Page 163 of The Sun Sister
‘What do you think? Do I look terrible?’ she asked Katherine, who had recommended the woman.
‘Not at all,’ Katherine comforted her.
‘It feels so short.’
‘The good news is that it will grow again. Come on, we have to get home to prepare supper for our boys.’
When Cecily was back at the cottage and was able to view herself properly in a mirror on the wall, she covered her face and let out a little scream. Her curls had been chopped into submission, and now what was left of them clung tightly to her head in ringlets.
‘I hate it! I absolutely hate it,’ Cecily said, her eyes full of tears.
‘I think it rather suits you.’
‘I look like a boy, Katherine! Bill will loathe it, I know he will.’
‘I’m sure he won’t even notice,’ said Katherine, handing her a couple of hair slides. ‘Bobby certainly doesn’t. Here, try these.’
Bobby arrived home at seven that night, and indeed didn’t notice that either of the women had had their hair cut.
‘I saw Bill out on the plains briefly yesterday, Cecily. He sends his apologies, but he’ll be delayed by a few days, I’m afraid. It’s taken longer than expected to round up the cattle for vaccination, what with the rains.’
‘Oh.’ Cecily didn’t know whether she was relieved that he wouldn’t see her hair in the state it was in, or disappointed. Disappointment won.
‘Let’s have a drink, shall we?’ Katherine poured them all a gin from the bottle Cecily had bought in Gilgil at great expense to celebrate Bill’s return. ‘Let’s toast to your husband’s imminent arrival. Cheers!’
It was another week before Bill arrived unexpectedly on the threshold of Inverness Cottage.
‘Hello, Cecily,’ he said as she rose hurriedly, throwing the ball of wool and knitting needles into a basket beside her.
‘Bill! We weren’t expecting you,’ she said as she walked towards him.
He put out his hands.
‘Please, don’t come near me, Cecily. I stink of cow and mud. I’ll go round the back and have Nygasi throw some buckets of water over me while I have a good scrub.’
‘There is a bath, you know...’ Cecily called after him.
‘Baths are for girls,’ he said, winking at her as Nygasi joined him, carrying a pail.
‘Bill’s back,’ she said to Katherine, who was preparing supper in the kitchen.
‘Good. Better get out that gin then, eh?’
Having done so, Cecily ran to her room to brush her hideous hair and apply a little lipstick. Fifteen minutes later, Bill was back in a fresh linen shirt and pants, looking more like himself.
‘Gin?’ she offered him.
‘Thank you. Tchin tchin,’ he said and downed half the delicate crystal glass’s contents in one. ‘Back to civilisation,’ he said as he eyed her. ‘You’ve had your hair cut.’
‘Yes, and it was all a terrible mistake. The woman in Gilgil butchered it.’
‘I rather like it. And it’ll save you having to go back into town for a while at least.’
‘If I’d known you were expected, I’d have made some...well, arrangements.’
‘My dear Cecily, I’ve never been “expected” in my life. There’s certainly no need to stand on ceremony every time I come back.’
‘Hello, Bill,’ Katherine smiled as she came out onto the veranda. ‘Any spare gin going, Cecily?’
