The still calm of the almost warehouse like Super Wal-Mart was never a surprise to Jamie, she had always gone during the early afternoon usually on a weekday to do her grocery shopping. It was a routine schedule she took up four years ago, since she had her twin boys, Michel and Sam. When she first had kids, she thought after she quit her job, she?d get a little more time to care for herself, but now it seems that she had less.

She only had time for the everyday things like: showering, which sometimes can?t always be enjoyed since the kids always try to found a way to open the door on her, putting on make-up, which unlike most new mothers don?t even bother, combing her hair, now an even more difficult task since she hadn?t had it cut in two years and now had an extra twelve inches to deal with, now the tattered ends reached the top of her butts, but the condition was getting worse since her kids tended to pull on it every time they wanted her attention, breaking some of the ends and making some deadly knots, Jamie had always felt to keep herself beautiful even after she had kids, feeding herself, but its usually something small when she gets the time, as for sleep, she never got much, since her husband was one of those that loved to roll around the bed, most of the time laying on top of Jamie?s hair and pulling it and tugging her head around. She had never been so stressed out on an every day basis in all of her twenty-six years she had lived.

Jamie turned her almost fully cart of groceries down the worse aisle, the cereal aisle. Her shiny, light brown tresses that touched alongside the pockets of her blue jeans become chimes for her attention as Sam grabbed a meaty handful and yanked hard on it. ?Aww, aww. Sam I told you never to pull on my hair.?

A clump of thin pieces came loose in Sam?s hand; he wiggled his fingers around letting it all fall to the floor. Jamie?s hair sprung back, broken and knotty. ?Mommy, buy this. Buy this.? Sam?s broken words of want came out as he pointed to a colorful box of some frosted with too much sugar.

From the other side, Michel wrenched on her hair, not as hard as Sam did, but enough to jerk her head to the right without her content. ?Guys, can you please not pull on my hair, it?s damaged enough as is. You guys are just as bad as your father always pulling it with all your weight. It?s bad enough I can?t go get it cut, since you guys need a full time baby sitter, but it?s worse that you damage it even more than it is. I just feel that I am at the end of my rope, since you guys won?t stop swinging from it and I can?t get any sleep because of it. Just another thing that a women has to deal with and her damn kids.? Jamie muttered as she placed the box of cereal in the cart and paced down the rest of the aisle.

She stopped the cart in front the meat case, studying the already packaged meat slices. Without notice, Sam jumped to the ground, crawling around Jamie?s foot for no reason. Like a crow attracted to shiny things, Sam pocked at Jamie?s glossy black thick-soled Mary Jane shoes, they were what she called her fashionably mom shoes, even though she used them as her causal everyday wear shoes, wearing them with her usually everyday clothes, a tee shirt, jeans and white socks. Sam giggling, pocked at her sock, maybe attracted to the contrasting white to the slick black, like a white cloth in spilled oil. Without looking down she said almost unconcerned, ?Sam, don?t play with my foot.?

At the same time, Michel parted through her swinging hair at her back, and stuck his hand under her rigid, hot pink collared, short-sleeved polo shirt, tickling her back with his small, nimble fingers. ?Get out of my shirt, Michel.? Jamie scolded as she concentrated on a package of honey ham slices, before placing it in the cart. ?That about does it. Ok, time to go guys.?

Jamie led the group to the front, the two kids playing behind her as she pushed the cart to the checkouts. Many laid without a employee behind the counter, but Jamie say that number 5?s light was lit, and heaved the cart into the narrow path, stopping it before the conveyer belt. She started to dish out the pile of food that had been gathered. Pressing in-between the cart and passageway, Sam and Michel squeezed pass, spotting what they were hunting for candy. They jittered with over plausible excitement for the sweet treats. Sam without taking his eyes off the racks of candy grabbed a handful of his mother?s hair and yanked as hard as he could, pulling out a bundle of full length of hair. The frayed rip of snapping hair sounded before Jamie could voice her pain. Even the old lady checking her out winced at the painful sight. Before Jamie could scold her son, she murmured, ?Only if there was some way to make this stop, please.?

Jamie eyes wondered to the left, touching upon an opening that held two glossy black chairs, supported by a long silver shaft that seemed to spread out into a circle of liquid metal on to the floor. In front of the chair, large, white shelf filled with a variety of styling products and a large mirror that would reflect from the waist up. Her eyes went up from the two chairs, to above the entrance, reading the brightly colored red letters that spelled out Cost Cutters. Her mind got lost in thought, not noticing that the lady that was checking her out was talking to her.

?Ma?am, how you going to pay for this??

?Can you hold on for a second? Sam and Michel, I?ll get you one piece of candy as long as you be good for a little while, ok?? With the magic words spoken the kids went to work picking out a piece of candy each.

?I?ll be paying by debit.? The lady nodded as Jamie slid in her card and pushed in her pin number. The old lady tore the receipt off the roll and handed it to Jamie, telling her good-bye as she pushed the cart full of bagged groceries out of the check out passage way. With her running thoughts, she placed the cart in front of the bench that was placed outside the salon. She reached into one of the bags that was on top and pulled out the pieces of candy that Sam and Michel got. ?Mommy?s going to go in here right now, I want you two big boys to sit here and watch the cart. Also, I going to give you your candy now, just promise me that you will stay here and be good.?

Without a word, the two sat on the bench and peeled away at the wrappers of their sweet candy. With bravery, Jamie walked into the salon, ready to resolve her problem quick as she could. Jamie stepped in front of the receptionist, an older lady, probably in her late forties, her hair was cut short; it looked puffed up and made a ledge over the sides of her head, and obviously dyed blonde, with dark roots showing through the middle. Her chubby, but cheerful face held on to a pair of pale pink glasses that looked like they had never been taking off her face. A large black, nylon smock covered her clothes, in red letters her name, Carrie, was labeled. Her eyes read silently the magazine that laid next to the cash register, spending her time as well as she could without any customers to keep her busy. With notice, she raised her head to greet Jamie.

?I would like to get a haircut, if it?s possible.? Jamie pushed out, deepening herself into going through with it.

?Well, sure sweet heart.? The Carrie came from behind the cash register and walked over to one of the empty chairs. She patted on the polished, thickly padded chair and said, ?Take a seat right here, and we?ll get started.?

Jamie took a seat, placing her chunky Mary Jane shoes on the metal bar that acted as a footrest for almost every salon chair, and straightened her back against the cold padding, which squished and reformed against her form, and than positioned her arms on the wide, black armrests. As Jamie sat down, Carrie stood in front of the counter, pulling out a comb, a pair of scissors, and a spray bottle, laying them on the table counter. As the Carrie arranged her tools, Jamie stared into the mirror, her motherly figure reflected back to her. Her thin, eyebrows arching over her wonderful blue eyes. Her cheeks dragging down with her long hair and her firm lips glossed with tints of red, emphasizing them from the rest of her face.

Carrie?s hand placed on the silky black cape that was folded several times over, that had been laying on the counter for the whole time. As she grasped it in her hand, the black nylon rustled. Carrie went around to the back of the chair and spread out the cape, letting its full-length bob almost against the floor. She grasped on to the collar and from the side of Jamie she moved the cape over, placing Jamie?s head in-between her out stretched arms. The cape reached and tickled against Jamie?s exposed socks, but as Carrie pulled it up, the cape begun to settle around the front of her thighs, Jamie could feel the soft nylon material through her jeans. The cool sensation skipped the rest of her legs as her knees made the cape bellow over the rest, but the slay feeling glided over Jamie?s firm fingers and hands, working its way up to her shoulders, and on to her neck. The soft collar worked around Jamie?s neck as Carrie found the correct button and snapped it tight. As the cape was amply supported, Jamie?s body become a slope of smooth black nylon, her chest now painted with red letters spelling out Cost Cutters and circled underneath the tagline Family Hair Care laid. Jamie?s golden brown waist length hair laid hidden behind her dark covered shoulders, moved back there so Carrie could put the cape on properly.

Still standing behind the caped Jamie, Carrie spoke in a cheerful voice, ? So, what are we doing today?? With both her hands she shoved Jamie?s massive locks forwards, letting them trip over her slick shoulders and cascade over the cape, the tattered ends reaching to the level of her tarp covered lap.

?Well?I didn?t come here to shock you or play a joke on you, but as you can see my hair is very damaged from poor upkeep, to be honest I haven?t had time to go in even for a quick trim for two years. But it?s not only the ends, I have a lot of broken pieces that go up various lengths throughout my hair, which makes it really ratty looking. And at night, my husband tends to roll around and sometimes rolls on to my hair and let?s just say it hurts too much to take it anymore Also, since my two kids love tugging on my hair I have noticed several bald spots. So, with all intent I want you to shave it all off.? Jamie said as her head bobbed above her caped body.

?Yeah, your hair is definitely in bad condition, it?s a triple strike, bad spilt ends, a lot of broken pieces, and several bald spots. Yes, shaving it all off is one option, but you can go another route. We can take it really short that will take care of the damaged hair but it would leave the bald spots and I am afraid that they might become more visible if we do that. Though, it?s all up to you on what you want to do.?

?I am to the point that I don?t want any hair to take care of. Maybe it?s a disorder caused by my kids pulling on my hair every couple of seconds, but I don?t want any hair that could be pullable. I just want it return to its natural state and I know the only way to do that is to shave it to the skin, and just let it all grow back. I think every women has their breaking point and mine is the fact that I haven?t had a good night sleep in the last fours years and my head is always hurting and throbbing. Sometimes you have to sacrifice some things to get what you want. So, please shave it for me.? A thin, overly proud smile came over Jamie face, she realized the words she just said, that compared to basic needs, her looks aren?t that important

?Wow, now I see why. I have to say that I really admire you for this, being a mother has to be one of the worse jobs, and you have sacrificed so much already just to raise your kids. Well, I want to help you get a good night sleep tonight, so let?s get started.? Carries laid her hands on Jamie?s shoulders, her fingers grasping upon the silken cape and the firm feel of Jamie?s shoulders, as she placed her foot upon, hydraulic lift pump. With each press of her foot, the chair lurched up higher and higher, with jerky movements. Jamie?s feet already floated a couple of inches above the ground; but now they were even higher in the air, giving them a more hovering feeling. Jamie smiled as her body inched up higher into the mirror.

The middle aged Carrie went from behind the chair and back to her triplet of draws, and waved her hand through the clutter and pulled out a thick pair of black and silver electric clippers. She lifted them high up, letting the cord pull itself out of the draw. ?Even though, we are shaving your head, is there any certain way you want it done? Do you want me to take you through stages? Do you want me cut your hair short first with the scissors and than shave? Or do you just want to go right down the middle??

?I just want to get rid of it as fast as I can. I am so sick of looking at it, so the fastest way possible is the best way. ? Jamie remained calmed as she spoke.

Carrie plugged in the clippers and than laid them down on the counter, and opted for the tooth filled comb. ?I am just going to brush out your hair sweetie, so when I shave it, there are no knots, because if the clippers get snagged, it?s not pleasant. ? She went back behind Jamie, and begun smoothing out her hair, giving it a shiny, clean look. She parted it down the middle, giving Jamie a less random look. ?The time has come. The time to shave has come, you ready??

Carrie reached for the clippers and grasped them in her hand. As she stood behind the chair again, she placed her hand on top of Jamie?s hand and flicked on the clippers. ?You are seconds away from never being pulled by your hair or not being able to sleep because someone is laying on your hair again. Something that every mother should do, just so they don?t have to worry about. But not everyone is as brave as you, so lets get started before you change your mind.?

?Let?s do it.? A thick blushing smile came over Jamie?s face as she spoke.

The glistening, chipping teeth of the clippers hung and hovered against Jamie?s forehead, their aurora being felt before they even went to work. With a hesitant push, the clippers jiggled into the middle of Jamie?s forehead, skating to the back of her head as growing masses of golden brown hair built in the movement of hair. As Carrie pushed the clippers to the back of Jamie?s head, the building hair jumped over the cliff, grasping against the wall of hair as they fell to the white tiled floor, where, once they hit, they curled up in a small pile. ?You doing, ok??

?I am doing good. It feels like my whole head is getting a message.? Jamie said with a grinning smile as Carrie positioned the clippers on her forehead again. With a soft push of the clippers, another layer of hair from the left side of Jamie?s head came undone, the bundles of strands descended, tumbling over the still attached hair before it toppled on the shoulder of the cape. The cape?s glossy texture and slanted form made the severed hair stumble and slide down the length of the cape, before it came to the landing of Jamie?s lap, stopping with breaking speed. Jamie watched the process of her hair gliding down the cape, mesmerized by the lengths of hair that fell, she never seen anything like it, so much hair sliding down the cape before. Before she could look up from watching the pieces of her tattered hair fall away, another layer of hair cuffed against her caped shoulder and skimmed along the cape, crashing into the already tresses that laid there. With quick passes, Carrie had already taken Jamie?s hair down to her sideburns, the last line of hair, the sheet of hair thin compared to the rest. As the clippers grinded at her hair, the pieces flopped and poured on to the cape, pushing against some of the shorn locks that had found some grip on the cape and stayed around Jamie?s shoulders and chest. A tingling feeling wavered around the sheared parts of Jamie?s head. Without the weight of over bearing hair, Jamie?s ear felt like it had detached from her head. The thin coat of hair that hid behind Jamie?s ear, rustled and gained feeling for the first time, since there was no over layering hair to mat it down.

Carrie cleaned that area off, clipping around Jamie ear, the humming gathering in her as it was pressed close against it. A broad bunch of hair that was connected to the back of Jamie?s head still, laid across the front of her shoulder, covered in the collection of cut hair, Carrie grabbed a hold of it and swung it behind the chair. As she pulled the hair to the backside of the styling chair, the severed hair that laid on it with new force raced down the cape, slamming hard against the resting hair at the bottom, pushing most of it over Jamie?s covered kneecaps and cascaded upon Jamie?s shoes. Through the square window on Jamie?s Mary Janes, she could feel the itch and weight of the clipped hair on her socks, but she refused to get up and brush it off now.

?Havening fun yet?? Carrie spoke as she walked over to Jamie?s right side, urging the clippers into the other side of Jamie?s head.

?Well, I have to say I am enjoying seeing it fall away. Since the shaving began, I now feel like it was just a barren. It didn?t feel good, it was too long, and it got in my way a lot. I?m just thankful that I am not working right not so I was able to do this, because I would have gone berserk trying to take care of it.? As Jamie spoke, Carrie continued shaving, nodding as she listened. Chunky manes of rich brown tickled against the cape as they marinated the cape in their blanket. With each pass of the clippers, more hair came loose and mounted on Jamie?s lap. Her black nylon enveloped legs came heavy with hair, almost to the point that it was starting to become uncomfortable. Under the sleek, lustrous cape, Jamie moved her hand from the armrest and placed it on her lap and pushed up. The cape bulged as she raised her palm up, with the swift movement and displacement of the cape; the heap of bulky hair came apart, spilling off over the front of the cape. Again some caught on to her shoes, but most fell pass like a rushing waterfall of broken hair to the floor. With the large amount of hair, the rustling noise that it made when it hit the ground was loud enough to hear with the clippers buzzing in Jamie?s ear and didn?t stop until it begun to pile up beneath her feet.

Carrie finished shaving the wisps of hair that curled around Jamie?s small and fragile ear, edging towards finishing the rest of this adventure. Jamie?s head thrived with buoyancy, but her neck seemed to itch and crawl as the back of her head was still covered with long hair. It may have been do to the fact that the rest of her head felt clean and unsoiled and her remaining hair felt dirty and unkempt in comparison.

Carrie laid her soft, firm hand on Jamie?s supple nylon coated shoulder and switched off the clippers. ?Well, we?re done with your haircut. You did say that you wanted the mallet cut, right? Just let me go get the special mullet styling product, a NASA car hat.?

?So, I am guessing this is an extreme mullet. The sensible bald business man cut in front and got no time for a haircut, because I am partying and drinking too much, in the back. Well, I am all for business, so I?m ready to shed my party side.? Jamie laughed admiring her mullet hair cut in the mirror, moving her head from side to side, noticing how odd she looked with the tail of waist length hair still hanging behind her. It was just too much of a contrast to the a great deal cleaner look of her peachy white skin. Shaving it seemed to bring out the grossness and grubbiness of hair, the years of dirt that had collected on it and stayed after every shampooing, only shaving it would you be able to get truly healthy hair again.

Carrie turned the clippers back on, with teeth generating heat once again. Carrie turned the clippers upside down, so the teeth were facing down, so she could shave the back of Jamie?s head without going underneath the wall of bushy hair. She drove the clippers down, the teeth tearing away the lifeless crunching hair. Carrie pulled down the clippers until it rode along Jamie?s nape and from there, the hair fall by itself, staying as one solid row of hair, before it crumpled against the white tiled floor. Carrie wanted to finish the haircut as fast as she can, gathered Jamie?s remaining hair in her hand and shaved around the still remaining roots, detaching it in a massive ponytail. With a flutter of her fingers, she let it drop to the floor and the immense bunch that crunched against the ground. Carrie ran the clippers over Jamie?s head, each pass cutting the uneven hairs that were missed when the clippers were severing the waves of hair. After she brought the clippers up Jamie?s bare neck, she turned them off, the lost the hum of the clippers seemed unsettling to Jamie, since she had grown use to the sound.

Carrie stepped from behind Jamie, unplugging the clippers and dropping them into the draw that she got them from. She pulled out another draw and grabbed a neck duster. She turned and faced Jamie and begun to brush the flexible, but thick bristles across the top of her head. She lightly swept it around Jamie?s face, flinging the tiny hairs that would itch like crazy if they had been left. As Jamie opened one of her eyes to see if Carrie was going to continue brushing her face, Carrie gave her a heart filled smile as she proceeded to the back of the chair again. She grasped the collar of the cape and tore it open with a loud metal snap, reveling more of Jamie?s slim neck. She gave a couple of quick sweeps across her neck, crackling the cape as she passed over it with the firm bristles. After expecting Jamie?s head for any more annoying hairs, she placed the hair duster in the pocket of her nylon smock.

With the touch of her foot, she released the lock of the hydraulic lift. Slowly, the chair slid down to its former position. With a gust of speed and skill, Carrie clutched the cape and lifted it off Jamie, sending the remaining chucks of hair to the floor as she held it straight up before she brought it over to the side, were she begun folding it using her arms to do so.

An odd sense of weightlessness came over Jamie. Without the heavy hat of her shaggy hair and the quilt like cape around her, she felt as her body was filled with air. Jamie studied herself in the mirror, looking for any lumps or bumps, but didn?t see a one. In the absent of her hair, her face seemed to have been lifted, looking younger and higher. Now it wasn?t being hidden by blanket of brown, it was the emphasis that it should have been. Even though she was comfortable with the look, in the back of her mind she still feared of people?s reactions, thinking something else of her, but she know that it wouldn?t be that long and she could get through it.

?So, you?re done. You did it sweetie, you shaved your head.? Carrie said as she stood next to the chair, admiring Jamie?s bravery for what she just went through without flinching or crying once.

With a beaming smile, Jamie said, ?I?m ecstatic. My hair is gone, something that I have held on to for over twenty years. But I just needed to get rid of it caused so many problems for me. I don?t know what my sons are going to do now to get my attention.? Jamie peeled her back from the chair, bending over her lap, looking at her shoes and seeing them covered in several clumps of hair. With her hand she brushed them off, and got up from the chair. As she pushed herself off the armrest, grabbing her purse that had laid beside her in the chair the whole time, her eyes dodged against the ground, witnessing for the first time the amount of hair that had been shorn.

?My god that?s is a lot of hair!? Jamie nervously chuckled as she examined the mounds upon mounds of lightly toasted brown hair that formed a ring almost completely around the chair. Her feet trended in the carpet of moving hair as she followed Carrie to the cash register.

?So, what do I owe you for doing me this great favor??

?You know what doll, I am going to let this one go. I just admire what you did too much to charge for it.?

?Thanks, but I can?t leave here without giving you anything,? Jamie reached her purse and pulled out a twenty, ?Please take this as a tip. I insist. I wouldn?t feel right with you sweeping up all of my hair without pays?

?Well thanks, that?s very generous of you. Come back soon.? Carrie left the words hang in the air as she gave Jamie a fare well smile.

?Count on that. You?ve got yourself a new customer once this grows out, but I?ll make sure I bring my kids and husband here for haircuts. Well, bye.? Time seemed to pick up once Jamie left the salon, her adventure made her lose the feeling of elapsing time.

Nervously, she stepped to her unnoticing sons as they ate away at a bag of chips that they got from one of the bags of groceries. ?Hey, guys. You ready to go.?

With the sound of their mother?s voice covering over them, they shoot their eyes upward to notice that she didn?t look the same as she did fifteen minutes ago. ?What happened to mommy?s hair? Asked Sam.

?Mommy shaved it. Cut it all off, because she didn?t like it anymore. Just like when you guys shaved your heads in the summer, because it was too hot. Go ahead and touch it.?

They reached up with their small hands as Jamie bent over to let them feel, their fingers gracing over her clean and soft skin.

?It feels like putty.? Michel laughed.

?Ok, guys lets go home, we still have to put these groceries away. ? Jamie placed her purse in the cart and pushed it down the empty store, giving a pleasant wave to Carrie that was busy sweeping up the mountain of shorn hair.

Sam and Michel played alongside of the cart as she drove it out the day, to be confronted by a shower of rain. And the only thing that Jamie could think was that she was the only women that wouldn?t have to dry her hair when she gets home, just one less worry to deal with.