Snagg
“Are we going to a costume party?” Nick asked, pointing to the three monks’ robes that Tom had bought that morning and that were now lying on their hotel bed.
Tom grinned. “I’d rather call it a spiritual retreat.”
Both men were in their early 30s, well-built, remarkably tattooed, and had shaved heads. They packed the last items into their suitcases and checked out of the hotel. They picked up their pre-booked rental car and left Thessaloniki.
About three hours later, Tom parked the car in front of a hotel in Kalambaka.
“What are we doing here in the mountains?” Nick wondered. “When you suggested we travel to Greece, I thought we’d be lying on a beach on some island.”
“There are lots of monasteries up there on the rocks.”
“Monasteries? Is this some kind of pilgrimage?”
“I just want to visit one monastery,” Tom said as he took his backpack out of the trunk. “Let’s check in. We need to hurry up a bit. It gets dark early this time of year, and I want to be at the monastery by nightfall at the latest.”
“I want us to get a fresh head shave before we set off,” Tom said once they were in their room. “And we should stop somewhere to pick up some takeout. We won’t be here for dinner.”
One hour later, they left the room wearing outdoor clothes and carrying backpacks that Tom had packed while Nick was taking an anal douche.
At the reception desk, Tom picked up an envelope that had been left for him.
“What’s inside?” Nick asked as they sat in the car.
Tom tossed the envelope into Nick’s lap. “Open it!”
Nick tore the envelope open. “A bunch of keys?”
“The keys to our anniversary gift.”
Tom started the car. “You didn’t think I’d think of that, did you?”
Tom parked the car in a parking lot behind the next village. “We’ll have to walk from here.”
“How far is it?”
“Georgios said about an hour.”
“An hour? And more importantly, who is Georgios?”
They got out of the car.
“Georgios is a local guide. He got us the keys, and he’s also our date tonight.”
“So the third robe is for him?”
“Sharp deduction, Sherlock Holmes!”
The last part of the path consisted of steps that led to a door set into the rocks.
“There aren’t any monks here anymore,” Tom explained as he inserted one of the keys into the lock. “And typical tourists are more interested in the better-known and more accessible monasteries.”
The door swung open, and they entered the monastery, which consisted of several large and small buildings squeezed high up against the cliffs.
They sat down on a stone bench, looked down into the valley, and ate their packed dinner in the last light of day.
Tom then used a flashlight to find the key to the chapel. “Time to get changed and prepare for our novice’s induction ceremony.”
Nick lit candles all over the chapel, while Tom walked around with incense. Then they undressed completely and slipped on their dark brown robes. Tom placed the third robe on the altar. Then he handed Nick a small bag. “Put this under your robe. It has the shaving supplies in it.”
“Should we pull the hoods over our heads?” Nick asked.
“No, we’re monks who are proud to show off our shaved skulls. We belong to the Order of the Holy Bald Dude.”
Tom reached into his backpack and pulled out two cans of beer. “Let’s have a little of our sacramental ale!”
They sat down in the front row of pews and drank.
“By the way, I’m the abbot tonight. Call me Father Thomasios. And you’re Brother Nikolaos.”
“When we first met, you were dead set on me going by Nick instead of Nicholas because it sounded more concise and masculine. But now, all of a sudden, you want me to go back to a longer name?”
Before Tom could answer, they heard a knock.
“That must be Georgios. Go let him in!”
Nick left the chapel, crossed the courtyard, and went to the door in the rocks.
Outside stood a naked man. Nick shone the flashlight on him. The guy was half a head shorter than Nick and looked about five years older. Beneath his thick body hair, a muscular physique was visible, paired with a slight paunch. He sported a long, full beard, and his dark hair, which seemed not to have been cut in quite some time, stuck out in a tangled mess.
“What brings you, you poor soul, up here to us at this late hour?”
“I beg you, have mercy on me!” the man said in English with a strong Greek accent. “I may be a poor man, but I am also a God-fearing man who is following his vocation.”
“Brother Nikolaos, let the creature in!” Tom said, having stepped into the courtyard.
Nick pushed the guest ahead of him.
“Take him to the chapel!”
“Certainly, Father Thomasios!”
They walked past Tom and entered the chapel. Tom followed close behind them and slammed the old wooden door shut.
“Kneel down!”
The man obeyed and sank to his knees on the steps in front of the altar. Tom stood two steps higher, while Nick remained at the edge of the sanctuary.
“What’s your name?”
“Georgios.”
“Can you say it louder?”
“GEORGIOS.”
Tom crossed his arms and then asked in a gentler tone, “Why have you come, brother, falling before this holy altar and this holy brotherhood?”
Georgios replied, “Desiring the ascetic life, venerable Father.”
“Do you freely choose this life?”
“Yes, with God’s help, venerable Father.”
“Will you remain in this monastery and in obedience until your last breath?”
“Yes, with God’s help, venerable Father.”
“Will you preserve chastity, poverty, and obedience?”
“Yes, with God’s help, venerable Father.”
Tom motioned for Nick to come closer.
“Our brother Georgios will sacrifice the hair of his head in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
Georgios stared expectantly.
“Brother Nikolaos,” Tom said, “mark the novice with the sign of humility!”
Nick powered up the cordless clippers, while Georgios began to mumble what sounded like a prayer in Greek.
Nick rested one hand gently on Georgios’ shoulder and placed the clippers at the center of his forehead. Then he set the clippers in motion, and a broad strip of dark hair fell away, revealing pale scalp beneath. The blades left a clean path from Georgios’ forehead to the crown of his head.
Georgios was trembling. He stopped mumbling and let out a short laugh.
“Brother, there’s no going back now!” Tom said.
Nick continued with slow, even strokes. Each pass widened the shaved area until the top of Georgios’ head was completely bare. Locks of hair slid down and collected on the floor.
Georgios ran one hand over the remaining stubble. At that moment, he looked ridiculous, Nick thought, like a clown.
Working methodically, Nick guided the clippers over one side, then the other. The messy hair disappeared in neat rows, exposing more scalp.
Nick glanced briefly up at Tom, who was looking down at them with a stoic expression.
“Go on, Brother Nikolaos! Don’t hesitate!”
Nick tilted Georgios’ head slightly forward and shaved the back of his head. Finally, he gave the entire skull a quick once-over to make sure nothing but stubble was left behind.
Nick switched off the clippers and put them on the floor.
“We’re not done yet, brother!” he said, reaching under his robe and pulling out a can of shaving cream. “This is where it gets really smooth.”
Nick began painting the lather across Georgios’s scalp, covering his stubble in a white, even layer. Then he took a straight razor, checked the angle, and put his free hand gently on the crown to steady the head.
The first stroke was always the best, Nick thought as he let the blade glide from front to back. A clean strip of bare, polished skin appeared beneath the foam. Even though this wasn’t an unusual sight for Nick, he still thought it was hot.
Nick continued with careful, overlapping passes. Each movement erased the stubble until the entire scalp was completely smooth and uniform.
At last, he set the razor down and wiped away the remaining lather with a small towel.
“Done.”
Georgios rubbed his head. His expression revealed a mixture of disbelief and fascination.
“May your shaved head serve as a visible sign of your commitment,” Tom said.
He then told Georgios to stand up so he could put the monk’s robe on him.
“Brother Georgios, I notice that chastity is still causing you some trouble,” Tom said, pointing to the novice’s erect penis before it was covered by the robe.
Georgios fell to his knees again, took Tom’s hands, and kissed them. “I beg your forgiveness, venerable Father!”
“Rise, Brother! You will be allowed one last time to indulge your carnal desires! Our dear brother Nikolaos will be generous enough to let you penetrate him.”
Around midnight, they left the monastery. Nick and Tom were back in their outdoor clothes, and Georgios was wearing his everyday clothes, which he had left in a bag near the entrance.
Georgios led them down through the darkness back to the parking lot.
“Are you only staying for this one night?” Georgios asked before they got into their car.
Tom shook his head. “We’re staying for two nights.”
“Then I’d be happy to be your guide tomorrow and show you more of the monasteries.”
“The monastery on the rock over there was used in the James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only,” Georgios said.
It was late the next morning. They had gotten out of the car and were standing in a meadow near the road.
“Why are you hiding your freshly shaved head under a baseball cap?” Tom asked. “Are you afraid of how people will react?”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Aren’t there any other men with shaved heads down there in Kalambaka?”
“Sure, there are several.”
“Then just be one of them!” Tom said, taking the cap off Georgios’s head and pressing it into his hand. “Stand by your own look, bro! You don’t have to tell anyone about your religious practices, but these days, a guy with a shaved head doesn’t bother anyone anymore.”
When they said goodbye later at the hotel, Tom gave Georgios the monks’ robes. “You can surely make better use of them here. We don’t have any old monasteries back home.”
“There may be many monasteries here, but it’s hard to find a lover, let alone someone who’s open to my kink.”
Tom patted Georgios on the back. “I’m sure we’re not the only guys visiting Greece who are up for something special.”
The next day, Nick and Tom left Kalambaka and headed toward the coast to spend the rest of their vacation on an island.
(If you want to read more about Nick and Tom, check out the stories “Nicholas becomes Nick” and “Nick’s friends get their mop cut.”)
