Growing up with just Dad by Tony5624

---

Growing up with just Dad

My brother and I lost our Mum when we were quite young' being brought up by our Dad was ok, but we tended to get away with a lot and discipline was low on the list of priorities. We left school and both ended up at Uni' just returning home at holiday times, we both happened to get into the same Uni, so that was easier for us, we just had one car and shared pretty much everything, apart from girls or boys, we both new from a young age that we were into both. Our hair had got very long and we both were less into shaving than we should be, consequently both had facial hair with hair past our shoulders.

It was the summer break coming up and we were ready to return home, Dad was there to welcome us back and tell us he had met another lady, who he was very much in love with, we were both happy for him and said we were both pleased for the chance to meet her for ourselves. Dad said, that's good because Ellen would be here early tomorrow morning and he wanted us up early too. The following morning Ellen arrived and let herself in, she was not what we expected, although she was only about Dads age, forty five, she dressed like a sixty year old, very prim and proper, so to speak. The introductions went ok and we both went out to give them some space to talk. We returned back home early that evening to have dinner, Dad was on his own and Ellen had left, he said, I want you both up and ready to go out in the morning, Ellen will be here at eight thirty and she is taking you both out, she feels she wants to get to know you better.

We chatted that night and thought it strange she wanted to go alone with us, but went along with it. The morning came and we were both ready, Dad said, I have to go into work for a while but will see you both back here at lunch time, we said ok Dad.
Ellen arrived and said, ok boys, we are going into town to the family barber shop, my two brothers run it now since our Father passed away, your Father and I feel it's time for you to take a little bit of pride in the way you look and you both need a haircut and shave to smarten yourselves up. We were both completely gobsmacked , we both blurted out the same thing, we are happy with our longer hair, that didn't seem to go down well with Ellen, she said, nonsense boys, you will do as you are told and come with me right now, I know that for years your Father has let you run wild, but that stops now, just remember it's me you have to deal with now and I don't like untidy boys.

That was us put in our place, we both agreed to go along with her wishes and got into her car to go to town. We pulled up outside the barber shop and both looked at each other' it was an old fashioned and very dated barber shop, we got out of the car and followed Ellen into the very small shop, two brothers greeted us and said, ok boys jump in the chairs, they both faced into the shop away from the mirrors, we were the only two customers in the shop, Ellen spoke to her brothers and said she would be back to collect us later, she had some shopping to get.
The two barbers were both very similar, both over six foot tall and quite muscular, they both had the same military short hair, we both had a bad feeling about this.

The cape was put around us both and we told them, just a trim to tidy us up please, the elder of the brothers said, oh no boys, Ellen has specifically requested that you have short hair and a shave too, so it would be more than our lives were worth to disobey her, I guess you don't really know her yet ? With that said, the scissors were working overtime and soon there was a pile of long hair on the floor, neither of us could see what was happening as the chairs were faced into the shop, the next thing we heard was the sound of clippers firing up and before we knew it they were shearing the back of our heads, we both were in disbelief of what was happening, the clippers were relentless and it felt like we were almost bald at the rate the hair was dropping on the cape and the floor, the large flat comb came out and the clippers were working on the top this time, we both felt totally scalped, then the chairs were reclined and before we knew it we were being facially shaved, but the razor seemed to start at the side of our heads up near the temples, our necks were shaved too, finally some wax from a small tin was applied to the top of our hair, then the final moment, simultaneously the chairs were spun around to face the mirrors, we both gasped at the awful haircuts we had endured, clean shaven faces and a military flattop haircut, we both felt the backs of our necks to find it shaved smooth and bald, never in our entire lives had we endured such a short haircut.

Ellen arrived back shortly after and inspected the pair of us like we were on parade, she said to her brothers, we will be back in two weeks time. We looked at each other and couldn't believe what we just heard. Not yet a step Mother, but already taking over the running of the entire family, we just didn't expect this. We left the barber shop feeling totally humiliated by what had just happened to us both, the next stop was the Chemist shop along the road, we followed Ellen into the shop, she made a direct walk to the men's area, she picked up two bags of razors, two tins of shaving foam and two tins of hair wax, she passed them to us both and said, now you can shave every morning and wax your hair, I don't want to see you looking unkempt again, is that understood ? We both muttered under our breath, she said again in a louder voice, " is that clear " ? We both answered, yes Ellen then she said, your back to the barbers in two weeks so that mop you both had won't get a chance to get long again, yes Ellen we both said.

Back home we chatted in our room, how the hell can this woman take over the running of our life for God sake, we are eighteen and twenty, we shouldn't be told to get a haircut at our age and certainly not told to shave every day. We need to talk to Dad when he gets in from work. Ellen called us down and said, don't you two think your laying about all holidays doing nothing, you can both get out to the garden and cut the grass and wash the patio down ready for our barbecue tonight.
We looked at each other and just got on with the job in hand, I looked at Mark and said, something else to talk to Dad about. Jamie said, we look absolutely rediculous with short hair, the next thing will be what we wear, Dad arrived home and we saw him talking to Ellen, the he came out to the garden, wow boys! What made you decide to cut your hair so short, we looked at him and said, it wasn't our choice, Ellen took control and said she had talked to you about us looking so untidy, now she has arranged a haircut every two weeks and we are to shave every day too. Oh, perhaps best to do as she says to keep the peace boys, is that what you want Dad ? He said, look, I have been alone for so long now, it's nice to be back with someone again and she makes me feel good.

Ok Dad, we will make an effort for you, but you have to try and talk to her and get her to understand that we are not young kids anymore and that she needs to back off a bit, ok boys, I will try, but she is very strong willed.

---