I want a Flattop …..

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I want a Flattop …..

By JimB        ©opyright  October 2018

 

 

Here I am sitting at the airport waiting for my brother, Daniel, flight to arrive. It has been five years since we last saw each other.

 

He is two years old than I am and is married to his high school sweetheart. They have three children, one boy age seven and the two girls are five and four.

 

He, like me, had to move to another State when we found jobs. He had to move to Atlanta and I had to more to placed called Willow Branch.

 

I, on the other hand, had not married but in a somewhat relationship with a nice man. I am hoping for something more serious, like marriage.

 

But, he says he thinks we have a great relationship and marriage would only screw it up.

 

Another words, ‘he is getting the milk for free’.

 

So, I made the trip home without him, I was kind of hoping the visit would shake him up a little.

 

“FLIGHT 2854 from Atlanta will be arriving in two hours and eighteen minuets and will disembark at Concord A – section three. Please exercise cushion because Concord A is under minor repairs at this time”, the announcement was made.

 

So, I decided to go to the little lounge for a soft drink.

 

I got a coke and a bag of chips and sat by the windows over looking the airport’s runways. Watching airplanes taking off and land always amazed me how the times was so close.

 

I began thinking back to when I was nine. Almost twenty ago!

 

I, for some unknown strange reason, wanted get a ‘flattop’ like my brother, Daniel. I remember how, when I was three, how I would run up to him, when he got home from the barber shop, Miss Jane’s Barber Shop to be exact, and run my little hands over his short hair cut.

 

A “flattop” I would learn a few years later.

 

It felt like the hair brush my grandmother gave me for my second birthday.

 

It was so soft, when I brushed it over my arms I would get a tickling sensation, which sent shivers up and down my arms.

 

Of course, after four years of his little sister doing this he started getting a little annoyed and would rush to his bedroom and close the door before I could get to him.

 

One summer’s day he even yelled at me to “stop playing with his hair or get a “flattop” my self”.

 

This, of course, got dad and mom laughing.

 

Then, one day, when I was nine, I up and asked mom, “Can I get a “FLATTOP” like Dan?”

 

I never heard her laugh so loud in my young life.

 

Taking me by my right hand and setting me down at the kitchen table, we were fixing dinner.

 

“Sweetheart,” she began. “Little girls and mommies ‘do not get their hair cut so short’.

 

“If you want to cut your hair short …..

 

“A nice short Pixie would look good.

 

“But, a ‘flattop’!

 

“NO way.”

 

Of course, to a nine year old girl, that was like telling her she could “not” have a boyfriend.

 

I ran to my bedroom and slammed the door shut.

 

When dad came home for work, thinking I was “daddy’s little girl”, I tried to convince him to letting me get a “flattop” like Dan. He laughed, but not as loud as mom.

 

“Connie”, he began holding me in his arms. “That would be a question you would have to ask mom.”

 

I pushed myself from his arms, ran to my bedroom, and “slam” the door.

 

At dinner I just sat there picking a dinner not saying a word. Not even when Dan asked me how school was that day.

 

I just stared at his and continued picking at my food.

 

But, I was not going to give up and my quest for a “FLATTOP” like Daniel gets.

NO way was I going to give up. Over the next three years I would sneak the question in to discussion with mom, dad, even Daniel. I began chasing Dan around the house when he came home after going to Miss Jane’s for a ‘freshly cut’ “FLATTOP”.

 

Of course, he would push me away. Even telling mom, “if you don’t stop her, I am going to get the scissors and …..”.

 

Mom would softly yell at me.

 

Then, a week after my twelfth birthday I got, what I thought was, my ‘big’ break.

 

Daniel and dad were talking in his room.

 

He was telling dad all the boys he played baseball with were getting their head shaved for the summer.

 

And, he wanted dad to let him. Like me, he knew dad would refer the question to mom.

 

Who would say, “NO WAY”.

 

But, surprisingly dad said, “SURE”.

 

Even Dan was surprised at dad’s answer.

 

“What about mom”, he asked dad.

 

“Son,” dad began, “your mom may tell Connie what she can and can not do.

 

“But, as far as you …….

 

“I have the say so.

 

“And, I do not see any problems with you shaving your head for the summer.

 

“Hell, it is just a little shorter than the short flattop you get.

 

“Just let me know when you want to do it ……

 

“So, I can get ready for your mom’s anger.”

 

I waited a few minutes, after dad left Dan’s bedroom and made my move.

 

I snuck across the hall to Dan’s bedroom and just opened the door

 

“Don’t you knock”, Dan asked as he looked at me, as I walked to his bed and sat down.

 

“Does dad know about the magazines you have in your closet?” I inquired of him.

 

“WHAT magazines,” he answered.

 

I looked at him for a few minutes.

 

“Well, what magazines,” he asked again. I got up and took a few steps to his closet.

 

I reached for the door knob.

 

“Wait”, he softly yelled at me as he got up, taking a few quick steps, and grabbing the door knob.

 

“What do you want,” he asked stood blocking his closet. “Mom would kill me if she knew about the magazine.

 

“DAD, would be upset and I would not be able to go to the Spring dance.”

 

I walked back to the bed, sat on the edge and patted it.

 

Dan slowly walked to the bed and sat, “Well!

 

“What do you want?”

 

“YOUR help in talking mom into letting me get a “flattop” like you get at Miss Jane’s.

 

“Nothing more, nothing less.

 

“Just a flattop like you get.”

 

“WHY, “ he asked. “I mean why do you want a flattop?”

 

“I have been wanting a flattop for years,” she started explaining to him. “Since, I was six …..

 

“Know how I have always chased you around when you came home with one!

 

“When I got to you, all I did was brush my hands over your head!”

 

“Pain in my ass,” he said.

 

“All I want is to get my hair cut in a flattop,” I started explaining to him. “Once, to see I how look with one.

 

“I would let it grow out. I would not get it again.”

 

“Well, just tell mom that,” he answered. “I am sure she will let you.”

 

“RIGHT,” I told him. “I started asking her when I was nine and all she said was, ‘little girls don’t get flattop’.

 

“She would not hear my reasons.”

 

“Once,” he inquired. “Did you ask dad?”

 

“Yes …. and yes,” I told him.

 

We sat while he thought. He got up, walked to the door and l looked out in the hallway.

 

Closing the door, standing by it with his back to the door.

 

“How much,” he asked as he walked back to the bed and sat down.

 

“What!,” I asked.

 

“Hair,” he said. “How much hair!”

 

I grabbed my hair and pulled it through my fingers, “About ten inches.”

 

“What about the boys!” he inquired. “The girls!”

 

“What?”, I asked. “What do you mean?”

 

“YOU know, they will look at you, you know,” he began.

 

“I will not be around all the time to …..!”

 

“I can take care of them,” I quickly told him.

 

We looked at each other. He reached for my hair and pulled it through his fingers and held it out so I could see it.

 

“Mary Jean,” he said. “Is this worth Mary Jane?”

 

I looked at him wondering what he meant.

 

“What about Mary Jane?” I asked.

 

“If I help you,” he said. “Would you be willing to ask around if she has a date to the Spring dance?”

 

I looked at him and laughed a little, “You mean?”

 

“YES, I mean.” he answered.

 

I thought about it, “Yes.”

 

“You let me run after you grabbing at your hair.

 

“You just keep telling mom about grabbing the scissor.

 

“Then, say two weeks before school is out for the Summer and tell her, “Let her get the flattop so I don’t give her one my self”.

 

“And, when do you get the flattop?” he inquired.

 

“When you get our head shaved by Miss Jean,” I told him.

 

“So, that’s the catch,” he asked me. “You get your flattop the same day I get my head shaved!”

 

I smiled and shook my head “yes”.

 

He got up and walked to the door, “I am going to Miss Jane this afternoon.”

 

I got up, walked to the door, smiled and patted his cheek, “I will be waiting.”

 

For the next six months when he went to Miss Jean and got his flattop, I was waiting for him. When he walked in the house the race began. After a few minutes of chasing him, he would stop grab me by my arms and say, “MOM, if you don’t do something with her, I am going to get the scissor and give her one myself’.

 

“CONNIE,” mom yelled. “Leave Dan alone.

 

“This chasing him every time he gets his hair cut is got to STOP.”

 

Just like we planned, two weeks before school let out for the summer.

 

He came home with a freshly cut flattop and I began chasing him around the house.

 

He called to mom, she yelled at me.

 

Then, he surprised me, and mom.

 

He stopped at the desk at the foot of the stairs, opened the drawer, and pulled out the scissors mom kept there.

 

As I started to grab at his head, he showed the scissors and grabbed my hair.

 

“DANIEL,” mom called to him as she ran towards us.

 

“Then, do something with her,” he told her as she took the scissors from him.

 

He walked up the stares, “You better be around the next time, mom.”

 

Grabbing my arm she pulled me in the kitchen and she began telling me how upset she was that I continued chasing Dan every time he came home with a freshly cut flattop.

 

“WELL.” I barked out. “JUST LET ME GET ONE ….. JUST ONCE …..”

 

She said nothing and told me to go to my bedroom and stay there until she called us for dinner.

 

For the next two weeks we played a little game.

 

When we walked passed each other he would hold up one of his hand and with the first two fingers he would make like they were scissors and smile at me.

 

When mom saw this she would say, “DANIEL.”

 

He would reply, “Just one time.”

 

I would smile at. A few times I told him, “Go for it!”

 

Then, the night before the last day of school came around.

 

We finished dinner and Dan and I were picking up the plates.

 

“Please sit”, mom told us.

 

We looked at each other and sat.

 

“Dad and I had a little talk the other night,” she began. “We talked about the two of you.

 

“Dan, he told me about you wanting to shave your head for the summer, like your friends you play baseball with.

 

“Connie, I told him about you wanting to get a flattop like Dan.”

 

Mom looked at us as dad took her hand. She was trying to hold back something.

 

“What mom is saying,” he began telling us.

 

“Dan, you can get your head shaved.

 

“And, Connie …..

 

“Much to your mom’s objections, you can get your flattop.”

 

Dan and I looked at each other. We held back out little snicker smile.

 

“I went to Miss Jean’s today,” mom started. “We had a little talk about you Dan getting your head shave.

 

“And, you Connie getting the flattop.

 

“Connie,” she said taking my hand. “I am still against you getting the flattop.

 

“But, dad said you said you only wanted to do it once.”

 

“YES,” I told her and dad.

 

“I paid Jean for your head shaving Dan.

 

“And, your flattop.”

 

“Dan,” dad said. “Your sister will go with you tomorrow after you get out of school.”

 

“YOU mean I have …..,” he replied.

 

“Yes,” mom said.

 

We looked at each other and got up with the dishes and went to the kitchen.

 

We waited a few minutes until dad and mom when to the living room and turned on the television.

 

We smiled at each other and hugged.

 

“I AM GOING TO GET MY FLATTOP”, I said to Dan.

 

“YES,” he replied smiling. “And, I am going to get my head shaved.”

 

The next morning we got up a little early, as we had planned this day for months.

 

Dan was going to wear a nice dress shirt and slacks and dress shoes.

 

I was going to wear a matching blouse and skirt, with the three inch high heels, mom did not know I had saved up for and purchased a week earlier.

 

As I came out my room, Dan stepped out of his room.

 

“WOW,” I said to him.

 

“Not back your self,” he commented. “Mom, know about the shoes?”

 

I smiled at him, “NOPE.”

 

“Going to be hard walking home”, he told me as we walked down stars.

 

“WELL, lookie here,” dad said as we walked into the kitchen. “Aren’t you two looking smart for the last day of the school year.”

 

Mom turned from the counter and smiled, “Very nice.”

 

As I sat dad looked at me, then mom, “When did you get her the high heels?”

 

Mom looked at me. I turned my legs from under the table and showed the high heels.

 

“We will talk about them later,” she said and served us breakfast.

 

After we finished eating, dad said, “You two ready?”

 

We looked at each other and Dan inquired, “Ready for ……”

 

“To go,” he commented as he got up from the table. “I am going to drop you two off at school …..

 

“Remember!”

 

“I forgot to tell Dan,” I told dad. But, I do not remember him saying anything about taking us to school.

 

“TEN,” Dan told me as we walked from the car. “If, you are not at the front gate by ten, I am going to leave without you.”

 

I punched him in the arm, “I’ll be waiting.”

 

I got to the gate for before ten.

 

“OAKY,” Dan told me as we began walking to Miss Jean’s Barber Shop. “Just ten blocks and I am getting my head shaved and you will get your flattop.”

 

We walked a few blocks and Dan asked me, “Nervures?”

 

“Hell no,” I told him. “I just might jump in the barber chair before you!”

 

A few blocks later and we were walking into Miss Jean’s Barber Shop.

 

She was standing by the shelf behind the barber chair, as we walked in.

 

“Hi, Connie,” she said. “Hi Daniel.”

 

We said “hi” to her and stood there.

 

Turning around to us, she took hold of the cape from behind the barber chair and shook it out.

 

“Well, WHO’S first,” she asked as she stepped to the right side of the barber chair.

 

“Head shave or flattop,” she commended.

 

I started to step to the barber chair when Dan held his arm out, stopping me, “Oldest first.”

 

I stepped by and sat in the waiting chair right in front of the barber chair.

 

As she caped Dan, she told me, “Your flattop will not take as long as shaving Dan’s head.”

 

I started to pick up a magazine when I heard a “click” sound.

 

Without saying a word, she was pushing the clippers over Dan’s head.

 

Front to back, side to side. His hair came floating off his head into his caped lap and on the floor around the barber chair.

 

I watched with interest. In a few minutes I would be feeling those clippers on the back and sides of my head.

 

Something I have been wanting, waiting for, for years, since I was nine.

 

The clippers were silent and Miss Jean was removing the cape. Turning to the shelf she reached over to the sink and turned on the hot water.

 

Then, she removed a white towel from cabinet and tucked it in his collar and spread it over his shoulders.

 

Taking hold the warm towel she turned and placed it over Dan’s head.

 

“WOW,” he let out.

 

“Has to be warm,” she told him as she pressed it around his head. “The wet heat will soften the little stubble you have.”

 

Then, she stepped to the shaving cream dispenser and flowed some warm shaving lather.

 

Within a few minutes Dan head was all lathered and Miss Jean as stropping her straight razor over the leather strap.

 

He began smiling as Miss Jean shaved his head.

 

I watched his smile grow and he winked at me.

 

When she stepped behind the barber chair and began shaving the back of his head, he mouthed to me, “Look in your purse.”

 

I looked at him confused. He mouthed it again.

 

I picked up my pursed and opened it.

 

There was a folded paper. Keeping it in my purse I open it and on it was written, “I lied to dad. None of my friends are getting their head shaved. Like you, I have been wanted to shave my head for years.”

 

I looked up at him and his smile was bigger.

 

I looked at the note again. I unfolded the bottom.

 

“I plan on keeping my head shaved for as long as I can.”

 

I smiled and shook my head. I wanted to laugh but held it in.

 

A few minutes later, Miss Jean was dusting his ‘now’ shaven head and pulling the cape off.

 

As she lowered the barber chair Dan began brushing his fingers over his ‘newly’ shaved head. He smile as he looked in the mirror behind the waiting chairs.

 

I stood up and rushed pass him.

 

Before Miss Jean had finished shanking the cape I was sitting in her barber chair, crossing my legs.

 

“In a hurry!” she inquired as she tossed the cape over me.

 

She pulled my hair into a somewhat pony tail, “Hold this ……”

 

I reached up and took hold of my ten or so long hair and held it, while she put the tissue around my neck and pull the cape up and around my neck.

 

She reached to the shelf and took hold of a large white towel and tucked in my blouse and spread it over my shoulder.

 

With the cape pinned, I let my hair fall and shook my head.

 

Miss Jean began brushing my hair this way, that way, brushing it down from a center part from the front to the hairline of my neck. She, then, brushed my hair forward in the back up to the occipital bone.

 

Dan and I looked at each other, as he mouthed, “Ready.”

 

I smiled and winked.

 

Then, the sound I had heard a number of times, when I went with dad and Dan got their hair cut.

 

The sound I have been hoping, wanting, to hear.

 

I felt Miss Jean place her left hand on the top of the back of my head and tilted it slightly down.

 

I was looking a the cape laying across the arms of the barber chair and me. I had a slight sink over my lap.

 

Like it was waiting to catch my hair as Miss Jean clippered my ‘flattop’.

 

I felt the coolness of the humming clippers touch my skin just below the hair line. She had placed it so it would be moved over the center part send some hair from both sides of it.

 

Slowly she moved the clippers upward.

 

I raised my crossed legs and pointed them outward and smiled. Dan smiled and shook his head.

 

Slowly the singing, cutting, clippers’ sound changed from cutting to humming as she pushed it up over the occipital bone.

 

I felt the coolness of the air condition air as it touched my clippered skin.

 

I closed my eyes and slowly opened them, to see Dan smiling and brushing his fingertips over his ‘newly’ shaved head.

 

I gave him a little laugh.

 

I felt the clippers being slowly pushed up the back of my head just right of the first pass. It send length of long, ten inch long, stranges from the first pass up the center of the back of my head and the one it just made.

 

As I let out a deep breath, of enjoyment, the slippers were pushed up to the right of the second upward pass sending stranges of hair into the cape with the first stranges.

 

I felt Miss Jean’s move her left hand off my head and softly her fingertips brushed over the clippered section.

 

A shiver came across me. I stretched my legs out again and slowly lowered then.

 

Her fingers pushed over the stranges of hair, still on the back of my neck, upward then forward, as she placed the clippers next to the first pass.

 

Slowly she moved the clippers upward, again when it reach the occipital bone it was up and the clipping sound changed to a humming sound.

She placed next to the second pass and pushed it upward, sending long stranges of hair sliding off my left shoulder into the cape.

 

When they stopped, I pushed the cape upward causing the pile of hair to bounce a little.

 

Again Miss Jean brushed her fingertips over the just clippered section.

 

When her left fingers reached the top of the back of my head she pushed my hair a little to the left.

 

The back of my head felt nothing but the coolness of the air condition, sending more chills over my body.

 

I felt the clippers being slowly moved over my head, from the back to the front, over the center part.

 

My eyes caught the long stranges come falling passed my eyes into the cape of hair.

 

I smiled again as I looked at Dan, who was now had a somewhat confusion look on his face. He started to mouth something.

 

But, I just smiled and winked at him.

 

As I looked at him, still trying to mouth something to me, I felt the clippers moving forward and the clipping sound changed to a humming sound as more hair came floating passed my eyes.

 

I blinked and looked in the mirror, behind where Dan was sitting, just as the third pass came forward sending another pile of my hair floated pass my eyes, wide open eyes, surprised eye.

 

I blinked, again, and my eyes saw what Dan’s eyes saw.

 

Miss Jean had stepped to the left side of the barber chair and pushing the clippers upward in front of my left ear.

She had clippered my hair without any attachment. With the last behind my left ear, I saw nothing but skin.

 

Her fingertips brushed over the left side of my head as she walked behind the barber chair to the right side.

 

Her right hand brushed the hair on the right side of my head forward. Her left hand brought the humming, the singing clippers to the back of my head and slowly began clippering my hair to the skin.

 

I watched as my hair floated into my caped lap, with all the other clippings. I shivered as it fell limp.

 

I looked for the neck clipping to come forward, as I looked in disbelief at my face, my head.

 

But, as she began the last forward pass over my head, I felt a strange felling come across me.

 

I looked in the mirror. I glanced down at Dan, his look was wondering,

 

I smiled.

 

I winked.

 

I mouthed to him, “QUIET”.

 

He looked at questingly. I mouthed again, “QUIET”.

He just sat back and slightly shook his head, as if he understood.

 

Miss Jean began pushing the clippers behind my right ear, then in front of my right ear.

 

The clippers became silent and she hung it under the shelf.

 

I watched as her right hand reached to the sink and turn on the hot water, as her left hand tossed another large white towel into the sink of running warm water.

 

She turned and stepped to the right side of the barber chair. Reaching over me, she took hold of the cape and gathered it together.

 

She turned and reached under the shelf and put the gathered cape in it.

 

Ringing the large warm towel she turned and slowly flowed around my clippered head. After a few minutes she began rubbing my head with it.

 

She tossed it back into the sink of running warm water.

 

Then, the sound I just heard a time earlier, as Dan sat in this same barber chair, caught my attention, Dan’s attention.

 

We looked at each other. We knew what Miss Jean was going to do.

 

“I was NOT going to get a flattop,” my mind told me, as did Dan’s face.

 

Standing behind the barber chair she began lathering my head, with the warm shaving lather.

 

Another shiver came across my body. A shiver with pleasure, with wanting.

 

I uncrossed my legs and re-crossed them and stuck the outward. I smiled at Dan.

 

He sat back and watched, as I had watched as he got his head shaved.

 

My head fully lathered, Miss Jean began stropping her straight razor. My eyes watched.

 

As she raised the sharpened blade to my forehead, Dan sat up. I turned my head to the mirror.

 

I felt the sharp blade began shaving over my forehead.

 

I took another deep breath and let it out as she began a second shaving.

 

With the right side of my head shaved, Miss Jean stepped behind the barber chair.

 

Just as she tilted my head downward, I noticed Dan smiling, shaking his head in disbelief.

 

Miss Jean shaved downward, from the top of my head to the hair line and a little passed.

 

I started feeling things I had never felt before. I felt small burst of shivers, causing my small body to shake.

 

Miss Jean patted me on the left shoulder with her left hand.

 

The back of my head shaved, like the right side of my head, my mind was looking forward to the left side being shaved.

 

Miss Jean continued shaving my head slowly, which cause my body to shiver with each downward shaving.

 

Not once did she look at me, nor say anything.

 

With the last downward shavings, I felt coolness over my head, my hairless, shaved head.

 

I looked at Dan, she was shaking his head in disbelief.

 

But, he was smiling as he brushed his fingers over his shaven head.

 

I smile and brought my right hand up to the right side of my head. I slowly brushed it over the shaving.

 

My body kind of moved with pleasure. Pleasure I had never felt, never know I had.

 

She wiped the excess shaving lather from my head with a warm towel. Pulling the large white towel from my blouse, she wiped my head again.

 

Lowering the barber chair she dusted sweet smelling powder over my head and face.

 

When it stopped, I sat brushing my finger tips over my shaven head. I smiled as Dan got up and stepped to the barber chair.

 

“Here,” Miss Jean’s voice said, as she pulled the cape from the brown bag. “You might want to have this ….!”

 

We looked in the paper bag, it contained all my long hair she clipper off my head.

 

I started to toss it in the basket but Dan whispered, “Keep it”.

 

We told Miss Jean “bye” and began walking the five blocks home. Home to mom, dad.

 

Dan and I looked at each other.

 

“What do you think mom is going to say,” I asked him.

 

He stopped, I stopped.

 

“I think Miss Jean,” he began telling me. “I think Miss Jean had better have a great lawyer.”

 

I shook in agreement and we continued walking.

 

Reaching the house, we stopped and looked at each other. Dan gave me a brotherly kiss on the right cheek, as I opened the front door.

 

We stepped in and closed the door and Dan called to mom.

 

“In the kitchen sweethearts,” she replied. “Fixing lunch.

 

“Dad will be coming home for lunch in a few minutes.”

 

We stopped and I said, “We forgot about dad!”

 

“He might get upset,” Dan told me. “But, mom!”

 

“I’ll go in first,” he told me as we took slow steps to the kitchen. “You wait a minute and walking.”

 

He pushed the door open and stepped in but I quickly stepped in behind him.

 

We stood there, waiting for mom to look at us.

 

She turned to us and looked. Slowly she walked to us, smiling.

 

Standing looking at us, she reached and brushed her fingers over Dan’s shaven head and smiled.

 

She turned to me, smiled, “You look beautiful.”

 

She turned and began walking to the stove, “Your dad is coming home for lunch.”

 

Dan and I stood there looking at each other, wondering what mom had told us, what she did.

 

We started to sit at the kitchen table.

 

“NO,” mom said as she pointed the pan with broiled pork chops to the door. “We will have lunch in the dinning room.”

 

We followed her and the table was set, as if we were have a fine dinner.

 

“I’m home,” dad voice told us he was home.

 

He walked into the dinning room and stood there looking at us.

 

He walked to us. He felt Dan’s head. He kissed my head, “Smooth!”

 

We looked at each other again.

 

Dad placed two packages on the on the small table behind where he sat.

 

We sat eating, looking at each other. Looking at dad and mom.

 

Finished Dan and I started to pick up the plates, when dad said, “Just a second.”

 

He reached for the two packages and handed one to each of us.

 

We looked at him, at mom. Each other, wondering!

 

Slowly we undid the tape and unwrapped the package, which contained a box.

 

We slowly opened the box.

 

Then, we quickly looked at each other, then dad and mom.

 

Dad had pulled his chair close to mom.

 

The boxes contained a new safety razor, a few packs of blades, and five cans of shaving cream.

 

“We got them for you,” mom began. “You will need them so you can KEEP your heads shaved for the next two years!”

 

“Dan,” dad spoke up. “I found out NONE of your friends are shaving their head this summer.”

 

“As for you, CONNIE,” mom said as she reached over and ran her fingers over my shaven head.

 

“Looking at you ……

 

“Maybe I should have let you get the flattop when you first asked me.

 

“But, after the game you and your brother played the last few months.

 

“When I spoke with Miss Jean, I told her to give you the flattop.

 

“But, after talking with her, thinking about it ……

 

“As I was walking out her barber shop, I stopped and told her …..

 

“SHAVE HER HEAD ….

 

“If she sits in your chair, shave her head. Even if says she wants a trim.”

 

“FLIGHT 2854 from Atlanta is deplaning at Gate three Concord A – section three”, the announcement came.

 

I walked to Concord A and waited. After a few minutes I saw Dan.

 

“Hi sis,” he called to me as I walked towards him.

 

“Where’s Mary Jean and the children?” asked him as we walked to get his luggage.

 

“They well be coming Saturday,” he said. “Mary Jean had to finish up some paper work at work.

 

“And, the girls had a birthday party to go to.

 

“Dan junior …… He said he had something to talk to “mom” about.”

 

Bags loaded in my car we headed off.

 

“Want to make a quick stop,” I told him. “Mom said dinner will be ready when we get there.

 

“You’re planning to stay there?”

 

“Dad called and said he fixed up the bedrooms.

 

“And, you …?”

 

“You know who could not make it,” I told him. “I don’t think he will be coming any way.

 

“And, that is great with me.”

 

“Problems,” Dan asked.

 

“The cow cut off the milk three months ago,” I told him

 

“Hope he got the point and is packed and gone, when I get home.

 

“Yes, dad told me my bedroom was ready.”

 

“Here we are,” I told him.

 

“Miss Jean’s Barber Shop,” he said as we looked at each other.

 

“Its been seven years …..”

 

“Thought we would stop by and say “hi”,” I told him as we got out the car.

 

Dan opened the door and we walked in.

 

Miss Jean was cutting Mr. William’s hair.

 

“HI, Miss Jean,” we said together.

 

She turned, “Connie, Daniel.”

 

“Let me finish Mr. Williams”, she said pointing to the waiting chair.

 

Mr. William paid and left, “Dan, tell your dad I will call him about going fishing next week.”

 

We stood up as Miss Jean walked up.

 

“It’s MRS. Stanly,” she told us, showing us her rings. “Three years in two months

 

“And, twins, boy and girl.”

 

We gave her a hug and congregated her.

 

“So, you home for good.” she asked.

 

“Got transferred to the office in Madison,” Dan told her.

 

“Connie,” she asked me.

 

“Got an interview in two weeks,” I started telling both of them. “If I get the job, I will moving back.

 

“I will be an agent with National Realtors at their Harvey office.”

 

“Your parents will be glad,” she said. “They keep talking about how much they miss you, and your family Dan.”

 

“Well, we’ll be looking for a barber.” Dan said. “Mary Jane and the girls have short Pixie and Dan junior ……

 

“Flattop like dad.”

 

“Connie,” she inquired.

 

I stood there looking at her then Dan.

 

“Last time I got a great hair cut,” I began. “Was when I was twelve.”

 

I sat in her barber chair, “This time brother, I will be first!”

 

Dan smiled and stepped back and sat in the waiting chair in front of the barber chair.

 

Miss Jean smiled and walked behind the barber chair.

 

CLICK …..

 

“Same hair cut for both of you, like you got back then …..?”

 

 

The End               By JimB        ©opyright  October 2018

 

One response to “I want a Flattop …..

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