Lavinia

I think the girls must get together and talk. Probably dare each other to try to make me uncomfortable. It was not but a few days after all the teasing at the stream about braiding hair that Lavinia showed up at the fires with her wet hair all piled on top of her head. And what does she go and do? Asks me to braid it.

Now I did not think she was serious. Not for a moment. Not because it is a personal thing .. it is. But because I am admittedly scared to death to braid a woman's hair.

Now I know how to braid as I have said before. It is just different on a woman's head. Why? Well I suppose it has something to do with the fact that it is a personal act. But mostly it is just I know my hands are scarred and callused and I know I would make a fine mess of it. I know I would be teased and the entire idea just does not appeal to me. Why would I put myself in that situation on purpose? Just no reason I can think of.

But I think I hurt her feelings. I do not believe she realized the truth behind what I said. Perhaps she did not believe that I would be scared of such a simple thing. Perhaps she believed it was just her. Well it was not and if she does actually talk to the other women she will find out my avoidance goes for them all.

Now she pushed me pretty hard. I am not sure if she really wanted me to braid her hair for a reason I am still in the dark about ... or if she was just trying to test me to see if I would or what I thought of braiding women's hair as a personal kind of act. If I would threaten to collar her for the request. Which of course I told her was a silly notion. You have to step a lot further into my personal space for me to bring up the subject of a collar with any kind of serious intention.

I almost followed her when she left. But then I got to thinking that following women and trying to talk to them lately has just gone all wrong for me and I better just sit right where I was and let it go. If she was uncomfortable the last thing she needed was me back in her space trying to get her to define what made her uncomfortable .. especially if it was me.

Probably the first smart thing I ever did when it comes to a woman.