Made in Taiwan 15

Day 76 continued

With a weak smile, I stood up. Hearing my platform sandals click loudly on the tiled floor beneath me. Taking a second to steady myself, Lin said something in Chinese that I couldn't understand. And doing what I always did in situations where I didn't understand. I smiled and nodded. It seemed to do the trick as Lin smiled back at me, looking incredibly happy before turning to leave the room.

Nervously, I tottered after her, feeling relatively calm. The pill I had taken before leaving the apartment starting to do its thing. Ok, Some people reading this might think it was a ridiculous decision to take mind-altering drugs in a situation like this, and looking back, I'm inclined to agree with you. But at that moment in time, I was popping them like candy, sometimes up to three a day.

The effect was not as strong as it had been. To be honest, it’s hard to explain how it felt. When it kicked in, this feeling of tranquillity would wash over me. Leaving me almost oblivious to everything going on around me, but strangely able to function quite normally. Afterwards, I could always remember everything that happened, but it would seem like the memory of a movie I'd watched rather than something that had actually happened to me.

Catching up with Lin, who had stopped to wait just outside the door, we trotted along, side by side as she led the way. Realising that my Chinese was pretty basic, Lin, who was pretty chatty, just talked away, seemingly not expecting an answer.

Focusing on my walk, my mannerisms, and my voice, I wondered how much Lin knew about my situation. For some reason, at that moment, the thought of her thinking that I was a girl, and then suddenly finding out I wasn’t, seemed like the worst thing in the world. The thought of her laughing at me and then having to spend the next few hours with her seemed like a fate worse than death. And yes, Simona told me, I’d be there for at least a few hours, another reason for taking a pill.

Turning a corner, we passed through a set of doors and entered a windowless room that looked like a beauty salon. I looked around at the alien environment as I was led over to a black leather seat and was relieved to find the place empty. But what was strange was the positioning of the chair. Slap bang in the centre of the room with nothing around it.

Sitting down, Lin helped me remove the flimsy scarf from around my neck, before placing a white sheet around my shoulders. Securing the sheet behind my back, she then asked me another question. The only word I understood was makeup, but I nodded my head and said ok, finding it really hard to focus.

Seeming pleased with my answer, Lin took my hand and helped me over to another chair in front of a sink. Once sat comfortably, Lin went straight to work.

First, reaching towards my eyes and peeling away my fake eyelashes before I could even flinch. Next, she grabbed a cloth and squirted on some kind of white liquid. It must have been good makeup remover because she hardly had to rub at all. The cloth just glided across my face removing the makeup Simona had applied a few hours ago with ease.

When done, she picked up my hand and examined the long yellow acrylic nails still attached to the end of my fingers from the previous week. I thought I heard her say something about removing them, and I nodded enthusiastically. After over a week of not being able to make a fist, the muscles in the back of my hand felt stiff and strange.

Lin again looked really happy with my answer as she reached up, and without warning, whipped the shoulder-length brunette wig from the top of my head. Ten minutes earlier, I might have been mortified, but at that moment, my mind was too far gone.

Feeling Lin’s fingers rake through my hair, I closed my eyes and let out a little moan. Her fingertips felt electric across my scalp as I struggled not to fall asleep. Stopping for a second, she once again asked a question. I nodded my head and agreed.

Thinking back now, I should have guessed I was agreeing to do something pretty extreme by Lin’s reaction. Startling me by jumping up and down and clapping her hands enthusiastically. But incapable, and in no state to ask what was going on. I quickly found my chair being lowered, so my head was level with the sink.

I must have dozed off for a second while Lin washed my hair because she was done in a flash, and when she lifted my chair back into an upright position, we were no longer alone. I remember staring opened eyed at the three women and one man smiling back at me as Lin gave some kind of introduction.

Unable to speak or comprehend what was happening. Lin started towel drying my damp hair as the four Taiwanese cosmology students all chimed, “ni hao”, in sync. I may have said hello back, I can’t remember.

Still in shock, Lin wrapped something tightly around the top of my head before helping me back over to the seat in the centre of the room. I sat down, automatically smoothing out my skirt, and just stared forward blankly as Lin spoke to our guests who were happily scribbling away in their notebooks.

(See image 18)

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For the next few hours, that's where I sat. With my legs pushed tightly together and my muscles cramping up. The time seemed to pass by in an instant. But at the same time, It felt as though I’d been there for days.

Under normal circumstances, I would have felt terrified and embarrassed being the centre of attention as Lin gave what turned out to be some sort of demonstration lesson. But thanks to the pill, I didn’t really feel anything. I just remember sitting there, telling myself not to look at anyone. Instead, I picked a spot on the wall, focussing on it throughout as Lin whizzed around me, occasionally inviting one of the students up to help her.

Thinking about the event now, sober. It’s difficult to understand how I sat oblivious through it all. But The strange thing is. I barely even noticed any of the procedures and hardly felt anything. There was no pain, just numbness as I sat there like a statue letting these strangers prick, poke, and prod me.

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Suddenly, I noticed my eyes feeling very dry, and after blinking furiously a few times, the world slowly came back into focus. Still sat on the chair in the centre of the room, I observed Lin stood directly in front of me. She had her back to me and was addressing the students.

With the effects of the pill now wearing off, I felt weird. And for the first time that day, a little anxious. I wasn't in pain but there were these really odd sensations all over. Starting at the top of my head, I felt a tightness like someone had a hold of my hair and was pulling. It also felt heavier.

Moving down to my forehead. My eyebrows felt a little sore, but just below them, my eyes felt heavy. Blinking again, I became aware of the fluttering lashes in front of my vision. For a moment, I felt happy, thinking that if Lin had already applied my makeup, that the nightmare must almost be over.

With my throat feeling dry, I swallowed hard and felt a strange sensation as my numb rubbery feeling lips compressed together. That's when I realised something was really wrong and the panic set in. Pursing my lips together, I made what would probably be described as a classic duck face and peered down. The view from my perspective was staggering. My lips looked huge, much bigger than when Simona had previously used her lip plumper on me.

Hearing stirring behind her, Lin turned around and smiled at me. “Mei geren, GG, huilaile. Dengdao Ta kan Dao ta kan qilai duo piaoliang”. (“Everyone, GG, is back with us. Just wait until she sees how pretty she looks”.)

(See image 19)