It was a Wednesday morning and Mary Owens the Principal of a local High School had just given her six month secretary Bertha her first evaluation and it was a rather low one. Now all of Mary’s other secretaries had short hair above the collar but Bertha’s was soft light brown and hung to her waist. Bertha was in her mid 30’s and wore it up in a twist bun most of the time or in a single pony tail. Mary had dropped a hint several times in the past six months that she’d like to see Bertha cut her thick tresses. Bertha had ignored the hints. Mary was in her office with Bertha going over her evaluation with the door closed. Bertha had her hair up in the usual twist. Bertha pleaded ” Mrs. Owens couldn’t you raise my evaluation by a few points so I’d be qualified for a pay raise? I’m willing to correct my errors and do anything to get the raise in pay. I really need the extra money.” The phone rang and it was Mary’s daughter Stacey on the line. Mary talked a few minutes and hung up. She got up and walked around Bertha looking down on her and her thick soft light brown bun. She told Bertha why she had gotten the low marks. She came back and sat down and spoke ” Bertha there is a way I would be willing to raise your evaluation. It involves you doing me a personal favor. It must be a secret between me and you. Would you be willing to do a personal favor for me?” ” Why sure Mrs. Owens what is it?” Mary looked a Bertha and spoke ” You know my daughter Stacey is in Beauty School and her final exam is this Friday and she needs a final exam model. That was her on the phone just now and her original model cancelled out and now she needs a new one. Bertha you have such a great head of hair. I think you would make her an excellent model. I mean there are so many ways she can fix your long hair.” Bertha reached up and touched her bun. She replied ” So, let me get this straight. You want me to let your daughter use me as a hair model for her final exam and in return you’ll raise my evaluation a few points and I must never tell anyone.” ” Yes, Bertha you must keep an open mind and cooperate fully with Stacey. When she calls me and tells me you did what she said then I’ll raise your evaluation. Bertha thought for a moment ” I do need a trim and she will be supervised by an instructor. Ok, I’ll do it. When and where do I show up?” Mary smiled and picked up the phone she dialed a number ” Hi Stacey, I found you a final exam model. It is my new secretary Bertha the one you’ve seen and we have talked about a few times. I know, I think she will be a perfect Model for your final exam. What time do you want her there at the Beauty school? I’ll give her the time off. What do you want me to tell her? Ok, I will. Now, I’ll see you later honey.”

Mary looked at Bertha with a big smile and said ” Alright, Bertha Stacey wants you to be at the Beauty College at 2pm this Friday afternoon. She wants your hair dry and up in a twist like you have now. She wants you to shampoo and condition it on Thursday night. I’ll check in Friday morning and let you off at noon. Wear a comfortable blouse and pants. When she is done with you she will call me and you’ll have the rest of the day off. Remember this is a ” SECRET” between me and you. If the word gets out the deal is off. Do you understand? Do you know where the Beauty college is?” Bertha looked a Mrs. Owens and replied ” Yes, I know where the beauty college is and I understand all the details. I understand this is a personal secret between me and you.” ” Great Bertha, I really appreciate you helping me out. Now get back to work.” said Mrs. Owens.

Friday morning came and everything appeared normal in the office. Bertha’s long soft light brown hair was up in her usual twist. It was at 9:30am Mary came out and spoke to Bertha . ” Bertha come to the supply room with me so we can check supply inventory.” Mary opened the supply room door and turned on the light. When Bertha entered she locked the door behind her. ” Ok, Bertha come over here and turn around” commanded Mary. Mary reached up and took Bertha’s twist loose and Bertha’s long soft brown hair tumbled down towards the floor. Mary fingered combed it and let her fingers feel the fullness of the brown mane. Mary checked it out to make sure it was thoroughly dry. Mary lifted a thick section up and smelled the scent of fresh shampoo. She spoke softly to Bertha ” I see you have complied with Stacey’s instructions and your ready for this afternoon. You’ve had long hair for a long time haven’t you Bertha? ” Yes, I’ve worn it long since I was in college when I was 20 years old. I love my long hair.” Mary looked at the soft brown carpet of hair going down Bertha’s back and smiled.” I can see you do have an attachment to your hair. Now, put it back up and we will return to the office.” said Mary.

Bertha arrived at the Beauty College at 1:45 pm. Stacey saw her and came over with another girl. ” Hi Bertha I’m glad you’re my model. I promise you an Unforgettable Hair Experience. This is my friend Sheri who will take you over and ad some pretty curls to your pretty hair. My mom called and told me she confirmed that your hair is ready for today’s experience. I’ll motion you over to my chair over there at the proper time and we will get started on my Test. Ok!” Bertha nodded in agreement. Sheri motioned for Bertha to come sit down in an empty styling chair a few chairs behind where Stacey was seen going over things with a lady in a smock who was an instructor Sheri told Bertha. Sheri reached down and undid Bertha’s thick soft brown twisty bun. The soft hair tumbled down and Sheri started brushing out the thick mane and that relaxed Bertha. Then she took a curling iron and started curling the ends of Bertha’s long soft brown hair. Bertha relaxed and paid little attention as Sheri parted her hair down the middle and tied the thick hair off in two thick ponytails at the base of Bertha’s neck on each side. She added more curls to the ends and Bertha didn’t notice Sheri taking a measuring tape to make sure both ponytails were near the same length of 20 inches. Sheri looked at Bertha and then motioned to Stacey that Bertha was ready. Stacey smiled and motioned for her to bring Bertha up to her chair.

Bertha sat down in Stacy’s styling chair and while Sheri held the ponytails up Stacey placed the bright silver cape tightly around Bertha’s slender neck. The instructor came over by Stacey and Bertha. Stacey spoke ” Bertha this is my instructor Jackie and she will be grading your haircut. Jackie this is my model Bertha and as you can see this massive head of hair overwhelms her small head , covers up her lovely bone structure and hides her bright blue eyes. Now my model has made a ” Deal ” with my mother to donate these 20 inch ponytails ( Stacey lifts up one of Bertha’s thick ponytails.) to ” Wigs for Children”. I’m going to give her a nice short pixie style cut to maximize her features. Jackie would you like to help me start my model’s new look by assisting me in cutting off one of these thick ponytails?” She hands Jackie a large pair of sharp shiny shears. Jackie replies ” I’d love to help. I’ll do the left one.” Bertha gets a look of shear terror as she sees and hears all this and the two ladies get closer. She exclaims `”NO, NO, NO, I’m not ready for this! Please don’t!” Jackie speaks ” Now, now, one is never ready for a big change are we but once it is done we find we enjoy it. Like losing ones virginity and besides you made a deal with Stacey’s mother. Right. ” Yes, but..Oh my! ” replies Bertha as she feels Stacey pull tight on her right ponytail and hears the snick, schnick, scrunching noise as the scissors start to cut their way through her thick brown ponytails. She hears the same awful noise on her left side as Jackie is chopping her way through left pony tail. Snip, snip, snip, snap, and finally pop at the final strands are severed. Jackie holds the severed thick 20 inch ponytail in front of Bertha and says ” Now, now dear the worst is over. Stacey now show me what you can do as she lays both severed tails on the counte
r. Bertha sits still and cries as Stacey grabs a spray bottle and wets down Bertha’s thick but now bob length light brown hair. Stacey gets down to business and using finger in conjunction with combs cuts Berthas’ hair down to a 2 inch length on top and near one inch on the sides. The wet conditioned hair is no match for Stacey’s razor sharp scissors. Bertha sits helpless as she watches four and six inch pieces of her hair hit the cape and then tumble to the floor. It seems in no time at all the floor is covered in a thick carpet of Bertha’s soft brown hair. Bertha feels her hair being pulled up and cut. The snipping sound of the scissors seems to go on forever. She feels her head being pushed and moved back and forth. Her crowning glory and the hair she has loved for so long is being tossed on the floor and cut without mercy. Her head feels lighter by the moment. When she thinks it can’t get any worse she hears a click sound as Stacey activates the clippers and pushes her head downward. She feels the clippers vibrate up the back of her head and around the sides. She knows there is a guide on them but she feels like she is being shaved. She feels air on her ears for the first time in her life. Her body tenses up in reaction. Stacey then comes around and combs the hair down in front of Berthas’ eyes and cuts in short bangs. Bertha gasp in reaction as she hasn’t’ had bangs since she was ten. Stacey loosens the cape and pulls it down. Bertha feels Stacey take a straight razor and attack her neck and below her ears shaving off any scraggly hair.

Bertha is certain she looks like a Marine inductee. The hair that was 30 inches on the sides of her head has been reduced to one and in some areas less than that. She knows from the hair on the floor that she has been shorn. Stacey speaks ” I’m almost done Bertha. Your going to look great.” Stacey takes a blow dryer and with a brush she finishes up the style by blending in a bit of mouse. Jackie speaks ” You did an excellent job Stacey. Your model is very brave and your right she does look better without all that massive hair. I’ll give you an A plus.”

From behind her Bertha hears a familiar voice ” Yes, Stacey I’ll give you both an A plus. I see you cooperated fully Bertha.” She holds up Bertha’s long severed ponytails. Bertha with tears in her eyes looks in the mirror and feels her short hair. She whimpers ” Mrs. Owens your daughter has cut all my lovely long hair off ! I can’t believe she cut it so short!” Mary hands her a tissue ” Now, now, now I know it is hard to go from a 15 age look to a 30’s look in one hour. You have plenty of thick soft hair left. Now, you will fit in with the rest of my secretaries and since it is a secret you can explain Monday how it was all your idea and how you let my daughter cut remove your long tresses. ” Stacey hands Berhta a mirror. ” Look Bertha and you can see close up how lovely you look with short hair just like me and my mom thought you would since you first started working for her. I promised you an unforgettable hair experience when you walked in and you got one free of charge. Bertha takes the mirror and looks over her new short cropped hair. She feels her shaved neck and buzzed sides. ” I could have never done this to myself. I could never imagine myself having such short hair. Oh, my! It will take some adjusting and your right I will never forget this hair experience. I must go now if I may.” Stacey looks at Bertha and motions for her to go. Bertha quickly exits.

Stacey starts to clean up the massive pile of hair on the floor. ” Mom that was a great idea you had of giving her a fake low evaluation to force her into my chair and making her change her looks. What are you going to do with these long ponytails? ”

” I’m took some pictures of the haircut and I’ll put the whole makeover on Ebay. Sending you to Beauty school has not been cheap. Just think poor Bertha woke up with hair down to her butt this morning and now she will arrive home with hair that barely covers her ears. I’m just glad I won’t have to see that mane up in a twist every day or in a single ponytail. She looks ten times more professional.” says Mary.

” Yeah , that look in her eyes when we chopped off her long ponytails was priceless.” says Stacey as she dumps a dustpan full of brown hair into the trash.

The End and hope you liked it.
Mr. Snips.