Baby Book - Phase Two

Chapter Fifty-two - Pity Hair

late July, 2272

Nyota answered the door chime and welcomed Tamara. Amanda laughed and held out her arms and Tamara scooped her up. "Hi there, pretty girl. How are you today?"

"Pity Mana."

"Yes indeed you are." She gave the wiggly little girl a kiss on the cheek and turned to Nyota. "Where are we going to do this?"

"I thought in the play room. I have a chair set up for her there."

Tamara carried Amanda into the playroom and sat her in the chair, checking the height. "Good. Okay, let's get started. First you part off a little bit of hair, like this. And then your braid it along the scalp, catching more hair in as you go - and try to keep it straight. And when you get to the end, you can put anything you want around the end - anything that will hold it. I brought these." She held out some tiny colored stretchy things.

Amanda craned her neck, trying to see, but was told to sit still and be a good girl.

Tamara continued to demonstrate until she thought Nyota understood what to do and then she turned the job over to her, standing by and giving instructions. Soon Amanda's head was covered with rows and rows of tiny braids.

"And you can wash her hair with those still in place. You don't need to take them out. These should last at least a week. It depends on how fast her hair grows and what she does. If they get loose, just undo them and start over." She went around in front of Amanda and looked at her. "Oh, my, little girl, aren't you pretty!"

Nyota came and looked, too. "That's such an improvement over the way she was looking. Her hair was just so messy! Come on, baby girl, let's go look at your pretty hair." She picked Amanda up and carried her into the bathroom, turning her to look into the mirror. Both women watched the little girl pat her head and twist about, trying to see the colorful ties on the ends of the tiny braids.

"Pity hair! Mana pity hair!"

"Yes, indeed. Amanda has pretty hair." Nyota set her down on the floor and watched her toddle away. "Now how about a cup of tea and a cookie and some gossip."

"Hey, that sounds good to me!"

***

When Spock and Grayson returned from the gym, Amanda came running as fast as she could, crying out "Pity hair, pity hair."

Grayson walked all around her. "Amanda! Where did you get those?"

Spock watched her patting her tiny braids and laughing. He turned to Nyota. "This hairstyle looks like the one that Tamara Bainst wears."

"Yes, she came and showed me how to do it and Amanda seems to love it. I was thinking of cutting it short, like Durra's, but this isn't hard to do."

Spock tilted his head, looking at his daughter and thinking. "I believe this style suits her. And she does seem to like it."

Amanda came up and patted his knee. "Pity hair, Baba. Mana pity hair."


"Indeed yes, Amanda. You have pretty hair."

Amanda smiled and patted her tiny braids again. "Pity, pity hair."