TWO-WEEK GALLEYS by Gottlieb

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Sorry, but English is not my native language. The English text of this true story is the result of the work of a translator.

TWO-WEEK GALLEYS

After completing my driving training, I was looking forward to taking my newly acquired driving license somewhere further than my home area. The first major opportunity came when my aunt asked me to come and help her with her extensive garden and house for two weeks. My aunt was an old-fashioned lady, famous for her neatness, diligence and perseverance - whatever she set her mind to, had to be done. After my uncle died, she had managed everything in the house herself. I didn't really want to, I couldn't refuse her help, and besides, it was an opportunity for my first, completely independent long car trip.

At that time, I wore my hair relatively short, something between five to six centimeters in the front, and I combed it back with a comb. This created a central parting above my forehead and side partings above my eyes, smoothly transitioning to the sides, where the length of my hair gradually shortened considerably. However, my hair was still quite short around my ears and on the back of my neck, because I was only halfway through the four-week haircut cycle that I followed regularly. My hair looked neat, that's what I was counting on. The new thing was the sideburns made of beards, which I let grow to about two-thirds of my ears. I felt that the sideburns slightly visually reduced my ears, which I considered large.

Before leaving, I packed my work overalls and shoes, as well as my home clothes and slippers. I carefully shaved the fine youthful beard under my nose. I knew that my aunt wouldn't be thrilled with my favorite tricks, so I put on a white shirt and black canvas pants instead of jeans. And since spring was beginning outside, I also wore a black sweater, which created a nice contrast with the white collar of my shirt. Looking in the mirror, I liked myself, I felt like a perfect young man.

The car journey went well, I drove pleasantly. When we arrived at my aunt's, we greeted each other and my aunt complimented me on how tastefully I dressed. But she frowned at my sideburns and asked who suggested them? And why did I let them grow? I politely replied that I liked them and preferred not to discuss it further. We moved on to the list of tasks that I had to do. Looking at the two densely written sheets of paper, I almost fainted. There were a lot of tasks. But I thought that if I did something every day, everything would be done in two weeks. The next morning, after breakfast, I started completing the tasks on the list. I worked without rest - only with a break for a light lunch. In the evening I took a shower, washed my hair and dressed in home clothes. I came to the rich dinner with my hair still wet, combed back. I felt good, but my aunt didn't like the curtains over my eyes that were gradually forming as my hair dried, as well as the side whiskers by my ears. But after that she didn't say anything, she was happy that I was working diligently in the garden and around the house.

The work gradually continued at a steady pace and before I knew it, the second week of galley work, as I called my work at my aunt's, had begun. Fortunately, the soil in the flower beds was not frozen, so I was digging quite well. Only one thing was starting to make my work unpleasant - and that was the side curtains, which were slowly but surely starting to fall into my eyes. But I told myself that I could handle it and that I would get a haircut right after I got home. Very short, just the way I like it and how it suits me best. The last day of the galleys approached and the list no longer contained any tasks. However, one task still awaited me: to go shopping with my aunt. That was a pleasant thing compared to working in the garden and around the house. The shopping went smoothly and after that we set off on our way back. While she was there, my aunt asked me to turn around and take her to her boyfriend for a short visit. She said that she was expecting us and that I would be pleasantly surprised...

Upon arriving at the house, an older man with very short, graying hair and a trimmed mustache was indeed waiting for us. At first glance, he was a gentleman, with a pleasant but quite energetic and assertive demeanor. He seemed like a former soldier to me, but out of politeness, I didn't want to be curious. In the pleasantly warm apartment, we took off our sweaters and I stayed in my white shirt. The gentleman turned to my aunt and told her that after a long time she had finally seen a decently dressed young man. My aunt agreed that she was glad that I hadn't come in a T-shirt and jeans, which she didn't like. The only thing she would change, and therefore planned and arranged a visit, were my sideburns above my forehead and sideburns by my ears! I couldn't believe what I had just heard. I politely replied that I was going to the barber next week to get it fixed. However, the gentleman said that since I was already at his place, he would be very happy to take care of it! Auntie also said that I should do it right away and not put it off!

The gentleman took me by the shoulders in a friendly manner and led me to a large study, where he had a corner section equipped as a barbershop. At first glance, my attention was caught by large mirrors, allowing views not only from the front but also from the sides. Combs, scissors and other barbering supplies were neatly arranged in front of the front mirror. I learned that Auntie's boyfriend had worked as a barber in the army all his life and therefore had enough experience to help me. I resisted a little on the outside, not wanting to bother him, but rather just formally. In reality, I was starting to look forward to a thorough and very short haircut from a former military professional! I therefore sat down in the chair and heard my aunt's voice behind me demanding that I not only get a short haircut, but also lose the sideburns above my face - and especially those ugly sideburns that bordered my ears. Then I heard the gentleman reply that her wish would be fulfilled to my complete satisfaction and his work on my new hairstyle began.

To my surprise, however, the former military barber did not use an electric clipper, the buzzing sound of which I knew intimately. Instead, he began to cut the hair above my forehead with scissors, over his fingers. He inserted his fingers into my hair and quickly cut off all the hair that protruded above the height of his fingers with sharp scissors. Click, click, click, no buzz, really no buzz, click, click, click. After a few moments, there was nothing left of my sideburns, which until now, in my opinion, had adorned my forehead. I estimated that I had about one and a half centimeters of short hair left above my forehead. From the middle of my head towards the back to the crown, the barber no longer used his fingers, but a thin comb. The hair was thus shortened even further towards the back, by an estimated one centimeter, maybe even less.

To my surprise and delight, the next job was done by a carefully oiled manual clipper. First, he created a completely bald strip about a centimeter long around the circumference of my head, roughly at the level of my eyebrows. From there, he skillfully cut all the hair upwards using a manual clipper over the comb, very short, so that it smoothly connected to the already cut hair on the top of my head. The hair under the one centimeter long, shaved strip of white skin remained as it was, but not for long! After completing the smooth transition between the sides and the top of my head, the gentleman prepared a thick foam in a bowl, which he spread with a brush over the parts of my head where I had uncut hair. Then he sharpened his razor and, with his learned strokes, shaved everything under the centimeter-long shaved strip completely to the skin. He also got rid of my sideburns, so my ears stood out again, without making them look smaller. The result was a very short haircut - no one had ever cut my hair with a similar technique before. My aunt really liked the haircut. She told me that I looked exactly how I should look and that this very short haircut would go well with the clothes I was wearing. Looking at the large areas of white, clean-shaven skin above my ears and on the back of my neck, which really matched my white shirt, I was happy to agree with her. I thanked the gentleman for the perfect job and my aunt for arranging this visit, during which I had an unusually short haircut. I didn't have to go to my barber at home the following week.

He ran his hand through my short hair, which left even the areas on my head clean-shaven. No hairdresser has ever made my skin so soft by shaving. I was thrilled, satisfied, and very excited. What's more, my bulge, caused by tension in my crotch, was not very visible. I thanked him gratefully once more, said goodbye, and set off on the return journey to my aunt's house. Before showering, I looked at myself carefully in the mirror for a long time. I was once again convinced that a real professional had cut my hair very, very short! A gentleman and a former military professional. The galleys paid off for me!

Have you also experienced a very short haircut, done differently than you are used to? I look forward to your experience!

Write to me here, or at haircut@centrum.cz.
I look forward to it and thank you.

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