Read Online Blind Delusion by Dorothy Phaire - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dorothy Phaire
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this other hairdresser ‘inflicted on her head’. Her words exactly.”
“Oh, well,” said Cha-Cha in a nonchalant voice, “That’s what you get when you go to unprofessionals. Clients have to make a commitment and keep trying to get me. I don’t have time to call her right now. Thanks for taking the messages, Sherrelle.”
Cha-Cha appeared to be in no rush putting her things away. She sauntered over to the supply closet and retrieved her hair relaxing crème, colors, sprays, and setting lotions. She arranged the curling irons, pressing combs, and handheld dryer at her station. She yawned then continued chit-chatting with the young receptionist. “Sherrelle, tell your triflin’ mama she don’t have to call nobody,” said Cha-Cha with a sly smile.
The young girl with the bobbed hairdo, cropped just below her ears, spoke up to explain, “Mama’s been sort of busy lately. She just got a new job.” Sherrelle closed the appointment book then glanced up at the wall clock. “She should be here soon to pick me up. You said I could get off at 3 today, right Miss Cha-Cha? That’s what I told Mama.”
“Sure, baby. That’s fine. Just make sure you get all the towels out the dryer and folded and straighten up that back room before you leave,” said Cha-Cha. “Um hum, I can’t wait to hear what my girl Veda’s been up to these days.”
Suddenly, Renee realized that Sherrelle was Veda Simms’s fifteen-year-old daughter. Veda was a former patient that she had treated several months ago. Like Cha-Cha, Renee was also interested in finding out how her former patient was faring after a trying ordeal of getting caught embezzling funds from her old job to give her ex-boyfriend a loan and later being falsely arrested for murdering him. She had eventually been released when the police apprehended the real killer, but it had been an awful time for Veda. The only good that came out of it was Veda’s reconnection with her once estranged teenage daughter. Veda had first come into treatment six months ago as an outpatient referral from Washington Hospital Center’s psychiatric ward when she had swallowed half a bottle of sleeping pills. After only a few sessions with her, Renee discovered that Veda’s tough exterior disguised an insecure, lonely woman on the inside. On the surface her problem appeared to be a five-year love obsession for a man who did not love her and never would. Like most patients, Veda came in with one problem but the bigger problem emerged as they peeled back the layers and worked through her issues. Veda’s biggest problem had been low self-esteem, which stemmed from a childhood marred by a distant relationship with her mother, and the sexual and emotional abuse at the hands of someone she had once trusted.
At that moment the door chime rang and Veda herself sailed through the door! Renee didn’t want to be recognized. She didn’t want to catch Veda off guard and possibly dredge up painful memories that were still too recent to have healed completely. She picked up a fashion magazine and hid behind its pages, pretending to read it. From this vantage point, Renee could still hear everything and catch glimpses of what was going on. It was obvious to Renee that Veda was wearing a wig because instead of her naturally-thick nut-brown hair that had only reached below her ears a few months ago, today Veda sported a jet black silky mane that reached the middle of her back, even when pulled up into a ponytail. Renee thought her sky-blue sweat suit complimented her cocoa-tinted skin tone. Renee was also relieved to see that the brief stint in jail had not altered Veda’s usual easygoing manner.
Veda’s narrow field of vision focused only on her daughter seated behind the reception desk. Veda smiled and glanced at her wrist watch, “’bout ready to go, Baby?”
Close to forty years old, Veda had no delusions about her waning youth, and unlike her girlfriend, Cha-Cha, she was past trying to look
“Oh, well,” said Cha-Cha in a nonchalant voice, “That’s what you get when you go to unprofessionals. Clients have to make a commitment and keep trying to get me. I don’t have time to call her right now. Thanks for taking the messages, Sherrelle.”
Cha-Cha appeared to be in no rush putting her things away. She sauntered over to the supply closet and retrieved her hair relaxing crème, colors, sprays, and setting lotions. She arranged the curling irons, pressing combs, and handheld dryer at her station. She yawned then continued chit-chatting with the young receptionist. “Sherrelle, tell your triflin’ mama she don’t have to call nobody,” said Cha-Cha with a sly smile.
The young girl with the bobbed hairdo, cropped just below her ears, spoke up to explain, “Mama’s been sort of busy lately. She just got a new job.” Sherrelle closed the appointment book then glanced up at the wall clock. “She should be here soon to pick me up. You said I could get off at 3 today, right Miss Cha-Cha? That’s what I told Mama.”
“Sure, baby. That’s fine. Just make sure you get all the towels out the dryer and folded and straighten up that back room before you leave,” said Cha-Cha. “Um hum, I can’t wait to hear what my girl Veda’s been up to these days.”
Suddenly, Renee realized that Sherrelle was Veda Simms’s fifteen-year-old daughter. Veda was a former patient that she had treated several months ago. Like Cha-Cha, Renee was also interested in finding out how her former patient was faring after a trying ordeal of getting caught embezzling funds from her old job to give her ex-boyfriend a loan and later being falsely arrested for murdering him. She had eventually been released when the police apprehended the real killer, but it had been an awful time for Veda. The only good that came out of it was Veda’s reconnection with her once estranged teenage daughter. Veda had first come into treatment six months ago as an outpatient referral from Washington Hospital Center’s psychiatric ward when she had swallowed half a bottle of sleeping pills. After only a few sessions with her, Renee discovered that Veda’s tough exterior disguised an insecure, lonely woman on the inside. On the surface her problem appeared to be a five-year love obsession for a man who did not love her and never would. Like most patients, Veda came in with one problem but the bigger problem emerged as they peeled back the layers and worked through her issues. Veda’s biggest problem had been low self-esteem, which stemmed from a childhood marred by a distant relationship with her mother, and the sexual and emotional abuse at the hands of someone she had once trusted.
At that moment the door chime rang and Veda herself sailed through the door! Renee didn’t want to be recognized. She didn’t want to catch Veda off guard and possibly dredge up painful memories that were still too recent to have healed completely. She picked up a fashion magazine and hid behind its pages, pretending to read it. From this vantage point, Renee could still hear everything and catch glimpses of what was going on. It was obvious to Renee that Veda was wearing a wig because instead of her naturally-thick nut-brown hair that had only reached below her ears a few months ago, today Veda sported a jet black silky mane that reached the middle of her back, even when pulled up into a ponytail. Renee thought her sky-blue sweat suit complimented her cocoa-tinted skin tone. Renee was also relieved to see that the brief stint in jail had not altered Veda’s usual easygoing manner.
Veda’s narrow field of vision focused only on her daughter seated behind the reception desk. Veda smiled and glanced at her wrist watch, “’bout ready to go, Baby?”
Close to forty years old, Veda had no delusions about her waning youth, and unlike her girlfriend, Cha-Cha, she was past trying to look
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