Lost in translation by Hildon

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I hate working when it's too hot outside, my noisy old air conditioner can't keep up and the shop becomes a steamy bathhouse. I need to get that thing repaired.


It’s Tuesday, end of afternoon and I only got three customers today. Can't wait to get out of here and take a nice cool shower.


Just as I’m about to call it quits, I turned off the air conditioning ant shut the radio off, then this guy walks in with a huge backpack. He was all sweaty and out of breath from the intense heat, he was holding a map and looked kinda lost. He had scruffy chestnut hair parted to the side and hanging down 7 or 8 inches covering his nice hazelnut eyes and his face haven't met a razor for a while.


He saluted me and put his backpack on a chair in the waiting area. I invited him to take a seat in my barber chair, put the paper around his neck and caped him tight.


He was in his mid 30’s, a handsome and rugged guy. But that thick head of hair was driving me crazy, "just a trim" was not an option. I began combing the knotty mane then I asked;


-How short do you want it?


He started mumbling something with the thickest accent I've heard in a while. I think it was Eastern Europe but I didn't ask.


-What was that? I asked


He scratched his throat and started over…


-Just cut… this… short (hesitating between words and showing a quarter of an inch with his fingers).


Hmmm… cut this short he said?! I perfectly knew that he meant a ¼ inch trim all over… But how could I pass the opportunity to give him a #2 butch! I faked understanding him and nodded. Spun the chair away from the mirror.


He had kept his map in his hands and was looking for something.


-Looking for a place in particular? I asked,
I intended to keep his attention away from the cut for a while.


-Youth hostel?. He said


I knew where it was but I pointed to a spot on the other side of the city,


-It's somewhere around here, you can keep searching while I cut your hair.


I kept on combing the tangled hair while I was thinking of a way to start the cut in a irreversible way and I didn't want to start with the clippers right away because he would certainly protest. So once it was all untangle and straightened flat, the hair was covering his ears down to the jawline and his bangs were down to his chin. I kept it in front of his eyes for a while, still thinking on how to proceed so there was no way back. I noticed that I forgot to turn the ac and the radio back on. My ac is kind of noisy and I can keep the radio louder because of it, that should cover the sound of the clippers! And forget about the Oster to noisy , I’ll go with the Wahl.


So I stood behind him, grabbed the #2 attachment and installed it on the clippers, combed his hair back and carefully placed the machine near the hairline without firing it up, I needed to wait for the moment it would touch the scalp to bring it to life. And… Contact! As soon ad the plastic teeth of the attachment reached the hair I flipped the switch on and drove the clippers straight from the hairline to the crown. He jolted, let go of the map and turned his head to see himself in the mirror. He said something in a foreign language and looked at me in disbelief.


What? I said while turning the chair back to face the mirror.


He touched the top of his head and started rubbing it.


-A ¼ of an inch, (I gestured the length with my fingers like he did) just like you asked!


-No, no, no… my hair! Then said something in his original language again.


-Look man, I don't understand, I guess there was a misunderstanding here but there's no way back, I have to finish the cut now. (I am so diabolical….)


He sat back and said;
-You can fix?


-Well there's no way around it, you’ getting it all cut off! I replied


He shook his head and closed his eyes whike I turned the chair back away from the mirror. I wad having the time of my life…


He was going to look so much better.


I fired up the machine again and started to remove the remaining of the hair but this time there was no rush, I went slowly and savored every second of it. I made sure that as much hair as possible was falling on the cape in front of him. Long 8 inches locks of hair were cascading in the cape. He grabbed a chunk of hair in his hand and stared at it.


-It was very long… He said


I stopped the cutting and stood in front of him.


-You’re gonna look great, trust me, and with the heatwave we're having here these days, you are going to appreciate it.


I went back to the cut. I went all over the head with the #2, then decided to give him a #0000 taper on the sides and back. Grabbed my Oster and switched the blades. I started on his right side and removed all remaining hair from his ears to his temples, all around the head was appearing a nice 2 ½ inch wide strip of pale skin. Then I went higher on the back, all the way to the crown. The poor guy just got whitewalled, I was so turned on! He was starting to look very manly, the scruffy beard added a lot of character. He went from looking like a 20 year old to the real man he really was!


I spun the chair around so he could finally see the end results. He stared at himself, he was unrecognizable, he took his hands from under the cape and started rubbing his head, it took a moment before he said something.


-Ok! Not what I wanted but….


He paused and to my amazement he said


-I like it!


He got closer to the mirror and rubbed the scalped sides quickly and smiled.


-I knew you would end up loving it. I replied. Do you want me to shave the sides and back completely with the straight razor?


-no… it’s ok like that. He said. Maybe next time… I will be here for a few weeks, so… I come back maybe!


He was trying real hard to speak a proper English, he had been a good sport.


I removed the cape and dusted his t-shirt. He got up and asked how much he owed me.


-Well, with the "misunderstanding" we had, I will not charge you. I smiled


-Thank you sir!


-You keep that haircut tidy now.


He took his backpack and left the shop.


He made my day! I could now go home happy and get that cool shower.

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