NAILPOLISHED *

As I'm typing this entry, I couldn't help but notice my red nails. I miss the woman who carefully paints my nails each week. Her name is Carmen. For 2 consecutive weeks I did not see her at the village parlor. Yesterday, the other manicurist told me that she already left for Saudi Arabia. Carmen had no husband but she had a son named Kenneth. Late last year she was telling me about leaving the parlor but she didn't tell me where she was going. I had many mini-affairs with manicurists from all over the metro but I always come back to this woman. If there's one woman who knows my nails down to every centimeter of it, it would have to be Carmen. She pampered me! I can't even remove my chipped nailpolish since she does it for me all the time. (Sorry to those who were complaining about my chipped nailpolish. Can I pass it off as my style faux pas?!)

The minute she lays her hands on mine, she already knows what to do with them. My nails should be super short and squared. On a lazy day it'll will be clear nailpolish or the one with silver glitter. On a good day it would be red, nude, cobalt blue or dark violet. She knows that I mess my nails each and every time and that I cannot keep them long for more than 2 weeks. She does not judge my reconstructed left pinkie like all the other new manicurists. (Ah! The secret of science!)If there's one memory I'd leave her that would be the time I had long nails for 3 weeks and for the first time I had "french tip". I am not sure if she waited eight years for that until I finally gave in to grow my nails long. I did not know she'd witness my first and last long nails drama.

I never got that last chance to thank her for taking care of my nails. I always get easily attached to people especially when I've been with them for about eight years. It's really sad that Carmen will forever have a "day-off" every time I visit their parlor. I will surely miss Carmen. Now I'm having second thoughts of playing favorites with a manicurist cos she might leave just like Carmen. There are people who touch our lives in the simplest ways. She did just by evenly stroking lacquer with that little brush on my nail. Always say thank you to your favorites - sales assistant, manicurist, hairstylists, security guard, teacher, etc.