Red Hats (2)

Why they call people with ginger hair redheads I have no idea. I suppose the expression ‘redhead’ predates the invention of the word ‘orange’ to describe the orange colour. So, is ‘red’ older? And did it previously cover other colours that approximated red and now are called something else with their own adopted disciples of colour variations eager to emerge and be given their own name. Each colour as parent colour subsequently with its own disciples of colours that were a shade or two away from such a parent colour? And they all eventually have their own names, I guessed, as I watched, over the years, my redhead friend pass from ginger to grey during the course of her life, which begged the question, in my mind, about the colour disciples that are radiated from ‘grey’ as the parent colour itself. Until I saw her in later life among her disciples of friends all wearing red hats to make the twilight years brighter than some of the dusks that bedevil the grey sunsets every autumn. Each of the ladies considered the other ladies were her own disciples. There is a term in music called a ‘dying fall’ and when I noticed most of their other clothes were purple, a tear came to my mind for no accountable reason. Except for the fact that one of these ladies of a certain age was wearing a purple hat and a bright red coat. And I smiled as the red coat reminded me of ancient holiday camps and once happy endings. Her gloves were mauve. A nice touch.