Viktoria Petrovna entered the new hair salon in her neighborhood and shook her head in amazement.
“How cozy and beautiful it is here!” she thought, looking around. On the walls were paintings of beautiful models with all kinds of hairstyles, the mirrors shone with cleanliness, and the comfortable, expensive chairs invited her to sit and enjoy the moment.
“Dear girls,” said Viktoria Petrovna, addressing the hairdressers, “is there a free stylist? I would like a haircut and a hair dye.”
The hairdressers exchanged glances and smiled with contempt, looking at the thin woman with white hair, dressed in a simple coat and worn-out boots. She looked quite shabby, only her intelligent eyes lit up her wrinkled face.
“What exactly do you want?” asked a hairdresser, whose badge said “Alëna.”
“I would like a haircut,” Viktoria repeated, showing a page of a magazine she had brought with her.
Alëna burst into loud laughter and turned to her colleagues, inviting them to join in mocking the old lady.
“Have you seen? She really wants this haircut!”
“First of all, it’s a haircut for young people. Secondly, have you seen her hair? Thin, white… a couple of snips and there will be nothing left!” added another hairdresser, continuing to laugh. “And then, a haircut like that won’t suit someone as skinny as her. Do you even know how much it costs? Probably all her pension!”
“It doesn’t matter, I have the money,” Viktoria Petrovna said quietly.
“I’m dying of laughter!” Alëna continued. “How old are you, granny? Can you even hear me? Or have you decided to look young at your age?”
Viktoria Petrovna blushed and mumbled shyly, “No, it’s just that my husband died more than fifteen years ago…”
“Ah, and with this haircut, are you hoping to find a new husband? You want to look young!” laughed another hairdresser, finishing cutting a customer’s hair.
Viktoria Petrovna understood that no one would help her there. She lowered her head and left that beautiful but inhospitable salon.
Crossing the square, she turned into a side street and saw a small hair salon with two chairs.
“Good morning, would you like a haircut?” asked a young woman with a simple and friendly face.
“Yes, dear,” replied Viktoria Petrovna timidly, fearing more ridicule. But the hairdresser made her sit down with a smile. “Please tell me, how would you like your haircut?”
“I have this magazine,” Viktoria said still shy. “It’s a very youthful cut, but maybe something similar can be done…”
The hairdresser took the magazine and looked at the picture carefully. Then she put it aside and said, “You know, this haircut would suit you perfectly. I also suggest a color. We can enhance the white with an elegant shade, or choose a color from the catalog. Don’t worry, it won’t be very expensive, and you will like the result.”
“Thank you, dear. You know, today is my birthday — 70 years old. I just wanted to treat myself!” Viktoria Petrovna exclaimed happily.
“Oh, happy birthday! I wish you good health, and for beauty, don’t worry, we will take care of it!” the hairdresser replied cheerfully.
“What’s your name, dear?” Viktoria Petrovna asked.
“Katja,” she replied, starting to work.
Three hours later, Viktoria Petrovna, happy, elegant, and well-groomed, was walking down the street, enjoying the warm spring day. She felt rejuvenated and her mood was soaring.
“How grateful I am to my dear Katja, with golden hands!” thought Viktoria Petrovna. During their time together, she had gotten to know a bit about her story and had learned that Katja had come to the city from a small village.
“I live alone with my son, but now he’s in kindergarten,” Katja had told her.
“Don’t you have a husband?” Viktoria Petrovna had asked.
“I did,” Katja sighed. “But he disappeared…”
“What do you mean?” Viktoria was surprised.
“It’s very simple. I lived with Vladislav for seven years, we had a son. I took care of his mother while he worked up north. His mother was very ill and in the end, we buried her. Well, I think I’ve remembered something unpleasant…” Katja stopped.
“What’s wrong, Katiuscia?” Viktoria Petrovna asked with concern.
“Nothing…” Katja replied sadly. “One day, Vladislav told me he had another family up north and that he wouldn’t come home anymore… and not only that, he didn’t even kick us out of the house, he decided to sell it. So, my son and I moved to the city and I rented a small room.”
Viktoria Petrovna listened to her story with compassion, and soon they both got lost in memories.
Suddenly, someone called the elderly woman: “Viktoria Petrovna, is that you?” She turned around and saw a beautiful and well-groomed woman approaching. It was one of her favorite students, Anna Volkova.
“Aniutka, my dear!” Viktoria Petrovna exclaimed happily, hugging her former student. “How beautiful you’ve become!”
“I haven’t seen you in ages, how are you?” Anna asked.
“I’m fine, living day by day. And you, how are you?”
“Now I have to go into the supermarket to buy something for dinner. Why don’t you come visit me if you have time?” Viktoria Petrovna suggested.
“I have a better idea. My salon is nearby, I need to stop by for a moment. Come with me,” Anna said.
“In the meantime, I’ll order dinner from a restaurant and happily sit with you since we haven’t seen each other for so long,” she added.
Agreeing, Viktoria Petrovna nodded. But her smile faded when she approached that salon from which they had kicked her out.
However, seeing Anna, all the employees became agitated, scrutinizing the faces of the owner and her companion without immediately recognizing the elderly woman.
“Look, Viktoria Petrovna, this is my salon,” Anna proudly said. “Now I have my own business.”
“The salon is beautiful,” Viktoria Petrovna shook her head. “But the people working here are terrible. You can’t trust them.”
“Thank you, Aniutka, but I’m leaving. I don’t want to ruin my mood again,” Viktoria Petrovna replied.
“Wait, Viktoria Petrovna,” Anna looked at her confused. “I don’t understand anything.”
“I’ll explain it to you,” said the elderly woman with a determined look, eyeing each of the people who had humiliated her. As they listened to her story, they lowered their heads. Anna’s face burned with indignation.
“I’m sorry, Viktoria Petrovna,” Anna said. “Now come to my office. I will fix everything.”
When the door closed behind the elderly woman, Anna turned to her employees: “You’re all fired. My salon is the best in the city and here the salaries are much higher than in other salons. But you don’t deserve them. I don’t want to see you here tomorrow.”
They all understood. Now Alëna and her friends no longer felt like laughing.
But for Viktoria Petrovna, there was a surprise. She managed to invite her schoolmates, and the party at the restaurant was joyful and noisy. Everyone celebrated Viktoria Petrovna and wished her well for her anniversary.
The next day, Anna hired Katja at her salon with a decent salary. And by evening, Viktoria Petrovna returned and said: “You know, Katiuscia, it happened that I have no children or grandchildren, and I have no one to leave my inheritance to. Why don’t you come live with me and your son? You will be like a daughter to me. You won’t have to pay anything for rent, you’ll keep me company, and then the apartment will stay with you and your son.”
Katja was speechless, her eyes full of tears. Viktoria smiled and said, “I’ve always dreamed of having a daughter like you.”
They kicked the old lady out of the salon laughing when she showed the picture of her hairstyle. But then she came back, and no one laughed anymore
