After Break

Anna had just gotten back from Nepal and I hadn’t seen her for a little more then three weeks, I was on my way down to meet her at her room and was really excited. I went upstairs and there she was, just about to enter her room she turned around and ran towards me, as she came towards me I saw that her hair was cut short. The last time I
had seen her it hung down to just above her butt, that wasn’t saying much since she was probably about 4’10 or so, still at the length her hair was now that was a lot of hair gone. Without the weight, her curly hair stuck straight out like a halo, it didn’t look too bad on her, but I didn’t have much time to look because she was quickly embracing me, almost tackling me in the process. As we walked back to her room I asked nonchalantly, “So did you cut your hair in Nepal?”

She replied, “Yah, Natalie and Kelsey dared me to and I just kind of felt like a change, I don’t like it though, I had kind of forgotten how weird it looks sticking out like this.”

“I think it looks good on you”, I replied.

“I’m thinking I’m going to cut it shorter, that might look better, it won’t stick out as much”

“If you want it shorter I could cut it for you, remember, I cut my own hair, I could cut your hair to about an inch all over if you wanted. It would be about twice the length my hair is on top”, I bent down to let her feel it my recently cut ½ inch hair.

“Could you maybe do that right now, I don’t really want too many people to see me like this”

“Sure no problem, I just have to go get my clippers, can we do it in your room?”

“Sure, why don’t I lay down some newspaper while you run up to your dorm.”

“Sounds good, I’ll be back in a few minutes”, and with that I was out the door jogging to my dorm. I got to my room quickly and grabbed my clipped case and after a quick check to see I had everything, I ran back down to her dorm.

While I was gone Natalie had come into the room and upon seeing Anna laying down newspaper asked what was happening. Anna told her about the impending haircut and Natalie asked if she could stay and watch, Anna agreed, and so when I got back Natalie was there. I greeted her and then said, “Ok, just give me a second to set up”

I opened my case and set it on the desk, I plugged my clippers in oiled them up and then snapped on the number 8 1″ guard. I then grabbed a comb and turned back to Anna and Natalie.

“Ok, all set, Anna have a seat”, I grabbed my brand new black vinyl cape and threw it over her, snapping it shut around her neck.

“Ok, are you ready for me to start”, I asked.

“Yah, I guess”

“Ok here it goes”, with that I turned the clippers on and ran them right down the middle of her head. 1- inch chunks peeled off and I cleared them away with a flick of the clippers. I continued doing this across the top of her and then moved on to the sides and the back. It was still puffy but it looked better. I unsnapped and slid the cape off and her to feel it.

“I like the feel of it, let me look in the mirror”, she said.

I stepped back and she walked over to her mirror on the wall.

“I think I might actually go a little shorter. How much shorter can you cut it?”

“Well, I can cut it all the way down to shaving it. It goes in increments of 1/8 of an inch. So the next shortest would be 7/8”, I replied.

“Well”, she said, “Why don’t we try _ of an inch.”

“Sure”, I said. I was a little surprised that she had decided to go even shorter but I snapped on the number 6 _ inch guard without a question. She sat back down and I put the cape back on. I did the same thing as before starting in front and then moving to the back and sides. I was soon done and after taking off the cape let her go look in the mirror.

She said, “I love it, it looks so much better”. She came over and gave me a big hug as she said this.

I was just about to start cleaning up when Natalie spoke up for the first time, “Hey Ben, do you think you could maybe cut my hair too?”

“Sure”, I replied, “The only thing is I can only guarantee that I’ll be able to cut your hair the length I did Anna’s at first. If you want it longer I could try and I’m pretty sure I could do it but I’ve never done it before so I’m not sure.”

“Actually that was the length I wanted it”, she said.

I was a bit surprised as she had beautiful black hair down to mid back. If she wanted it though, I wasn’t going to argue, I invited her to sit down. Once she was settled, I asked her for a hair tie which she handed to me. I gathered her hair together and then put the hair tie around it in a ponytail. After a quick comb through with my
fingers I took the guard off the clippers and turned them on. They buzzed to life and I placed them just above the hair tie. They had soon chewed their way through her hair and I was holding her severed ponytail in my hand. I handed it to her and then asked how long she wanted the final product.

She said, “Why don’t you cut it to an inch and we can go from there”.

“Ok sounds good, one question though, is it okay if I try and cut you hair into longer style first and then go to the shorter length?”

“Sure, sounds like fun”

“Ok here we go”

I threw the cape over her and then grabbed a comb and some clips from my case and split the top layer from the bottom layer and put the top layer up. I then set my comb mid neck and turned on my guard less clippers. I carefully ran them under the comb cutting anything that stuck down. I continued in this way all around her neck until the bottom layer was one length. I then let down the top layer and cut it a little longer. I combed through it a few times and it looked good. Not wasting any time I turned off my clippers and put the 1-inch guard
on. I then turned them back on and was ready to begin.

This time since her hair was longer I started in the back slowly working my way up through the long hair. When I got to the top of her nape, I move over to the side where I repeated the process. Once all the really long hair had been cut I re-combed her hair to eliminate the part, I then ran the clipped up from her forehead and then after
some touching up all her hair was an inch long. I stood back and admired my work; she then took the cape off so she could walk over to the mirror. She seemed to like it and I suggested that I take the back and sides a little shorter. She agreed and sat down in the chair again. I threw the cape back over her and switched the guard on the
clippers to 7/8 of an inch. I turned the on and carefully ran them up the side of her head, being careful to stop at the same level every time. I slowly worked my way around her head and when I finished she looked great. I took the cape off again and Natalie went over to the mirror to see the finished product.

Upon seeing it she exclaimed, “I love it, thank you, thank you, thank you”

I smiled and said, “your welcome” and she ran out the door to show it to her friends. I started cleaning up and Anna walked in, clean and clothed.

She ran a hand through her hair and said, “I’m amazed at how fast my hair dries at this length, I mean even when it was at it’s slightly longer length it took a while to dry but now I just rub it with a towel quickly and it’s dry”.

I smiled and said, “I know, that’s part of the reason I keep my hair so short.”

By that time I was finished cleaning up and started to say good bye but she stopped me and said “I’ll walk with you back to your dorm there’s something I wanted to talk about anyway”

“Okay”, I replied, I wondered what this something was.

She was silent until we got out the door and up the hill to just above my dorm. Under the tree she stopped and said nervously, “So, um, when I was in Nepal, I realized that I really do like you, I wasn’t quite sure before but after meditating on it a little and hearing what some of the monks had to say it came to me that maybe it would work for us
to go ou
t even though you’re going to be leaving soon. What do you think”?

I was a little shocked to say the least, Anna and I had tried to have a relationship the year before but it barely lasted 24 hours. I had then asked her out a few times but she kept turning me down for one reason or another. On advice from a friend of mine I gave it up but now that Anna was asking me I thought that maybe it would work. I
made the decision in that split second that yes I would go out with her.

“Well”, I said, “You know I really like you, and I would love to go out with you, but are you sure this is what you want?”

“Yes, I know our previous try didn’t work out but I have thought about it a lot and I am sure this is what I want.”

“Ok then the answer is yes.”

She wrapped her arms around me and we looked each other in the eye, then slowly moved our mouths together. Never did I think that this evening would turn out so well. Two haircuts and a wonderful girlfriend, oh and I almost forgot, Natalie left me a little present that was currently residing in my clipper case, one 1 and ½ foot shiny
black pony tail.

The End