A Young Boy's Journey of Transformation in the Filipino Barber Shop

Once upon a time in 2021, in the green hills of Vermont lived a charming boy named Oliver. At six years old, he had a lively, curious spirit that was evident in his sparkling green eyes. This young boy was only about 3.8 feet tall and weighed around 45 pounds. Oliver was born under the warm spring sunshine on May 27th, 2015. His hair was a tangle of chestnut curls, much like his mother's. Oliver's mother, Lucy, was a radiant young lady of 28. Having given birth to Oliver at 22, she had a love and protective instinct that knew no bounds for her son. She was, rather like Oliver, petite at 5'3" and weighed about 120 pounds. Her birthday was in November, born in the year 1993. Her chestnut hair, often falling in loose waves around her shoulders, matched the deep brown of her eyes. The memory of Oliver's father was but a distant one. Gavin was a tall man of 30, standing at 6'2". He was fit and lean, weighing about 175 pounds. Gavin was born in the sunny month of June, the year being 1991. His hair was midnight-black, always styled to a neat slicked back look, and his eyes were a cool shade of blue. Oliver's young Aunt Mae was playful and full of life at 26 years old, standing 5'6" tall and weighing about 130 pounds. Her birthday fell on the crisp day of October 15th, 1995. Her hair, barley blonde, was usually styled in a long bob, and her eyes were a gentle hazel. Uncle Jack was 32, his height being 6'1", and his weight about 179 pounds. He was born on a winter's eve, January 14th, 1989. Jack's hair was medium-brown, styled in a trendy undercut, his eyes a stormy grey. Grandma Anna was a tender woman of 63, petite at only 5'1" and a slight weight of 110 pounds. She was born on May 10, 1958, her hair a soft white and eyes a twinkling blue. Her doting husband and Oliver's grandpa, grandpa Ethan was two years younger at 61, standing at 5'8" and weighting around 160 pounds, born in the jovial month of December in 1960. His hair, a speckled grey, and eyes a warm brown. One fine day, with a brave heart and a head full of dreams, Oliver found himself standing alone in front of a lovely salon. The woman who ran it was a petite Filipina named Maria, who was a charming 63-years-old and stood at only 4'9" tall, weighing about 100 pounds. She had dark chestnut hair styled in a traditional Filipino cut and sparkling brown eyes. Despite her modest height, she was a vision in her traditional short Filipino dress, her slender legs made all the more elegant by the platform sandals. Her fingers were adorned with vibrant red polish that matched her toenails, and her left ring finger held a stunning gold wedding band amongst all other fine jewelry. She was born under the starry skies of February 20, 1958 in the tropical paradise of the Philippines. As he entered, Maria gave him a welcoming smile, "You wait here, son. I get something for haircut," she said in her heavily accented English. As she disappeared, young Oliver slipped off his shoes and socks, to feel the cold floor beneath his small feet. Suddenly, Oliver felt the need to use the restroom and yelled in his endearing lisp, "I need to go potty!" Thinking the hallway led to the restroom, he proceeded down the corridor, his eyes gazing at the mysterious pictures on the walls. As he tripped over something, looking down, he saw Maria's platform sandals. He surprisingly found his feet snug in the high shoes. As he tried to remove them, his clothes disappeared as if by magic, sending a chill of fear through his tiny heart. He mustered all his strength to pull off the sandals as transformations began to affect his body, starting from his toes painted with red polish identical to Maria's. Oh, how his heart ached as he endured the sudden maturity of his body. Between his struggles and pleas, "I gonna mwiss mommy and gwandma. I no do anythwing. Just needed to potty," he managed to spell out amidst his sobs. In the midst of his turmoil, he began singing the lullaby his mother often used to soothe him, “Hush little baby, don’t say a word…” Fright was soon replaced with a deep-seated calmness. A mysterious force enveloped him totally altering him into a spitting image of Maria, albeit minus the jewelry and wedding band. The boy's little lullaby morphed into a melodious Filipino tune midway, "sa gitna ng dilim, ako ay naghihintay…” (In the middle of the darkness, I am waiting…), a lullaby born out of folklore. Maria's memories were now interweaving with his, causing him to unknowingly switch to a Filipino song. As Oliver, now Maria, finished singing, she placed the ornate jewelry around her neck, wrists, and fingers. The golden wedding ring was reunited with the left ring finger. Swiftly picking up the platform sandals, she walked over to a fancy chair and gradually slipped her feet into the sandals, strapping them snugly. Delicately, she adjusted the straps of her dress on her shoulders, then glanced down to her feet as she tightened the straps of her platform sandals, ensuring the shoes fit securely and accentuated her stature. Suddenly, she glanced around her salon as a wave of confusion swept over her face, “Where did that handsome young man go?” she wondered out loud, her English laced with Filipino accent, “His mommy must be maganda (pretty) young lady. How I wish, I still young woman.” Maria sighed at the memory of her youthful days, looking down at her platform sandals. "I short, these sandals no make me much taller," she mused in her broken English, content with what had transpired, she proceeded to tidy up the salon, waiting for the next curious soul to step in.