Pam had been living with me for the past month. She had a falling out with her mother over her decision to shave her head. But it wasn’t her decision. Our relationship was built because Pam decided to go bald.
Once she got her head shaved by me, she was in it for the long haul. She liked it when I did it over and over again.
For the past four Sundays, Pam and I would wake up and I would shave her head again. The growth of hair for just one week was very little, almost negligible. But I liked running my clippers over her head and she liked to get her head shaved.
Pam worked at a food chain and had to work on Sundays. This Sunday, I didn’t wake up as I was up late last night.
Pam went to her job without getting her shaved on the Sunday for the first time in more than a month.
“Has his passion for my shaved head run out? Should I grow my hair back again? What if I don’t want to?”, Pam wondered while working at her job.
While coming back from work, Pam had decided to confront me. She wanted to tell me that I hurt her feelings by not waking up this morning. She fears the passion for her shaved head might have fizzed out for me. Pam had made a big sacrifice for me by allowing me to shave her head. And more importantly, the reason Pam got her head shaved was to prove her loyalty towards my plan for revenge. But I hadn’t mentioned anything about Sandy and how do I plan to get her.
“Every Sunday I look forward to it. In fact, I look forward to it a couple of days before when the wig starts to itch.” Said Pam.
“I was up today morning. I didn’t want to do it.” “Why? Are you bored of me? Am I ugly to you now?”
“I didn’t want to do it in the morning”, I said. “It’s time. I had been planning. You do remember why I shaved your head, don’t you? I want this relationship with you and I need to move on. I need my revenge. Tomorrow morning onwards, we turn a new leaf in our lives, one where we live with the satisfaction of having given her what she deserves.”
“What’s the plan?” asked Pam with a smirk on her face. “Here’s the address.” I said as I handed her a note. “From tomorrow onwards, you won’t need a wig. It won’t itch and I will fucking shave your head as many times as we want and as much as we want.” I told Pam as I had my hands wrapped on her face. I kissed her and she kissed me back. “Let’s do this.” She said.
Pam went to the address. “She will be there any minute.” I told her through the earpiece.
“Hey Pam! Oh my God, I can’t believe its you. How long has it been? What are you doing here?” asked Sandy as she noticed Pam from afar.
“Wow! Five years. It has been five years. You haven’t changed a bit. Look at you! Your hair, still as flawless, shiny and long as ever.” Said Pam.
“Yeah! But I have been meaning to cut quite a chunk of it, like four five inches.”
“Really? Doesn’t sound like you.”
“My stylist says for the long term it would be best if I would suck it up and do it.”
“Oh my God! We have so much to talk about except hair. Why don’t you come to the salon I go to? You know what, you can see I have grown my hair out. Let’s get matching haircuts today. What do you say?” said Pam as she flaunted her wig.
“Yes! Your hair does look longer and shinier since I last met you. But you know, I am not very comfortable changing my stylist.”
“Oh! come on. You just said my hair looks so much better. It’s all because of my stylist. Maybe you won’t need to cut a chunk of your hair. Just see him. You know what, I will make a night appointment just so it would be us there and we won’t put you on the spot.” Pam said, saying just as I explained it to her. “Go on. Cancel all your plans. We paint the town red and then we get our matching haircuts.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Said Sandy as she committed to Pam’s plans. She still saw the friend from five years ago. She just didn’t realize how making her feel bad about herself would affect Pam after all these years.
Back at my salon, I closed it early for regular customers as I awaited Pam and Sandy to walk through any time now. Pam and Sandy arrived as it had gotten dark and they were a little intoxicated. Pam used the good old trick of getting your friends drunk while maintaining your own consciousness. I had told Pam not to get Sandy too drunk as I wanted her to remember this night forever.
As Sandy pushed the door of the salon, I appeared. “What are you doing here? You’re Pam’s stylist?” asked Sandy as Pam put a cloth with chloroform over Sandy’s face.
Sandy opened her eyes as she saw the darkness of the night. It was dark out there and the clock struck 1 AM. A couple of lights in the salon were on but they were insufficient against the darkness of the night.
Sandy tried to get up from her chair when she realized that she is tied up. The salon chair had straps which locked up both of Sandy’s arms and legs.
“We got this specially made for you.” Said Pam as she came and sat in the adjacent twirling chair but sat face to face with Sandy.
“What is going on? Asked Sandy as she got teary eyed.
“Today is the day of your reckoning. That’s all you need to know.”
“It’s him. Isn’t he? I don’t know what he told you, Pam and I have no idea why on earth would you help him with this. I broke his heart. But I didn’t love him. I never could. Love is just dumb luck. It doesn’t happen for a lot of people. Does everyone go around abducting people? Get me out of here, Pam.”
“Actually, its both of us. Not just him. You see I wanted to get something for your neck as well because I know how much you will resist. But he said that it might cause troubles with the process.”
“What process? HELP! HELP!” shouted Sandy.
“You came through the door on your own free will. You know nobody can hear you.” I said as I appeared in front of Sandy.
“Listen to me carefully.” I said as I clenched her jaw with my hand. “This is not an abduction. This is to help you. You see, you have a problem with keeping your promises and your commitment. Today is just a lesson you need and will never forget. You will be free before sunrise after you complete your promise.” I said.
“What promise?” Sandy asked frighteningly.
Pam pulled the wig off her head and revealed her shaved head to Sandy. It dawned upon Sandy what she had promised Pam in the evening.
“No! Please no.” cried Sandy.
“Looks like she wants you to go first, Pam.” I said as we both laughed. “Gladly.” Pam replied.
“You see Sandy, ever since Pam and I got together…” I said as I kissed Pam in front of Sandy, “…I have been shaving her head every Sunday. Today, she asked if you could join and I had no problems. I AM HER STYLIST.”
Sandy started sobbing. “Look at me.” I said. “Look at me.” I raised my voice which shut Sandy up.
“I can make it very difficult for you. Or you may just consider this a bad dream and cooperate. As you can see, I do have help.” I said, as I pointed at Pam. “Now watch your friend get a haircut as you promised. It’s just a lesson in keeping promises, remember?” I said.
Sandy looked up as her tears made her vision blurry.
I put the cape around Pam as she smiled and smirked at Sandy. Sandy looked back in disgust while still trying to pull the straps which tied her, but to no avail.
I picked up the clippers and turned them on. The sound of the clippers made Sandy cry again. I pushed Pam’s head down and started from the back to the top of her head. I kept on dragging the clippers up the back of her head as tiny pieces of hair fell on the cape. I finished the back of Pam’s head and pushed her head to her left to work on the right side of her head. Then I pushed her head to the other side. I pushed her with such force. I almost hurt her. Adrenaline was running through my veins as I got too excited. The side and back of Pam’s head were shaved again. Small pieces of hair were all over the cape. Now only the top of Pam’s head was left with hair. I gently pulled Pam’s head up by putting my hand under her chin so she could look right at Sandy as Pam got the last of her hair shaved. Pam and Sandy stared at each other. Sandy was done crying and was staring right back at Pam as I pushed the clippers from the front of her head to the back over and over again until Pam was completely bald.
“It’s not over yet, Sandy.” Said Pam. I picked up the shaving foam and put shaving foam all over Pam’s head and levelled the entire foam to cover all of Pam’s head.
“You see, Sandy. When it’s your turn for the shave, you don’t want to move much. The clippers are protective and might not cut as much if you move your head. This razor on the other hand, will cut deep and will cut often if you move.” I said.
“Don’t do this. Please don’t. I don’t know what you have put inside my friend’s head but I don’t want this. I hate to even get a trim. I never imagine my hair short. I make sure my hair remains healthy…”
“Shut up!” shouted Pam.
“Calm down.” I told her as I begin scrapping the foam of her head with razor. “You know you can’t move.”
I focused my attention to Pam’s head and shaving it. I pushed her head down and started shaving the back of her head as I talked to Sandy.
“It doesn’t matter what you want, Sandy. It didn’t matter to you what we wanted. The hatred for you got us closer.” I said as I finished the back of her head and moved to the left side of her head.
I looked at Pam’s head and continued to shave it as I talked further, “And as for Pam. I didn’t put anything inside her head. Unlike you she has free will and she chose this.”
I pushed Pam’s head to the other side and changed my position besides Pam. Pam had her eyes closed the whole time as she usually did during the razor shave. I continued talking to Sandy, “Let me be clear that I will not be putting you under with chloroform for the shave. It is important that you feel it all.”
“Ah! Just the top of the head left.” I said.
“It stings but I love it.” Said Pam.
Pam again looked right at Sandy again. This time her eyes weren’t closed. I stood right behind Pam and said to Sandy, “You have given people some mental pains and this is how you pay up. Just like this razor, words too cut deep. We don’t mean you any physical harm just like you didn’t. What we want is for you to have the pain of having taken away something you love. When you grow your hair back again. It would be at the same pace as it would take the mental pains to heal. Then we’ll call it even. Any physical injury due to excessive movement will be on you.”
With those words, I started shaving the top of Pam’s head. At this time, it was the quietest it has been. Nobody said anything and the silence of the night amplified the round of the razor scrapping the foam off of Pam’s head.
Pam’s head shave was done and I removed her cape. Pam and I shared a passionate kiss as Sandy sat tied up in front of us. “Shall we?” I asked Pam as she nodded her head.
“Look at me.” Said Pam to Sandy but she would continue to look the other way. “LOOK AT ME.” This time Pam raised her voice and Sandy listened.
“Look at my head, Sandy. I don’t need hair to have love. I don’t need hair to be attractive. All those years you gloated and considered yourself superior, and for what. You were never a friend to me. But believe it or not, I was a friend to you. If you don’t want to take my advice then don’t, but listen to the friend of your past. Do not move. Let it all happen to you. You are about to realize how futile your hair is.”
“I won’t move.” Sandy said. Pam turned back with a smile on her face. “Hey Pam! You’re hideous. And I am not talking about your hair.”
Pam gave her a look and turned back again to disappear into the darkness.
“This is the last time you ever saw her. Those were the last words you said to her. Who’s hideous again? She looks perfect to me.” I said.
“No cape for you. This isn’t just a haircut. This, as she said, is your reckoning.” I said as I sprayed water and combed her hair out. “It will be a little different for you, you see, because of all the hair. It reminds me of the time I cut Pam’s hair when they were long. You don’t realize how much hair you have until its all on the floor. Pam’s mid length hair looked like a sea of hair. I wonder what the end result of your haircut would be.”
Sandy started crying as I combed her long dark black shiny hair. The water straightened her hair as it went past the seat of the chair.
I partitioned her long hair into sections of top, sides and back. Each partition had so much hair they could fill up the entire head, that’s how thick Sandy’s hair were.
“Generally, you want to cut hair in stages. You know, cut them shorter first, especially when they are this long. But I will take your hair right from the roots. I got to do justice to this extraordinary length of hair you have.” I said as I pushed Sandy’s head down forcibly. She kept her head down but I still kept my left hand on top of her head to push it down while I grabbed the clippers and turned them on.
Sandy started crying as she heard the sound of clippers. Her sobbing increased as the first strand of hair left her head as I pushed the clippers upward on the back of her head. I kept on going from bottom to top on various places by putting the clippers on her head. The enormous amount of hair fell on Sandy’s shoulder as she continued to cry.
I pushed her head back up so she could look into the mirror. “See. It’s like nothing happened. All the hair has fallen from your back.” I said. “Let’s change that.” I said as I pushed her head to the right and started shaving her long dark shiny hair. The hair looked lifeless and less shiny as they fell on Sandy’s lap. I continued to shave the side of her head. I went to work on the other side of her head as Sandy pulled her hands frantically in order to break free.
“STOP IT! STOP IT!” she shouted as she realized what I had done to her. She pushed her head back up but I pushed it right back to finish shaving all her hair off of her sides.
“Years and years of hair growth is gone within minutes. Pam did say how futile it is. It is because she knows. She has experienced the exact same thing you have. Of losing all those hair in a matter of minutes. But unlike you, she enjoyed it. She let that symbol of social identity and so-called beauty go. She knew love doesn’t need hair. Love, my love, is unconditional. Something you could’ve had. But not anymore.” I replied.
I untied the hair on top of her head. The hair on top of her head went all the way back up until her back. She was left with a mohawk. I pushed her head right back up as she stared into the mirror. I turned the clippers back on again and removed the hair stuck on it and threw them in Sandy’s lap. I put the clippers on top of her forehead as she looked into the mirror. She started to cry again as I pushed the clippers back to the top of her head leaving a wide area of her head shaved in the middle. I continued to work on the top of her head as Sandy cried the loudest she cried throughout the process. It was the first time she wasn’t just feeling it but she actually saw her hair separated from her head. The hair that fell on her shoulder, laps and face weren’t shining anymore. But it was an enormous pile, as big as anyone would see.
I turned the clippers off as I was done with each and every strand of hair left on Sandy’s head. I had pushed the clippers hard and repeatedly to make sure nothing but roots were left on her head.
I put aside the clippers and sat down to see the results of what I had done. I waited for Sandy to cry out. She went on to sob for another half hour before she calmed down. It was as if she was grieving her fallen hair. Reality had dawned upon her that she no longer had her flawless hair, something she considered to be her biggest pain and her biggest happiness, just like she was to me.
I stood back up as Sandy had calmed down. I pushed her head back up again. She no longer resisted or was pulling the straps that tied her down. I put shaving foam all over her head and leveled it. “You earlier heard Pam’s last words for you. Now these are mine: When you lose something, you considered your greatest pain and your greatest happiness, all you can think about is the times they gave you happiness. You forget the pain they caused and you just want them back for the happiness they gave you. Now you will only move your head when I move your head. The promise of the same haircut as Pam was forced upon you. The promise to not move during the shave was made by you. About time you start keeping your promises.”
I changed the blade in the razor as started shaving her head. This time I started from the top of her head. I scrapped the foam from the side of her head. Every time I moved her head, she didn’t resist. Lastly, I pushed her head down and continued to shave the back of her head slowly till the last of shaving foam was taken off her head. Sandy and I didn’t say a word to each other during all of this. After I was done, she continued to keep her head down.
I put chloroform filled cloth on her face as I put her out. She didn’t resist. I untied Sandy as she sat unconscious on the chair. As I stood in front of Sandy, she sat there with her eyes closed. All her hair was all around her but her head. There was hair on the floor behind and the adjacent sides of the chair. A large chunk of her hair lay on her lap. Her hair was so long, some didn’t even fall off her shoulder. I collected all the hair and put it in a bag. I made sure not to leave any strand of her hair behind. I turned off the video camera that had been running and took it with me leaving Sandy behind unconscious.
As Sandy woke up, it was morning. She pulled her hand forcibly, only to realize she wasn’t tied up and I wasn’t there anymore. She stood up and walked up to the mirror. Sandy took her hands and put them on top of her shaved head. She dragged her hands all the way to the back of her head as she felt the roughness of the roots of her hair. The expression on her face didn’t change.
Sandy realized all her hair was gone, not just from her head but the salon as well. She realized she was free to go.
She went for her purse and whipped out her phone. She texted Pam and left the salon while repeatedly running her hand through her shaved head.
“Let’s go.” I said to Pam as I pulled our bags on the airport. Pam read the text by Sandy and threw her phone in the dustbin as the text read, “All the very best.”
