"Hello Henry?" "Its us, the Twins, we are running a few minutes late for our appointment, the Devil kept us up late last night."

Allow me to introduce my Twins. I adore my Twins. I adore everything about them!


For the purpose of this blog, from this moment on they will be know as "Abigail" and "Anabelle".
Forgive me if I don't give you too much background on these ladies right now, but suffice it to say, you will get to know them nearly as well as I.


As remarkable as the following story will be, I assure you it's not their best.... not by far.


The Twins arrived that day as they usually do, amidst great fanfare. More than fashionably late, wearing matching ensembles, only sometimes slightly different, perhaps a paler pink on one, or a brighter blue on the other, but always identical in style. They are mirror image twins, a fact they always proudly point out. They wear matching jewelry, watches, glasses, bags and shoes. They buy everything designer and in twos.


The  Twins are always perfectly put together and never, ever, without a full face of makeup.
They always bring everything they may need to make the next three hours of their life (and mine) more complete. Thier small frames are always weighed down with large shopping bags full of things as umbrellas and rain hats (in case of rain and to protect their freshly blown hair), they will each have their own bottles of Mt. Dew, straws, mints for the sharing, the latest fashion magazines, boxes (full size) of Kleenex (incase they get the sniffles or have to cry) and always small cushions to make the styling chairs more "comfy".


Watching the Twins arrive, navigate the parking meters, gather all their belongings and begin their trek towards the salon is always a treat.......... one that begs the gentleman in me to run out and help, but also one that demands the voyeur in me to sit back and watch.


On this particular day the Twins were unusually anxious. As they hurried into the salon and were led to the two, side by side, chairs prepared for them, I couldn't help but notice they appeared exhausted.
"Late night?" I joked. neither replied. "Everything good ladies?" this time Anabelle looked up and shook her head no.


Now over the course of the last 10 years with the Twins, I have learned that it usually takes me a moment or two to feel out their mood and decide in which direction to lead that days session... "Ok, lets start with the hair, how are we feeling about that today?" Anabelle again took the lead and said, "We want to be very blonde, but no yellow, were so pale today and yellow makes us look green... we don't like green."


So pale beige blonde it would be, off to mix up some color I went.


At the color bar I had to quickly catch my new assistant up on the Twins, I usually prepare the ones who had not had the pleasure ahead of time but that day I simply had been too busy.  "Are they Okay?" she asked with an equal share of fear and excitement. "They're fine, I think they're just in a funk today, but no matter what happens, no matter what they say, you just keep handing me foils and stay focused, you understand?" I warned her "Got it Boss!" she replied.


Let me just say now that the Twins hair, like so much of the rest of their lives has to be perfect, it is and always has been, their crowning glory. In their youth, it was why they were original "Double Mint Twins" television personalities, it was why they modeled and why they were chosen as the face for a long gone airline that "Flew the Friendly Skies". Now, in their mid 60's it remains a giant part of their identity, one that I literally hold in my hands. They still wear it very long, mid back, with a very full bang. Now for anyone out there with some color knowledge, mirror image twin means for me that I have to produce two exactly identical heads of hair... not just in tone, but in exact placement of highlights, not one piece lighter nor darker than the other. On a good day to create this requires much knowledge and expertise... on this day it would require much more.


As I returned to the Twins my instinct told me to begin with Anabelle... as I started she finally reached back for my arm and said "What a terrible night we had! Simply terrible!" 


"What happened?" I asked without skipping a beat.


"Well..." she said, "I was asleep in my room when I heard Abagail screaming "Devil be gone!" I thought I was dreaming but then I heard her again "Devil, I demand you leave this house!" 


"Oh my God, what did you do Anabelle?" I asked. 


"Well, I grabbed my Bible from my side table and ran to her room of course!" she said, making me feel silly for asking what appeared to be a dumb question.


By this time my new assistant had stopped handing me foils, and was just staring at Anabelle through the mirror, eyes and mouth, wide open, I gently tapped her foot with mine to remind her to keep working.


"Go on" I said "What happened next?" 


"Well I swung Abagail's door open and there she was, poor thing, huddled in the center of her bed just reading out of her Bible as fast as her little lips could move. And sure enough.... there he was, the Devil!"


"He had come up thru the bedroom floor over in the corner by her dressing table...Abagail finally noticed me and begged for me to help her, so I got up in the bed with her and started paying just as loud as I could...... we prayed for hours!" 


By this point I was finally able to get a soft nod of agreement from Abagail who up until now had just sat silently listening to her sister convey the details of last night. 


"How horrible it must have been Abby", I said. 


"It was" she replied. "It was just terrible, and he was so stubborn last night, usually I'm able to pray him away alone but last night I needed my Sister."


Once again I had lost my assistant to the Twins.. not only had she forgotten our mission, beautiful hair, but she had actually stepped back a few feet making my kick of her shin more difficult, but not impossible.


"Well its a good thing she heard you scream" I added, "Were twins" chimed in Anabelle, "we always hear each other."


We continued to discuss the Devil as I moved on to Abagail's hair.


I learned that the Devil was not just stubborn but also a trickster, fooling the Twins (several times) into believing he had left just long enough for them to stop praying and fall asleep, only to pop back up out of the Earth even stronger than before. This battle went on all night long, well into the morning hours, until he finally tired and left for good, making the Twins, understandably, late for their appointment with me.


By the end of our visit they were feeling much better, obviously sharing their story with me was cathartic for them and the fact that they had the most stunning pale beige blonde hair didn't hurt either!


Let me say.....It is not for me to tell you weather their fight with the Devil was real or imagined, I for one believe them, I always believe that what they believe to be true could never be anything but.


I am, however, sure of the following.... we ALL have our fights with the Devil, he doesn't always come up thru rose colored berber but he gets in never the less.


One day, If I and I alone can't "pray my Devil away," I can always call me beloved Twins (I have their private number) and with them in bed with me.... that Devil wouldn't stand an ice cubes chance in........


Namaste