My Friend the Barber (Part 2) by GermanCut

---

When I walked back to the dormitory, I was very elated. I thought about what happened during the last hour. In my mind, I saw and felt how Cem styled my hair with a little wax. But before that, he had certainly dried my hair with the hair dryer. But strange enough, I didn't remember that.
When I ran my hand over my sides, I felt the short-shaven stubble. This was definitely the work of a hair clipper, and Cem had previously spoken of "shave it a little". But here, too, I had a memory gap.
I had obviously been somewhere else with my thoughts.

The thoughts about Cem did not leave me. They returned at night to me as a dream.
We faced each other. Cem ran his hands through my hair. "Can you see?" he said. "Can you see me?" he added. I gently stroked his bald head, felt his warm and soft scalp, and I answered, "I can see and feel you."
I woke up with my heart beating. "Cem...", I whispered in the darkness.

Cem had offered to come back if I didn't like my new hairstyle, and I briefly thought of using that as an excuse to see him again. But then I had a much better idea.

On Tuesday, after my first lesson, I took the direction to the quarter I had went to on Saturday.
Through the window of the barbershop, I saw Cem shaving off the dark hair of a sturdy young man with the clipper.
"Hi!" I shouted as I entered.
"Hi!" Cem replied and smiled.
"I have to tell you something", I continued.
Cem turned off the clipper and said "May you wait for a little moment? I'll finish the shave of my customer and then take a break. Sit down for so long, please!"
He shouted something in Turkish across the room, whereupon the other younger barber came with a glass of tea and two sugar cubes.

I saw Cem acting as if he was on stage. He took the pot with shaving cream and thoroughly lathered the customer's head all the way down to the nape of the neck. He trimmed the contours of his beard with scissors before he grabbed the razorblade and began his main work. The customer calmly and, as it seemed, indifferently endured how his head was completely shaved. Strip by strip, the foam disappeared and more and more dark scalp became visible.
The tea glass in my hand trembled slightly as I watched. The man in the chair was very broad-shouldered. He had a muscular neck, a real bull's neck. Cem seemed small and tiny compared to him.
I admired Cem's professionalism and the man's coolness. The man looked as if he had previously said "Shave it all off!", in the same tone as others would say "Just a trim, please!"
After Cem had washed the customer's head and rubbed a lotion into it, he took off the cloak. When the man put on his black winter jacket, all his muscles moved visibly under his white T-shirt. I continued to stare at him as he went to the checkout for paying. This guy was so perfectly bald that I couldn't imagine him with hair, although he must have had quite a lot of it before. Cem swept a lot of dark hair off the floor.
"Well", said Cem, "I'm ready! Shall we go out for a moment?"

In front of the door, Cem immediately lit a cigarette and gave the box to me. We smoked.
Cem grinned and said "To what do I owe the honor of this visit? Are you not satisfied with the mullet after all?"
Although the irony in Cem's question could not be overheard, I felt my ears getting hot with excitement. I answered "No. Everything is fine with the hairstyle!"
Cem raised his eyebrows in amazement.
"I want... uh... to ask you... Would you like to...", I stuttered.
"Yes?" said Cem.
I finally got my act together "Tomorrow evening 'Double Indemnity' by Billy Wilder will be shown in the arthouse cinema. I'd like to watch it. Would you be interested in the film too?"
"Sure", said Cem with the most beautiful smile in the world. I felt not only my ears, but my whole body getting warm.
"Oh!" I replied with surprise.
Cem's smile turned into a grin. I just looked at him.
"Shall we exchange our phone numbers?" asked Cem and pulled out his cell phone.
"That's a very good idea", I said, glad to have found my voice again.

On the following evening, Cem and I sat in the surprisingly crowded cinema. We watched Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray initiating murder and insurance fraud.
Cem whispered to me "Normally, old movies are worth watching just because of the actors' hairstyles. But this film seems to make an exception. Barbara Stanwyck wears this horrible wig, and I'd like to cut Fred MacMurray's hair with pleasure."
I giggled "I'm sorry that the movie falls short of expectations!"
"No, the film is great", said Cem, "and somehow the hairstyles of the two of them also fit their roles."
Then a woman from the row in front of us turned around and whispered urgently "Can you two please stop gossiping! There's a murder about to happen, and you're talking about hairstyles!"
We both fell silent immediately. Cem pinched my thigh. In response, I touched his knee.

After the cinema, we went to a pub nearby. Like real cineastes, we first talked about dramaturgy, camera angles and the qualities of the actors. But then we changed the subject.

"Did you really think I wasn't happy with my haircut?" I asked Cem.
"Not really", he answered. "It looks really good on you. On the other hand, you could try many other haircuts."
"Something like the last customer?" I replied grinning.
"Yes, even a bald head like the last customer and like mine would suit you. Please, look!" said Cem, apparently seized by inspiration.
He took a pad and a pencil out of his purse. Then something fascinating happened. With a few strokes, he sketched the bust of a man. The man definitely had my head shape, my eyes, my nose, my mouth. This man was unmistakably me. Only the hair was missing.
"Cem, this is incredible", I cried. "You're an artist! Sorry, you're a barber. That's art, too!"
"Well, it's maybe more handicrafts. But we don't want to exaggerate!" said Cem "Look, that's what you would look like with a bald head. Not bad at all, right?"

He was right. At least I looked pretty good with a bald head. I thought about it
"But you could also look like this", Cem said and drew a short mohawk on my head.
I snorted.
"But let's be serious! What about this one?" Cem continued and began to widen the short mohawk. "I think this is my favorite!"
I was amazed. On the top of my head, Cem had drawn very short hair. Nothing else. Nevertheless, the difference between the mohawk and the bald head was enormous.
"This is a classic, non-blended High and Tight. Very short at the top and with shaved sides. I could even shave them clean for you. It's a very uncomplicated haircut and a very masculine one, in my opinion. You'd look hot!"
Cem looked me in the eye. I avoided his gaze with embarrassment. Cem might have noticed that, because he added in a more soothing tone "We'll talk about it when it gets warmer and you want to get rid of your mullet."

I immediately felt hot. Did I understand right? Cem spoke about the future for both of us. Not about a too distant one, but at least about a future in spring and even summer.

Thank goodness, I had enough presence of mind to tell him "I can promise you right now that I want to get rid of my hair in the summer. Be my barber then!"
"You're welcome!" replied Cem.

To be continued.

---