Dominic by Bald K

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Dominic

It has been a while but I am now a soldier in the army

Dominic heard the front door close as his father left for work at his regular time of six in the morning. Walking into the bathroom, Dominic looked in the mirror at his straight jet black hair, which was well past his collar and over his ears. Dominic quickly washed and brushed his teeth before getting dressed and going to the newsagents to pick up his paper delivery. After finishing his paper delivery, Dominic made his way back home and prepared himself some breakfast. "Final day of the school term, and I am not going in as I have an appointment at the hair salon," Dominic thought to himself as he ate his cereal.

Dominic checked his watch as he checked the front door was secure before setting off down the road to the bus stop. After a few minutes, the bus arrived, and Dominic boarded the bus and paid his fare before taking a seat for the journey into town. After about ten minutes, Dominic alighted from the bus and made his way to the unisex hair salon and paused before pushing the door open and walked in.
"Can I help you, sir?" A young lady behind the counter asked Dominic.
"I have an appointment with Clare at nine-thirty," Dominic replied.
"Oh yes, Dominic Jones, if you would like to take a seat, Clare is just preparing her equipment for your appointment," the young lady told Dominic.
Dominic sat on a chair and looked into the salon through a door to see a young man getting the same hairstyle he was about to get.
"I will certainly look different," Dominic thought to himself as a young Lady walked through the door.
"Dominic Jones?" Clare asked as she looked at Dominic. "If you would like to come through, please."
Dominic followed Clare and sat down in the chair. Dominic looked at the array of equipment on the tray by the side of the chair.
"You have nice hair, and the style will look good on you," Clare told Dominic as she tucked a cape into his shirt collar. "I would recommend you go with tight curls with your hair."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same," Dominic replied.
Dominic watched as Clare soaked his hair before starting to put the perming rods into his hair carefully. After a while, Clare placed a cotton wool strip around Dominic’s head before soaking the perming rods with the perming solution and placing a plastic head wrap over the head so the perming solution could take effect.

Dominic felt the warm water washing out the neutraliser on his freshly permed hair before Clare removed the perming rods and washed his hair before wrapping a towel around Dominic’s head and taking him back to the chair. Dominic sat down, and Clare gently rubbed Dominic hair before removing the towel.
"Wow! I look so different with curly hair!" Dominic exclaimed. "I love it!"
"I told you it would look good," Clare told Dominic as she ran an afro comb through the curls. "I recommend you use one of these to comb your hair."
"I will get one as I leave," Dominic replied as he stood up and followed Clare to the reception area.
Dominic paid the receptionist for the perm and purchased the comb that Clare recommended before leaving the shop.
Dominic boarded the bus, where he saw his mate Martin sitting at the back of the bus and walked down to sit next to him.
"Wow, that perm is an excellent look on you, mate," Martin said to Dominic. "I wish my parents would let me have mine done."
"My dad does not know I have had my hair permed," Dominic admitted to Martin. "Also, my school report is out today."
"You mean the s*** hits the fan when he sees it as you bunked off most of the time," Martin told Dominic.
"Yeah, but if I get in quick, I can get hold of the report and lose it," Dominic smiled. "Dad always go for an end of the week beer with a few in the office."
"I know if I got a school report like you will be getting, I would be getting a few whacks of the slipper from my dad," Martin told Dominic as he stood up to get off the bus. "Usual place tomorrow in town after I get my regulation number three summer haircut?"
"Yeah, I will see you at the usual place," Dominic replied.
After a couple more stops, Dominic got off the bus, walked the short distance to his house, put the key in the door, and let himself in.
"Dominic Jones, get your backside in her now!" Dominic’s father shouted out.
"S***, he only calls me by my full name if I am in trouble," Dominic thought to himself as he opened the door to the front room.
"Sit down, Dominic," Dominic’s dad said, pointing to a chair. "Do you know where I have been this afternoon?"
"At work?" Dominic replied sarcastically.
"I have had to take an afternoon off work to go and see the headmaster of the school you are supposed to attend," Dominic’s dad replied. "They wanted to know why I was allowing you not to attend classes."
"Look, dad, it not what it seems. It is just the teachers have it in for me," Dominic replied. "I will do better and attend classes for my final year."
"Well, your school holidays have been cancelled. You are going to stay with your grandfather, who will be giving you daily lessons after you help out in the shop," Dominic’s father told Dominic.
"Oh no, dad, please anything but staying with granddad," Dominic replied. "I will do anything, but please not staying there."
"It is all arranged. We will drive up there tomorrow morning. We leave at six sharp," Dominic’s dad said. "And what on earth have you had your hair permed for?"
"It is the latest trend for men to have permed hair," Dominic told his dad. "Please don’t make me go and live with grandad in north wales."
"It is all arranged, end of the story, now get upstairs and pack the suitcase I have put on your bed," Dominic’s father said in a stern voice.
Walking out of the room, Dominic made his way to his bedroom, where he saw the suitcase on his bed. Holding back the tears, Dominic packed his suitcase and closed the lid and secured it before taking it down the stairs and placing it by the front door.
"Five weeks of hell coming up just because I bunked off school," Dominic thought to himself as he made his way back to his room.

Dominic’s heart sank when he saw the sign saying ‘welcome to wales’ on the roadside, knowing that he was less than thirty minutes from his grandparent’s house, where he would be staying for the next five weeks. Finally, after about thirty minutes, Dominic’s dad pulled up outside a shop with the words ‘Jones general stores’ etched into the glass. Without saying a word, Dominic got out of the car’s passenger seat and pulled his suitcase out of the boot.
"Good afternoon son, was it a good journey?" Dominic’s granddad asked as he walked out of the shop.
"It was pretty good," Dominic’s father replied.
"I thought you were bringing Dominic with you, not some girl?" Dominic’s grandfather said to Dominic’s dad.
"Dominic thought it would be a good idea to get his hair permed yesterday," Dominic’s dad replied.
"MY god, boys with permed hair? What next pierced ears?" Dominic’s grandfather said as he looked at Dominic.
"He already has," Dominic’s father sighed.
"You know where your room is, young man. So get there and unpack your case," Dominic’s grandfather told Dominic.
Without saying a word, Dominic picked up his suitcase and made his way up the stairs to the bedroom he would be using. Dominic sighed as he looked around the sparsely furnished bedroom with only a bed and a wardrobe in it. Dominic unpacked his suitcase and placed his clothes in the wardrobe.
"F***, this mattress is rock hard," Dominic thought to himself as he sat on the edge of the bed.
"Right young man, if you are a man with that hairstyle, let me check you have placed your clothes in the correct order," Dominic’s grandfather said as he opened the wardrobe.
"That is satisfactory, now go downstairs and go to the chip shop and get four portions of cod and chips," Dominic’s grandfather said as he Dominic a five-pound note.
"Yes, sir," Dominic replied as he took the money off his grandfather and made his way to the shop.

The following day, Dominic bade farewell to his father before walking back into the house and the front room.
"Right young man, time to lay down some house rules," Dominic’s grandfather told Dominic. "You will call me grandfather or sir at any time you speak to me."
"Yes, grandfather," Dominic replied.
"You will work in the shop as, and when required, at other times you will be doing the schoolwork I set you," Dominic’s grandfather continued. "You will rise from bed at six every morning, except Sunday when you will rise at seven."
"Yeah, whatever," Dominic sighed. "I mean yes sir, sorry sir."
"Another slip like that, and you will feel my slipper on your backside," Dominic’s grandfather said in a stern voice. "Now get to your room and put on your suit, ready for the church service."
"I don’t do church, sir," Dominic replied.
"While you are living in my house, you will attend church every Sunday without fail, now get to your room and get changed!" Dominic’s grandfather shouted at Dominic.
Dominic turned and walked out of the front room and ran up the stairs into his bedroom. Dominic closed the bedroom door and sat on the edge of the bed. After a few moments, Dominic stood up, got his suit out of the wardrobe, and changed into it. Dominic checked his tie was correctly tied before going back down the front room and walked in.
"Let me check you over," Dominic’s grandfather told Dominic.
Dominic stood in the centre of the room as his grandfather walked around him, checking every detail was correct.
"Your shoes need polishing. So attend to it," Dominic’s grandfather told Dominic.
Without saying a word, Dominic walked into the kitchen and placed some old newspaper on the floor before removing shoes. Then, getting the shoe polish out of the cupboard, Dominic polished his shoes, ensuring that they had a good shine on them before putting his shoes back on and walked back into the front room.
"Much better young man," Dominic’s grandfather told Dominic. "Time for us to depart."
"Yes, grandfather," Dominic replied as he followed his grandparents out of the house.
Dominic walked behind his grandparents the short distance to the church and walked in. Dominic sat down and looked around the church as a man and woman sat next to him.
"Good morning Thomas, Peggy," The man said. "I hope you are well. You did not tell me about your granddaughter visiting you."
"We are well, thank you, James," Thomas replied. "This is my grandson, who took it upon himself to get his hair permed like a girl."
"Oh, I see," James replied. "Young Grant has just received his summer crewcut and looks rather splendid with it."
"Young men should have short hair. I agree," Thomas told James. "Margaret, would you be as kind as to mind the shop for a few hours tomorrow? Shall we say nine until one?"
"That will be no problem at all," Margaret replied.
"Oh yes, I see what you mean about young Grant looking good with his short haircut," Thomas told Peter as the choirboys walked out and took their places.
"Yes, he decided to go for a grade two crop," James told Thomas. "Maybe your grandson should visit Mr Evans and lose his girly perm."
"All in hand," Thomas replied.

"Thank you for coming in for a few hours," Thomas said to Margaret as she walked into the shop.
"It is no problem," Margaret replied as she walked behind the shops counter.
"Dominic and I should be back from the city by midday," Thomas told Margaret. "Get in here, young man. It is time to go!" Thomas shouted through the doorway into the house.
"No need to shout," Dominic told Thomas as he walked into the shop.
"The first port of call is to visit Mr Evans," Thomas told Dominic as they left the shop. "He is just around the corner.
Dominic followed Thomas out of the shop and walked around the corner. Dominic’s heart sank as he saw H A Evans gentlemen’s barber engraved into a glass door. Thomas pushed the door open and motioned for Dominic to enter the barber’s shop. Dominic walked into the barber’s shop without saying a word, walked over to a bench, and sat down next to a young boy with longish blonde hair.
"Good morning, Gerald, hasn’t young Louis grown," Thomas said to Gerald.
"Indeed he has. He is now fourteen and decided to join the school’s army cadets."
"A good choice, young man," Thomas said to Louis as Mr Evans walked in from a room at the back of the shop.
"Hop in the chair then, young man," Mr Evans said to Louis.
Louis strode over to the chair and sat down, looking straight ahead into the mirror.
"Now, how does young Louis want his haircut today?" Mr Evans asked Gerald.
"Can I have it cut like Zak, please, dad?" Louis asked his father.
"If that is how you want it cut, I have no problem with it," Gerald told Louis.
"You mean a grade one crewcut?" Mr Evans asked Louis.
"Yes, please, Mr Evans," Louis replied with a broad grin on his face.
"A good respectable haircut for a young man," Mr Evans said as he placed the number one guard on the clippers and switched them on.
Dominic watched as Mr Evans placed the clippers at the base of his neck and pushed the clippers through Louis’ blond hair, depositing the first swathe of hair into the cape.
"Holy s--- that is short," Dominic thought to himself as he saw how the clippers short the clippers were cutting Louis’ hair.
"Just the top to go, young man," Mr Evans told Louis as he finished the sides of Louis’ head.
Louis smiled as he saw his long blond fringe shaved off by the clippers leaving a uniform three millimetres of hair on his head.
"How do you like it?" Gerald asked Louis.
"I think it looks, awesome dad. Thanks for letting me get it cut like Zak," Louis replied with a grin on his face.
"Guess you will not need shampoo for a while," Gerald laughed as he rubbed Louis’ head.
"Are you next, Tom?" Mr Evans asked Tom.
"No, I am not here for a haircut," Tom replied. "My grandson is, now move your butt and get in that chair," Tom told Dominic.
Dominic stood and slowly walked over to the chair and sat down and looked in the mirror, dreading what words were going to said by his grandfather to Mr Evans.
"What are we doing for you today, then?" Mr Evans asked Dominic.
"He is going to lose those girly curls, and I don’t care how short you need to cut his hair," Tom told Mr Evans.
"I could try the exact haircut I just gave to young Louis, but even that may not remove all the curl," Mr Evans told Tom as he placed the number one guard back on the clippers.
"It will teach him a lesson that young men do not get their hair permed to look like girls," Tom told Mr Evans. "If you need to take it shorter, then do it."
Dominic’s heart sank as Mr Evans switched the clippers on, placed them at the centre of the forehead, and pushed the clippers through the curls. Dominic had to hold back the tears as he saw his curly hair replaced by three millimetres of hair.
"I agree with you that perms are not for young men," Mr Evans told Tom as he continued to run the clippers over the top of Dominic’s head.
Dominic just stared into the mirror as Mr Evans moved to the side of his hair and made sure that the curly hair fell into the cape for Dominic to see.
"That looks so much more manly," Mr Evans told Dominic as he showed Dominic the back of his head in a mirror.
"Don’t know why you bothered leaving me any hair," Dominic sarcastically said to Mr Evans.
"For that young man, you will not have any hair left on your head," Tom said to Dominic. "If you would be so kind as to grant my grandson his wish and make him bald, please."
"It will be my pleasure," Mr Evans replied as he picked up another set of clippers and flicked the switch.
"No, please, grandad, I am sorry, I did not mean to say that, the haircut is fine," Dominic pleaded with his Tom.
"You should have thought about that before you said it, now. If you would proceed," Tom told Mr Evans.
Dominic burst out in tears as he watched the clippers remove the three millimetres of hair on his head down to a very short stubble.
"Look at that a grown boy crying over haircut," Tom said in disgust. "Grow a pair of balls, young man."
Mr Evans placed the clippers down and ran the hot water tap, and made a good lather in his shaving mug before spreading a good layer of the shaving soap over the minute stubble that remained on Dominic’s head. Mr Evans then sharpened his razor on the leather strop that hung on the side of the chair.
"Now, if you do not want me to cut you, stay perfectly still," Mr Evans told Dominic.
"Yes, sir," Dominic sighed as Mr Evans tilted Dominic’s head to one side.
Dominic felt the razor scrape away the remaining hair on his head, leaving pale white skin where his permed hair used to be.
"I will look like a billiard ball," Dominic thought to himself as he saw the pale white skin appear on his head where Mr Evans had shaved the stubble off.
Mr Evans finished shaving Dominic’s head and placed the razor back on the bench before wiping any surplus shaving soap off Dominic’s head with a towel before rubbing in some aftershave.
"Ouch!" Dominic shouted as he felt the aftershave sting his head.
"I hope you like your new haircut," Mr Evans said to Dominic as he removed the cape.
"It feels weird," Dominic replied as he felt his bald head and walked back over to Tom.
"That will teach you not to speak out of turn," Tom told Dominic as Tom handed over a one-pound note to Mr Evans.
"Yes, it will grandad, I am sorry for talking like that," Dominic sighed as they walked out of the barber’s shop.
"Good, now get in the car, so we can go and get you a new wardrobe of clothes," Tom told Dominic.

To be continued?

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