Uncle Charles Part II: Head Shave by elliottrainbow

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I had been staying with Uncle Charles for about a month. The days flew by quickly for Monday through Saturday we were up at 6:00 a.m. to begin the day. There was always something to do on the farm, whether it was milking cows, hauling hay, repairing equipment or general chores. We worked until about 5:00 p.m. each day except Saturday. We stopped about 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and went in to each take a quick shower. On the way out the door we would go into the small room Uncle Charles called the study. By the third or fourth week there was no talking before the paddling began. I simply took the paddle from where it was hanging on the wall and handed it to Uncle Charles. I would then drop my khakis (Uncle Charles had forbidden me to wear blue jeans except when working) and grab the edge of the desk. He would grab my arm to keep me steady and begin. He would then give twenty-five to fifty licks, depending on his mood. I would do the count and if I messed up in any way he started over. After he placed the paddle back on the wall I would call out, "Sir, thank you for giving me discipline, Sir." Then we would head to the local barbershop Uncle Charles went to. The barber's name was Mr. Smith. He was around forty, a big broad-shouldered man who looked more like a police officer than a barber. He wore a fairly short flattop and he and my uncle were good friends. They often talked about the problem with teenagers (especially boys) was that they didn't have enough discipline. Mr. Smith (his first name was Jack but my uncle had instructed me to address him as Sir and added that if he ever caught me calling Mr. Smith by his first name I'd really get a taste of the paddle) would often tell me I was lucky to be spending the summer with my uncle and I should appreciate the hard work, discipline and weekly haircuts he was providing. I always answered with a sharp, "Yes, Sir."
On the fourth visit to Mr. Smith's barbershop I could tell my uncle was in a bad mood. He had barked at me about my work a few times and once even looked at me and said, "You're pissing me off, son." I got the full fifty licks that day and when we entered the barbershop (Mr. Smith was alone) he took my arm and led me to the barber chair. I sat down and immediately felt the results of the paddle. Mr. Smith told Uncle Charles we were his last customers of the day as he felt like closing early. Uncle Charles sat down in the chair directly across from the barber chair. Mr. Smith had allergies and didn't allow smoking in his shop but like my uncle he was seldom without a chew in his mouth. While my uncle preferred Red Man, Mr. Smith chewed Levi Garrett. Each week at the barbershop my uncle would tell me to open my mouth and then he would place a large chew of Red Man in there. He would then hand me a cup with tissue in it and his instructions were always the same, "Spit as often as you need to but you better not let me catch you spitting that wad out of your mouth until I tell you to." Today, however, was a bit different. Uncle Charles reached in his back pocket as soon as I was in the chair. "Dang it, I'm nearly out of Red Man, only enough left for one big chew and that's mine." Mr. Smith handed my uncle his pack of Levi Garrett and said, "No problem, Charles, give him a chew of this. I bet he'll like the taste of Levi Garrett." My uncle grunted and said, "With the mood I'm in today, he will if he knows what's good for him." I opened my mouth and he put a huge wad of Levi Garrett in there. He handed me the cup and gave me the usual instructions. As Mr. Smith was putting the paper strip and cape around me my uncle sat down and let out a sigh. "Jack, I'm concerned that my progress teaching my nephew discipline isn't moving forward as quickly as it should. He's working right beside me all day on the farm, he does his chores and he even takes his disciplined with the paddle without complaint. I think he even looks forward to his weekly high and tight Recon each Saturday. I'm just not sure what it is." Mr. Smith thought for a moment and said, "Charles, you and I were both in the Marine Corps. Do you remember what the DIs would say when the platoon messed up? Not that we had failed him, but that he had failed us by not giving us enough discipline." My uncle smiled and said, "Jack, that's it. He simply needs more discipline. What do you suggest?" Mr. Smith ran his hand over the short hair on the top of my head and said with a twinkle in his eyes, "Well, Charles, I suggest we start right here. I think the first step in really teaching a teenage boy discipline is to keep his head shaved. Make him earn the high and tight Recon." My uncle smiled and said, "Jack, I couldn't agree more. Go to work." Mr. Smith said, "My pleasure." He then took the edger he normally used to tighten up the sides and shaved my head. He went over my head several times making sure everything was as close as possible. After he finished he brushed off my head and said, "Charles, if it's okay with you, let's skip the lather and razor this time. Oh, we can do it later on if you wish but I like this look on him. He looks just like you and I did when we got out of the barber chair in boot camp." My uncle said, "That's a great idea, Jack, let's do that. What do you tell your barber, nephew?" I answered crisply, "Thank you for shaving my head, Mr. Smith. I appreciate the discipline." He answered, "Again, it was my pleasure, son." I got out of the chair and sat down in the chair my uncle had just exited. I was instructed the first time we went to Mr. Smith's barbershop that while my uncle was getting his high and tight that I was to sit in the chair across from the barber chair and not move a muscle. No walking around, no reading magazines... just sit and look straight ahead as my uncle got his high and tight.
As we were about to leave Mr. Smith said, "Charles, I know you and I got our heads shaved once a week in boot camp but I think this boy would do better if you made him get it shaved twice per week. How about you pay for the one on Saturday and he does an hour of work for me at 5:00 p.m on Tuesdays, I'll shave his head and we'll call it even." My uncle thought for a few seconds and said, "It's a deal. I'll have him here each Tuesday at closing time to help you around the shop then you can shave his head."
As we drove home my uncle explained that a new system of discipline was starting right then. I would now be getting up at 5:00 a.m. for an hour of exercise before we began the farm work. I would also be wearing his old fatigue pants and tshirts when exercising. He would also now be making my plate at each meal and I would eat what was placed in front of me with no backtalk. Any infraction whatsoever would get me ten licks with the paddle. He asked, "Understood, recruit?" I answered firmly, "Sir, affirmative, Sir." This summer was getting better every week.

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