Read Online Anastasia's Chosen Career by Lois Lowry - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lois Lowry
Tags: Ages 9 & Up
Ads: Link
dryer, with her red hair twisted around a billion plastic rollers. Helen Margaret, her hair dry and shiny, shaped like a small curved cap, sat silently in the corner, her eyes on the floor, her hands fooling nervously with the long sleeves of her dark brown sweater. But Anastasia noticed that every now and then Helen Margaret looked up and across the room into the mirror with a pleased, amazed expression.
Now Anastasia and Henry were in the haircutting chairs. They had been bibbed and upended and their hair had been washed.
"You ever cut any black person's hair before?" Henry asked the old lady suspiciously.
"Black, green, purple, it's all the same to me," the old lady said. "How do you want this one, Vera?"
Aunt Vera was hovering near Henry. Anastasia felt a little jealous. She wished that Aunt Vera would hover by her and make her feel special. But Aunt Vera had only stood near her chair briefly and said, "This one needs a lot of thinning and some shape. Let's try just below the ears."
Rats. Anastasia had hoped for exquisite ears.
Now Aunt Vera was holding Henry's face in her hands and tilting it from side to side. "Henry, honey," she said after a moment, "how would you feel about spectacular? You want to go for it?"
Henry grinned. Her eyes danced. "Here we come, Mama," she said. "Heart attack time. Sure, let's go for spectacular."
Aunt Vera nodded, pleased. "Take it all off," she said to the old lady who stood there with her scissors poised.
Anastasia Krupnik
My Chosen Career
There are a lot of traumatic things you have to go through in order to achieve the kind of poise and appearance necessary for a successful bookstore owner.
First, you have to learn to look people straight in the eye and to speak distinctly. This ability will serve you very well when someone wants to return a book with coffee stains. You will be able to look them in the eye and say distinctly, "This book has coffee stains on it, you turkey. Of course I won't give you your money back."
Next, you have to have your hair styled so that you look like a different and more attractive person. If somebody wants to buy a book that costs thirty-five dollars, they probably won't buy it from someone who has long, straggly hair. So even if you have always felt at home with long, straggly hair, you need to have it thinned and shaped.
8
"Okay, everybody," Anastasia announced to her family that evening, "I want you all sitting in a row, right here on the couch. Turn that light on, Mom. The lighting needs to be right."
Mrs. Krupnik leaned over and flicked the light switch. She peered at Anastasia. "Are you wearing rouge?" she asked suspiciously. "Your cheeks look awfully pink to me. Either you're wearing rouge or you have a fever."
"Why do you still have your hat on?" Sam asked. "You're spozed to take your hat off when you come in the house."
Dr. Krupnik looked at his watch. "How long do we have to sit here, Anastasia?" he asked. "I want to watch the sports news. The Celtics won last night."
Anastasia glared at him. "Which is more important, Dad?" she asked. "The Boston Celtics, or your very own thirteen-year-old daughter's self-image?"
He opened his mouth to speak.
"Don't answer that," Anastasia said hastily, remembering her father's passion for the Celtics.
She waited until the three of them—her mother, father, and brother—were all arranged comfortably on the couch. Then she reached for her ski hat.
"Ta DA!" she said, and pulled the hat off.
Sam grinned and clapped his hands. Her mother stared in amazement.
"I'll be darned," said Dr. Krupnik. "You look like one of the Beatles, back when they were young!"
"
Daaaad,
" Anastasia wailed.
"I
loved
the Beatles twenty years ago," her father added quickly. "I watched them on
The Ed Sullivan Show
on TV. I thought they were terrific-looking. And you are too, Anastasia."
"You really are, Anastasia," her mother said. "That's a wonderful haircut. I wonder why it never occurred to me that your hair
Now Anastasia and Henry were in the haircutting chairs. They had been bibbed and upended and their hair had been washed.
"You ever cut any black person's hair before?" Henry asked the old lady suspiciously.
"Black, green, purple, it's all the same to me," the old lady said. "How do you want this one, Vera?"
Aunt Vera was hovering near Henry. Anastasia felt a little jealous. She wished that Aunt Vera would hover by her and make her feel special. But Aunt Vera had only stood near her chair briefly and said, "This one needs a lot of thinning and some shape. Let's try just below the ears."
Rats. Anastasia had hoped for exquisite ears.
Now Aunt Vera was holding Henry's face in her hands and tilting it from side to side. "Henry, honey," she said after a moment, "how would you feel about spectacular? You want to go for it?"
Henry grinned. Her eyes danced. "Here we come, Mama," she said. "Heart attack time. Sure, let's go for spectacular."
Aunt Vera nodded, pleased. "Take it all off," she said to the old lady who stood there with her scissors poised.
Anastasia Krupnik
My Chosen Career
There are a lot of traumatic things you have to go through in order to achieve the kind of poise and appearance necessary for a successful bookstore owner.
First, you have to learn to look people straight in the eye and to speak distinctly. This ability will serve you very well when someone wants to return a book with coffee stains. You will be able to look them in the eye and say distinctly, "This book has coffee stains on it, you turkey. Of course I won't give you your money back."
Next, you have to have your hair styled so that you look like a different and more attractive person. If somebody wants to buy a book that costs thirty-five dollars, they probably won't buy it from someone who has long, straggly hair. So even if you have always felt at home with long, straggly hair, you need to have it thinned and shaped.
8
"Okay, everybody," Anastasia announced to her family that evening, "I want you all sitting in a row, right here on the couch. Turn that light on, Mom. The lighting needs to be right."
Mrs. Krupnik leaned over and flicked the light switch. She peered at Anastasia. "Are you wearing rouge?" she asked suspiciously. "Your cheeks look awfully pink to me. Either you're wearing rouge or you have a fever."
"Why do you still have your hat on?" Sam asked. "You're spozed to take your hat off when you come in the house."
Dr. Krupnik looked at his watch. "How long do we have to sit here, Anastasia?" he asked. "I want to watch the sports news. The Celtics won last night."
Anastasia glared at him. "Which is more important, Dad?" she asked. "The Boston Celtics, or your very own thirteen-year-old daughter's self-image?"
He opened his mouth to speak.
"Don't answer that," Anastasia said hastily, remembering her father's passion for the Celtics.
She waited until the three of them—her mother, father, and brother—were all arranged comfortably on the couch. Then she reached for her ski hat.
"Ta DA!" she said, and pulled the hat off.
Sam grinned and clapped his hands. Her mother stared in amazement.
"I'll be darned," said Dr. Krupnik. "You look like one of the Beatles, back when they were young!"
"
Daaaad,
" Anastasia wailed.
"I
loved
the Beatles twenty years ago," her father added quickly. "I watched them on
The Ed Sullivan Show
on TV. I thought they were terrific-looking. And you are too, Anastasia."
"You really are, Anastasia," her mother said. "That's a wonderful haircut. I wonder why it never occurred to me that your hair
Similar Books
