My First Trip to the Barber Shop

My First Trip to the Barber Shop

By JimB (C)opyright April 2000

It was an unusually hot April the year I turned twelve.

At our school we wore short sleeved summer shirt and school flannel shorts from the end of March.

It was the April eighth, my birthday.

Instead of my mom coming to collect me my friend’s mom was coming to get us.

I had no idea why, as she usually didn’t come and pick us up. 

I thought this was great chance to get a ride in their Mercedes.

We missed the turn off to get to our houses.  I asked where we were going?

She said, “We are going your birthday treat.”

We eventually arrived at the Burger Bar and we both had the ultimate burger and a shake.

It was getting close to five o’clock and time to go.  I turned to go towards where the car park, when I was told we were stopping off at another shop first. 

That shop was the town’s barber.

The red and white pole was turning and the barber shop appeared empty.

I asked why we were going the barber shop and  Mark’s mom said, “You are getting for a hair cut.”

I hated having my hair cut in fact.

I had managed to dodge the last three hair cuts.

It was the early eighties we all had long “mop tops hair”.

I had only got my hair trimmed at the hair salon my mom went to.

My first thought was to run.

But, for some reason I simply followed went in the barber shop. 

It turned out the barber shop was owned by Mark’s cousins Jim and Jen.

Jim was in the barber chair when we arrived, having his head shaved by Jen.

They were both in their early twenties.

Apparently, Jim was enjoying his head shaving. 

He looked at us from the mirror and told sit in his barber chair.

I was told to get in Jen’s Barber chair, when she finished shaving his head

Mark asked us to jump up on the two remaining 

seats.  We did what he told us. 

Jen finally finished shaving his head and had Jim uncapped. 

“So, it’s the summer buzz for both of you!” Jim said. 

Mark’s mom said “Right into the skin.” 

I began to panic as Jen caped me.  I had never been to a barber shop and I never sat in a barber chair.

I became fidgety as Jen began brushing out my hair..

Jen left the room to go and get us a soft drinks. 

Jim picked up his attachmentless clippers and they hummed into life.

He paused and asked Mark,  “Asking him if he was ready.” 

Mark nodded “yes”.

Jim pushed his head back and started pushing the attachmentless clippers right down the middle of his head.

It was then I realized we were getting a adtchmentless clipper buzz cut.

Three passes later and Mark had just a hint of hair on top of his head. 

Jen returned and approached the barber chair I was sitting in and reached for her attachmentless clippers and placed the attachmentless clippers at the back of my head and said, “Here we go.”

As I sat staring in the mirror she made her first pass right up the middle of my head, pushing hair 

to the forward and the first clippered hairs fell in my lap.

I knew my white blond locks were doomed.

Pass after pass  my head became less and lesser.

I couldn’t believe how short my hair was!

I looked bald. 

Then, came the sides she pushed my head first to the right then to the left. 

Finally, the hair at the back of my head.

I looked in the mirror as the attachmentless clipper stopped.

I had a skinhead hair cut.

She asked, “if I ever had my head shaved!”

I nodded “NO”.

“I am going give you a smooth head shaving,” Jen told me. 

At first I hated my mom for not telling me Mark’s mom was going to pick us up.

I hated my mom for not telling Mark’s mom was going to take me to a barber shop for a hair cut.

Weeks latter Jen came to our house for the next two years an shaved my head with each visit. 

When I was thirteen I was told it was up to me if I wanted to grow my hair out.

At first I did I did.

Then, on the first day of the summer I turned up at the barber shop.

I saw Jen and didn’t recognize her.

She smiled.

Her shoulder blonde hair was shaved off.  She looked great. 

I asked her to shave my head smooth and she began moving the attachmentless clippers over my head.

Sh spreading the lather on my head and she started shaving my head smooth.

A hair cut I kept all summer before I grew it out. 

Was this the last shave I had ?

Perhaps yes, perhaps no………………. 

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