whoever you are, whatever you do.

She limps into the room, looking every bit as monstrous as my current hairstyle. Turning heads the wrong way, she is a disaster. She doesn't belong here. Anyone, just not her.

It was like seeing a puddle of dirty blood in an all-white room. No one bothered to ask who she was, what she was doing there. In their minds they were judging her from head to toe, scrutinizing every square inch of her blotchy skin. She doesn't belong here. No.

Making her way to the receptionist's desk, she smiles faintly.

"Magkano po magpa-haircut dito?"

The lady behind the desk doesn't bother to smile. She raises one eyebrow and points to the wall behind her. "Eto yung mga services namin. Di mo ata kaya, ma'am. Masyadong mahal para sa taong katulad mo. Doon po sa kabila, may salon doon, mura lang. 30 pesos lang haircut nila doon."

Even I am shocked at the lady's response. Surely she could have shooed her away less harshly?

With arms akimbo, the woman tilted her head and said, "EH DI HINDI PALA TOTOO YUNG COMMERCIAL NINYO?"

Everyone turned to look at this woman's sudden confidence. Murmurs echoed from every corner of the room. Voices were raised and the salon was alive with chatter. She raised her head high and gathered all--if any--of her pride.

"Alam mo bang tatlong taon na akong naglilimos...naghihirap...isang beses lang ako nakakakain sa isang araw. Sa wakas ay nakapag-ipon ako para lang makapunta sa isang salon tulad nito. Ganyan lang pala trato ninyo sa akin."

"Ha?"

"Nakita niyo na ho ba ang commercial ng salon?"

And sure enough, all who were in the room turned to see the commercial looping on the salon's plasma TV.

At the end of the commercial, the founder of the salon emerged from the roster of stylists, smiled proudly and said:

Whoever you are, whatever you do, _____'s Salon will bring out the best in you."

They gave her a haircut for free.