It costs 5 extra dollars. But it's worth it. I like to look down at my toes and see the big ones adorned with delicate hand painted flowers of the Asian variety. It makes me happy to see the flowers. They are a garden growing on my nail beds. A nail bed of flowers.
"You long legs."
"Yes. I have long legs," I say.
The small matriarch at the nail shop I frequent likes to make observations about my person. She then discusses those observations in Vietnamese with her husband, sons, daughters and grandchildren.
"You long nail beds."
More Vietnamese discussion. A bit of laughter and gesturing to my freakishly long nails beds.
I have never before had occasion to feel shame regarding my nail beds. But to today I hang my head a bit.
They think my nail beds are STUPID! That's what THEY think!
"You pretty nail beds. Long."
I sit a little taller.
You hear that, ya'll? I pretty nail beds long.
The small woman has already scrubbed, tubbed and painted my nails. Both toe and other.
The final step is The Flower Bed.
I can't wait to see what she will come up with! I am giddy with anticipation.
I give her a minute to get going. Then I look down at my toes to discover...
I HATE the design!
WHAT HAS SHE DONE?! There is a thick blue streak of polish at the top and a burst of whitish yellow paint oozing from one of the edges.
I'm horrified.
NO! NO! THIS IS NOT WHAT I HAD LOOKED FORWARD TO! THIS IS NOT DELICATE! I want a DELICATE design. LIKE ME! I am a delicate design.
I am not the type to ever return a bad meal or disparage the work of anyone offering me a service (even if I'm paying through the nose) so I sit silently.
I am feeling sorry for myself. $5 is a lot of money. I am helpless. HELPLESS! I have no control over what is happening to my long big toe nail beds! I am at the mercy of a Vietnamese Matriarch.
Now I will have to go bounce about town with a hideous blob of paint on my toes and there is NOTHING I can do! NOTHING!
I look around at the small shop. I am the only customer. A two year old little girl with lime green sparkle nails playfully sticks her tongue out at me. I stick my tongue out at her. We laugh.
I begin to wonder what it must be like to spend 10 hours a day in this tiny shop without reprieve. I can spy the little girl's mother eating a bowl of noodles in the back room.
I wonder what it is like to spend my days scrubbing the large feet of loud white women for hours on end and then hunch over a bowl of noodles in the back room.
I have never worked in the service industry.
Sure I serve my children and service my husband regularly but I've never had to scrub a stranger's feet.
My heart melts.
I suddenly LOVE the design on my toes. It's creative. Refreshing. Exactly what I had in mind.
"I LOVE the design on my toes!" I say. "It looks like a fairy flying under the night sky. It is SO COOL!"
The woman smiles.
I smile.
And a little girl sticks her tongue out at me.
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I got an award today! From Shelly (La Tejana)! You should TOTALLY check out her blog. She is a Jr High School teacher. She should get an award for that alone! Shelly shares lots of funny, well written stories. She always makes me smile. Shelly is genuine and a real Leibster. :)
I also got an award last week I have been meaning to mention. Deirdra, who hand makes the most beautiful awards in The Land of Blog awarded me with the Beautiful Mommy Writer Award. I LOVE it! It's just so pretty and magical. Just like Deirdra. Check her out, ya'll!
PS I drew smiley faces on my finger with a sharpie. They told me they want you to have a smiley weekend. :)
