Haircut by the old lady barber by MG

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It was winter,i was in my late teens and it was the late seventies.For a few weeks i had contemplated having my over the collar length hair cut shorter,so one afternoon i braved the cold went into town and entered a rather tired looking traditional looking Barber shop located just off the main street.Sat in one of the two red leather barbers chairs was a bespectacled lady who looked in her sixties.This lady who was smoking a cigarette had iron grey hair tied back in a tight bun, and wore a white fitted knee length traditional barbers jacket." Looking at me disapprovingly she said curtly
"I DON'T DO MODERN STYLES HERE YOUNG MAN,ONLY TRADITIONAL HAIRCUTS"
"EXCUSE ME MADAM,BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TRY IT SHORTER", i replied somewhat meekly and apologetically.
'' IN THAT CASE TAKE A SEAT '',she said.
I accepted her invitation and sat in the red leather chair,which seemed extremely comfortable,she then placed a long black plastic cape around my neck and said,
" SO WE ARE HAVING A CLOSE SHORT BACK AND SIDES TODAY ARE WE",she then teasingly tugged at my hair.
" YES PLEASE MADAM",I mumbled unconvincingly.
The old barber then took a wet comb and expertly found my long lost side parting,that i had last seen when i was a child.She then fixed her stare upon me and said in a firm voice.
''RIGHT I WILL TAKE YOUR HAIR DOWN TO JUST OVER AN INCH ON TOP WITH MY SCISSORS,BUT FIRST I WILL USE MY CLIPPERS ON THE BACK AND SIDES" She then picked up a brown pair of old fashioned looking electric clippers and switched them on.I remember they sounded quite noisy as she said commandingly,
'' RIGHT HEAD DOWN YOUNG MAN" I could feel the cold on the back of my head as the old lady pushed the clippers up to the crown area of my head ,after a few runs up and down the back of my head the hum of the clippers intensified as she started on the sides,my brown hair tumbling onto the cape as her clippers ran riot,eventually she turned them off and with her comb and scissors speedily but expertly cut my hair shorter on top,she then applied a dab of hair cream to my shorn head and gave me a sharp looking side parting. After razoring my neck she again used the clippers and comb and finished my haircut.She then produced a hand held mirror and showed me my haircut from various angles.At first I didn't know what to say i was in total shock all i had left was a pasty small patch on top,i looked ridiculous. The old barber then ran her fingernails slowly up the back of my head and said soothingly.
"THERE YOU GO YOUNG MAN,A GOOD CLOSE SHORT BACK AND SIDES,COME BACK AND SEE ME IN FOUR WEEKS AND I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER" I thanked her for her efforts and hurried home,that night i spent a long time in the bathroom combing my hair in a thousand ways,but in the end i looked just the same.For a week or so i was ribbed about my haircut,getting the odd compliment,but about four weeks later i returned to see the old lady barber for another short back and sides. In the chair sat an an elderly gent whom she was giving a close crewcut.Upon seeing me she smiled and said,
" I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE BACK,SIT DOWN I'LL BE WITH YOU SHORTLY YOUNG MAN"

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