NEXT, A bullies just rewards by Barbershop memmories

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I really enjoyed being on the barbering
course at colledge
It was only 4 days mon to thurs
I worked fridays and saturdays full time
plus every second sunday in Hanks
barbershop.
I had been doing this for three and a
alf months now without missing a single
day, i loved my job.

As well as Hanks chair, ther was now a
second chair in the shop,, My chair,

The price list board on the wall
above the mirror was the type that had
letters and numbers pressed into the
grouves now featured me on it. " All haircuts by apprentice Chris half price".

I was now doing all types and styles of
haircuts and not just boys , i had quite a number of custormers from pensioners to
twenty plus years of age some of which
would even ask for me, this did wonders
for my confidence,, as i was sure not
all of them just wanted the fifty percent
discount.

Their was still the sunday club as Hank
now called it, which was origionally just
for the Sea cadets and their simple, free
crew cuts with the cIippers or buzzcuts
as Hank called them which now started at
10 am instead of 12 noon, due to its
popularity and increase in numbers and
now included the members of the Army
cadets, the local scout group and even a
few individual boys who's busy parents
had heard about the sunday opening.

All boys haircuts on sundays where now
50p and not free anymore and both Hank
and i were kept pretty busy all day.

Sundays where by far my favorite as it
was all boys and 90% of the haircuts
where simple basic short clipper type
crew cuts which made it almost impossible
to make a mistake
I always felt at ease and confident on
sundays never anxious or nervous.

Anghst and nerves were things i often felt on thursdays, fridays and saturdays espescially when cutting the hair of someone older than me.
I was far less confident in my manner and in the way i spoke to them it made me very conscious of just how young
i was.

I was completely different when the
person in my chair was younger than me, i
felt confident and grown up, and had a
much more proffesional manner about me.

There was a family that lived in my steet
right opposite my house.

The Kelly family,

They had a daughter, Elizabeth who was
about the same age as me who i fancied
rotten and a son called Christopher the
same a me who was about eleven,

The Kelly's where a really nice family,
always friendly
They were all members of the salvation
army ,
A lot of kids went to sunday school in
the seventies and i was no exception i
always liked sunday school as a kid
everyone was so nice and friendly.

I still went to play table tennis at the youth club the church ran and even attended the 11 oclock church meeting on the sundays i didn't work, mainly so i could see and get a chance to talk to Elizabeth.
Non of my friends knew about this as going to church was frowned upon.

On this particular sunday the meeting had finished and i was sat talking to Lizzy and her younger brother Christopher.

Do you have to have your hair really short like that cos you work in a Barbers shop, he asked.

No,,, i can have whatever i want, i just like it short like this,. Why don't you like it, i said to him laughing.

I love it, it really suits you Elizabeth said,, i felt myself blush a little,.

Christpher doesn't like his short back and sides haircuts, he always kicks up such a fuss when mum takes him to the Barbers, he wants it longer to be just like all the other's in his school.

It's not that,,,. I just don't like the barber she takes me to,, he's not very nice, and ther's one boy at school who always makes fun of me, he's always teasing me about how short my hair is.

Where does she take you i asked.

Hamiltons,, he's really rough with me when he grips my head and pushes it right down,, i know i shouldn't say it but i really don't like him and i'm due a haicut again soon.

Hello Christopher, is he complaining about his hair again,, he knows we like it kept short and smart,

Oh my word what a fine respectable looking young man you're turning into it's lovely to see you, and i hear you're working now.

Hello miss Kelly, thankyou, yes i'm an apprentice at Hanks Barbershop just up the road.

Oh my, their's a coinsidence, Maybe you could do christopher?

No problem, we open every other sunday that's why i'm not here every week,, you could bring him next sunday after the meeting its only a 2 minuet walk and for you it will be on the house, how's that.

Well how could i refuse, thankyou Christopher.

Can i come along too Mum and watch Christopher in action, asked Elizabeth, yes i don't see why not,, i get the feeling Christopher would like that, miss Kelly looked at me with a smile and a wink,, i was lost for words, that was something that hardly ever happened to me, i felt myself going a little red in the face so i just smiled back at her and nodded.

Their's a few people i need to speak to, if you want to wait here and keep Elizabeth and Christoper company we'll give you a lift home.

Oh great thankyou missis Kelly.

As she walked away i turned and looked at Lizzy's brother, who, after hearing the whole conversation was now looking a little sheepish, almost nervous.

Are you very good at cutting hair he asked,
Don't look so worried,, i'm really good beleive me, and i'm nothing like old man Hamilton, i said to him with a smile.

Chistopher was a great kid i'd watched him grow up and really liked him.

Doesn't your hair being so short bother you at all, i remember when it used to be quite long didn't anyone at school tease you.

They can only tease you if they think it bothers you and they're getting to you.

You've always had short hair, i think you really suit it short, do you really hate it that much,
No i don't hate it, i don't even mind the way i look, i just don't like all the teasing that's all.
Do they all tease you about your short hair.
No like i said just one boy mainly, i just don't know why he picks on me so much, i've never done anything to him, it's not just my short hair he pick on either,

What else?

Oh it's ok it doesn't matter really.

Come on tell me, you know you can trust me.

He tells his mates how he sees me walking to church on sunday mornings with my Mum and Dad and how stupid i look in my Salvation Army junior soldier uniform, he calls me tie boy and they all laugh.

While we where talking i was aware that Elizabeth sat next to me was listening and smiling, she got on really well with her younger brother and apreciated my support and conscern for him,

Ahh,, said Elizabeth,, so thats why you always want to come here in the car instead of walking,, try not to let it bother you so much,, look,, i'm in my uniform, it doesn't bother me, i like looking smart,

I don't look stupid do i,,.

She turned and looked at me.

Err err, no, i love it, i think you look great,, well, err what i mean is, i think you look fine,, really smart, erm, not stupid at all.

Ohh, you love it do you She was smiling i think she found my embarrassment ammusing.

So, who is this boy Christopher, do i know him i said quickly, in an effor to change the subject

Yeah, it's Paul Smith, Smigga,, What!,,

Paul Smith from youth club.

Paul Smith whose Mam owns the papershop up the road next door to the barbershop where i work!

That Paul smith?!

Yeah him,, but please don't say anything to him, i don't want him to know i've said anything,, please.

Don't worry Chistopher, he won't know anything about it, i know his Mam really well,she's a really nice lady, she's always poping into the barbershop to see Hank and talk to him, telling him how hard it is being on her own since the divorce i think she really fancies him, Elisabeth looked at me and smiled straight at me, i smiled back.

I turned and looked Christopher right in the eyes.

I'll see you there next sunday ok Christopher.
I have an idea, and if it works i don't think he'll ever bother you again after next sunday ok,
and don't you worry about your haircut, you'll be fine with me, i promise, OK,,, and see you there too i hope, i said turning round to Lizzy and smiling, can't wait she said, i felt 10 feet tall.

A week later there i was at Hanks.it was after one oclock and missis Kelly was due with Christopher at any minute, hopefully accompanied by Lizzy

A few days earlier I had told Hank the whole story all about Christopher and what a great kid he was and how the bullying he was going through was making his life a missery, And who the bully was.

I'm going to have a quiet word with her next time she comes in here i told him.

This really seemed to bother him.

He told me not to say anything to his Mum about the bullying.

I know he's a wrong un, i've watched him when i'm outside getting a bit of fresh air stealing ciggarettes and money from the till when his Mums out back.

The kid sure does needs a good sorting out but Parents never really want to know the truth about their kids, she might react real bad, it could get real awkward he said, then he let me into a secret about Mrs smith and him, we've been out on a couple of dates but no one must know, not just yet, you must promise not to say anything, not to anyone he said.

She's a great woman and i'm really falling for her, she told me she loved me last night but she may not beleive any of it unless she sees it happen at first hand,

So what are we going to do about him, i promised young chris i'd stop the bullying by sunday, he needs to be taught a lesson, one he won't forget in a hurry.

We also need to find a way of keeping him in line, make sure he stays on the straight and narrow Hank added,, discipline's what he really needs but it can't be seen to come from me,

The sea cadets i exclaimed loudly.

Thats it, perfect, Hank said.

That thursday after closing we hatched a plan.

Part 2 soon.

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