Failed Finals punishment by Charlie Brown

---

Author’s note: I found this video of a guy shaving off his head, beard, and eyebrows. I was so fascinated by the video that I decided to make a story about it. I’ll put the link of the video.
the boy had his hair, beard and eyebrows cut off completely - YouTube

This story will be written from the perspective of a young man named Yazan who lives in Iran. Yazan was 20 years old when he experienced the most traumatic moment of his life. It all started in his sophomore year as a college student. Yazan would scrape by his college semesters barely passing his classes until he ran out of luck and ended up failing all of his classes in his last semester which ultimately led him to receive a traumatizing punishment that he has never experienced before.

In Iran college is free except for the books and other learning materials that are needed to succeed in college. Yazan’s father, Kareem, was a farmer who had so much hope for his son to succeed in college and to have a nice comfortable job that doesn’t involve harvesting and taming the land in year-round intense weather. Kareem would always scold his son to stop procrastinating and put his education first.

I looked out the window and saw my father working in the field. I felt sympathetic towards him but just because he has a hard life doesn’t mean I should. I put on some pomade through my black straight hair and made a little quiff on top. I looked good with my stylish haircut and beard. I couldn’t wait to meet my friends at the coffee shop until my dad stopped me as I was about to leave.

Kareem: Yazan where are you going? You only have 3 days until the finals you should be studying! I can’t remember I saw you opening a book and studying!

Yazan: Relax dad I always get good enough grades to pass. I’m just going to hang out with my friends.

Kareem: You listen here! You barely pass your semesters and I’m telling you right now if you fail and waste my money there will be consequences! I spent a month’s work of salary to buy your college books and you better read them or else.

Yazan: Dad just stop you’re always being overdramatic.

Kareem: If you spent half the time studying instead of putting pomade through your hair and constantly being with your friends then you would have good grades. If you fail any of your classes I’m shaving your head and you’ll work with me on the farm. Do you understand?

I rolled my eyes and went out. After being with my friends I completely forgot about studying for the finals. Days past and I kept procrastinating until it was finally the day of the finals. When I went to college to complete my tests I was so overwhelmed and couldn’t understand any of the questions that I simply guessed on all of them.

Days passed and one morning I woke up with cold water being splashed all over me.

Kareem: Wake up donkey your grades arrived and you failed everything!

Yazan: What are you doing?!

I screamed and then I took the report card from my dad’s hands and read that I’ve failed all of my classes.

Kareem: Get up donkey we’re leaving.

I got up and frantically followed my dad. After a couple of minutes, we arrived at the barbershop and I immediately remembered the "deal" I had with my dad that if I fail any classes my head will be shaved. Before I could retaliate my dad held the back of my neck and pushed me into the barbershop.

Kareem: Get the clippers out and give him a zero all over!

Yazan: What! That’s not happening f*** off!

My father’s eyes went wide after I cursed.

Kareem: You listen here donkey! You wasted my money with your college funds and you failed all of your classes! For being a bastard of a son your head and beard will be shaven to a zero! Next time be wise with your choices and the words you speak to your father!

I was flabbergasted. This can’t be happening. I’m twenty years old and he’s trying to humiliate me like this?

Yazan: F*** you and f*** your farm. You’re just jealous that I have a social life and you have no one but plants to talk to! You’re crazy and annoying that’s why mom left…

Everyone fell silent in the room as my dad’s eyes were wide.

Barber: Sir I feel sorry for you having such a donkey of a son. If you give me permission I’ll gladly shave his head, beard, and eyebrows completely smooth!

Kareem: Yes that sounds perfect. Make him look like a cancer patient that will teach him a lesson!

The large buff barber locked the door and took his clipper out.

Barber: You heard your father. You won’t get out of this shop until you’re completely shaved. The only hair you will have on your entire hair is your eyelashes unless you want those gone too?

I knew this was the end of the road. I should have just let my dad shave my head for failing but instead, I made matters worse. My dad looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel and with the shop being locked with the barber menacingly holding a pair of clippers I was kind of scared for my own safety. In the end, I decided, screw it, I’ll get all my hair shaved off and get this over with but I won’t give them the satisfaction of humiliating me so I sat down at the barber’s chair…

Yazan: Alright the weather is getting hot so it’s the perfect time to get it all shaved right?

I smiled as I confidently sat down not giving the satisfaction to my dad or the barber that I’m about to get a traumatizing head, beard, and eyebrow shave. The barber was nonetheless looking giddy as he capped me up.

Barber: Yes your soon to be hairless head will be a perfect style for the summer. Don’t forget to wear a lot of sunscreen though!

I held my breath as the barber turned on the clippers but I kept smiling trying to mask the terror I felt inside. The clippers went straight to the top of my head as my quiff was mowed down to stubble. My dark stylish hair was being shorn off as my scalp was exposed with rough stubble. The barber shaved the side and the back of my head as all my hair was falling onto the cape. My entire head was finally shaved down to a zero.

Kareem: Your haircut would have been finished if you decided to shut your damn mouth but you’re too damn stupid. Shave his beard off as well.

Barber: It will be my pleasure.

The barber switched the clippers and began shaving my beard down to stubble as well. My well-groomed beard was being sheared off. All the time I spent trimming my beard and styling my hair was wasted in a few minutes. I looked at myself secretly devastated I tried to muster up a smile. I looked like a ball of shorn stubble. My beard and the hair on my head all shaved down to a zero. I looked awful. Then the barber applied shaving cream to my head as he scrapped the stubble clean off my head.

Kareem: Don’t forget to shave the stubble off his face and I don’t want him to have eyebrows either. Make him look like he has an illness!

Barber: Of course sir.

The barber looked like he was trying hard to contain his excitement as he lathered up my entire face! I inhaled and closed my eyes. I didn’t dare move a muscle with that razor being so close to my face. As he scraped the stubble off the right side of my face he immediately shaved my right eyebrow. Soon the shearing was finally over and I looked at myself in terror. I looked absolutely awful without a single hair on my entire head and that’s including my face! The only hair I had left was my eyelashes! My hairless brows felt so strange and numb. I tried to raise my "eyebrows" but it didn’t change the expression on my face since there wasn’t a single hair left on my brows!

The barber doused my head with alcohol as he rubbed the bare skin on my head. He then put some alcohol on his thumbs to apply them on my hairless brows.

Barber: Your hairless head will make you feel nice and breezy in the summer heat!
(Slaps my bald head) Hey Kareem what do you think of your son’s new look?

My father smiled from ear to ear

Kareem: He looks horrendous you’ve done a wonderful job!

My father slapped my bald head and squished my face with both of his hands.

Kareem: Look at yourself. No more pomade for a very long time and probably no more hanging out with your friends for a while either! You wouldn’t want them seeing you like this?

Yazan: Dad the haircut looks fine. (Obviously lying) It’s a decent cut that’ll make my head and face feel breezy on this hot summer.

Kareem: Ok son good job on trying to act tough. Hope this will teach you a lesson about not being a donkey especially a disrespectful donkey!

The barber and my father both laughed as my father continued smacking my bald head.

Finally, My dad and I both left the shop. I tried to keep my head up as we walked home even though people kept staring at me.

Random Woman: You are such a brave young man and you will get through your illness! I pray to God that you will!

I rolled my eyes as she clearly thought I had cancer from the hairless face and head that I sported.

As we finally arrived home my dad got a bottle of sunscreen and lathered it all over my face and head.

I tried to move away as my dad kept vigorously rubbing a handful of sunscreen on my face and head.
Kareem: Now that you’ve failed college and I’ve realized you’re not college material you will work on the farm. You need a lot of sunscreen to protect that bald lil head of yours and your hairless face!

After a long day in the fields, I walked into the bathroom startled to see my hairless reflection. I turned on the shower and washed myself as the strange sensation of water hitting my smooth head.

---