Shane by Karl

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Shane
This is based on what happened to me back in 1981 when I was eleven years old I have just changed the names.

Shane walked out of school with his best mate Paul when the school I was in broke up for the six week annual summer break.
"You off on your usual break to Majorca?" Shane asked Paul.
"Yeah we fly out Monday so going to get my haircut today." Paul replied.
"Same here I will be meeting my dad after he finishes his shift and go and see old Basil." Shane told Paul. "Hoping for a different cut this time."
"Old Basil only knows short back and sides." Paul replied laughing.
"Yeah but my cousin went there and got his cut and I want mine the same." Shane grinned. "Have a good holiday mate see you in a week."
"Yeah see you mate." Paul replied as he got on the bus.

A couple of weeks before I had seen my cousin Kevin and saw his new haircut I knew I wanted the same haircut he had just got.
"Go and see old Basil opposite where your dad works he does the best haircut like this and asks no questions." Kevin told me.
"That is no problem as my dad always takes me there." I replied. "I usually get my summer tidy up there the day school finishes."
When I got home after seeing my cousin Kevin I started pestering my dad saying that I wanted my haircut like his. I kept on pestering him every day about how I wanted my summer haircut to look but all he would say was he would think about it.

Arriving home Shane’s mum gave him the bus fare so he could meet his dad after he had finished his shift and he could go for his haircut. Shane walked to the bus stop and got the bus into town and went to Basil’s barber shop and stood outside waiting for his dad to arrive so he could go and get his haircut. Shane looked in the window and saw it was pretty full with other parents taking their kids for the summer haircut.
"Looks like I will have a bit of a wait." Shane thought to himself as he turned away to see his dad walking across the road. "Pretty full in there dad." Shane said as he pushed the door open and walked in.
"Afternoon Mike." Basil said as we walked in. "It will be quite a wait I am afraid so can you turn the sign to closed for me."
"No problem Basil." My dad said as we took our seats on the waiting bench after he changed the sign.
Shane sat watching Basil cutting the other boys hair and started to get a bit nervous about his turn and if his dad was going to let him get it cut like his cousin as his dad would still not say if he was going to allow it.
After what seemed an eternity Basil turned to Shane and said you are next I think young man. Shane stood up and walked over to the big red leather barber’s chair and sat down and looked in the mirror at his dark blonde hair that was halfway down his ears and just over the collar. Basil draped the burgundy cape round Shane and got a strip of paper and secured it round Shane’s neck before tucking the cape in.
"The usual is it Mike?" Basil asked.
"Please dad let me have it cut like Kevin it will grow back for school." Shane pleaded looking at his dad.
"If that is what you want Shane then you can have it like your cousin." Mike told Shane.
"Skinhead please Basil all off shortest you can go." Shane told Basil with a smile on his face.
"Are you sure young man?" basil asked Shane. "I cannot stick it back on after I start cutting it with my clippers."
"Yes sir I am sure." Shane replied as he looked in the mirror.
"Seems a quite popular haircut this year on the younger men and boys." Basil said as he picked up his Oster clippers and oiled them before flicking the switch. "Head down then young man."
Without hesitation Shane put his head down and felt Basil put his hand on the top of his head.
"You are ok with this then Mike?" Basil asked Shane’s dad.
"He has been on at me for the last two weeks about getting it done so yeah just do it Basil." Mike replied.
"And you are quite sure young man?" Basil asked Shane.
"Yes sir I am positive." Shane replied.
"OK then one skinhead coming up." Basil said as he placed the clippers at the base of Shane’s hair at the back and slowly pushed the clippers through Shane’s blonde hair and deposited the first pass onto the cape. Basil carried on with the Oster’s removing the hair from the back of Shane’s head.
"Head to the side young man." Basil said as he moved to the right hand side of Shane’s head.
Shane watched in the mirror as Basil removed the hair from that side of his head and saw for the first time how short his hair was going to be as basil moved to the left side and removed the hair from there.
"Just the top to go young man." Basil told Shane as he placed the clippers at the centre of Shane’s forehead and pushed the clippers through leaving minute stubble. Basil quickly finished the top before checking for stray hairs before switching the clippers off.
Shane looked in the mirror at his now nearly bald head as Basil removed the cape and went over the nape of the neck with a razor.
"There you go young man a skinhead haircut as you requested. Basil told Shane. "Do you like it?"
"I love it!" Shane exclaimed as he rubbed his head. "How about you dad? Do you like it?"
"It is what you wanted Shane but god knows what your mum will think." Mike told Shane.
"Guess it will save on shampoo." Shane said as he got out of the barber’s chair."
"That will be just a pound Mike." Basil said to Mike. "It only takes a few minutes."
Mike paid Basil and walked out of the shop with Shane and crossed over to where his car was parked at the bus depot.
"You certainly look different son." Mike said as he rubbed Shane’s head. "And I thought you would chicken out."
"No way dad I love it and want to keep it all summer." Shane replied. "And I can feel the sun on my head.
"I don’t think school would allow it but I can see no reason why you cannot get it done again next summer." Mike told Shane as they got in the car.

Arriving home Shane and his dad went indoors and into the kitchen where Irene was cooking the dinner.
"HI mum I got my haircut a bit shorter this time." Shane said to his mum.
"Oh my god what have you done!" Irene shouted. "What has happened to your hair?"
"He wanted it cut like his cousin Kevin love so I let him have it done." Mike said.
"I know he has been on at us ever since Kevin got his done but I thought you said no Mike." Irene told Mike.
"He wanted it done love and it will grow out in time for school restarting." Mike replied. "He is old enough to make his decisions."
"I really like it mum and I promise I will wash it every day." Shane told his mum.
"Well it is too late now love and I guess I will get used to it." Irene sighed.

The next day Shane woke and looked in the mirror in the bathroom and smiled at his new haircut before showering and going in town to meet his cousin.
"Hey skinhead!" Kevin exclaimed as he saw Shane. "You got it done then."
"Yeah mate and I love it." Shane grinned. "You could do with a trim up."
"Just going to get it done now mate." Kevin replied. "You coming?"
"Yeah then we can hang a bit." Shane replied as they started to walk to Basil’s barber shop.
Shane and Kevin walked into Basils barber shop and waited for Kevin to get his skinhead refreshed before walking out.
"Skinhead cousins." Kevin said to Shane grinning.
"Yeah skinhead cousins." Shane replied.

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