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Just like JAKE

Part 1

By JimB           Copyright © January 2014

 

 

“Click” …… The alarm clock sounded with a steady buzzing.

 

“Damn, it’s 7am already ……”, Carol said to her self as the Sun shinned through the bedroom window as she reached to turned off the alarm clock. She stretched and tossed the blanket off her body.

 

Raising her legs in the air she turned and sat up of the edge of the bed and stretched again.

 

She stood up, stretched again, and slowly, somewhat sleepy, walked to the bathroom where she showered.

 

She stood in front the mirror over the sink, turning her head side to side.

 

“Damn”, she said out loud, “I need a hair cut”.

 

She got dressed for work.

 

The usual, skirt and matching blouse, stocking and garter belt, then matching 4-inch high heels.

 

She walked to the dresser and applied her make-up and again looked her self, turning her head side to side, saying out loud, “DAMN, I really need a hair cut”.

 

Walking to the kitchen, talking to her self, she said, “I’ll go at lunch.

 

“There’s a barber shop a few block from work.

 

“I have seen women go in and out.

 

“Yes, at lunch …..”.

 

The morning, at work, went well.

 

The normal telephone calls, orders taken, coffee with co-workers, and the boss trying to figure out if any thing was going wrong.

 

She was on the telephone when a co-worker, Sandy, asked if she was going to join her, and a few of the other females, for lunch.

Putting her hand on the telephone, Carol told her, “No …… I need a hair cut”.

 

They smiled at each other as Sandy waived to Carol and walked to her desk.

 

A few minutes later Sandy and the other ladies went off to lunch. Five minutes later Carol grabber her handbag, told her boss where she was going and telling him she might be a few minutes late getting back.

 

He smiled, shook his head.

 

“OK’, and told her, “Don’t worry about it …… I owe you time”.

 

Carol left and head down the street to the barber shop.

 

When she arrived there was a “CLOSED – Returning in 5-minutes” sign on the door. She looked around and there was a coffee shop across the street.

 

A cup of coffee and a snack will be great. She crossed the street and went in the shop. After getting her coffee and snack she noticed there was an open table by the front window.

 

She sipped on her coffee and munched on her snack. After about ten minuets she looked up and noticed the barber open the door and walk in, but he did not turn the sign to “OPEN”.

 

She sat waiting for him to turn the sign, to “OPEN”,

 

Her mind, begin flashing back, back years.

 

Years when she was four.

 

How she would tag alone with her dad and brothers to the barber shop for their monthly hair cut.

 

She like it when they got their Summer hair cut.

 

Dad would have the barber give her brothers a short flattop.

 

When they got home her mother would smile at them, brush her fingers over her dad’s hair. She would do the same thing to her brothers, who as they got older wanted to keep their hair like it was before the flattop.

 

She sometimes would snuggle up to her mom and ask if she could get a flattop.

 

Of course, mom would laugh and say “NO”.

 

Then, March came around and it was one of the warmest in years. Dad told her brothers they would be getting the short flattop a few months early because of the weather.

 

Carol again snuggled up to her mom, and ask about the flattop.

 

For some reason mom told her, “”if your dad says it is all right”, you can get one”.

 

Carol rushed off and began snuggling up to her dad and asking him to let her get a flat-top.

 

Dad laughed, running his fingers through her shoulder long hair.

 

Then, he picked her up and gave her a hug.

 

“NO”, he told her.

 

Putting her down, she turned and walked away pouting and talking to her self. She even tried talking to her brothers, asking them to talk with dad. They laughed and shook their head ‘no’.

 

But, she kept up trying, with both mom and dad.

 

Needless to say what Carol spend the next few days doing.

 

Even the morning dad and her brothers were going for their hair cut, she made an effort to get a “yes”.

 

She made one last effort while they were driving to the barbershop.

 

“Dad”, she asked sitting in the back seat. “You know it is really hot ……

 

Can I get my hair cut a little short”?

 

Her dad looked at her in the rearview mirror, “And, mom …… what did she say”!

 

He knew what mom told her a few weeks earlier. Carol crossed her arms and sat quietly.

 

Then, out of no were, Bryan, her older brother, chimed in, “Sure, you tell her she can’t cut her hair short but we have too.

 

What a deal ……”!

 

Dad pulled into the parking lot on side the barbershop.

 

She looked at Bryan then Ricky ……

 

They looked at their dad, then Carol.   She had her cute little sister eyes looking at them.

 

“OK”, Ricky spoke up, “as long as we don’t have to get a flattop after this one …… until we want one”.

 

Dad looked at her brothers then at her ……

 

She looked at her brothers.

 

Dad said nothing. They got out the car and walked into the barbershop.

 

“Hi Mike”, dad said to the barber. “How many …..”?

 

“Just Dan”, he told dad as he point to the man in the chair.

 

“Bryan, Rick …… and lovely Carol how are you doing this warm day.

 

“Bet the boys are ready for their yearly flattop”?

 

“The boys will be getting a short flat-top”, her dad told Mike, “as will I”.

 

They sat down. She and her brothers picked up a comic book, dad a magazine.

 

As usual, dad was first to get a haircut followed by Bryan then Ricky.

 

Ricky slid out the barber chair but dad did not get up.

 

He turned to Carol ……

 

“OK, your turn”, he told her pointing to the barber chair.

 

Mr. Mike stood there looking at dad, “Pat …… I don’t cut women and girls hair”.

 

“Mike”, dad began telling him, “she not getting a girl’s hair cut ……”.

 

Mr. Mike looked at dad ……

 

But, before he could say any thing dad told him, “She wants a flattop ……

“So, give her a flat-top. A short one like you gave the boys”.

 

“What’s Pat going to say when you get home”, Mr. Mike asked.

 

“She said I could”, Carol said as she stood with her little arms out so Mr. Mike could put her in the barber chair.

 

Mike looked at dad, who just said, “Yes she did”.

 

Mr. Mike picked her up and put her in the little chair.

 

He put the cape on her and turned to the shelf.

 

Mike took hold of the big black clippers, he used on the boys. He brushed it off and put a few drops of oil on the blade, put on the number two head, then clicked it off and on a few times.

 

Walking to the right side of the chair he looked at dad, “You sure ……”?

 

Dad looked her, “You sure ……”?

 

Carol said, smiling at him, “YEP”.

 

Then, Mike clicked the clippers to life.

 

He placed his left hand on the top of her head and tilted it to the left. He placed the humming clippers just below the hairline in front of her right ear.

 

Slowly he pushed the clippers upward as long strands of her light brown hair began to fall into the cape.

 

 

 

 

 

Continued            Copyright © March 2016              JimB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just like JAKE

Part II

By JimB           Copyright © January 2014

 

 

Bryan and Rick looked at each other then at Carol sitting the chair with a big smile on her face.

 

Dad sat there just shaking his head, mumbling to his self, “I can’t believe it”!

 

Mike continued clipping strip after strip around her head.

 

When he got the left side and made the last path in front of her left ear, he placed the clippers on the crown of her head and slowly pushed it forward.

 

Hair strands piped up in front of the clippers then fell into the cape and Carol’s lap.

 

As the pile of hair floated past her eyes her eyes got big, then she smiled.

 

Mike made another pass over the left side of her head, on the left side.

 

He walked around the back of the chair to the right side. There he repeated the clipping on the right side of the top of her head.

 

He turned the clippers off and brushed he left hand over the top of her head then the back and sides.

 

Carol looked at her self in the mirror, behind the waiting chairs, smiling and turning her head side to side.

 

Her dad, and brothers, just sat shaking their head. They could not believe it.

 

They had thought to their self she would start crying and tell Mr. Mike “STOP”.

 

But, there she sat, for the first time in her life, in the barber chair getting all her hair clippered to a half inch all over. She sat just smiling and looked at them.

 

“IT’ NOT SHORT LIKE THEIRS”, she said loudly to Mr. Mike. “I want a flattop like you did theirs”.

 

Mike looked at dad, Dad looked at Mike.

 

He dad started to say something but she quickly told him, “YOU said I could get a flattop like Bryan and Rick.

 

“Zactly like Bryan and Rick”.

 

“Sweet heart”, her dad said to her as he walked the chair, “their hair cut is really short and I do not think your mom will …..”

 

“She told me”, she, somewhat’ loudly told him. “She told me it was up to you.

 

“Want a flattop zactly like Bryan and Rick”.

 

Bryan stood up and started walking to the chair …..

 

“Zactly like Bryan and Rick”, she told them again.

 

Dad waived Bryan back. He looked a Mike, who was standing there not knowing what to say.

If he said “NO’, he knew Carol would start with fits and he would end up giving her a flattop even though he did not want to.

 

He looked at her dad, hoping he would put an end to the hair cut.

 

But, he just looked at her.

 

“IF your mom”, he started telling her, “tells me any thing young lady …..

 

“You will be ….. be …..

 

“OK, Mike”, he said, “She wants a short flattop, then give her the extremely really short flattop.

 

“Extremely really short like the one you gave Jake”.

 

Mike looked at him and started to say something.

 

“JAKE”, he inquired with a questionable look. “Jake got ha ….. had …..

 

“Ya’ ya’, I know. Really extremely short “FLATTOP like Jake got”.

 

He smiled at dad, as dad stepped back to his seat.

 

Rick looked at his dad, “Who is Jake”?

 

“Do not worry about who Jake is”, dad told Rick. “Mr. Mike knows who he is, that is what is important.

 

“You’re sister will not want another flattop again, that is all that maters”.

 

Bryan looked at Rick and started to ask, but Rick just shrugged his shoulders.

 

When Mike turned back to the chair, the clippers did not have a head on it and he had a small thin black comb.

 

He stepped in front of the chair and Carol. He combed the comb a little into her hair.

 

Then, with a quick movement he moved the clippers over the comb cutting her hair to a quarter of an inch. He slid the comb backward, then the quickly moved the clippers over the comb.

 

Each backward combing, then clippering, was slowly done until he had take the last movement at the back of her head.

 

When he stepped to the right side of the chair, Carol’s head jerked forward a little.

 

Her eyes got big and wide.

 

Then, she started smiling and shaking her head, with approval.

 

Again this took her dad and Mike by surprise. Even if she had said something, Mike knew he would have two choices.

 

Finish the cut or take the comb and finish clippering her hair the same length all over.

 

He stepped behind the chair and looked at her dad, “Jake”?

 

Her dad looked at her, sitting there smiling.

 

“Yes like Jake”, he told Mike.

 

Mike tossed the comb on the counter then stepped behind the chair and Carol.

 

“What do you have”, her dad asked Mike.

 

“.ooooo”, he replied. “OK”!

 

Her dad shook his head, “YES”.

 

Mike stepped close to the chair. He placed his left hand on the top of her head and tilted it forward. He clicked the clippers to life.

 

Placing the singing clippers just below her hairline, he slowly pushed it upward stopping and pulling the clippers away just below the occipital bone. He did another pass upward to the right, then another behind her right ear.

 

He stepped to the right then started another upward past of the clippers then another coming up behind her right ear.

 

Then, he placed the clipper just below the hair line in front of her ear and moved the clippers upward slowly leaving behind hardly any hair.

 

Then, he walked around to the left side and did the same.

 

He took his hair duster and dusted over her head.

 

Still, to her dad and Mike’s surprise, she just sat there smiling

 

Her brothers could not believe how short Mr. Mike had cut their sister’s hair.

 

Dad was wondering what mom would say.

 

This was not a flattop.

 

There was a slight wining sound then Mike turned around. In his left hand was a pile of soft white warm shaving lather.

 

He walked to the right side of the chair and slowly begin dapping a little warm lather a long her hair line, to be edged with the straight razor. Something he did with all haircuts.

 

He dapped behind her right ear, stepping behind the chair he begin to spread the warm lather along the bottom of her hair line.

 

When …..

 

“LIKE JAKE’S FLATTOP”, her dad told him. “Just like Jake’s flattop”.

 

Mike leaned back a little, “Are you sur …..”!

 

“Yes”, he dad told him. “Just like Jake”.

 

Mike took a breath.

He took some warm lather from his left hand then started spreading up the back of her head, slowly working the lather over the right side of her head then the left side.

 

Carol looked at her self in the large mirror and saw something she had never seen.

 

Not on her brothers when they got their flattop, nor on he dad when he got one.

 

Not even any of the men and boys she had watched Mr. Mike give a hair cut to.

 

She did not say a word. She just sat there, waiting.

 

Mike returned to the right side of the chair. He took hold of the leather strap, flipped open the straight razor, and stropped its’ blade over it to sharpen it’s edge.

 

Her brothers looked at each other.

 

Mr. Mike had always spread the lather alone the hairline then shave a little strip of hair.

 

Edging he told them. Make the cut look nice and neat.

 

He slowly raised the sharp blade up to her the top of the lather.

 

“You sure”, he asked her dad. He shook his head “yes”.

 

Mike began shaving the right side of her head. Leaving behind skin.

 

He shaved another section, then another one behind her right ear.

 

Carol just sat there, smiling.

 

He continued shaving from the hairline down ward, leaving behind nothing but skin.

 

Her brothers just sat there not believing how their sister was getting her hair cut.

 

How could dad do this!

 

How could he sit there watching this happen to their sister!

 

What was mom going to say when them got home?

 

Mike continued shaving the back of her head. Slowly working his way to the left side of her head. Taking the final shave he stepped back.

 

Mike looked at her dad.

 

Dad looked at Mike.

 

He took a breath, “Just like Jake”!

 

Mike walked to the counter and place the straight razor on the counter. He took hold a white towel and dampened it with warm water. He turned to the chair and began wiping the back and sides of Carol’s head of the excess lather.

 

Then, he shook some powder on the hair duster and dusted around her head.

 

He turned the chair around so Carol could see her hair cut in the mirror behind the chair.

 

She smiled turning her head side to side.

 

Mike turned the chair back to the front. He took hold of Carol and lifted her out the chair.

 

She turned around, “See I got a flattop …… I got a flattop”.

 

Sticking her tongue at her brothers, “Mine is shorter than yours’”

 

They looked at her.

 

Bryan turned and whispered to Rick, “She does not know she didn’t get a flattop”.

 

Rick whispered back to Bryan, “What kind of hair cut did she get and who is “Jake””!

 

Carol walked to her dad and raised her arms upward. He leaned down and picked her up.

 

He gave her a kiss. He had some tears in his eyes.

 

“Thank dad”, she told him and gave him a kiss. “I like my flattop cause it is better than Bryan and Rick flattop”.

 

Dad paid Mike for the haircuts and we left.

 

“Let me know what Pat says”, Mike told dad.

 

 

 

 

 

Continued            Copyright © March 2016              JimB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just like JAKE

Part III

By JimB           Copyright © January 2014

 

 

All the way home dad was wonder what Pat was going to say. How was she going to react!

 

But, she did tell him, and Carol, she could get the flattop if he said it was all right.

 

But ….. But, like this ….. Like Jake …..

 

When they got home Carol was the first out the car. She went calling to her mom.

 

“Mom ….. Mom …..”, she called. “Mom where are you. I got a flattop. Mine is better than Bryan and Rick flattop. MOM”.

 

“Carol”, her mom called to her, “I coming. I am upstairs”.

 

Just as dad and her brothers walked in mom came downstairs.

 

She looked the boys over, “Nice flattop”.

 

They just looked at her.

 

Rick told her, “Carol got one too”.

 

She looked at her husband, “She did ….. did she”.

 

They looked at each other then their mom. Then, they just walked up to their bedrooms.

 

She turned to her husband, “So, you caved in”!

 

“Well ….. Let’s say she got a shorter hair cut”, he told her as she was brushing her fingers over his short flattop.

“I wish you would keep the flat-top”, she told him. “You know I like it on you.

 

“Maybe I should get one …..”!

 

“MOM”, Carol called out.

 

We’re coming”, she called to Carol.

 

They walked to the kitchen, when Carol was getting a drink of water.

 

“CAROL”, she said as Carol turned around. Her eye got wide. She turned to her husband.

 

“FLAT-TOP”, she somewhat angerly said to him.

 

“That is NOT a FLAT-TOP …..”.

 

“YES IT IS”, Carol yelled at her. “It is better than Bryan and Rick”.

“Why don’t you go up to your room and take a shower”, mom told her. Carol smiled and went upstairs.

 

She turned to her husband, her arms crossed. She had a pissed-off look on her face.

 

He knew she was up set. He knew he was going to be in the “dog house” for weeks.

 

“What do you call her hair cut”, mom asked.

 

“Well, WHAT do you call her hair cut”!

 

He stood there.

 

“You know what I call it ….. DO you know what I call it”, she told him.

 

“DO YOU ….. Come on tell me what you call it …..”!

 

They stood there looked at each other.

 

Then, before he could say a word …..

 

“YOU KNOW WHAT I CALL HER HAIR CUT”, she said to him. “DO YOU ……”

 

He stood there.

 

“I call her hair cut ….. JAKE ….. JAKE”, she told him as she put her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss.

 

“A JAKE hair cut”, she told him again.

 

“Do you think she will want ‘another’ flat-top”, she asked him as she gave him another kiss.

 

“I don’t know”, he told her. “She just sat there as Mike buzzed her hair off and shaved the back and sides.

 

“SHE JUST SAT THERE ….. SHE DID NOT SAY A WORD …..

 

“She even stuck her tongue at her brothers. And, you know she only does that when she likes something”.

 

“Hmmmm, So you are saying”, mom comments, “our daughter might want to keep her ‘flat-top’ ….. JAKE hair cut”?

 

He kissed her again …..

 

“Now …..”, he said to her, “you want me to keep the flat-top …..

 

“Hummmm, you know I think you would look great with a flat-top, too”.

 

 

 

 

 

Continued            Copyright © March 2016              JimB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just like JAKE

Part IV

By JimB           Copyright © January 2014

 

 

 

Carol took a sip of coffee and saw the sign on the door of the barbershop was being turned to OPEN.

 

She took another sip.

 

She took hold of her purse and walked out the little coffee shop. She walked across the street to the barbershop.

 

She opened the door and was greeted by the barber, “Hi, can I help you”?

 

She put her purse on one of the waiting chairs and walked to the barber chair.

 

The barber was shaking the cape out.

 

He leaned over and gave her a kiss, “What you been up to sis?

 

“Haven’t seen you in three – four months”

 

“I told you I would be out of town for a few months”, Carol told Rick. “I told you and Bryan I was being sent to Cleveland to help open the new office there”.

 

The Rick tossed the cape across her, put the neck tissue around her neck, and pulled the cape around her neck and clipped it in place.

 

“You coming to Nancy’s birthday party Saturday”, he asked his sister. “She had been asking when you were coming over for a visit”.

 

“You know I will be there”, she told her brother. “And, I have a great present for her”.

 

“Don’t even ask”, she told him. “You will see when she opens it”.

 

“OK”, Rick replied. “So, what are you getting?

 

“Flattop?

 

“Or, JAKE”!

 

“Come on little brother”, she told him, “you know how I have been cutting my hair for the last fifteen years. You know I have been coming to you ever sense you got your barber license and opened your own barbershop”.

 

Rick turned to the counter and took hold of the big black clippers hanging under the counter. He brushed it off and put on the number one attachment.

 

“So, you getting a JAKE”, he inquired.

 

She looked at him, “JAKE”.

 

“This one is going to pretty short”, he told her. “This has a .000000 clipper head.

 

“Going to really short in the back and on the sides.

“Maybe I should change the attachment to a number point one”!

 

“Sounds great”, she told Rick.

 

He changed the attachment.

 

“Four months”, he told her as he place the clippers below her hairline in front of right ear.

 

She watched as the clippers left behind short hair she had not seen on her head in four months. Even shorter than the last hair cut Rick gave her.

 

“That is really short”, she told Rick. “Shorter than the last hair cut you gave me, before I left for Cleveland”.

 

“Told you it would be really short”, he replied as he started clippering the back of her head.

 

“Just wait until you see how short the back and sides will be when I take the attachment off”!

 

With each pass of the clippers more and more of her hair slowly drifted pass her eyes and into the pile in her lap.

 

He finished the left side and she looked at her self in the mirror behind the waiting chairs.

 

She smiled.

 

“OK, here goes”, Rick said, as he place the clippers on the back of her head.

 

Slowly he moved the clippers forward pushing a pile of hair until it reached her forehead and floated passed her watching eyes into her lap.

 

She took a breath and let it out slowly.

 

“WOW”, she let out. ‘I like the cut already”.

 

“Want me to stop”, Rick inquired.

 

She looked at him.

 

“JAKE”, she told him. “If I wanted my hair cut like this I would have told you.

 

“Now give me my JAKE”.

 

With that said, told to him, Rick began clippering the top left side of her head.

 

Walking around the back of the chair he softly brushed the back of her head.

 

Then, he placed the clippers at the back of her head, on the right side, and slowly moved it forward. Pushing a pile of hair until it reach her forehead and slowly floated passed her eyes into the cape.

 

She had watch this happen every three weeks. She watched her lap slowly get covered with her clipped hair.

 

But, the clipped hair left behind was never this short.

 

When he made the last pass over her head, she took her hands from under the cape and brushed her newly clippered hair.

 

“WOW”, again she let out. “I like the cut already.

 

“And, NO you can not stop here.

 

“Now finish my JAKE”.

 

He let out a little laugh and patted his sister on the shoulder, “I told you it would be shorter”.

 

“I like it”, she commented. “Maybe you should always use that attachment for my hair cut”?

 

“OK”, he said to her as he took off the attachment and tossed it on the counter.

 

No attachment on the clippers he placed the clippers below the hairline in front of her right ear.

 

“Well, let’s see how you look with .000000”, he told her.

 

Slowly he moved the clippers upward.

 

“That is short”, she told him as she took her right hand from under the cape and brushed her fingertips over her newly clippered hair. “I can hardly feel any hair”.

 

Slowly he continued clippering the right side of her head. Each pass was slow, just like how she liked getting her haircut.

 

Slowly.

 

She watched as the .000000 clippers clipped her hair closed than ever.

 

Closer than she would have thought. Little hairs tumbled down to her caped lap.

 

Carol smiled at Rick, “Going to be a interesting hair cut”!

 

Slowly he pushed the clippers up to the arc of her head, leaving behind hair so short she looked like she was shaved.

 

“WOW”, she exclaimed as she raised her right hand to the clippers strip. “That is really short.

 

“It feels almost smooth and looks like I’m shaved”.

 

“Told you it was going to really short”, Rick said, as he began another upward movement with the hungry clippers.

 

“Maybe I might not have to shave the back and sides”!

 

Carol turned her head to face Rick.

 

“You are kidding”, she answered. “Remember what Mr. Mike always told you and Bryan.

 

“‘Edging ….. Make the cut look nice and neat’”.

 

Rick continued the clippering, slowly.

 

Carol and he talked about the thing that went on while she was in Cleveland. She told him about Cleveland and how things were there.

 

Rick slowly clippered up the back of her head. He would brush his fingertip of an area to check for closeness.

He stepped to the left side of the chair. Slowly moving the clippers behind her left ear.

 

Then, over her left ear.

 

Finally, the last movement was upward in front of her left ear.

 

He turned the clippers off and gave it a dusting for little clippered hairs. He hung the clippers on the hook under the counter with the others.

 

He turned to the chair, to see Carol was brushing her finger tips over her new hair cut, and undid the cape and pulled it off her.

 

He took a large white towel from the shelf and tucked into the collar of her blouse.

 

Taking a small white towel from under the counter he tossed it into the sink where the hot water was flowing.

 

After a few minutes he took it and rung it out.

 

Then, he turned to the back of the chair, the back of Carol’s head, and slowly wrapped it around her head.

 

“Almost forgot how that felt”, Carol told him as he pressed the warm towel around her head.

 

He removed the towel and tossed it in the pile under the counter, with others to be washed and folded for another time.

 

There was a soft winding sound of the shaving cream dispenser. He let a pile of the warm lather fill his left hand.

 

Slowly he started spreading the warm lather over the right side of Carol’s head. Spreading around to the back of her head.

 

“You know what”, Carol said to him. “I was thinking …..

 

“Well, I have thinking about this for a few months.

 

“Well, since I was in Cleveland.

 

“Maybe it is time I took the JAKE as I have known. As Mr. Mike introduced me to.

 

“To you giving me JAKE”.

 

“OK”, Rick asked his sister. “What are you saying”?

 

He continued lathering the back of her head then the left side.

 

“Well”, he asked his sister again.

 

He took another small white towel, soaked it under the hot water. Turned to the chair and wrapped it around her head to soak the little closely clipped hairs on the back and sides of her head.

 

“I was thinking”, she started. “Maybe I should do a JAKE TWO”.

 

“Jake TWO”, Rick asked Carol as he stepped to the right side of the chair. “What is a Jake TWO”?

 

“You know ….. you know”, she chokingly said. “You know ….. The top …..!

 

“The top”!

 

“Well, like the back and sides”, she told her brother.

 

“Ooooo. I see”, he told her patting her on her right shoulder.

 

“You sure about this”!

 

She said nothing.

 

“Yes”, the top like the back and sides”, she told him chocking somewhat on the words. “A Jake Two”!

 

Rick turned and walked back to the counter. He reached under the counter taking hold of the big black clippers, again. He wiped the head off and oiled it a little.

 

Then, he clicked the clippers off and on a few time, to work the oil between the clipper blades

 

He walked to the right side of the chair. He clicked the clippers on, again.

 

Without asking he placed the clippers on the top of the right side of Carol’s head and slowly moved it back over her head. He began clipping what little hair she had on her head off.

 

Down as close to her scale as the clippers did the back and sides of her head.

 

With the right side finished he walked around the chair to the left side.

 

He place the clippers on her forehead and slowly began clippering what little hair she had left.

 

Clippering the left side of her head as close as the back, the sides, and the top of her right side on her head were clippered.

 

Finished he turned the clippers off and looked in the mirror, behind the chair. He saw Carol raise her hands to her head and slowly brush the tips of the fingers over her now clippered closer than ever.

 

“You still want to do Jake Two”, he asked.

 

She looked in the mirror behind the waiting chairs.

 

They could see each other.

 

“Yes”, she softly told her brother. “Yes, let’s do it.

 

“Yes, shaved my head”.

 

Rick turned to the shaving dispenser and slowly the warm lather began flowing in his left hand.

 

“You want to know something, Sis”, Rick said to Carol.

 

“Yes”, she told him as their eyes met in the mirror behind the waiting chairs.

 

“I had a feeling one day you would come in wanting me to shave your head”, he told her.

 

“Tell you the truth”, she replied. “I wanted to do it before I left for Cleveland.

 

“But, did not think you would be willing to shave your little sister’s head”.

 

“Well, maybe you should have dropped a few hints before that hair cut”, he told her as he began lathering her head.

 

When he finished lathering her head the reached for his straight razor.

 

Standing on the right side of the chair, Carol watched him take hold of the leather strap and strop the open blade over it.

 

Not asking. Not saying a word.

 

Rick raised the open straight razor blade to Carol’s forehead and began slowly shaving her head.

 

After a few shaving strokes were made, Carol let out a breath of air.

 

“Too late”, he told her.

 

“I know”, she replied. “It was me telling myself, “FINALLY””.

 

Rick shaved the right side of her head, then the back of her head.

 

Carol felt relief. She felt warm. She felt the sharp edge of the straight razor shaving her head.

 

She did not want to tell Rick the truth.

 

The truth she has been wanting to shave her head since she was fifteen.

 

Rick continued, not asking he any questions.

 

When he was finished Carol raised her fingertips to her head and brushed them over her head.

 

Rick looked in the mirror at her. He saw a smile on her face.

 

A big smile.

 

She looked up to see him looking at her.

 

She stuck her tongue at him. He laughed.

 

She laughed. They laughed.

 

He knew his sister. He knew all their life went she stuck her tongue at you it meant she liked what she was doing, or did.

 

He took a warm towel and wiped the excess lather off her head.

 

Then, ……

 

 

 

 

Continued            Copyright © March 2016              JimB

Just like JAKE

Part V

By JimB           Copyright © January 2014

 

“O’ NO”, she said to him. ‘NO ….. Not that”.

 

He continued putting the headrest in the chair.

 

“Come on sis”, he whispered to her. “You let me do it in barber school”.

 

“Yes, I know”, she shot back at him. “Bryan and dad did not trust you”.

 

“Right”, he whispered, “But, you did”.

 

Click …..

 

The headrest was locked in place. Rich began lowing the back of the chair.

 

“Why not shave your face”, he told her as the back of the chair came to a stop.

 

“You just got your head shaved. So, why not your face”!

 

Carol let out a few breaths. She shook her head.

 

Rick was now placing the warm towel on her face.

 

She heard the winding sound of the lather dispenser.

 

Rick removed the towel. She saw the warm lather in his hand.

 

She closed her eyes as Rick began lathering her face.

 

Softly he lathered her face.

 

Her eyes caught him stropping the open blade of the straight razor.

 

Then, he raised it over her face and slowly, with his left hand, turned her head to the right.

 

She felt the sharp edge touch her face. She felt the shape edge blade slowly shave the left side of her face.

 

Rick shaved slowly.

 

He checked her face for smoothness. Shave another strip.

 

Finished he tucked the straight razor in his shirt pocket. He walked back to the sink for another warm towel.

 

He wrapped it around her face. After a few seconds he slowly pulled the ends of the towel off her forehead.

 

Her eyes got larger. The warm towel covered her mouth.

 

She wanted to speak. But, …..

 

Rick has flipped the straight razor’s blade open.

He stood at the top of her head. His left hand turned her head slightly to the right.

 

Then, she felt the sharp blade shave her eyebrows off. First over her left eye then the right eye.

 

He wiped her eye bows with the warm towel.

 

Then, he removed the towel and tossed it to the floor.

 

He raised the back of the chair.

 

She looked at him.

 

Her eyes asking,”WHY”!

 

“Remember the night you asked me to read your diary”, he told her. “The night you showed me the drawings you did of other women!

 

“Remember”?

 

“Yes”, she replied as he turned the chair so she could see her self in the mirror behind them.

 

“Remember”, he asked her again.

 

She sat not answering.

 

“Yes”, she said looking at him. “They all had their eye bows shaved off”.

 

“Remember the night mom caught you plucking your eyebrows”, he asked.

 

“Yes”, she replied with a smile. “I had them almost all plucked out.

 

“When she asked me why I was do it. I told her I did not like eyebrows”.

 

“NOW”, Rick asked Carol.

 

She looked at her self. She looked at Rick.

 

“Thank you little BIG brother”, she began telling him. “Once again you brought out my wants.

 

“Things I have wanted to do for years”.

 

Rick put some hair powder on the hair duster. He dusted her head, her face.

 

The chair was lowered.

 

Carol stepped out of the chair when it came to a rest.

 

She walked to the chair where her purse was. She stood looking at her self in the mirror.

 

Looking at her shaved head.

 

Her fingers slowly brushing over her shaved head.

 

They then brushed over her shaved face.

Then, over her shaved eyebrows.

 

“No charge”, Rich told her. They laughed.

 

“Come here little BIG brother”, she told him and gave him a big sisterly hug.

 

She looked at the floor around the barber chair.

 

“WOW”, she said pointing to the floor around the barber chair. “ALL that hair is mine”?

 

Rick looked at it too. He began sweeping it up.

 

“Don’t worry”, he told her, “I’ll save some for you”!

 

They laughed. She gave him another kiss.

 

“Well”, she began, “let me get back to work”.

 

“SIS”, Rick called to Carol. She stopped and turned to him.

 

“JAKE”, he inquired, “did you ever find out who “Jake” is”?

 

She smiled.

 

“You are not going to believe it”, Carol began telling Rick.

 

“Back in the days when dad and Mr. Mike were children, around seven or eight, there was a comic book ….. I do not recall the name …..

 

“But, one of the boys name was “JAKE” and his hair was cut like ….. like I use to get’.

 

“See you Saturday morning”, he told her. She looked questing.

 

“You don’t want to go to Nancy’s birthday party without a fresh hair cut”!

 

“See you Saturday around noon”, she told him.

 

 

 

 

 

THE END …..        Copy Right © March 2016            JimB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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