Lira1802
I don’t know why my grandma insists on leaving me and my brother Charlie with our uncle Nemo every weekend. My grandmother has custody of us kids ever since our mom got a job overseas. She watches us everyday, except for the weekend. As soon as Saturday’s sun dawns, my granny loads my brother and I into her station wagon and drives us to the next town over.
Uncle Nemo was indifferent to the whole arrangement. He would only smile and wave to us as we walked up to the house. He was a lengthy man, always in a plaid shirt and jeans, and he would always tell me and Charlie to take off our shoes before going inside. His place was impeccable, nothing was on the ground or out of place.
Us kids had only one room to share. It was as neat and tidy as the rest of the house. If Charlie or I made a mess anywhere in the house, even if it was a tiny mess, uncle Nemo would force us to clean our room until he was satisfied. It was grueling work and I hated to be at uncle Nemo’s house but where else could I go. I dare not to run back to grandma’s for if I did, she would just drive me back there.
On one Sunday morning, uncle Nemo was as indifferent as usual when he sat with us kids and said,”We’re going to the barbershop today and both of y’all are getting a haircut”
I protested the plan but uncle Nemo didn’t care. Somehow, he managed to load me and my brother into his car and drive us to a barbershop in his neck of the woods. It was an older place. Uncle Nemo ushered us into the establishment and prodded Charlie into the barber chair.
”What are we doing today?”the barber asked, flipping a striped cape over Charlie’s body.
”Give a buzz all around”,uncle Nemo requested.
The request was very radical. Charlie had fairly long, brown hair and now, the barber began to buzz it all off with his clippers. When he was done, Charlie had barely an inch of hair on his head. Uncle Nemo rubbed his nephew’s head and nodded, allowing the boy to be released from the chair.
Now I was on the chopping block. My uncle told me to sit in the chair and I obediently did. In it, the barber pinned up my long, brown hair and caped me up. The cape secured, the pins came out of my hair and my hair fell down to my breast.
”What’ll we do for the girl?”inquired the barber.
”Same as the boy”,uncle Nemo nodded.
”But I’m a girl”,I cried.
”I don’t care”,uncle Nemo rebuked me,”You’re both the same to me. Now, please”
With no way out that I could see, I sat silently in the barber’s chair as the man started to buzz up the nape of my neck. I could feel my hair being sheared away at a faster and faster rate. When I looked in the mirror, I felt sick. Everything that made me a girl was gone. The long locks of a girl’s head was replaced by the short, erect bristles of a boy’s buzz cut. I wanted to cry but I just couldn’t. The shock hadn’t left me.
Officially buzzed to barely an inch of hair, Charlie and I were taken to our grandma’s house. When we arrived on her doorstep and she opened the door, our grandma’s eyes opened up in surprise.
”Well, you surely gave them a good haircut for the coming months”,she told uncle Nemo, rubbing my and Charlie’s stubbly scalps tenderly,”I quite like it. I expect them to get this haircut when their hair grows back”
Good start but needs a little more content,
Still a good read thanks 🙂
It is arbitrary and unconditional. I like the form and contents. The author has a good mind.