I scoffed by Domko

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Many years have passed since, as a 14-year-old boy, I had long hair that was my pride and the envy of many girls. My parents were in favor of my modern hairstyle. I used to go to a modern unisex salon 3-4 times a year for a small haircut. My hair was about 12 inches long in the back, I could put my bangs in my mouth. It was 1975 and having long hair was a trendy hairstyle for boys. In the class, most of the boys had hair that at least covered their ears and reached over the collar of their shirts, but we had 4 boys who had conservative parents and went to an old-fashioned barber shop. Most often, James Nelson was seen with this haircut. After each haircut, the other boys laughed at him. I was very happy to laugh at him for several days in a row.
Once after his haircut, when I was having fun with his new short haircut, he did something I didn't expect. I felt someone grab my hair from my back, I heard click, click, click. When I turned around James Nelson was holding many of my long hairs in his hand. The boys found it funny. I didn't see how much hair he cut off.
At home, I found that a piece of exposed scalp was visible. I didn't hesitate and told my father about it. He went with me to James Nelson's father. He said I would have to go to the barber to get my hair done and James would pay for it from his savings. James started to defend himself that I make fun of him the most after his haircut, that's why he wanted to punish me.
Finally me and James Nelson and the fathers went to the old fashioned Watkins Barbershop where James used to go regularly. We sat on the waiting chairs and I was very nervous, I didn't know how the barber would fix it. A barber was cutting several old men when another said. That's when my father warned me that it was my turn. I got up and walked slowly to the barber to sit in his chair. James father was already there and he told the barber what happened and asked him to fix my hair so that the cut part of the hair could not be seen. The barber put my hair in a rubber band at the back, and then cut it off. He asked my father if he should leave them for me as a souvenir. Then he lifted my hair and started cutting it. After a few minutes I saw my ears without hair. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I didn't want to cry in front of James, so that he wouldn't tell about it later at school. The barber took an electric hair clipper in his hand, bent my head forward and put it on my neck and started to cut my hair from the neck to the top of my head. When he bent my head to one side, he bent my ear and cut the hair above my ear and then above the other. Then he called his father. He bent my head forward, I felt his fingers on my head. He told my father that the place where James cut my hair was too high and it would be better if he cut it all in the back. The father told him to do what he saw fit. The barber pushed my head forward again and cut the remaining hair on the back of my head. He bent my head to the side and cut all the hair on the side of my head, then on the other side as well. When I straightened up I saw James laughing at my new hairstyle. Holi changed the blades on the clipper, tilted my head back, I could feel the metal teeth on my forehead. After starting the clipper, the barber cut the hair on top of my head. When I had a chance to straighten up I could only see 3/8 inch long hair on the top of my head. The barber removed the sheet I was wrapped in and dusted my long hair from it. I wanted to jump off his chair but his hand grabbed my shoulder and pushed me back into the chair. We're not done yet, boy, said the barber, wrapping me in the sheet again. The barber applied white foam to the sides and back of the head, he had a thick leather belt hanging on the side of the chair, on which he sharpened an ancient razor and gradually began to scrape off the foam. Later, he wiped off the rest of the foam with a towel, made small adjustments. He applied some liquid to my hair and combed the hair on top of my head. After freeing myself from the sheet, I rubbed the back of my head, but I could only feel a clean shaven head.
I saw in the mirror that James was laughing at my new short haircut. I don't remember anyone in the class not having such a shaved head with short hair on the top of the head. James got up from the waiting chair saying that he would pay for my new haircut. But his father stopped him and ordered him to sit in the barber's chair. James started to protest that the last time he went to the barber was on Saturday, but his father said that he would get the same haircut as me.
After arriving home, my father asked me if it was true that I had laughed at James Nelson when he came to school with a haircut. With my head bowed and my voice low, I admitted that it was true and promised my father that it would never happen again. My father accepted it completely cool and remarked that he believed that I would no longer laugh at boys with haircuts. I was glad that my father didn't beat me with a belt or give me some other punishment.
At school, I experienced ridicule from my classmates for the first time.

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