A HAIRCUT LIKE DAVE'S. by M G

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When i was a young boy i lived on a council estate with my parents, now in those days the haircut of the day for young lads was a short back and sides. A few doors up from me lived a mate of mine Dave Fox, who lived with his mother Stella and his older teenage sister Susan. Now on the hair cut front Dave was a bit of a one off due to the fact that he, presumably at his mothers behest sported a brutally close crew cut. Now a lot of kids playfully poked fun at Dave's haircut but i actually liked it, so much so that just prior to the autumn school holidays i asked my mother if i could have a crew cut the next time we went to the barbers. My mother refused outright because in her opinion it was too severe a haircut. Anyway i constantly persisted and eventually she reluctantly agreed, unbeknown to me she had spoken to Dave's mum who had agreed that i could go with her and Dave the next time he had a haircut. So imagine my surprise when one morning during the school holidays my mother told me that i could go to the barbers with Dave and his mother that afternoon. Just after dinnertime Stella and Dave were at my door. Stella heavily made up and overdressed as usual in her knee length faux leopard skin coat with tight fitting black pencil skirt and high heels, Dave as usual in his tired looking red anorak. I donned my coat, my mother gave me my haircut money and the three of us set off for the barbers.Now Dave went to the barbers over the railway footbridge whereas i frequented the one near my junior school. After about a ten minute walk we reached the barbers that was situated within a parade of shops. A red and white striped electric globe rotated slowly above the door,the frosted window giving no insight to the shops interior.

Stella ushered us both through the door into what i thought was a relatively small shop and told us to remove our coats. Much to my surprise sat in the solitary black leather barbers chair was a woman flicking through a magazine smoking a curious looking black cigarette with a gold tip, which gave off a strange aroma . Now this was a first for me a lady barber,i had only ever had my haircut by two old blokes Ken or Jack at the barbers near my school. Stella and the barber who from the exchanged cordial pleasantries i deduced was called June, rose slowly from the chair and invited Dave to sit down, whilst Stella and i sat on the wooden bench customer seating. I watched her as she slowly pumped up the chair with her foot causing it to rise, she then tied a long black plastic cape around Dave's neck. Now this lady looked older than Stella or my mother, thinking back now she was probably about fifty or so, she wore her black hair,possibly dyed in a short neat bobbed style and wore large black rimmed spectacles. More predictably she wore a knee length well fitted white barbers jacket black trousers and sensible black leather flat shoes. Now Stella didn't give the barber any instructions whatsoever but probably with prior knowledge she switched on her electric clippers and started to shave Dave's hair from nape to crown and then both sides of his head, this left Dave with a short tuft on the top of his head, the barber then attached an attachment to the clippers that i had never seen before,sensing my puzzlement Stella told me that his hair would be now cut to a length of a quarter of an inch on top ,i watched in silence as Dave's hair disappeared and slowly with it my confidence ebbed away. I realised i didn't want my hair like Dave's after all !! Moments later it was too late the barber had now released Dave from the chair and called me over. I nervously sat down and the barber caped me up, granted with a gentler touch than Ken or Jack !! and said,
"AND WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR YOU TODAY YOUNG MAN"
I couldn't speak and was now frozen with fear all i heard from behind me was Stella's voice,
" COULD YOU DO IT LIKE DAVE'S PLEASE JUNE,HIS MOTHER SAYS IT'S OK"
June smiled and I again watched her place the attachment on the clippers before she switched them on and slowly glided them through my hair, forehead to crown,i watched in utter despair as my chestnut brown hair on the top of my head cascaded onto the cape, i heard Dave laughing behind me,this was only curtailed when his mother loudly berated him for laughing. Having shaved my hair on top to a quarter of an inch in length she removed the attachment and took it as high as Dave's at the back and sides,having done that she used a comb and her clippers to blend it in,finishing the job with a razored neck shave and some talc. I looked in the mirror,all my hair had gone and worst still my ears appeared to stick out more giving me a comical appearance. My haircut certainly had Stella's approval so i was released from the chair, i rubbed my hand constantly over my head but felt nothing but bristles. We paid our monies and after putting on our coats Stella said,
"NOW WHAT DO YOU BOTH SAY TO JUNE BOYS."
Dave thanked her and i quickly followed suit, not really meaning it !! June responded with,
" YOUR MORE THAN WELCOME BOYS,HOPE TO SEE YOU BOTH AGAIN SOON."

With that we all left the shop, Dave seemed fine with his haircut but i felt really self conscious with my cropped hairstyle, more so when Stella popped into a shop to get some cigarettes and two boys on bikes rode past making fun of our haircuts,which didn't seem to bother Dave at all. It seemed to take an eternity to get home and i felt that everybody we passed was staring at us !! When we got to my house we parted company and i went inside. Upon seeing me my mother surprisingly enthused about my new haircut, even suggesting that i should keep it like that !!

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