Peter - Half Term Haircut by buzztob

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Peter - Half Term Haircut
by
buzztob


Going back to school on the Monday after the wedding haircut was awful. There were a lot of snide comments and people laughing at me. It was a really tough. At lunchtime, I was sitting by myself when one of my classmates, Simon, approached me and said that he really liked my haircut and that it made me look grown up. It would be a haircut that his father would really like. I just smiled and said that it was not my choice, my grandfather had taken me to a friend of his and I ended up with this. He asked me if I would be getting it cut like that again and I said not if I can help it. We both just laughed. I told him that my father had said that I would be going to get my haircut with grandfather again before we left for a holiday at half term. Simon said that he would be getting his haircut then as well and could he come with me. I just said whatever, not really thinking about it. Things eased off at school by the end of the week and I started to think of the holiday in a few weeks’ time.
It was the last Thursday before we broke up, and at lunchtime Simon approached me and asked if I was still getting a haircut after school on Friday. I told him yes, dad had arranged everything with my grandfather so I had little choice. He asked if he could go with me, I told him I would speak to my grandfather and let him know tomorrow. That night I phoned grandfather and asked him if Simon could go with us and asked if we were going to the same place. He said yes to both questions. The next day I saw Simon and told him it was ok and we would meet my grandfather at the gate after school. The bell went for the end of the day and everyone was talking about plans for the break. On reaching the gate, grandfather was waiting. I introduced him to Simon and we walked to the car. On the journey into town, grandfather asked Simon if he knew what haircut he was going to get, to which he replied that he wanted the same as I got last time. Grandfather smiled and said to me that I must be setting a trend at school. We arrived in town, parked the car and proceeded to walk to the shop. Grandfather opened the door to the sound of the tinkling bell. Both barbers had customers but looked up and greeted grandfather, Mr Smith looked at me, smiled and said "welcome back young Peter, is this a new customer you have brought me?" I replied that it was. We made our way to the row of waiting chairs. There were two lads already sitting there, I didn’t recognise either of them and they didn’t have a school uniform on. I sat next to Simon and asked rather quietly, if he was sure about his haircut. He said yes and was looking forward to it. He asked me about the barbers, I explained that Mr Jones on the right, seemed to leave the hair longer when he cut it whereas Mr Smith, the one I had, takes great pleasure in using the clippers and removes everything in their path. He said that he would go with Mr Smith to make sure that he got the same cut as me. It was then I heard the two barbers finishing off their current clients. Mr Smith was the first to return to his chair, he looked directly at me and asked "who was going first?" I was about to say that the other two lads were before me but Mr Jones returned to his chair and asked the boys who was going first as their dad had booked appointments for both of them with him. That took the wind out of my sail a bit, but quickly turned to Simon and said that he should go first. Simon got up, made his way to the chair. He introduced himself to Mr Smith and sat in the chair. He was caped and the chair pumped up. Mr Smith was just about to ask my grandfather what cut to give him when Simon announced that he wanted a haircut the same as I had been given. Mr Smith asked if he was sure, did he want the parting cut in and the hair cut right up to the line? Simon said exactly the same. Mr Smith went through the same routine he did with me except Simon was facing forward able to see himself in the mirror. The smaller clippers cut the line in his hair, the other clippers removed the hair up to the line and around the back and other side. The hair was sprayed, combed through and the scissor work began. I looked across at the other chair to see the lad getting a regular haircut, how I envied him. Turning back to Simon, the other funny scissors were being used to thin the top of his hair down. Satisfied with the result, Mr Smith dried the hair off, placed a small amount of water around the ears and neck, and using the razor sharpened the area up. He then proceeded to shave the parting in his hair. Gel was applied, combed in, wiped down, shown the back of his head in a mirror and asked if that was ok. Simon had a smile on his face and said it was great and his father would love it. My turn.
I walked up to the chair, Mr Smith smiled and said nice to see me back; like I had a choice. He placed the paper strip around, secured the cape, pumped the chair up and again turned me towards my grandfather. He combed my hair out then said to my grandfather are we still going for the number 3 special. My grandfather confirmed that my dad wanted it cut that way for the holiday. Mr Smith replied that he really liked giving this haircut, reminding him of their army days. I had no idea what they were talking about and thought I just wanted to get this over.
The small clippers were switched on, I again slipped into the holding of my breath, not wanting to move, the clippers touched the front of my head and proceeded to move along the side of my head like last time carving out the parting. Hold on, the clippers didn’t stop, the carried on around the back of my head and progressed to the other side of my head. The small clippers started to strip my hair off below the line all the way around my head. I looked across to Simon and saw he was just staring at me with his mouth open. Mr Smith kept going over the sides and back of my head. Satisfied, he dusted my head down, picked up the other clippers, put a small guard on them, placed them at the front of my head and pushed them backwards. He repeated the process over the rest of my head. When he finished, he brushed me down and turned to my grandfather and asked if he wanted the back and sides cleaned up. My grandfather said that he thought it would finish the cut off nicely. Mr Smith then proceeded to place lather all around the side and back of my head. He changed the blade in the razor and then started to remove all of the lather right up the sides and back of my head. He then wiped my head down, applied some gel and removed the cape. It was only then when I was stepping out of the chair that I saw what he had done. All I had left was a small amount of hair on the top of my head in the shape of an O. Simon rushed up saying that it was awesome, why had I not told him what I was getting. I thought, I didn’t know what I was going to get. He asked if he could touch my head, without waiting for a reply, he reached up and ran his hand over the back of my head. He said it felt amazing and he really loved it. Mr Smith asked if he wanted his done the same. Inwardly I was hoping that he would say yes so that I was not the only one looking like this, but he said that he would need to ask his father before he got such a radical cut. We all walked over to the cash register, grandfather paid for mine and Simon paid for his. On the ride home, Simon asked when I would be going back to have my hair cut and could he come. I replied I didn’t know but felt sure it would not be long.

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