A new barber in an old barbershop. by Vykonavatela

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My name is Michael and I was 13 years old in 1974. My father was 45 years old and strict and conservative. He was an advocate of short hairstyles for men and boys. Mother had an understanding for long hair in boys. When I was a little boy, I went with my father every month to the nearby Wilson barbershop, where I always got a short haircut. The barber was already old and when he was over 65 years old he retired and the barber shop was closed for several years.
Since I was 9 years old, I used to go with my mother to a modern UNISEX barber shop to get my beautiful thick black hair done, which I was very proud of.
After four years, I saw workers working in the former Wilson barbershop, and a few days later there was a sign over the door: Sergeant Simson's Barbershop.
It was Friday and uncle Justín brought his 10-year-old son Liam, who will be with us for the next 10 days. The uncle told the father that he didn't have time to get his son Liam's hair cut, so if it wouldn't be a problem for the father, he could go to the barber. Father replied that a new barbershop opened nearby today, so in the morning father will give him a haircut. I looked at Liam, he had brown hair that covered his ears and reached over the collar of his shirt. He had about 10 centimeters of hair on the top of his head, which covered his forehead. My hair was much longer.
The next day, at breakfast, father said: Boys, we will go to the barber now. Surprised, I asked if I was going to get a haircut too. Father replied: yes you too Michael.
After 5 minutes of walking, we stopped at Sergeant Simson's barber shop. A barber was cutting an old man's hair. Mr. Simson told father to sit in the waiting chairs and he would attend to us in a moment. The barber was about 35 years old with a very short military haircut. The freshly painted walls of the barbershop were light green. The waiting chairs were wooden, in front of which was a small table with magazines.
After the old man left, Mr. Simson said to his father. I would need two more photos of decent boys' haircuts for the barber shop wall art. If I can cut the boys as needed, I will cut the boys today for free. Father agreed and Liam was the first to sit in the barber's chair.
The barber wrapped Liam in a green sheet. After combing his hair, he tilted his head and began removing the hair from the right side of his head with an electric clipper. I saw his ear without hair. Mr. Simson worked quickly and precisely. After he finished cutting Liam's hair, I realized that I had a similar haircut back at Wilson barbershop. He had about 4 centimeters of hair on the top of his head, combed to the side. Around his ears he had about 3 centimeters of white arches and on the back of his head he had a shaven nape of about 8 centimeters above the collar.
I could see tears in Liam's eyes as he jumped off the barber's chair. He ran his hands through his hair at the back of his head.
My father sent me to sit in the barber's chair. I sat down proudly, because my haircut will not be as short as Liam's, after all, I am 3 years older.
Mr. Simson, he wrapped me in a sheet. He complimented my thick black hair as he combed my hair. He took the electric clipper off the hook. He tilted my head. He put a clipper on my forehead. The barber turned on the machine, started cutting hair, I could feel his trembling on the top of my head. The barber turned my head and continued to cut my hair. When I had my head in a deep bow, I could see about all of my 20 centimeters of hair in my lap on the sheet and on the ground. When the barber turned off the clipper and I had a chance to see myself in the mirror, my throat tightened. I only had 6 millimeters of hair on my entire head. The barber replaced his electric clipper with very fine teeth and started cutting my short stubble first on the right side of my head, then on the back of my head, and finished on the left side of my head. He brushed the remains of my shorn hair from the sheet around my neck and shoulders. He moistened my head on the sides and the back of my head. He applied white soap on my head with a brush, which he gradually scraped off. He wiped off the rest of the foam and applied the liquid to his head. When he finished my hairstyle, he praised the beautiful contrast of the white skin on the head and the black hair on the top of the head. I was afraid to touch my shaved head.
Mr. Sergeant gradually put us sideways to the wall and took photos. After he finished taking pictures, he suggested to the father that he would make the boy a runway and in the future, if he brings us both for haircuts, he would only pay for one haircut. Father liked the proposal. I expected the barber to call Liam into the chair, but I was wrong. He pointed at me and said, Boy, sit here for a moment. He wrapped me in a sheet again, took a clipper with fine teeth and told me to sit still. He placed the clipper in the middle of my crown about 4 centimeters from my forehead and cut my hair towards the nape of my neck. He rubbed soap on my 3-centimeter cut strip, which he then shaved. He smeared the liquid on my head again. I bent my head forward and in the mirror I saw the top of my head on which there was a horseshoe of short 6 millimeter hair.
Before leaving the barbershop, Sergeant Simson told father that he would like to see us at the barbershop in 2-3 weeks. He warned his father that he would be closed every Saturday after 12 o'clock, because he would be cutting soldiers from the nearby garrison.
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It was my shortest haircut since I was 13 years old. I had to endure a lot of ridicule at school. Little did some of the boys know that they too would return to the former Wilson barber shop to be cut by Sergeant Simson. Many parents liked not only their sons' short hair, but also the low price for a haircut.
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I was glad that Liam lives at the other end of town and I won't be going to Sergeant Simson's barber shop with him anymore. I also believed that my mother would stand up for me and when my hair grew back I would go with her to the modern UNISEX barbershop.

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