My Haircut

It was a nice warm spring day, the birds where chirping outside my window. The grass was beginning to green up after a harsh Michigan winter. It was a time of rebirth. Here I sat gazing in the mirror at my reflection. In front of me lying on the counter of my vanity was the bag of stuff that I had bought from Sally’s Beauty Supply the other day. I grabbed my brush and started to brush out my waist length red hair knowing that it would be the last time I brushed it in a while.

Finally getting up the courage I stopped brushing my hair and laid the brush down. I picked up the bag from Sally’s and opened it up, first I pulled out the haircutting shears that I bought and then I pulled out the purple cape that I had bought. I put down the bag and laid the scissors on the counter. Then I took the purple cape and shook it out and then proceeded to put it around my neck being careful to not catch any of my hair underneath it. So there I sat caped in a purple cape with my red hair covering the cape.

?
Slowly I took my hand and reached for the shears on the counter. As I got close to the shears, my hand started to tremble. I stopped looked into the mirror at my long red hair and thought to myself what are you about to do. I took a deep long look and then taking a deep breath I reached out and grabbed the scissors.

I watched slowly in the mirror as with my free hand I grabbed a bunch of my red hair and then as though in slow motion I brought the scissors up to the bunch of hair. I placed the shears around the bunch of hair just about shoulder length. Then slowly I started to hack away at the bunch of hair as the scissors went crunch, crunch, crunch, finally I heard a snick as the shears finally closed together all the way as the final strands of that bunch of hair came free. So there hanging from my hand was my long beautiful hair. I looked in the mirror and saw the most unusual sight there I sat one side of my hair shoulder length somewhat and the other still long. Quickly I laid the hair down on the vanity and grabbed the other side of my hair, because I could feel myself starting to tear up. So before I could even blink I had the shears hacking away at what was left of my long hair. After what seemed like an eternity that bunch of hair came free and I laid it on the counter.

So there I sat in the purple cape with very rough looking shoulder length red hair and a vanity full of red hair. I thought to myself now you have started time to go get it finished. So with my heart starting to race at the thought of in a few minutes being seated in a barber chair in a barbershop having the rest of my red hair cut short, I took off the cape and got up and grabbed my black purse and car keys and out the door I went.

I got in my car and then I opened my purse and pulled out my black cigarette case. See when I am nervous I like to smoke a cigarette. So I pulled out a cigarette lit it and then started my car. I pulled out of my driveway and on to the main road. I only live just over the bridge and about three blocks from downtown where the barbershop I want to go to is located at. The drive that usually takes about five minutes to get there depending on traffic seemed to take for ever.

Finally I got to the block where the barbershop was located, so I slowed down and decided to drive by to see how busy it was. Since it was about two o’clock on a Saturday afternoon I thought the place might be busy with all kinds of men and boys wanting to get there spring haircuts. But to my amazement there was not a single customer in there. I could see the two older barbers sitting in their chairs watching television, but I did not see the blonde haired female barber. Who I wanted to cut my hair, so I decided to go around the block and then park in front a little bit down from the barbershop and go walk by and see if I could see her. So I turned the corner at the end of the block and then turned down the alley that runs behind the shop and then came back around to the front of the shop and parked in front of the building next to the barbershop.

I took one final puff off my cigarette put it out in the ashtray and the put my cigarette case back in my purse. I shut the car off, opened the door and grabbed my purse and then shut the door and walked behind my car onto the sidewalk.

I stood there for a minute getting up the courage to go walk past the barbershop. So taking a deep breath I started to walk past the barbershop, as I past the barbershop I stole a glance over my right shoulder and there sat my barberette in the waiting area reading a magazine. The guys were still in there chairs watching television. As I continued to walk past I caught a glimpse of the women barber look up from her magazine at me. So I turned my head and continued to walk on past the barbershop. Once I was out of view of the shop window I stopped and felt my shoulder length hair and with my heart about ready to beat out of my chest and butterflies in my belly, I turned around and prepared to walk back into the shop.

I turned around and took the first step towards the shop. When I got back with in view of the shop my barberette had moved and was standing behind her chair leaning on the back of it. Before I reached out to open the door I noticed it said Brown’s Barbershop on the door and gave the hours. Just as I started to open the door the guys both looked up towards me and the women stood up straight and looked up at me. So upon entering the shop the women said good afternoon and then went on to say I am ready for you. I stood there fixed to the spot nervous to go any farther. The women barber spoke again and said you do want your haircut right? I said yes, then she said come on over and have a seat in my chair and I will fix you right up.

So slowly I made my way towards the big brown barber chair. I got to the chair I put my foot on the foot rest and climbed up into in the chair. Upon sitting in the chair, I felt so small compared to the chair. Once I was seated and settled the barberette took her yellow cape and draped it around my shoulders and then she took a neck strip and tied it around my neck and then pulled the cape tight around my neck. She then freed any hair that was trapped beneath the cape. So there I sat in Brown’s Barbershop, caped with shoulder length red hair, getting ready to have that cut short by this blonde haired female barber. I almost felt trapped beneath the cape as though it weighed 100 pounds.

?The barberette took a comb and began to comb out my hair, as she combed she said so where did you get your haircut last? Because it is very choppy and there is all kinds of different lengths here. I meekly said I had cut it. She asked when did you cut it and how long was it before you cut it? I said I cut it just before I came and it was to my waist when I cut it. Wow the barberette said you cut your waist length hair this short. Yep, I proud fully said.

Well the barberette said so do you want me to even up the length or did you want it shorter? I sat there for a minute getting up the courage to tell her why I was there, finally I swallowed hard and said I want it shorter, I really don’t care how short it is just as long as it looks feminine and not boyish. The barberette stopped combing and said okay so cut it shorter just not boyish, do you want it clippered on the sides and back or does it not matter? I said just surprise me and do what you think would look good.

Okay said the barberette and then time seemed to slow as I waited for the haircut to begin. I sat there for what seemed like an eternity when I heard a pop followed by buzzing sound at first I did not know what the sound was then I realized it was the sound of hair clippers. My inner voice said what
have you gotten yourself into. Then I realized the sound was coming from the next chair over, I looked over to the next chair out of the corner of my eye and saw a young man with a mop of brown hair in the next chair caped and getting his haircut. I watched as the barber took the clippers and placed the clippers in the middle of the young man heads forehead and plowed them straight back leave in there wake tiny little stubble. As the clippers made there pass lots of brown thick hair fall into the young mans lap.

I continued to watch until I felt something brush against my neck and then the back of my neck started to feel cooler. Then from over my right shoulder some long pieces of red hair came sliding down the cape into my lap. I watched as more red hair came sliding down the cape, it was then I realized the barberette was first taking her shears and cutting the rest of the length off. I continued to watch my lap as more red fell from the right side and then she went to left side and hair started to pile up from the left side. I could not believe my eyes as the pile kept getting bigger and bigger with what seemed to be four to six inch long pieces of hair. Finally she stopped cutting the length of with shears and said there now I got the rest of the length off I can start to shape the haircut. About this time I looked over to the cash register and there stood the young man with a nice buzz cut, he paid for his haircut and then left.

It was quite again and then I heard a pop and buzz again and this time I could tell they where right behind me and then the barberette pushed my head forward a little bit and I felt the cold steel of the clippers on the back of my neck. She started to push them up the back of neck to about half way up my neck and then stopped. She made another pass on the right side next to the one she had just done and then another one and another one. She then started on the left side and made three passes to the left side of her center pass. Then I was allowed to lift my head back up.

Then she came to my left side and taking her comb she combed out my hair from the side of my head and ran her clippers over the comb and with that a larger shower of red fell into my lap. She continued to do that combing and clippering on the left side of my head and with run of the clippers over the comb, my lap was showered with hair. The pile grew and grew; I was beginning to wonder if I would have any hair left when she was done. Finally the last pass was made on the left side and she started to move around to the right side.

Just then the door bell rang and a mother and two boys with very messy hair came into the shop. All three barbers said good afternoon and then the two boys made there ways to the waiting barber chairs and there mom gave instruction to the barbers. Then she came over and sat down in front of my chair in a waiting chair. I looked up at the women and noticed that her hair was a mess it was just a little past her shoulders and brown, but it looked as though it had not been washed in a while. There were tangles and split ends every where. It looked a little like a rats nest.

My attention was brought back to my haircut as the barberette began to clipper over comb the right side of my head. Once again with each pass of the clippers hair just piled up in my lap. I noticed as the barberette was cutting that the women seemed awful interested in my haircut. At one point our eyes meet and she looked away quickly but I could tell she was embarrassed because she started to blush a little. Finally the barberette finished on the right side of my head and then the clippers were shut off.

Then I felt water hitting the top of my head the barberette was taking a water bottle and spraying down the top of my head. After she finished wetting it down she took her comb and combed up a section and then took her shears and cut off a good two inches of hair off the top. She continued to lift and cut taking about two inches off all over the top of my head. With each cut on top of my head wet hair rained down into my lap. Finally the barberette was done she said are you ready to see the new you? I said yep I can’t wait. So slowly she turned the chair around to the mirror as I passed the boys I could see the barbers were almost done with them and they were both sporting new flattop haircuts.

Upon seeing my reflection I did not recognize the women in the mirror the sides were tapered short and they were styled so that the sides combed back. The top was cut so that it was spiked; the barberette commented that she could put some styling product on the top to help it stay spiked if I wanted her too and I said yes that would be nice. Then she took a handheld mirror and held it so I could see the back of my head and the back was nice and short about half way up the back of my neck and then the rest was tapered longer. She then put the mirror down and said what do you think? Taking another look at myself in the mirror I said I love it, it is short but yet not boyish I love the top and the sides and the back looks cool, can I feel the back? The barberette said yeah go ahead and feel the back. So I took my hand out from underneath the cape and felt the nape of my neck it felt very velvety. I put my hand back under and she turned me around and then put some styling product in the top to help it stay. I stole one more look at my lap and saw a huge pile of red hair laying there. Then I looked up at the women and she was amazed at my new look.

The barberette then undid the cape, took the neck strip off, then vacuumed my neck to get any stray hairs and then took the cape off and shook it out behind the chair. I climbed out from the chair feeling so much lighter without all that hair. I stole another look in the mirror at my new look and still could not believe my eyes, this morning I had waist length red hair now I had short spiked red hair. I walked over to the register to pay, at that time the two boys were done and I heard there mom to have them to have a seat in the waiting area. My barberette came over she told me ten dollars, I opened my purse and gave her fifteen and said here is a little tip for you. She said thank you and I hope you love your new look. I said yes I love it very much.

I turned to go and as I passed the women she said thank you and stood up and walked to the chair I had just left. The barberette said to her you want to get your haircut? The women answered yes I want to get it cut short. So I continued on my way out to my car just as I was about to leave the barberette called out I hope to see you again. With that I turned around and said yep you will, and noticed that the woman was caped and the barberette had her shears in her hand. I turned back around and walked out of the shop. I walked to my car got in and opened my purse grabbed out a cigarette lit it up and pulled down the visor to look at myself in the mirror. I looked at my reflection and said out loud to myself well sexy why did you wait so long to get your hair cut. With that I put the visor up and started my car. As I pulled out my parking spot I went by the front of the shop and looked in and saw that the barberette had cut the women’s hair off short with her shears and now she was going to work with her clippers. I thought to myself as I finished driving by that another woman would be joining the ranks of the short haired.

The End