Two days after Jamila left with video footage that she considered the highlight and epitome of her career to date, Barbara returned, with yet another surprise for llhaesa and Ronnie.
“This is a girl’s day out!” Barbara excitingly declared. “All right, it isn’t a day way out, as in roam wherever we might wish, but under the circumstances it is the best I can manage when my two charges have some sort of intangible bounty upon their discovery.
Are you both ready to leave, or do you have things you wish to do in preparation? We have much to do, and so little time!”
Both Ronnie and llhaesa pronounced their readiness for whatever plans lie ahead, short of attending a formal event. Neither Ronnie or llhaesa had much in the way of personal items on board – including cash – and so they informed Barbara, who promptly declared no need for cash or card. “This is entirely on me!” she graciously concluded.
Minutes later, they were once again on the Corsair 28, headed for the Naval Academy. Once docked, they made their way to the Dental Clinic, and as they entered, it became apparent why they were here – one of the group needed dental work.
In the clinic, currently closed for the remainder of the day at Barbara’s influential request, waited Dr. Sandra McFarland, sometimes dentist for President Ellenwood. Barbara met with Sandra two days before and outlined her need for secret dental work, though Barbara declined to reveal names. Sandra drove to the Academy to see to tooth replacements for a mystery patient, and she made the trip with faith and trust in Barbara.
Dr McFarland warmly greeted llhaesa, immediately recognising llhaesa as she extended her hand. Barbara explained the situation, though she did not share where the family stayed. “I applaud your effort to keep llhaesa, Ronnie and their family safe, Barbara. Alicia was quite emphatic in her wishes when we last chatted, and I am heartened to see you fulfil her wishes. She loves you dearly, and I can see why!
By the way, everyone, the name is ‘Sandra, – and not ‘doctor,’ from here on, mkay?” Sandra smiled as she made this statement, while Ronnie giggled. “What is so amusing, Ronnie?” Sandra asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
“This one right here, your patient – llhaesa, insists her name not be capitalised, just as you insist we greet you by your given name. I’m surrounded by humility!” Ronnie joked.
“You do not capitalise your name, llhaesa?” Sandra inquired, her curiosity not satiated.
“No; as far back in life as I can recall, I have preferred not capitalising my name. I capitalise everyone’s name but my own – unless someone expresses a similar view.”
“How did your teachers view this preference?” Sandra continued to pursue the subject.
“Initially, I was corrected, but my mum explained that I knew what was correct in terms of language, that my lower case usage was strong personal preference. I never heard another world from then on through school.”
“Sounds like your mum had a lot of influence!”
“Yes, she probably did – Saehressa can be quite charming and persuasive!”
“OK, now for tooth talk! You have two missing teeth – duh, right – an upper incisor and a lower bicuspid. You, my dear, are about to get dental implants, at the behest of the United States government!”
Sandra led llhaesa to the examination room, and directed her to a seat on the examination and work chair occupying the space mid-room. All manner of tools and implements lie ready. Sandra began by taking X-rays, and then brought the images forth upon a computer screen.
Next, she carefully examined llhaesa’s teeth, pronouncing the procedure a go. Ronnie retired to the waiting room with Barbara, set for at least a two-hour wait.
The two settled into perusing magazines, with each flipping through pages, and occasionally stopping to read an article. Ronnie broke the silence, offering, “Barbara, it is really kind of you to see to having this work done. While she joked about her missing teeth, I can tell the missing teeth bothered llhaesa.”
“I only wish we could have managed this prior to the interview,” Barbara lamented, “but there was no way logistically to do this. What we next do will be far more interesting and fun!”
“Care to share your plans, oh mystery planner?”
“You will find out in a short while!”
Two and a half hours later, llhaesa emerged sporting a full set of teeth, which served to enhance her already formidable appearance.
“Look at you!” Ronnie gushed. “Smile, give us that patented wide llhaesa grin!”
Ronnie and Barbara oohed and ahhed over the implants, while llhaesa smiled and Sandra beamed.
“Sandra, I will pay you on an account under a different name,” Barbara offered. Please destroy all of the records; we cannot afford to leave anything to chance. I thank you for coming out here, and for your fine work. You extended a kindness to someone our world has already treated shabbily, and that counts for much.”
“Barbara, there is no charge for this service. It is on me, which makes using other names unnecessary. The records are destroyed.”
The four walked out of the building, where Sandra headed for her car. Llhaesa hugged Sandra, thanking her profusely. As Sandra climbed in her car, Barbara, llhaesa, and Ronnie walked off, headed toward another building on the Academy campus. Entering the building, they made their way down a long corridor, finally stopping at the closed door of an empty classroom.
Opening the door, Ronnie and llhaesa saw that two women waited inside, sitting on two sizeable and closed black trunks. “Llhaesa, Ronnie… this is Mary on the left, and Cindy on the right. They are stylists, two of the best in fact, two people who are completely trustworthy, though I need not, nor will I, explain why – just trust me on this one.”
Mary looked to Cindy, and the two talked shop, mulling over potential hairstyles that might suit either client, exchanging ideas. After a few minutes of lively banter, they asked llhaesa and Ronnie to share their own vision of how they wished to look, and both shared their ideas, likes, and dislikes.
Mary then asked llhaesa to follow her, rising off the trunk on which she sat, grabbed the trunk handle, and wheeled it behind her. They crossed the hall into another classroom, where Mary opened the trunk, removed equipment, and set up an improvised shop.
“We have to make do without a standard styling chair, llhaesa, but I can work with things with some improvisation.”
Grabbing a classroom chair, Mary lifted it off the floor and placed it atop the now closed trunk, where it fit perfectly – so long as llhaesa did not slide the chair.
Llhaesa climbed up and sat down, ready to submit to Mary’s hairstyling will. Mary offered her vision to llhaesa for the first time. “Here is what I have in mind, if you are game. It a rather radical change, but I think…”
In the first room, Ronnie stubbornly stayed with simple, opting for shorter hair that suited her, went well with her face shape. Cindy added a slight colouring, only a shade or two different, while giving a rather messy and sassy look overall.
Cindy finished in ninety minutes; Barbara bounced back and forth between rooms, laughing as she returned to Ronnie and Cindy. “Oh my god, I cannot wait until you both see llhaesa’s hair makeover!”
“Tell us!” they called out together, but Barbara smiled and shook her head.
They waited patiently for an hour beyond their finishing, but when time moved pass a second hour, Ronnie grew impatient in the waiting. “What is she having done that would take such a long time?
Just then, the door to the class swung open, allowing first Mary to pass through, and then llhaesa.
Barbara laughed; Cindy applauded; and Ronnie yelled out “Oh my god!” as her hands came up to her face, her astonishment complete.
Llhaesa, she of dirty blonde hair that ran halfway down her back, one who felt comfortable with her longer hair through almost all of her life, now found it falling about an inch and a half below her collarbone – but that is not what prompted Ronnie’s astonishment: it was the dreadlocks, which in the viewing worked superbly on llhaesa.
Along with the dreads, llhaesa’s hair mingled lighter blonde streaks with her natural dirty blonde colour.
“Llhaesa, I never ever would have suggested dreads for you, but now that I see it, sheesh, it is what I should have done!” Ronnie admired. Ok, not really, but it suits you perfectly. You truly look 25 now! What do you think of it?”
Llhaesa smiled brightly, her new teeth evident only to those who knew of the implants earlier in the day. “To be honest, Ronnie, I had already pondered the possibility while looking at magazines in our… current home. When Mary suggested this for me, I agreed wholeheartedly. I will say I did not expect my scalp to feel quite this tight, to the point of discomfort, but Mary claims this will go away as my body adjusts.
Once again, there mysteriously was no charge for services rendered, with Mary and Cindy packing their trunks and heading off, but not before llhaesa and Ronnie thanked and hugged them for making their day.
An hour later, the two re-boarded the yacht, to complements from Anita and Dolores for Ronnie’s do, while Anita slightly disliked llhaesa’s hairstyle, though after ten minutes she conceded it was ‘growing on her.”
Dolores disagreed and sided with the children, who were already trying to convince Ronnie to let them have their hair styled to match llhaesa.
