Three Wise Men [1] by Writer

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It was nine O’clock and most shops in the shopping centre had already closed. Simon ran a two-chair, trendy barbershop located at the shopping centre. He had taken over the shop from his father and had given it his own touch. The classic, black leather barber chairs remained proudly, but the shop had been given a modern makeover. The walls had been painted white and one wall had become an entire mirror. Old wooden furniture had been replaced by plastic materials. The floor consisted of shiny black-and-white tiles.

Simon was about to call it a day himself, putting out the tv in the backroom already, when suddenly three young men stepped inside his barbershop.

,,Good evening,’’ Simon said, a bit surprised. Appearing from the backroom into the shop.

,,Are you still open?’’ one of the boys asked Simon. He was clearly the “one in charge”, as he had a mischievous smile on his face while the other two had a laugh, either out of nervousness or because their leader was up to something.

,,I was about to close up,’’ Simon said.

,,That’s a pity,’’ the leader said. ,,I am in need of a haircut.’’

Simon looked at the boy. He didn’t look like he needed a haircut, actually. He spotted a black, carefully groomed pompadour-like cut. He was the kind of guy that carried a comb with him everywhere to be able to slick his hair back at any given moment. He seemed cocky, overconfident; sagging his pants a little, having unlighted cigarettes in his mouth. Simon also looked at the other boys. One had more longish, brown, tousled hair, kind of Zac Efron-inspired. The back came down to his collar, the sides covered his ears and a mane of hair in the front was swept aside. The third was more like Harry Styles, sporting thick, dark, wavy hair. His hair also covered most of his ears and slightly curled at the tip of the locks. He was the most slender and definitely the most handsome. He was the kind of guy who knew he looked good but didn’t get too confident of it. The kind of guy girls adored.

,,I think you could go on another day without a haircut.’’

The boy laughed. ,,I am in need of a haircut… for my buddies here. They just lost a bet to me.’’

,,And their hair was on the line?’’

,,Yeah, unfortunately,’’ said the Zac Efron-lookalike. He smoothed his hair with his hand and laughed at the wrong side of his mouth.

Simon doubted if he would give these boys a haircut at this hour. On the other side, it was not like he had anything planned for the evening. Furthermore, there were to boys in his shop that would probably have to pay for their haircuts. Thus, he walked up to the chair and turned it towards the three young men, pulling of the barbercape from the armchair. ,,Well, just for once then. Who is first then?’’ Simon asked.

,,Get in that chair, Danny,’’ said the leader, and the Zac-Efron lookalike, who apparently was named Danny, reluctantly made his way to the classic, black leather barberchair and sat down.

,,So, you lost a bet,’’ Simon said, as he caped Danny up. It was a black-and-white striped cape. The cape reeked a bit of sweat. It had been a hot summer’s day and previous customers had probably broken out in a sweat in the shop. Simon firmly turned the chair towards the mirror. Danny smiled shamefully and nodded. ,,What was it about?”

,,Nothing much,’’ the leader said, smiling amusedly.

Simon frowned. ,,Just let me get some of my tools, I had just put them away.’’ Simon left the front of the shop to a relatively covered up door, leading to the small room in the back with the tv, leaving a caped up Danny and the boys in the shop. Simon had left his mobile phone on the table and just as he entered the backroom it caught his attention. One of the other shop-owners who had already closed up their shop had texted him: “Hi Simon, be careful on your walk out, girl was assaulted and raped near the shopping mail by group of young men just this evening, police already informed”. Simon frowned. Suddenly, he felt like he knew what that bet-thing had been all about…

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In the meanwhile, Danny, nervously, tightly caped up on the barberchair, awaited Gabe’s instructions on how his hair was going to be cut. Gabe had always tried to convince Danny to ask for a nice big pompadour just like he had himself – with too much pomade in it which made Gabe’s hair shiny and greasy. Danny had considered it a few times, but had never went on with it, just asking his hairdresser for a ‘slight trim’. Not too much change. Perhaps Danny was finally going to get his way and was going to ask the barber to style his hair into a nice pompadour. After all, Danny was now at Gabe’s mercy, and so were Sam’s dark, wavy locks.

The barber came back into the shop with a little cart that contained all his barbering equipment. He pushed it all the way up to the barberchair Danny was in.

,,Guys, I’m closing the shop in case anyone else gets in for a haircut at this time. You are really my last customers for today,’’ the barber said. He locked the front door with a key, which he then put in his pocket. He also closed the blinds in front of the window.

,,Sure,’’ Gabe said, smirking confidently. Sam just smiled politely, and Danny was still in the chair, having waited there for quite long now.

,,So, I suppose you won this bet?’’ the barber asked Gabe.

,,Yes, I did.’’

,,I guess you call the shots then,’’ the barber stepped behind Danny and looked at him in the mirror. Danny swallowed his saliva, looking pleadingly at his barber. The barber wetted Danny’s hair with a sprayer, and instead of combing Danny’s hair out, he combed his hands through it.

,,I do,’’ Gabe said. ,, I want you to give him a nice Mohawk. Sides shorn. We’ll see what we do after that.’’

Danny moaned silently. Sam shook his head in disbelief – as he was up next and now knew what he could expect Gabe had in mind for his gorgeous locks.

,,A Mohawk?’’ the barber asked. ,,Coming right up.’’

The barber grabbed a brand new looking, white hair clipper and removed the guard. At its sight, Danny tightened the grip of his hands on the armchairs of the barberchair and bit his lip. It was not going to be nice. The barber also grabbed a comb and parted Danny’s wetted hair, exposing Danny’s forehead. He then put away the comb and put his free hand on Danny’s forehead. It was sweaty and wet. One more time, Danny looked pleadingly at the barber. The barber looked back at him: a cold, disdainful glance was in his eyes. He switched the clippers on, filling the shop with their iron screaming. As the barber slowly placed the clippers on Danny’s right temple, Danny closed his eyes, finally giving in. The barber grabbed Danny’s mane and pulled it, which hurt a bit. Danny then slowly felt how the barber pushed the clippers from his right temple, above his right ear, all the way to behind the ear. Pulling his top-hair, while pushing the clippers to the back of his head. Long, brown locks of hair fell in Danny’s neck and on the black-and-white-striped cape. Danny opened his eyes and gazed at the now shorn side of his head. A cold sweat got a hold of him. Sorrowful, Danny looked at his barber. But the barber seemed to enjoy shearing off Danny’s hair. He even had this maniac-like look in his eyes.

Gabe burst out in a victorious laughter.

,,Look at him,’’ he said, poking Sam in his sides. ,,Look at him!’’ Sam facepalmed – thinking more and more of ways to counter the debt of the bet he lost. As for Gabe himself: something started growing in his pants. He loved to see guys get their hair shorn off, and his buddies were no exception.

The barber continued his task. He pushed the clippers over Danny’s right side again. And again. And again – until there was only stubble left. Danny looked ridiculous: he still had his Zac Efron-like hair, however, the right side had been reduced to stubble. Gabe walked to the barberchair en stroke his fingers along the stubble on Danny’s head.

,,Beautiful!’’ he remarked with a sadistic smirk. He then put his head near Danny’s, looking at him in the mirror. ,,You’re going to look great!’’

Gabe turned towards the barber. ,,Could you shave it so that there isn’t even stubble left?’’

,,Sure,’’ the barber said. He went through his equipment and found what he needed to do just that. Skilfully, the barber applied shaving cream on the right side of Danny’s head, and continued to shave it with a sharp razor blade, taking his time to remove every little bit of hair that was left on the right side of Danny’s head. Gabe fascinatedly observed the craftsmanship, while Danny’s face was a whirlpool of disgust and shame – he was the one that had to sport a Mohawk hear, not exactly his style…

When the barber had completely shaved the right side of Danny’s head bald, he repeated the same thing on the left side. Danny’s hair was parted to the right, the barber put his sweaty hand on Danny’s forehead, pulling the hair and moving the clippers in the opposite direction, were it leaved nothing but stubble. He then applied shaving cream and shaved Danny’s left side entirely bald.

,,Now for the Mohawk,’’ the barber said, grabbing a can of pomade which he opened up. Not too meagre, the barber took a lot of the stuff and greased it into the stripe of hair which was left on Danny’s head. The barber flatted the Mohawk by pushing his hands on each other with Danny’s hair between them. Finally, the deed was done. Unhappily, Danny looked at the lofty Mohawk on top of his head – just as greasy as Gabe’s pompadour. Danny turned his head to look at his sides, which were completely shaved bald. Danny almost had to hold up his tears.

,,Well done!’’ Gabe applauded.

,,So, what next?’’ the barber asked. ,,Shave it off?’’

,,Nah, leave him sitting there, nicely caped up in the chair,’’ Gabe said, sporting an evil grin. ,,Maybe I’ll let you shave of the rest later. First…’’ Gabe looked at Sam meaningfully. ,,Sam can take a seat in the other chair.’’

Sam’s eyes grew big as Gabe turned the other barber chair towards his thick-haired buddy.

,,Dude,’’ Sam said. ,,I’m not going to have a Mohawk just like Danny. I thought you were going to ask for us to have your fancy pompadour-cut, I wouldn’t have been too unhappy ‘bout that. But this is different man.’’

Danny, through the mirror, looked at Sam in disbelief. Was he backing out now?

,,F*** you Sam,’’ Danny said with a poisonous bitterness. ,,Get your ass in the chair.’’

,,Well said, buddy,’’ Gabe said. He grabbed the black-and-white striped cape from the armchair and unfolded it by spreading it out in the air. It released a sweaty scent which prickled Gabe’s nose. The monstrosity in his pants bulged. A few locks of hair from previous customers still left on the cape fell on the ground. ,,Common Sam. You lost the bet, remember. Time to kiss your gorgeous locks goodbye.’’

,,You’re leaving this shop at least as ridiculously looking as I do,’’ Danny added.

,,No way,’’ Sam replied. ,,I’m not sitting in that chair. I’m not going to let my hair cut into that.’’ With a disgusted look on his face, Sam looked meaningfully at Danny.

,,F*** you!’’ Danny replied, and he turned his own chair and got out of it – still with his cape on. ,,Hand over a pair of scissors!’’ Danny commanded the barber. The barber frowned, but gave Danny a pair of sharp scissors. Sam blinked with his eyes and took a step back, as Danny looked at him like a bull that had seen a red fabric. ,,If you’re not getting into the chair, I’ll chop of your hair myself.’’

Danny jumped at a surprised Sam and both went to the ground. What followed was a small and short wrestling match. Gabe amused himself profoundly. However, just when Sam was about to get dragged by his hair to the barberchair, the barber interrupted them.

,,Danny boy, don’t worry,’’ the barber said, leaning comfortably at one of the walls. ,,Sam’ll get his locks chopped off.’’

Danny let go of Sam’s hair, and Sam frowned, glancing at the barber.

,,I know what your little bet was about,’’ the barber said.

,,What do you mean?’’ Gabe asked.

,,You’ve been a couple of naughty boys,’’ the barber said.

Danny turned to Gabe. ,,He knows man… we’re screwed…’’

Gabe blinked his eyes in disbelief. ,,You know?’’

,,As I said. So Sam, you can take place in the second barberchair.’’

,,You can’t do this man…’’ Sam said.

,,Get in the chair.’’

,,Dude, seriously, you’re not cutting my hair like that,’’ Sam said, pointing at Danny.

,,Get your ass in the chair, Sammy,’’ the barber said. ,,Or I’ll force you.’’

Doubt could be traced on Sam’s face. Reluctantly, he made his way to the barberchair and sat his slender body down. ,,Good boy,’’ the barber said, draping the other cape around Sam, knotting it tightly around his neck. Knowing the cape reeked of sweat, he rubbed it through Sam’s face, which then took an abominated expression. ,,However…’’ the barber then said, turning towards Gabe. ,,I’m going to take care of your friend’s proud pomp first.’’

Gabe’s eyes grew big. ,,What?’’

,,You’re the one that won the bet. You probably need this lesson the most. So you take Danny’s chair,’’ the barber took a third cape (Danny still wore his) and pushed Gabe in his back, towards the barber chair. ,,Sit down.’’

,,F***…’’ Gabe muttered, doing as he was told. The barber caped Gabe just like he’d caped Danny and Sam.

,,You seem to take a lot of pride in your pomp, don’t you?’’ the barber asked, wetting Gabe’s hair nonchalantly.

,,Yes,’’ Gabe replied.

,,But you’re excited to see it go, right?’’ the barber said, now combing the pompadour carefully, letting the water mix in with the pomade. ,,You were very excited to see your friend getting tidied up.’’

Danny frowned. ,,What…?’’

Gabe shamefully looked at the barber in the mirror. ,,I noticed,’’ the barber said, pushing his comb in a bit too hard. Gabe sported an agonizing look on his face. ,,Since you liked it so much to see your friend getting ridiculed… I am no letting your friend ridicule you,’’ the barber continued. He turned Gabe’s chair towards Sam’s chair, which wasn’t directed towards the mirror. No both boys looked at each other. ,,So Danny. Use your imagination.’’

First, Danny stood there, looking at the barber in disbelief. However, then a vengeful smirk appeared on his face. ,,Well Gabe, you got us into this s**t. Now you’ll at least be part of it…’’

Danny grabbed a pair of severe looking clippers from the barber’s cart it turned them on. ,,Time to get that pomp off, buddy…’’ this time, Danny was the one laughing victoriously.


To be continued

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