Jo’s Barbershop#7 The Point of no return by Mr. Nice Guy

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THURSDAY MORNING

Hello my name is Brad; my dad has been promising to take me to a big Amusement park a few hours away all summer. But like normal I’ve hardly seen him and summer is coming to an end. I shouldn’t be surprised it’s been like that my entire 12 years of life. Always making promises he doesn’t keep. Labor day is fast approaching next week along with the start of the school year on Tuesday.
My mom has been able to buy me some "new" clothing at the local Salvation Army and most of my school supplies already. She has also been on me about needing a haircut before school starts and plans on taking me this weekend on Saturday. Personally, I don’t think I need one, I hate getting my haircut. My last haircut was in mid-May and I convinced my mom to let me grow my hair out for the summer.
Much to me and Mom’s surprise my dad called up on Thursday and told me he is taking me for a 2-day trip this Saturday/Sunday and returning on Monday. My Mother grudgingly agreed. Win/Win for me I get to go to the point & avoid a haircut before school starts.

SATURDAY MORNING

I hardly slept last night, its 6am and my dad should be here any minute to pick me up. My mom doesn’t think he will show up. Finally, at 6:05 he shows up and my mom asks my dad to find a place open on Monday on the way home to get my haircut. I give an internal groan, but hopeful knowing a lot of places close for Labor Day.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON

It’s a great day at the park, I’m tall enough this trip to ride all the rollercoasters. While waiting in line for the newest coaster the subject of my hair & haircuts comes up.
DAD: yes, I plan on stopping somewhere to get your haircut on Monday or maybe we can find a place before returning to the park tomorrow, I promised your mother.
BRAD: I like my hair long & don’t want to cut it.
DAD: it is starting to look a little ragged Brad on the ends. You only need to cut enough so your ears are showing and get it out of your eyes. It’ll grow out better afterwards.
BRAD: OK

the person behind us in line takes an interest in our conversation.

JO: hello sorry to ease drop but I overheard your conversation about haircuts.
DAD: yes, Brad is starting school on Tuesday and he was suppose to get a haircut today, but we came to the park instead. Going to try to find a place open on Monday on the way home.
JO: so, you are grabbing a hotel and staying in the area?
DAD: yep we have a reservation at the roadhouse Inn and plan on coming back to the park tomorrow
JO: cool I’m staying at the same hotel. I actually cut hair, have my tools with me and if you want I can give Brad a trim tomorrow morning at the hotel.
DAD: what do you think Brad?
BRAD: I don’t know
DAD: give me your number and we will think about it.
JO: sounds good. Leave a message if it goes to voice mail. I’ll talk to you later.

SATURDAY NIGHT

it was a great day at the park,
the subject of my hair never came up again.
I’m hoping my dad forgot about it

SUNDAY MORNING

8am me and dad head down to the hotel lobby for breakfast. I showered last night & I am still in my sleep shorts & t-shirt. Didn’t combed my hair yet. I hope we don’t run into JO, he said he was staying at the same hotel as us.
JO: ohh, hi didn’t hear from you, did you still want to get brad’s haircut today ?
DAD: didn’t really think about it, but was planning on looking up local places near by on google over breakfast.
JO: I’m pretty sure the closet place is about 15min away and they don’t open until 10 or 11.
DAD: crap that a little later and farther then I thought. Are you sure you can cut brad’s hair and don’t mind.
JO: don’t mind at all, how was you thinking about getting his haircut? A normal haircut trimmed off the ears and out of the eyes?
DAD: yes, that what we were thinking.
JO: ok I’m in room 300, give me about 15min to get setup.
DAD: Ok Brad will be there after we grab some breakfast.

DAD: Brad go get your haircut, Ill be up in a few minutes.
BRAD: are you sure ?
DAD: yes, don’t argue.
BRAD: ok ☹

JO: come on in & have a seat.
I see Jo has a large variety of haircutting tools laid out neatly on the desk on top of a brown towel with one of the hotel armed office chairs in from of it.
thankfully there is also a mirror on the wall behind the desk so ill be able to see what’s going on.

JO: so, it’s been about 4 months since your last haircut?
BRAD: yes, I was growing it out.
JO: your dad said we are taking it off the ears and out of your eyes?
BRAD: yes
JO: Ok I know how to cut it, I’ll take your glasses.

Jo places one of the hotel towels around my neck & draped a teal cape over me.
then starts to comb my hair with a boar brush.
JO: did you comb your hair this morning ?
BRAD: not yet, was going to do it after breakfast.
JO: it’s a little tangled and I’m seeing a lot of damaged ends but we’ll take care of that.

Jo starts spritzing my hair with some detangling spray & it smells a little like grapefruit.
JO: that’s better, I should be able to work with your hair a little better now.

To my horror Jo then spins the chair away from the mirror, I’ve never had a haircut before not facing a mirror.
JO: You’re going to sit still and let me cut your hair, right?
BRAD: sarcastically I reply "yes, this isn’t my 1st haircut"

Suddenly I hear a loud click on my left side and a pair of clippers removes all the hair covering my left ear. I’m in shock and can’t react, this is definitely not what I had in mind. Jo continues devastating the hair on my left side. At this point my dad knocks on the door and enters.

DAD: Brad I didn’t think you wanted to go that short, I never seen you ask for a clipper cut before.
BRAD: I didn’t ask for this.
JO: you told me a normal haircut off the ears and out of the eyes and Brad confirmed it when I asked him, that’s what I’m giving him.
BRAD: I wanted a scissor cut covering the top of my ears.
DAD: yes what Brad said, I don’t think he ever had a clipper cut before.
JO: sorry I misinterpreted your instructions, I can’t put his hair back and if I stop now it’ll look funny. Can I continue?
DAD: yes I guess we don’t have much of a choice.
JO: Brad do you trust me to finish your haircut ?
BRAD: I suppose so
JO: head down

I feel the clippers travel up the back of my head and see more 3inch pieces of hair fall.
the clippers continue on my right side laying waste to what I accomplished to grow over the summer and before.
JO: that’s a little longer than one inch on the sides, I know this is already shorter then what you had in mind dad but personally I think the sides should be shorter. Mind if I take more off?
DAD: we went this far, cutting it a little bit more shouldn’t matter. go ahead and do what you think will look best.
JO: thank you for trusting me.
BRAD: I don’t anymore but my dad gave you permission so I have to let you finish.

Jo changes blades on the clippers and attacks the sides & back again with them.
I see an additional pieces of hair fall that looks like they are almost an inch long.

JO: ok I’m done with the sides, now to cut the top down so it blends with the sides.
BRAD: can you face me towards the mirror for the rest of the haircut?

As I glimpse my 1st look at the destruction of my hair, I want to cry. I knew most of my hair was gone but wasn’t expecting the damage was that intense.

BRAD: can you keep my bangs long?
JO: I’ll keep the bangs long enough so you can comb them.
Jo soaks my hair with water & small droplets run down my face.
he then combs and grabs a handful of hair on top of my head and lops off a large chunk eliminating ¾ of the length. I grimace and unintentionally let out a gasp. Without pausing Jo continues cropping and relieving me of the hair I have left. Why did my dad agree to this haircut? I’m not sure if I can ever forgive him.

SUNDAY NIGHT

its turning out to be another great day at the park despite the way it started in the morning with loosing most of my hair. It’s a different feeling of the wind blowing across my head riding the coasters without hair covering my head. I’m still not sure if I like the new haircut but it might grow on me.

MONDAY NIGHT

arrived home, mom loves my haircut and praised my father for doing what he said he was going to do. Me & my father agreed on the way home not to tell mom the tale of how I got the haircut.
I like that I don’t have to do much to keep it from looking messed up. Maybe I’ll ask mom to take me to get it cut again in a few weeks?

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