A Busy Day at Master Barber's Busy Barber Shop (Part 7)

Soon Alcee’s bum was in the chair and Bella stood there ensuring she did not get up again before Imee secured her right hand and left leg by handcuffing  them to the chair just like Asian Boy was handcuffed before her.

“Now keep your mouth shut and wait your turn girl” yelled Imee at Alcee who was destined for Juvenile Lockup before turning to Bella and saying with a smile on her face “thanks for your help baby, I can’t wait to run my clippers through your mop of hair one day”

Bella smiled and quietly walked back to the waiting area and sat next to the female police officer again, she looked her in the face with a smile and said “Madam she’s all secured to chair Madam”.

The female police officer was chatting with Master Barber (Sir), when they both looked at Bella and said “good work boofy head mop” before Sir walked back towards the Asian girl with long and thick black hair touching her waist at the back and a fringe covering her face and touching her nose and handcuffed to the red barbers chair that Shirin had just been shorn in.

Imee then went to the barber’s chair where Asian Girl was handcuffed waiting her turn to be shorn and started to pull her long black tresses of hair out from under the cape before saying “she’s ready to shorn sir” na siya ay para sa kanyang buhok na ginupitan guinoo, to master barber.

Master barber looked at the female police officer and said with a loud voice” I will just take it all off …. Regulation Juvenile Lockup Haircut for this one too madam”.

“Sir … Yes Can ….Sir….please, same for all four of them" responded the female police officer with a smile on her face. "

“Suddenly, he looked at Alcee and said “keep your mouth shut and wait your turn girl” as he approached his workbench where he picked up his Joewell M2 Series professional Shears with Offset Handle (Professional Barbers scissors) and walked back behind Asian Girl.  With one hand he tilted her head firmly back towards him before taking a section of the long black tresses that covered her back and shoulders with his hand and using the Joewell M2 Series Professional Shears to cut just above her shoulders sending a mass of Asian Girls’ black hair raining down onto her lap before her very eyes covering the clean white cape.  

Bella was watching and appeared to enjoy seeing Asian Girl’s tresses rain down onto her lap and floor before her eyes. She smiled and could be heard saying “he is a good barber  ... Sir he is… is Imee as good? “to the female police officer and Imee who stood near by at the counter.

Meanwhile, four hand full’s at the back of Asian Girl’s head had covered her lap before moving to her left side and with one hand Sir tilted her head firmly towards him before taking the first of two sections thus two hand full’s of her long thick black tresses that covered her left ear and shoulders with his hand and using the Joewell M2 Series Professional Shears to cut just above her shoulders.

The female police officer smiled back at Bella and said “why do you ask if Imee is as good girl” before Bella replied with her bashful, shy look quietly not wanting Imee to hear her”well Imee said to me over there when I helped with Alcee, thanks for your help baby, I can’t wait to run my clippers through your mop of hair one day”.

The female police officer looked at Bella and with both hands hugged her before whispering into her left ear “let Imee cut that hair of yours and I will be there to oversee that  she does a good job … what do you think girl?..... Sir is busy and maybe I need a haircut too later today… what do you think Bella?”

Bella whispers back “oh yes madam if you say so but I want a really good short cut madam please”.”Bella no need to call me madam anymore, call me Stephanie that’s my name and were friends and sisters I hope for a long time” said the female officer.

Stephanie then turned to Imee and said in Filipino “Imee kung paano mo gustong upang bigyan ang Bella kanyang gupit upang Sir cut minahan? hindi ito sinasabi Ingles at sanhi ng pagkapahamak sorpresa para sa Bella, sagutin ako sa tagalong”.  Imee, how would you like to give Bella her haircut so Sir can cut mine? Do not say it in English and ruin surprise for Bella, answer me in tagalong.

Imee replied “Ginang oo ginang ko iyan upang patakbuhin ang gunting na panghalamanan sa pamamagitan ng kanyang mahabang tresses ng buhok.Nangangako ako kong gawin ang isang magandang trabaho ginang.  Ay i gumawa ng aking master barber maipagmamalaki ko” Madam yes Madam I would love to run the clippers through her long tresses of hair. I promise I will do a good job Madam and make my master barber proud of me.

“Ok, ngunit hindi sabihin kahit ano sa Bella sa ngayon” Ok, but do not say anything to Bella for now replied the female police office (Stephanie).

Master Barber (Sir) now moved to Asian Girl’s right side and repeated the same process  leaving  her with an uneven bowl  like cut just above her shoulders and sending a mass of Asian Girls’ thick black hair raining down onto her lap before her very eyes covering the clean white cape barber shop floor even more.

Bella looked at Stephanie and said “you can speak Filipino Tagalong too” “oh yes a bit here and there” Stephanie replied. 

“So what did you say to Imee?” asked Bella with a curious by shy look on her face.  Stephanie replies “I tell you later I promise”.

Soon young Asian Girl’s eyes as well as mine popped as we watched Sir walk back to his workbench once again put down his Joewell M2 Series Professional Shears and pick up his electric clippers with no guard as well as Andis Black Clipper Comb commonly used for clipper cuts or flattops or what is known in the industry as the clipper-over-comb cutting technique.  

Again this cutting technique is usually used by barbers for sides/sideburns and the bottom area of the haircut by the neck. However club cutting, free hand clippers over comb and or scissor over comb are only usually used to do away with the bulk of one’s hair by experienced or military barbers.

Master Barber then used the comb to elevate segments of Asian Girl’s hair starting at the right side and then cut by one stroke of the electric clippers which he held in his barbers’ cutting hand.

To Asian girl’s horror all she could see with the humming of the clippers as they munched through her long hair at the face of the Andis Comb inches away from her scalp was more than 25” of hair raining down onto the cape in front of her time after time.

The barber soon moved to the back of her head, tilting it forward slightly, continuing the clipper-over-comb cutting technique and within only a few minutes and no more then five strokes of the humming clippers Nrrrrrrr…….. Nrrrrrr across the face of his Andis comb.  Asian girl soon had her head down looking into the large pile of hair that had gathered in her lap and could feel the weight of her head getting lighter and lighter after each and every stroke of the clippers that he took back there.

The clippers’ stationary blade (the lower blade) is positioned so as to be parallel to the comb. This technique is ideal for cutting very short hairstyles without wasting too mush time using scissors.

Again the electric clippers went silent for a few minutes as Sir walked towards his workbench and picked up the Electric Andis Clippers, and a bottle of clipper oil, he oiled the machine before applying the 00000 - 1/125 blade on his clippers to and came back tilting her head forward again tapering the back of her head before changing the clipper blade once again to 0000 - 1/100 and creating a tight taper / faded effect along her hairline all the way around the back before moving to right side followed by the left side and repeating the process and completing the tapered / faded finish.  The sound of the clippers and Asian Girl’s angry moan filled the room.

Sir finished with the clippers and took a spray bottle and sprayed the top of Asian Girl’s hair making it soaking wet as he looked at Bella and Stephanie and said “short back and sides for you miss’s too I think” with a smile on his face.

Both Bella and Stephanie looked at one another and smiled back at Sir.

The barber (Sir) now picked up his Andis Black Clipper Comb and his Joewell M2 Series professional Shears with Offset Handle (Professional Barbers scissors) moved back behind Asian Girl and tilted her head back towards him before taking the Black Clipper Comb and starting at the front of her head  and working all the way back raising the wet hair so it was sticking up spiked  and cutting it all the way down to the same length as a military academy boys’ extra short induction flattop.  The spiked hair at the top of her head was now not more 1.00 inch in length and to 1.50 inches at her fringe.

“Short enough Madam or just a bit more” said Sir to Madam.  “Oh Sir... yes Sir I agree with you Sir her hair is really thick” replied the female police officer to Sir.

Sir returned to his work bench once more, put down the Andis Black Clipper Comb and his Joewell M2 Series professional Shears before he picked up the Electric Andis Clippers, and a bottle of clipper oil, he oiled the machine before taking the clippers with no guard and his Andis Black Clipper Comb and returning to Asian Girl. 

He tilted her head back towards him before taking the Black Clipper Comb and starting at the front of her head and working all the way back raising the wet hair on the top of her head and with each stroke of the electric clippers which he held in his barbers’ cutting hand reducing the length of the spiked hair at the top of her head. The clippers’ stationary blade (the lower blade) is positioned so as to be parallel to the comb. This technique is ideal for cutting very short hairstyles without wasting too mush time using scissors.

He repeated the same action of  working all the way back raising the wet hair on the top of her head and with each time a stroke of the electric clippers reducing the length of the spiked hair at the top of her head to 0.80 and the at the fringe 1.00.

The sound of the clippers that filled the room went silent again as master barber walked back to work bench before saying “Short It is madam” to the female police officer. The female police officer then walked towards the barber’s chair and carefully inspected the Asian girl’s haircut before saying “Good Job Sir as always” and then looked at Alcee and said “your turn is coming Alcee my girl”.

With a smile on his face Master barber came back and tilted fat girl’s head straightforward before he slid the razor into her nape scrapping it across the back of her neck.  He ran his razor up over her right ear and down her right cheek. He went around to her left side and ran the razor over her left ear as well and down her other cheek.  All that could be heard was Asian Girl’s moan. He wiped her hairline off with the paper towel and threw the towel into a bin.

He put some lotion on his hand and applied it to Asian girl’s skin where he had just shaved

her. The smell was that of masculine guys’ aftershave lotion and very cooling on the skin.

Suddenly and with a loud voice Master Barber looked at the remaining one girl headed for Juvenile (Juvie) Lock Up pointing his hand at her and said “You girl move your bum and take Asian girl’s place in this chair here now” pointing at the red barbers chair that Asian girl was still sitting in and was still handcuffed to as he took a dusting brush and poured some baby powder onto it before brushing off Asian girls neck and over her ears and forehead while he loosened the cape. 

With the remaining girl ignoring master barber and starring at the ceiling pretending as if she did not hear him, Bella suddenly gets off her seat and walks towards the remaining girl and grabbing her right hand with a firm grip and saying “off your bum now or I will drag you by the hair” with a loud but firm voice.

The remaining girl was Cindy, an Australian girl with thick blond hair which touched her waist and covered her fringe and eyes.

At this point Sir looked at Imee and said “unlock the handcuffs and get young Cindy over there into this chair and cuffed up”.

Master Barber then returned to his workbench and put down his dusting brush and looked at Stephanie  the female police officer and said with a loud voice” I will just take it all off …. Same for Alcee here too madam”.

“Sir … Yes Can ….Sir….please, same “responded the female police officer with a smile on her face.”

Imee unlocked the handcuffs and said to Asian girl “your done so stop the moaning and go back to the waiting area near Madam over there”.

As Asian Girl walked back to the waiting area and took her seat next to the female police officer, Bella reached up to feel her head and shivered at the feel of having short hair like her for the first time. Bella smiled and said “I LOVE your haircut” out loud.

Asian Girl said nothing and continued her moaning.

By now Bella had a firm grip on Cindy’s right hand and said “on you feet now before I drag you along the floor like a stray dog right now”.  Cindy ignored her and starred at the floor silently, before Bella said “Imee help me please”.

Imee replied “with pleasure miss” as she walked over and took hold of Cindy’s left hand before looking at Bella and smiling as they pulled Cindy to her feet ad dragged her forcefully to the barber’s chair.

“Now stop behaving like a stubborn brat and put that bum of yours in the chair or do you want us to carry you” said Bella to Cindy with a aloud and forceful voice as the female police officer walked towards Cindy. 

As the female police officer took a step closer and was virtually starring Cindy in the face she finally relented and sat in the Barbers’ Chair and started kicking her feet up and down and yelling “I do not want my haircut screw….. do not cut all my hair screw” looking at the female police officer whom just ignored Cindy’s plea and placed her right foot firmly above Cindy’s left leg pushing it firmly against the barber chair’s footrest whilst Imee secured the left leg to the chair with handcuffs whilst Bella secured her right had to the barbers chair also with the second pair of handcuffs before looking Cindy in the face and saying” now shut the hell up before I stuff a towel in your mouth and use masking tape to keep it shut….. do you understand me you spoiled brat?”

Cindy went quiet but started kicking up her right leg and pointing it at Imee and Bella’s faces before hitting the Barber Chairs arm with her left hand.  This childish outcry for attention was quickly put to an end when Imee went to the work bench drawer taking out an additional two pairs of handcuffs.

Imee looked at Bella and said use this and cuff her other hand to the chair whilst I cuff this right leg. 

Bella smiled and said “madam yes madam”.

Screw  - is underworld slang for a police officer and or prison guard dating back to the mid-19th century, 'screw' was suggested by someone harsh and brutal, one who used thumbscrews on prisoners." The screw as a term for a police officer / prison guard is based on the fact that “screw” was originally slang for "key." One of the most important functions of a police officer / prison guard, or turnkey, as he or she are often called, is to see that detainees and or prisoners are locked up at the appropriate time and or place and that involves turning the "screw." Interestingly enough, Henry Mencken reports in The American Language that in the 1920's desk-men and bellboys in hotels also used “screw” as a slang term for room key.

Master barber now made his way from the counter back to work bench nearest the chair Alcee’s bum was secured to with her right hand and left leg having been handcuffed to the chair just like Asian Boy was handcuffed before her.

Imee now came to the barber’s chair where Alcee was handcuffed waiting her turn to be shorn and started to pull her long and thick brown tresses hair touching her waist at the back and fringe covering her face and touching her nose out from under the cape before saying “she’s ready to be shorn sir” siya ay handa na para sa ginupitan ginoo, to master barber.

Master barber looked at the female police officer and said yet again with a loud voice” I will just take it all off …. Regulation Juvenile Lockup Haircut for this one too madam”.

 “Sir … Yes Can ….Sir….please, same “responded the female police officer with a smile on her face.”

Imee, now walked over walked over behind the barber’s chair that Cindy had just been handcuffed to and grabbed a neck strip and wrapped it snug around Cindy’s neck.  She then flung over a white cape around her shoulders pinned the cape snug around her neck.  Cindy looked at her reflection with her long thick blond hair which touched her waist and covered her fringe and eyes covered over by the cape around her shoulders in absolute silence and off course a scowl grimace frown on her face.

Soon young Alcee’s eyes popped as we watched turn to his work bench once and pick up his electric clippers with no guard, Andis Black Clipper Comb commonly used for clipper cuts or flattops and the clipper-over-comb cutting technique.  He turns to Alcee and walks over to her right side to start the clipper-over-comb cutting technique. 

Again this cutting technique is usually used by barbers for sides/sideburns and the bottom area of the haircut by the neck. However club cutting, free hand clippers over comb and or scissor over comb are only usually used to do away with the bulk of one’s hair by experienced or military barbers.

Master Barber used the comb to elevate segments of Alcee’s hair starting at the right side and then cut by one stroke of the electric clippers which he held in his barbers’ cutting hand. The clippers’ stationary blade (the lower blade) is positioned so as to be parallel to the comb. This technique is ideal for cutting off long tresses of hair without wasting too much time using scissors.

To Alcee’s horror all she could see with the humming of the clippers as they munched through her long hair at the face of the Andis Comb inches away from her scalp was more than 72” of hair raining down onto the cape in front of her time after time.

Master barber soon moved to the back of her head, tilting it forward slightly and continuing the clipper-over-comb cutting technique and within only a few minutes and no more then seven strokes of the humming clippers Nrrrrrrr…….. Nrrrrrr across the face of his Andis comb, Alcee soon had her head down looking into the pile of hair that had gathered in her lap and could feel the weight of her head getting lighter and lighter after each and every stroke of the clippers that he took back there.

The humming clippers Nrrrrrrr suddenly went silent before Master Barber burst out at the top of his voice “Oh my gosh their is lice walking in your hair girl” to Alcee. “Ha ….no way …..” Alcee replied in horror.  “Well there is girl” replied Master Barber (Sir) before looking at the Female Police Officer (Madam) and saying “Madam she has lice walking in her head…………..only one option …. Got to go to zero Madam” with a very serious look on his face.

Lice are a form of parasites (Head lice). Head lice are small insects that live on the scalp and lay eggs (nits) on the hair. Lice and nits cause an itchy scalp. Head lice are common in children through teenage years and their families. Medicated treatments to kill lice and nits are available. A female louse will lay between three to eight eggs (nits) per day in the hair, within 1.50 inches of the scalp. 

These eggs resemble dandruff, but cannot be brushed off. Head lice do not have wings or jumping legs so they cannot fly or jump from head to head. They can only crawl. People get head lice from direct head-to-head contact with another person who has head lice. 

This can happen when people play, cuddle or work closely together. Head lice are most common among teenage children. If a teenage child has head lice, tell anyone who has had head-to-head contact with them, so that they can check and treat immediately. 

The most effective and mandatory remedy for head lice discovered in teenage children is to have their hair shorn very short to a buzz cut so that any insects encroached in or moving around in the tresses of hair are removed completely seeing they cannot just be brushed off.  

Other treatments such as “The conditioner and comb method” and “using insecticide / lotion products” are not as effective unless the lengths and tresses are shorn off very short at first to remove the risk of further infestation totally. The haircut commonly administered for head lice in known as “Zero” by most if not all barbers and hairdressers.

 “Sir … Yes Can ….Sir….please, you must “responded the female police officer with a smile on her face.”

Soon Sir moved around to her right side and did the same, Alcee’s pile of hair that had gathered in her lap was getting bigger and she could feel the weight of her head getting lighter and lighter after each and every stroke of the clippers that he took before the humming clippers Nrrrrrrr suddenly went silent yet again.

In many countries, prisoners and armed forces recruits are given buzz cuts on arrival into the detention center or in the first day induction process for the armed forces when they enter training to prevent the spread of lice, and for ease of maintenance, cooling, and uniformity. However in Alcee’s case the Head Lice is already there and this will literally mean cutting her hair all off commonly referred to by Barber Trade as the Zero.

Sir now walked over to his work bench again and put down the Andis comb before taking a bottle of clipper oil, he oiled the electric clippers before applying the 3.5 - 3/8” blade to start with taking into account the length of the tresses of hair that still covered the top of Alcee’s head.

Sir now came back behind Alcee and tilted her head back slightly but firmly with one hand and with the other hand placed the humming clippers at her  fringe and started to pass them from Alcee’s fringe across the top of her head quickly in swift motions all the way to her crown, pass after pass.

 

All in the barbershop waiting area watched and smiled as Master barber continued to with swift motion after motion until Alcee’s head was now shorn to a lengthy military buzz cut. 

He now returned to his workbench yet again and changed the blade on his electric clippers to 00000 - 1/125 then came back behind Alcee once again and tilted her head straight down to her chest this time then all that could be heard was the sound of the Electric Andis Clippers pop on Nrrrrrrr and the barber took to tapering the back of her head  before changing the clipper blade once again to 0000 - 1/100  and creating a tight taper / faded effect along Alcee’s hairline all the way around the back before moving to right side followed by the left side and repeating the process that completed the tapered / faded finish.

Alcee could see all the tresses of hair pile up on the floor before her very eyes and started to cry and make funny whaling sounds.

The clippers went silent yet again before Sir returned to work bench removed the 0000 - 1/100 blade and replaced it with the 00000 - 1/125 blade yet again. Sir walked back behind Alcee and tilted her head back slightly but firmly again with one hand and with the other hand placed the humming clippers with the 00000 - 1/125 blade at her fringe and started to pass them from Alcee’s fringe across the top of her head quickly in swift motions all the way to her crown, pass after pass leaving her with a very very short crew / buzz cut and all the head lice infested tresses of hair covering her lap and the floor.

 

The clippers were soon silent again and Sir returned the clippers to his workbench and picked up his razor. He now tilted the Alcee’s head straightforward as he did with Fat Boy’s and others alike and slid the razor into her nape scrapping it across the back of her neck.  He ran the razor up over her right ear and down her right cheek. He went around to her left side and ran them over her left ear and down her other cheek. He wiped her hairline off with a paper towel and threw the towel into a bin.

He now put some lotion on his hand and applied it to her skin where he had just shaved. The smell was like a tough guy’s aftershave lotion and very cooling on her skin.

“Short enough madam” he said to the female police officer. The female police officer then walked towards the barber’s chair and carefully inspected Alcee’s  “Zero” buzz cut before saying “Good Job always  Sir as always”.

Sir now looked at Imee and said “may walisin mga mapahamak tambak na buhok ngayon bago tresses ang lahat ng ito sa iba pang mga batang babae ng simulan lagas ...at mga kuto sa ulo ng Alcee mamugad sa sahig ” someone sweep up these damn piles of hair now before all this other girl’s tresses start falling off.. and Alcee's head lice infest the floor pointing to Cindy who was already handcuffed to the other barbers’ chair waiting her turn.

Imee, the Filipino lady haircutter quickly responded ”kaagad master barber ginoo kaagad’ right away master barber sir right away.

Bella could be heard saying to Imee “ It makes me sad to see you sweep all that hair away  me especially knowing that soon my long hair would follow suit and be gone to the trash can too Imee, but you know I cannot wait to get it all cut off right?” Ginagawang akin malungkot upang makita ka walisan ang lahat ng buhok ang layo sa akin lalo na alam na sa lalong madaling panahon ang aking mahabang buhok ay gumaya at nawala sa basura ay maaaring masyadong Imee, ngunit alam mong hindi ko maghintay upang makakuha ng mga ito ang lahat ng cut off karapatan?

Imee,  smiles and says “your turn soon Bella” as she walked towards the back of the shop and took the Ergo Dustpan With Broom, 12 Wide, Metal with a Vinyl Coated Handle, Black/Silver and proceeded to sweep up the hair piles.

Whilst Imee swept the floor, Madam looked at Bella “and said YEAP our turn soon Bella” with a serious look on her face. Bella replied “Ma’am YES Ma’am” with a smile on her face.  Ma’am same as Madam is a term used when addressing a woman of important position in a polite and respectful way.

With three visits back to the big dust bin at the back of the barbershop to empty out the dust pan all the piles of tresses that covered the floor were gone and the barbershop’s clean tiled floor around the two barbers’ chairs could be seen again now before our very own eyes and we felt overwhelmed at the sight of it. 

                            (To Be Continued - Parts 8 through 10 will follow soon)