XXXI. Beauty Secrets

Lina dear, WHAT have you been using on your hair? I've never seen it look so shiny, and never realized it was such a pretty shade of brown. No grey at all. Tell me love, what's your secret?

Oh, I simply started brushing it a hundred strokes per night, like my mother taught me.

And she went her way, chuckling to herself. That old biddy had never been so nicey-nice to her before.

Blessed if I'm going to tell her my beauty secrets, she thought as she stopped at the fruit-stand to buy some fresh strawberries. Just let her wonder.