Get It Done - Part 4 by Justin

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Get It Done!
- A coming of age story.
Part 4
*Be sure to read Part 1,2 and 3 of "Get It Done" to learn how Jake found himself in this most interesting of situations. Originally planned as a 3-part story, "Get It Done", now has 4 parts, including this one. More parts may be forthcoming depending on interest and available time. Enjoy.


The loud clap of thunder startled Joe and the flash momentarily blinded him.

Suddenly the rain had stopped and the sky cleared. Joe could just make out seeing John and Jake walking down the street.

He felt rattled and confused; certain just a moment ago he was just over behind the barber chair rather than at the door. But here he was - placing the "CLOSED" sign in the window.
"Man, I need to take a vacation." Joe said to himself.

The phone on the counter rang. "Riiiing", "Riiiiiiiing" .

Joe walked back to the counter and picked it up.

"Barbershop" Joe greeted.

A pause.

Then Joe said:"Hello honey. I’m on my way home now. Just finished up with a customer. See you in a few."

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The shop was not yet busy for a Saturday. Frank Clarfordy was getting his usual Flattop, but otherwise the shop was quiet. Joe was debating the upcoming election with Frank who was a lifelong Democrat. I think he purposely would take Frank’s flattop shorter to almost a recon horseshoe when they started arguing about politics. That didn’t bother Frank much – he was used to getting scalped by Joe, especially when Joe was losing an argument.

The banter continued until a man and his two teenage sons burst in.

"Take a seat boys" the man shouted.

"Can I help you?" Joe inquired.

"You bet you can. John Johnson is one of my top Insurance Salesmen and he recommends you as someone who might be able to help my two boys here. I saw what an incredible job you did for his son, I just had to bring these two miscreants to you for …", he paused and looked over toward the two boys "… an adjustment."

"Oh? Really?" Joe said a bit confused. "Well, have a seat and I’ll be with you in a few minutes."

Joe finished up Frank’s Flattop Recon.

"Bates will win the election you know." Frank said confidently.

"We’ll see about that." Joe quickly responded.

"See you in a couple weeks?"

"You bet." Frank replied as he paid and was on his way out. "Later."

Joe shook the remnants of Frank’s hair from the cape and brushed off the seat of the chair.

"Next!" Joe invited.

"Mark, you first." The man motioned to the tall thin boy with long sideburns, hair over his ears, and the beginnings of mustache.

Mark made his way to the chair and slowly sat.

Joe wrapped tissue around Marks neck, then draped the White and Blue cotton striped cape around him and secured it with a metal clip.


"So John works for you?" Joe asked of the man.

"Yes. He’s one of my best Salesmen for this region. A fine gentleman. Lovely wife and home. And Jake! My goodness. Jake! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him. Very impressed I must say. Did you know that he’ll be working for me this summer in the mailroom? Fine young man. It’s not much, but it’s a start. We all have to start somewhere. Something I keep telling these two." The man glared into Mark’s eyes – what he could see of them through the hair that hung into them.

"That’s what brings us in here today. I have a new Internship program I’ve started – largely inspired by the potential I saw in Jake. I want these two to participate. Which means 2 fundamental adjustments are needed. First, we stopped by Jameson Clothiers earlier to get them new suits. Second, and just as important, we’re here to get them proper haircuts. As you can see they’ve missed a few."

"Well, I think I can help with that." Joe agreed.

"So young man", Joe directed his attention to Mark, "how are we cutting this?"

"I want them to have the "Jake Special" please", the man chimed in.

"Did I start something here?" Joe said jokingly.

"I hope so!" The man said excitedly. "I sure do hope so."

"Ok then, one "Jake Special" coming up."

With that Joe began to comb out Mark’s hair to get an idea exactly what he had to work with. It wasn’t nearly as long as Jake’s when Joe first "adjusted" him, but it was well over the ears, into his eyes, and hung over the collar. Mark wore it off to the side rather half-hazardly and it looked like he had just gotten out of bed.

"Ok son, just relax. We’ll have you looking great in a few minutes." Joe said confidently.

Mark heard a lot of commotion coming from behind him as Joe moved things about on the counter.

"Ok, here we go!" Joe said as the clatter of the clippers came to life. Mark felt Joe’s hand push his head forward so his chin was firmly planted into his chest. The rattle of the clippers grew louder as Joe passed them up the back of Mark’s head. After several passes, up the back, the clatter sound got louder in Mark’s ear as Joe move to behind the ear and then over it. Thick black hair fell with a thud onto Mark’s shoulder and then slid down into his lap. Joe continued the process until the ear was no longer hidden and the side was neatly tapered. Joe then turned his attention to the other side and cleared the hair covering the ear there. A nice tapered back and sides took shape.

The clippers turned silent.

Joe took his comb and with purpose, carved a straight part along the left side, separating the hair that would be combed up and over the head from the hair that would be combed down on the side above the ear.

Using the comb to hold the hair, Joe turned on the clippers again and ran them across the comb to shear off the hair that extended out from its teeth. He continued this along the sides and back to further perfect the taper, then to trim off the top to a much more respectable length of maybe 2-3 inches.

Next, out came the thinning shears. Joe mercilessly gouged them throughout Mark’s hair. Cutting and pulling the cut hair away, then periodically hitting the shears against the comb to loosen the bunch of hair that collected there. He returned to the back and side with the thinning shears to blend the taper.

"Almost done" Joe stated with pride. "What shall we do about these sideburns?"

"Get rid of those bushy things. Trim them to mid-ear. And get rid of that moustache." The man said.

Joe took the edging clippers and pealed the sideburns off, leveling them above mid-ear. Then he shaved the moustache off with the clippers.

Joe turned to the counter and grabbed the long neck bottle of hair tonic and returned to vigorously shake it above Mark’s head allowing splash after splash to saturate his hair. Using both hand, he briskly massaged the tonic into the wet mass of hair. He then moved to the counter again and took out about a tablespoon or two of pomade from the Gentlemen’s Pomade jar, spread it into his hands, and applied to Mark’s hair so that every strand was covered.

Taking the comb from his front pocket, he recombed Mark’s hair – first by finding and carving in the part along the left side, and then meticulously combing the hair up and over the head from the part, then down the side from the part. He carefully followed the part in the back where the hair whirled. Then, paying close attention to the front bangs, took the scissors and trimmed them off at an angle. He then flipped them up and over to form a lip that slightly extended out above the forehead and then up and over to blend into the side.

Finally, Joe applied shaving cream to the neck and around the ears. He took the straight razor and carved a distinctive arch around the ears and cleaned up the line down behind the ears and across the nape.

Joe stood back to inspect his handiwork, taking the comb to arrange any last minute hairs. He then spun the chair around so Mark could get a closer look.

"Well, young man. What do you think?" Joe inquired

"Amazing job Joe. He likes it because I like it." The man said.

Joes removed the cape and neck tissue.

Mark got up from the chair and lightly smoothed his hair on the side which left a slight wet and slick feel on his hand.

"Here young man" Joe said to Mark as he handed him a pocket comb, "on the house. You’ll need it."

Mark walked over to the mirror to get a closer look and used the pocket comb to tidy up the side that needed it.

"Next!" Joe invited.

James, the other boy, got up and walked to the chair.

THE END PART 4

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