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Sarah was sitting in her private styling room. It had been a very busy day up to that point; mostly walk-ins off the street but she knew she had one definite appointment scheduled for 4:00PM that afternoon. She had her chair turned in such a way so that she could watch the people coming in and out of the salon. She could see them but they could not see her.

The call had come into the salon the previous day. The director of the catholic school asked to speak to her personally. Sarah was the only stylist contracted out to the school. All the female students were brought to her for haircuts.

?I want to make appointment for new student tomorrow afternoon. She needs to lose all her long hair. Too long and takes too much time to care for. You will do it, give her short haircut to shoulders, nothing special,? the director told her. ?I will bring her in and I will come with you into your room. I will show you what I want done.? So Sarah had the receptionist book the appointment.

It was now 3:45. The director walked into the salon with a young female behind him. The young student looked very scared. The receptionist directed them to the waiting area. She then came to the stylist?s areas. Sarah was now reading a book. ?Sarah, the director of the school is here. He has a very frightened young lady with him,? she was told.

Sarah got up from her chair and walked to the mirror. ?Where is he?? she asked.

The receptionist pointed him out. Sarah saw the young student. Her hair was solid black with some tints of blue and hard red in it. And it was very long and straight, touching her knees. ?Oh my,? Sarah said. Look at that long hair. Make no wonder she is scared. She probably has no idea how much he wants me to cut off.?

The receptionist looked too. ?What is her name?? Sarah asked.

?I don?t know. He did not say. He just pointed to the chair and ordered her to sit down,? the receptionist said.

?I don?t like him. I never did, even when I was a student in his school. He bullies those girls but his school is probably the best school in the district when it comes to educating young girls,? Sarah said.

Sarah walked to her back room. ?Tell him I will be out in five minutes,? she said. Sarah closed the door and changed her clothes. She took off her jeans and put on a white miniskirt. She laced up her boots and threw on a white t-shirt. She also grabbed a black latex apron which she wore over her skirt. She also pulled on a pair of leather and fishnet gloves. She ran her fingers through her red hair, applying some gel and then ran a comb through it.

She then left her room and as she walked down the hall, the heels of her boots clicked on the solid floor. She rounded the corner and stood in the waiting area. ?Mr. Kim. It is good to see you again,? she said.

The director stood up waiting for Sarah to bow and then extend her hand but she did not. ?Akiai. You are pushing the limits of my patience. Let?s go,? he said. ?I do not have all day.?

?I am sorry Mr. Kim. You are not allowed to come down into the rooms. I do not allow anyone behind this area. If it is a walk-in cut, then you can sit and watch but when it comes to appointments, and your board will back me up, I had it written into the contract, you nor any other teacher is allowed to follow me to my room. You tell me here what you want done and I do it,? she said.

?You are arrogant and very difficult to deal with, Akiai. You were like that in school too. Always trying to be different. I thought I had broken your spirit but I can see I did not try hard enough,? he said.

?But you know damn well that I am the best stylist in the district and that is why your board of directors signed a exclusive contract with me, that says I get all your business in exchange for a student rate. I also get all your female instructors. And in return I do not tell the press how you treat some of the students and what some of the younger ones have to endure. As you say, how you make them tough for the world that awaits them,? she said.

He said something in Japanese and the young student stood up. She bowed her head. ?This is KaiKi. She is to get the school standard.?

Sarah walked over to KaiKi and took he by the hand. ?Come with me, child,? she said. KaiKi followed Sarah to her room. She closed the door as KaiKi entered. ?Sit down, KaiKi,? she said. ?My name is Sarah. I am going to take care of you today,? Sarah said. KaiKi was looking at all the tools on Sarah? counter. She sniffled and her hand went up to her cheek. She wiped away some tears. Sarah looked at her. ?What a scared child,? she said to herself as she stood away from the chair.

Sarah pulled up a second chair and she sat down. ?Hi, there. Welcome. I promise I won?t hurt you. I want to be your friend. Do you understand?? Sarah said.

Sarah just sat there waiting for KaiKi to say something to show that she was not afraid of her. Sarah picked up a brush and walked behind the chair. She picked up a section of KaiKi?s long hair and stroked it. It was so thick and so clean. ?You have beautiful hair. When was the last time you had it cut?? Sarah asked.

Still no response. ?I used to have long hair, too. Down to my waist. My Mom loved playing with it but my Dad took me to Mr. Kim?s school for Japanese Girls and Mr. Kim had it cut off when I turned 16. You know why you are here, don?t you? You have been allowed to keep your hair long for a few months and now that you are getting immersed into Japanese culture and what is expected from Japanese girls, well, it is time to cut off your hair. The first step in your training,? Sarah said. ?Mr. Kim told my father that if he wanted me to continue to be taught by the Catholic school here in Japan, I would have to submit. Otherwise I would be kicked out of the school. My Mom cried when Mr. Kim led me into the barbershop after school one day and he told the barber what he wanted done but not after he got to take the first snip from my hair,? Sarah said.

KaiKi just looked at Sarah as she continued to brush her long hair. Sarah still saw tears flowing down her face. ?Please don?t cry,? Sarah said.

KaiKi sniffled again. ?He called you Aikai but you said your name is Sarah. My name is Aimee. Aimee, please,? she said.

?Hi, Aimee. I am Sarah,? she said.

?What are you going to do to me?? Aimee said.

?I am sorry Aimee. When the girls at Mr. Kim?s school turn 16, he brings them here and has them submit to a very short haircut. He asks that their hair be cut very short, very short all over. Some of the girls are even subjected to clipper cuts. Then when I am finished I have to give him the locks. He takes them back to the school with him,? Sarah said.

?Do the girls have no say?? Aimee said.

?No, they don?t,? Sarah said. ?Even the parents have no control over the outcome.?

?I don?t even know who my parents are,? Aimee said.

?My poor child,? Sarah said.

?You are such a pretty woman. He said you were difficult when you were in his school. How?? Aimee said.

?I always wore lipstick and jewelry and this kind of glove. I was somewhat rebellious but I got away with it because of my father?s position. Mr. Kim did not dare question my father and what he told him,? Sarah said. ?My father could have very easily crushed Mr. Kim in the palm of his hand if Mr. Kim would have done anything nasty to me. I remember how much my Mom cried when she watched the barber cut off my locks.?

?But you hair is quite short now. Did you not try to grow it back if you loved your long hair?? Aimee said.

?I got used to it after awhile. I eventually liked it so much that I would ask my Dad to take me to the American barbershop to get a trim every month,? Sarah said.

?Have you been asked to clipper cut my hair?? Aimee said.

?No child, just a standard short haircut,? Sarah said.

?I like your hair and I like the color. Is it natural?? Aimee asked.

?No, it is a color job and I have it cut with a straight razor, use lots of gel and spray. I usually have the nape clippered and around the ears once in a while. This is the longest I have let it go for some time,? Sarah said.

?It looks good on you,? Aimee said.

?Look, Aimee, I am sure Mr. Kim is getting a little hot under the collar right about now. This is probably the longest time I have even been with one of his students,? Sarah said.

Sarah brushed a section of long hair up from the crown and threw it over her shoulder. She grabbed a pair of scissors, looked Aimee in the eye, smiled and then made the first cut. Long black hair slid down over Sarah?s shoulder and dropped to the floor.

?Don?t worry, Aimee, you will still look like a girl when you leave here,? she said as she combed up a second section of hair. You could sense Aimee?s trepidation as Sarah made the second cut. The silence in the room, the sound of Sarah?s scissors biting into Aimee?s long flowing hair.

?How did you come to work here?? Aimee asked.

?Mr. Kim did not like the idea that I would skip classes and spend hours in the city watching women getting their hair cut. Someone reported my actions to him. When he caught me and told my father, my father agreed that if I needed to spend so much time in the city, maybe I could start my co-op placement sooner then I was scheduled to. I begged my father to let me work in a beauty salon. So half my days I would spend in the salon, sweeping up hair, stocking counters and even doing the occasion shampoo. I loved the smell and the activities of the salon that I asked the owner to give me private lessons on cutting and styling. The lady who was teaching me was really good, she taught me well. The day I graduated, I asked her to give me a color job and a feathered cut like I have now. Mr. Kim was very angry when I came to the podium to collect my certificate. My hair was really red and my nape had been clippered. When I finally finished my schooling, my father asked me what I wanted to do with my future. I told him I wanted to go to beauty school. He let me. I got the lady who I was still working for to sponsor me, so I worked for her for half a day and I went to beauty school for the other half of the day,? Sarah said.

?Is this your salon?? Aimee said.

?Yes, it is. I own it. The lady who sent me to school eventually went back to America. I offered to buy the salon from her. She asked me to give her a radical cut before she returned to the US. I asked her if she had something in particular in mind and when she told me what she wanted me to do, I did it willingly. She had me shave her head, bald,? Sarah said. ?In return, I got ownership of the salon and the contracts from Mr. Kim?s school. That is how you were brought to me.? Sarah had now cut off four inch and a half sections of long hair from the crown area. Aimee was sitting perfectly still in the chair.

?Can I ask you something?? Aimee said.

?Sure,? Sarah said.

?Do you like your wild style?? Aimee said.

?Yes, I do. It makes a statement. A statement that I am rebellious and wild and I like an adventure,? Sarah said.

?Can I come and visit you once in a while?? Aimee asked.

?Of course, anytime. I will make time for you if you want to drop in and talk. But what about Mr. Kim? What will you tell him about your coming here?? Sarah said.

?What he does not know, won?t kill him. I can get away from the school if I want to. I am not as sweet and innocent as he thinks I am,? Aimee said as she finally smiled.

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