.

And some got mad, they couldn’t believe it.

My science teacher had to explain it. that lice can’t cling to the follicle in hair like ours. And they know,

So they don’t even try to.

Now, I’m grateful. Never had a case of the heebie jeebies. Never had to worry bout the foul smelling shampoo or torturous metal comb. Never had it so bad I had to get it all

chopped off.

Greasy hair? What’s that? And when it’s wet? It smells like earth.

Not that there’s anything wrong with the straighter versions.

But I’m glad I was blessed with the type that Black hair dressers get confused about (the hot comb won’t work), and Dominican and Cape Verdian hair dressers have to stop in the middle of,

to rest their arms lol

Like “Aye dios mio!

Muy duro!” on the

Chemical free

blowout. Lol

(Disclaimer: this is my life experience with my hair)