A Busy Day at Master Barber's Busy Barber Shop  (Part 12)

Bella, with a sympathetic and concerned look on her face looked at Sir and Ma’am the Female Police Officer and said “well maybe its’ time for you both to rid yourself once and for all!”.

                                                                                                    

“Rid ourselves of what and how….” asked Rachel with tears running down her face and a deep sense of curiosity inquisitiveness on her face?

Yes Rachel,  Rid yourselves of your memory of your childhood best friend’s behavior over the way you wear you hair and   the time you spent brushing it as well as Liam that bastard who used your hair as his excuse for  having been unfaithful towards you and you Aubrey of how you got dumped. by the other bastard who ran his hand gently through your long hair as if it were a comb…. Correct… Right!”.

They both went quiet and just looked at Imee, the Filipino lady haircutter for her agreement. Imee quickly responded ”Your faces are all covered with long hair and you miserable  and troubled with heartache as  a result of those tresses……………. Right or wrong?”  in a loud but assertive voice.

Master Barber could now be seen taking a dusting brush and pouring some baby powder onto it. He then brushed off the teenage boy’s neck and over his ears and forehead while he loosened the cape.

He slid the cape off Django’s shoulders allowing all of his long locks of hair to fall to the floor in front of his very eyes. He took his hand mirror and showed the teenage boy the back of his head.

Aubrey burst out and said “yes ………..I think your right….” in a soft, hushed voice stirring at the ceiling. 

“There you go,” said Master Barber Wallace (Sir). “Now this is a haircut that makes you look young trendy and nothing left for your Mom to shave off” the barber told  Django with a smile.

“Don’t mutter …. mumble girl” yelled Ma’am the Female Police Officer at Aubrey just as Django got up and stepped slowly over the large pile of his hair on the floor, he didn’t want to step in it and the expression on his face was clear testament to his state of shock by the amount of hair on the floor and how overwhelmed he felt at the sight of it. It saddened him knowing that it was now gone forever.

Sir now looked at Imee and said “Mangyaring tumangay up ang tambak na buhok ngayon” someone sweep up these damn piles of hair now before these two women dressed so beautifully in runway fashion grace my chair to have their tresses start falling off.

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

Suddenly and with a loud voice Master Barber looked at Aubrey pointing his hand at her and said “You girl move your bum and take Django’s place in this chair here now”.

“Me …. “Aubrey mumbled.  

Yes... you replied Master barber pointing at the red barber’s chair that Django’s, fat girl and others, had been shorn in.

Aubrey hesitated and sat still, showing no intention or attempt to make her way to the chair. Soon the female police officer grabbed her by the left hand and said “on your feet now”. 

Aubrey hesitated again then stood up slowly before Ma’am the Female Police Officer grabbed her long hair with the other hand and gently dragged her to the barbers’ chair.

“This is for your own good …. Get your bum in the chair now” she yelled at her as the Aubrey sat in the chair hesitantly only to have her right hand and left leg handcuffed to the chair just like Asian Boy and others did before her.

 “Now grow up... Stop mumbling ………keep your mouth shut and wait your turn girl” said Ma’am the Female Police Officer before looking at Rachel and saying “stop your cry and weeping …..No need to girl………your turn very soon”

Imee smiled and said “sure thing girls….your turn soon” to Rachel & 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 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.

The other younger lady haircutter walked towards Aubrey now handcuffed to the chair then grabbed a neck strip and wrapped it snug around her neck. Then she flung the same white cape over and around her shoulders and pinned it snug around her neck.

Aubrey looked to see the reflection one last time with her long hair covered over by the cape around her shoulders and started imagine the piles of her hair that were about to cover the floor.

"She's all ready for you Master Barber” said younger lady haircutter.

With two visits back to the big dust bin at the back of the barbershop to empty out the dust pan all the piles of Django’s tresses that covered the floor were gone and the barbershop’s clean tiled floor around the two barbers’ chairs could be seen again now. 

Imee now came to the barber’s chair where Aubrey was handcuffed waiting her turn to be shorn and started to pull her long and thick tresses of hair covering her shoulders at the back 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.

Aubrey’s long haired fringe covered her face and touched her nose almost.

Master barber looked at Ma’am 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 should teach her a lesson… madam”.

 “Sir … Short & Boyish Can ….Sir….to make her forget all the bastard’s in her life would be good Sir…please “responded the female police officer with a smile on her face.

Master Barber (Sir) could now be seen with a smile on his face as he looked at Ma’am, Bella & Rachel and said “Boyish Short it shall be…….” .

Aubrey’s eyes as well as Rachel’s popped as we all watched Sir move to his work bench and pick up his electric clippers with no guard, Andis Black Clipper Comb commonly used for clipper cuts or flattops and start the clipper-over-comb cutting technique.

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 Aubrey’s hair starting at the right side and then cut by one stroke of the electric clippers which are held in the 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 very short hairstyles without wasting too mush time using scissors.

To Aubrey’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 60” of hair raining down onto the cape in front of her time after time.

Rachel appeared somewhat shocked and anxious at first as Aubrey’s tresses fell but as more hair covered the cape and the floor, she looked at Bella and said ”Change is good right……  when it's good not evil, a person's hair may have symbolized honour, social status, and the longer it grows serves as a human peacock tail, representing our life rather than a fashion statement. So having it forcibly cut off to improve that persons’ honour, social status, and inner self isn't really akin to rape; and isn’t as if ones’ life is being stolen from you him or her but rather just a long overdue minor fashion faux pas and wake up call.”

“Finally your talking sense” said Bella with a whole hearted smile on her face as she looked Rachel in the eyes put her arms around her shoulders and hugged her tight.

A faux pas is an embarrassing or tactless act gaffe, blunder, mistake or remark in a social situation used sometimes used to arouse someone’s’ common sense. After all many would concur that a sure fire way to arouse a woman is to “make it all about her ”, and that’s not a self-serving message but historically it takes girls more time to get to the same place, and very often rely on someone’s help for that.

In this instance Rachel & Aubrey needed to get over their past inside the bedroom and out with bastards’ and pretentious familial.

‎

Ma’am the female police officer was touched to see Bella hugging Rachel and comforting her and said with a loud voice” well I think we should let the forced haircuts serve as the symbolic initiation into our new sisterhood, sorority and friendship forever girls… well Rachel…Aubrey, Bella and you too Imee?”

Aubrey looked up for a few seconds, looked at Bella, Rachel and Imee with a sense of Astonishment, her semi-open mouth, higher eyebrows and now irregular shaped – eyes wide open and said “ I don’t’ have a choice now …………….look at it all falling off my beautiful hair and that bastard are out take it all off…………………….take it all………………off is our sorority name” as Master Barber (Sir) moved to the back of her head.   

Suddenly as she spoke and without notice Aubrey’s head was tilted forward slightly, and the humming sound of the electric clippers could be heard again as the clipper-over-comb cutting continued.

“Take it all off……. Dalhin ang lahat ng ito off or Dalhin ng ito ….. Take it off... sounds interesting and thought provoking I think” said Imee.

You know Aubrey if all those celebs like Miley Cirus, Rihana and Beyonce have gone for the chop recently, then we can’t doing anything wrong getting ours chopped too said Rachel with a bit of a smile on her face as Bella rested her arm her shoulder.

Aubrey had her head down and could be heard giggling for a few a minute or so in reaction to Rachel’s words before the humming clippers kicked in again and within only a few minutes and no more then four strokes of the humming clippers Nrrrrrrr across the face of his 

Andis comb, Aubrey's head was still 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.

Ma’am walked over to Imee and could be seen talking to her very quietly as if she was almost whispering and did not want anyone to hear her say “Imee I think its time for you to do some of your magic….. on those two over there eyeing Rachel & Bella……. So which do you want first our chop... chop it all off queen…you!”

“Me ….. I…..Ma’am but maybe they want Sir …..Maybe they think me not good enough to cut that long hair for Ms. Rachel dressed so beautifully in runway fashion and Bella’s pretty long hair Ma’am!” questioned Imee.

“Imee you know that Bella has already told me that she would like you to cut her but was too shy to ask you herself “replied Ma’am.

“Really Ma’am“ Bella asked with a sense of eagerness in her voice.

You know that your Pixie Crop has really out grown over the past months and they are not the only one’s being initiated into the ‘Dalhin ang lahat ng ito off ’ sorority today.. So are you girl replied Ma’am to Imee with a louder but very stern and assertive voice.

“So get your cute ass over there and do your chop it off magic on both of your sorority sister now please….” added Ma’am.         

Imee smiled and said “Ma’am… Yes… Ma’am” in a loud and stern voice before walking towards Rachel & Bella looking them both in the face, making eye contact and saying “which one of you two wants to get her bum in my barbers’ chair first?”

Before either Bella or Rachel could answer … Imee said “Hurry up on your feet Ms…. Now before taking Rachel’s right hand and saying “up on your feet now….. it’s Take it all off……. Dalhin ang lahat ng ito off time Chop … Chop…..tumaga ….tumaga!”

Imee then looked at Bella and Ma’am and said “I think she needs some encouragement” Bella with a smile on her face looked at Imee and Ma’am and replied”Ma’am …..Yes….Ma’am”

Imee holding Rachel’s right hand and Bella holding her left hand, she stood up and followed them to the empty barbers chair next to the one that Aubrey was handcuffed to.

“Wow nice work” we could all hear the female police officer say out loud as the barber continued cutting away. 

All Aubrey could feel at this moment was a sense of embarrassment and humiliation to be seen getting shorn like this.

However  when Sir asked if she’d seen Star Wars and if she recalled Star Wars, where Anakin Skywalker transforms into Darth Vader after allowing fear, envy, anger, and pride to mask his heart and intuition because Anakin had focussed on the dark side of the force rather than the future she replied “yeah I have and I remember that yeah…………… I do” with her head still down looking into the pile of hair that continued to pile up in her lap.

Just as Rachel’s bum touched the chair Master barber looked at Imee and said with a commanding voice “Imee get her handcuffed to the chair just like her friend over here” before looking Bella in face with a friendly smile on his face and saying “Bella look into the mirror here and admire that long hair of yours while you can……….soon it will be your turn in that chair handcuffed and … all will be gone girl tumaga……. tumaga , chop….chop”.

Master Barber now moved around to Aubrey’s left side and followed suit with more clipper-over-comb cutting.

Bella just smiled back showing how happy she was to hear that before … Ma’am with a serious look on her face said “Sir I think Imee’s Pixie Crop has really out grown lately and long overdue for another clean up from you …. I really mean it Sir… she’s starting to look so gamit na gamit na at marungis ….. Shabby and untidy.”

Sir looked at Ma’am and nodded his head in agreement. “Imee ang iyong Pixie Cut ay outgrown at tumingin ka gamit na gamit na at marungis .. ngayong gabi ikaw ay getiing ang mabilis tumaga ….tumaga,   your Pixie Cut has outgrown and you look shabby and untidy.. tonight you will be getting the fast chop… chop girl”

Imee replied “yes boss Kailangan ko ito…. yes boss I need it”.

Suddenly, the humming sound of the clippers stopped and barber walked back to his work bench and Aubrey’s hair was very roughly cropped to about 4.5” all over her head. You could see every feature on her face and neck now that there was no more hair to hide behind anymore. Her pretty college girl cheeks stood out more noticeably now without the thick long hair.

Rachel now in the barbers chair next to Aubrey had her eyes gazed at Aubrey and watched in awe at how fast Sir had cut away her thick long hair and the piles of hair that covered the cape and floor before her very own eyes.

Imee the lady haircutter walked towards the work bench then grabbed a neck strip and came behind Rachel.  Mabilis tumaga ….tumaga… chop… chop she said as she secured the neck strip tightly around Rachel’s neck with just enough room to breathe. She then picked up a white cape and with a sudden violent flick emanating from the action placed around Rachel’s body, simultaneously pulling the cape up securely and forcing it around her neck, pinning it securely and fastening the stud of the cape tightly around Rachel’s neck and covering up her beautiful runway fashion.  

Master Barber (Sir) now went back to his work bench  and picked up his Andis Black Clipper Comb and his Joewell M2 Series professional Shears with Offset Handle (Professional Barbers scissors)  and returned to Aubrey’s left side neatening up hair on her left side and over her left ear with his scissors over his comb.

Aubrey’s head now upright and tilted slightly to the right she could see pieces of her tresses rain down onto the floor before her very eyes as Sirs’s Joewell M2 Series professional Shears that ramped through her hair with only the barest whisper of sound, and the effect of their SHARP cutting blade.

In actual fact every professional barbers’ shears should  be so sharp that they can cut through a half-inch thick slice of hair with only the barest whisper of sound, and the person in the barbers chair shouldn't even feel the cut happening. If Aubrey were to feel the shears, scissors cutting the hair, or hear the cut as an audible “snikt” then chances are that Sir’s shears need to be sharpened and Imee as well as the other younger lady haircutter in the barber shop would be getting a severe verbal reprimand from sir.

Bella was at the workbench as Rachel looked to see the reflection of her long hair covered over by the cape around her shoulders for the last time and started imagine the piles of her hair that were about to cover the floor.

The other younger lady haircutter walked towards Rachel now came to the barber’s chair where Rachel was handcuffed waiting her turn to be shorn and started to pull her long and thick tresses of Black hair covering her shoulder and touching her waist at the back out from under the cape before saying “she’s ready to be shorn Bella Ma’am” Siya ay handa na para ginupitan Ma’am, Bella.

Master Barber now moved around behind Aubrey, tilted her head forward slightly then started cutting away at the back. He made quick work of cutting down the lengths of about 4.5” left by the clippers.

Imee turned looked at Ma’am the female police officer and said with a loud voice “I’ll just take it all off …. Same as Regulation Juvenile Lockup Haircut or do a Short Pixie for Rachel here… ma’am”.

“Imee… A Short Pixie tapered at the B&S I think would look good ….…. make her forget all the familial and bastard in her life…… Can ….Imee ..please… …please “responded the female police officer with a smile on her face.

B&S refers to back and sides, HTB&S refers to high and tight back and sides. Both these terms are common barbershop lingo and heard in barbershops and salons globally even the little side streets of Manila, Bangkok and New York.

 (To Be Continued - Parts 13 through 21 will follow soon) 

A Busy Day at Master Barber's Busy Barber Shop  (Part 11)

Ma’am the Female Police Officer 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.

Again the barbershop door opened and the two women whom stood facing the Barberry shrub walked in. “Are you open they asked simultaneously?” looking at Master Barber.

“Yes we are come on in… said Sir.

“God, we are glad that your open and that we were finally brave enough and decided to walk
in “said Rachel batting her long brown hair around her face whilst her friend stood silently.

Imee, the Filipino lady hair-cutter quickly responded ”Your faces are all covered with drizzle and looking like your miserable  and troubled with of some kind heartache or hiding from someone, what is wrong?”  

“Well ….  I am heartbroken and I guess that shows with the twinge of anguish and sadness on my face” said Rachel whilst her friend nodded her head in agreement silently.

“Some tissues … Here wipe that drizzle of your faces and take a seat here in the waiting area whilst I get you both some hot coffee…” said Imee the Filipino lady hair-cutter.

Imee, a Filipino name commonly known in the Philippines as the name of Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos daughter. Marcos was president of the Philippines until 1986. The word Imee has both a Germanic and Spanish origin meaning ‘entire battle’.

Bella moved over closer to Rachel putting her arm around her shoulder in a comforting and reassuring gesture “your long hair is all wet and dripping let me get you a towel and help you dry it ok?”

A heartening and emotional somber could be felt in the waiting area as Bella walked over past the area where Master Barber (Sir) was in the midst of finishing  Django  the teenage boys’ very short high and tight flat top and took two clean red towels from the rack at the back wall.

Both Rachel and her friend Aubrey were batting long hair around their faces dripping of water all over their faces and dresses. It was very much apparent that the wind and the rain had played major havoc with both their hairdos. Not that either of them seemed to care about their present appearance any more.  

Rachel wore what looked very much like one of MaxMara’s Pianoforte range, a dress that would put any woman on the fashion radar looking evening wear elegant as she did in the Blasone dress.  Her dress was an intricate play on drapery; layers of silky black fabric fell from ruffled shoulders and cross at the waist for a flattering finish which she had teamed up a pair of statement high heels. One would assume she was out to up the ante and make an impression on some lucky guy.

Her friend Aubrey wore a Victoria Beckham sequin front tunic dress. Made using black crepe, it featured three quarter-length sleeves, an above thigh-grazing hem and the all-important tonal and multicolored stripe sequin embellishment. It was a perfect after-dark outfit complimented with her high heeled boots and a clutch for the playfully chic look night out.

Here we go gal’s said Bella as she handed each of them a red towel and said … “let’s dry that hair girls before you catch a cold”.

Bella, took her seat next Rachel  once again, putting her arm around her shoulder in a comforting and reassuring gesture and  saying “over here lets dry that very wet long hair dripping all over your dress…… “as she gently helped to pull Rachel to bend over  and point her head towards her lap, flipping  her hair over her head so it's in front of her face and hanging down into the red towel that covered Bella’s lap.

Bella now ran her fingers through Rachel’s hair to remove any knots and tangles before wrapping it up with the towel, tucking the towel behind Rachel’s ears before twisting the hair in the towel until it was completely wrapped. 

Bella then asked Rachel to raise her ahead and flipped the towel back over her head, tucking in that hanging part of the towel at the back. “Now relax and drink and the coffee that Imee has made whilst I take care of your friend Aubrey’s hair” said Bella.

Rachel’s friend Aubrey 5’10” and very slim looked at Bella and asked “Do you work here?”
Bella with a caring look in her eyes said “No… No... Me and my friend Stephanie the Female Police Officer (Ma’am) are here for our haircuts. Now come let me dry that hair of yours”

Aubrey moved over and took her seat next to Bella.  Bella put her arm around her shoulder in a comforting and reassuring gesture and said “over here let’s dry that very wet long hair dripping all over your dress…… “as she gently helped to pull Aubrey to bend over and point her head towards her lap, flipping her hair over her head so it's in front of her face and hanging down into the red towel that covered Bella’s lap.

Bella now ran her fingers through Aubrey’s hair to remove any knots and tangles before wrapping it up with the towel, tucking the towel behind Rachel’s ears before twisting the hair in the towel until it was completely wrapped. 

Bella then asked Aubrey to raise her head and flipped the towel back over her head, tucking in that hanging part of the towel at the back. “Now relax and drink and the coffee that Imee has made you whilst I take care of your friend Aubrey’s hair” said Bella.

As Aubrey sat up and took her first sip of the coffee that Imee had made for her and Rachel she looked at Rachel and Bella in the face and said “thank god we decided to walk and not get stuck in that taxi queue. Every taxi that had gone past since was occupied and the fresh windy drizzle and rain opened our eyes and helped us find a lovely new friend like you Bella”.

Bella looked at Imee with a reassuring gesture and replied “your welcome...  thank god Sir’s Barber Shop here was open and the fact that we got to meet you gals”.

“So what brings you gals here in those expensive dresses that would put any woman on the fashion radar?  “asked Stephanie the Female Police Officer (Ma’am).

“So …. So true Ma’am... We've never had any girl com in dressed in such fashion that I could only ever dream of “said Imee, the Filipino lady hair-cutter.

Rachel looked at Bella, Stephanie and Imee with a twinge of sadness on her face and said” it’s a long story and I don’t want to bore and worry you all… but we hadn't planned on visiting a barbershop when we left home some six hours ago. We were out to have fun and let off steam until ……anyway the coffee is so lip-smacking good ‘lip-lumalagutok masarap’ Imee”.

All could see tears starting to drop on Aubrey’s face as Rachel spoke. Sir had now walked back to his work bench and picked up his electric clippers again, this time with no guard, Andis Black Clipper Comb commonly used for clipper cuts or flattops and the clipper-over-comb cutting technique.

 He turned looked at Imee, Bella, Stephanie, Rachel, and Aubrey and said “in all my years as a barber I have never had women dressed so beautifully in runway fashion grace my chair” and walked over to Django’s right side to start the clipper-over-comb cutting technique. 

Rachel’s face suddenly showed her bashful, shy look and a few tears of joy could be seen fall quietly for a few seconds as Sir continued making headway with shearing off Django’s tresses.

Master Barber used the comb to elevate segments of Django’s hair that was spiked up on the top of his head starting at the right side and then cut by one stroke of the electric clippers which he held in his barbers’ cutting hand leaving Django’s hair a little shorter than two (2) inches long on the top of his head.

Aubrey then broke out and said with a serious voice and tears falling from her eyes “well we were at a club dancing the night away and decided to go outside a breath of fresh air when Rachel walked past a small car with misted windows parked just to the right of the club’s main entrance and through them she saw the silhouette of a couple snogging, and she felt a twinge of sadness and a sudden yearning for Liam her lover, whom she had dumped almost twelve months ago now”.  

She sobbed for a few seconds then with a lot of anger on her face said “The bastard had been unfaithful. OK, he had pleaded with her to forgive him, but she just knew he would stray again, and again – he was that sort. All the same, she still misses him a lot at times, and she always wonders where he is now. What he was doing tonight. Who he was with…...He’d be with a girl for sure.

And I am no better; it's been a year since I got dumped. Frankly, I would not blame any of you for being at the point of thinking—if not saying—"Why the frick haven’t’ these bitches gotten over this yet?

I and Rachel wonder the same thing ourselves and that’s part of the reason why were sitting here now... In a Barber Shop I mean heartbroken. There's that saying that it takes half the length of the relationship to "get over it."

Ma’am the Female Police Officer replied “if that were the case, you would have another year and four months to go. For the love of God let me help you gals!"

Rachel and Aubrey looked at each other with a sense of relief on their faces reprieve, respite as if they had just been handed out a stay of execution.

“So why are you really here in this Barber Shop” asked Bella with a sense of intrigue.

“I've always been the type that once burned does not stop smarting from the sting. Walking along the street under the rain & battling the wet long hair around our faces made me ponder whilst standing besides that spiny Barberry shrub with yellow flowers and red berries across the road facing this Barbershop directly whether it’s time we both did away with the past” said Aubrey.

Rachel then looks at Ma’am the Female Police Officer and said “well theirs a small part of me that is still pissed-off at my childhood best friend for seemingly deciding that I wasn't cool enough to be friends with anymore come high school because of the way I wear my hair and the time I spend brushing it. 

Till the very day I remain absolutely livid that my cousin, who was one of my closest friends growing up, cut me out of her life because of a fight between my father and hers over the  amount of shampoo and conditioner I used over the pyjama party weekend at her house. 

You know its’ so livid that I've continued to have vivid dreams of cursing her out for her lack of loyalty to our relationship.                                     

Right now, If you asked me for the short list of people I hate, its that bastard Liam the ex-boyfriend and lover, whom I had dumped almost twelve months ago now and also a another male friend from high school who was my childhood best friend and a complete a-hole to me at the time, as well as my cousin — would be on it.

All of them expressed jealousy and commented how childish, insecure and frivolous I was wasting so much time taking care of my long hair rather than being with them.

When Liam was no longer showing me any signs of his apasionarse… you know no more signs of getting enthusiastic about something or madly passionate about me I felt there was something behind it.

Liam that bastard used my hair as his excuse for  having been unfaithful, saying that he felt overpowered and sandwiched by me and that my having long hair was a the reason based on the scapegoat or stereo typed presumption that having long hair is the source of a hero's powers that allowed me to have so strong an effect on him and others that he was unable to resist or control me and or rather my so called commitment to obey God's command for me personally not to cut it.

He claimed that many other women with modern tales, told him that my hair was my emotional anchor that unless cut off renders  him mentally overwhelmed, forced into being defeated by me,  powerless, vulnerable ,  physically helpless and unable to fight back.

“What about you Aubrey?” asked Bella.

“For me I feel as if I'm almost over the heartbreak. There's not one ounce of me that's still physically attracted to him. While I miss the friendship we had, the way he made me laugh, the sweet things he would do, like running his hand gently through my long hair as if it were a comb, like plate the dinner he made from scratch like we were dining at a fancy restaurant, and the fun we had travelling together, I cannot honestly say I don't also miss him as my boyfriend, lover at all.

Each time I look in the mirror I miss his gentle hand running gently through my long hair as if it were a comb and the affectionate emotions he would express each and every time.  I sometimes dream about him and have these horrible nightmares over the fact that he’s with some other girl now. I picture him running his hand through her long hair and cannot live with that” said Aubrey.

“For some women Jewelry; Vast wardrobes; Footwear; Cosmetics but for some weird reason, none of them are the most prized possessions for either of you two individuals; instead, it's... hair” said Ma’am the Female Police Officer with a serious look on her face eyeing both Aubrey and Rachel.

“You know  I think it’s time for you both to take a clear-headed conscientious look at yourselves; your misery obscurity and gloom  in the mirror here then compare and realize the difference and importance, of a Self-induced Haircut to indicate a change in your values, goals instilling  a much needed change in character and an Expository Hairstyle Change when there's a new stereo type hairstyle fashion virus in the air to please the status quo”  added Ma’am the Female Police Officer.

Rachel then burst out and said “Heartbreak is fucking difficult but in reality easier to get over than anger. I have so much anger left. I feel angry at him for breaking my heart, for stringing me along, and for betraying our very deep friendship as well as relationship. I feel angry that he lied to save face, rather than telling the truth so that I could face reality and fix it sooner.

I feel so angry that he left me with an at times paralyzing insecurity and doubt in myself and in my chances of ever being loved again. I feel angry that these insecurities have caused me to act like complete idiot in friendships and the romances I've tried out since.

I am so stupid — I haven't totally screwed-up anything romantic since that had the potential to be significant yet (hopefully!), but I still don’t feel good shedding insecure tears for dudes I barely know” as she sobbed and shed more tears.

The term “fucking” and adjective used for adding emphasis and express anger. To many is it an extremely offensive expression used for emphasizing what you are saying and especially to show levels of extreme  anger.

Barber Wallace put the clippers down and hit the foam dispenser and white foam came out of it. He came back around Django and applied the warm white foam to his hairline across his nape and over his ears. He took a towel and placed it over his shoulder. He then took a straight razor and ran it over a leather strap on the side of the chair.

Master Barber Wallace (Sir) could now be seen tilting Django’s head straight forward and sliding the razor into his nape scrapping it across the back of his neck. He ran it up over his right ear and down his right cheek. He went around to his left side and ran the razor over his left ear as well and down his other cheek. He wiped his hairline off with a towel and threw the towel into a bin.

He put some lotion on his hand and applied it to Django’s skin that was previously covered with long tresses of hair where he had just shaved. The smell was that of masculine guys’ aftershave lotion and very cooling on the teenage boys’ skin.

  (To Be Continued - Parts 12 through 20 will follow soon) 

A Busy Day at Master Barber's Busy Barber Shop  (Part 10)

“No need Bella” said Stephanie the Female Police Officer (Ma’am) as she walked over to look at how Cindy’s Regulation Juvenile Lockup Haircut was progressing. She looked at Cindy’s head as it was tilted back by Sir’s hand and his other hand made pass after pass with humming clippers from Cindy’s fringe across the top of her head quickly in swift motions all the way to her crown, and said “shorter for this one Sir can?”

“Ma’am YES Ma’am” replied Sir.

Surprisingly, Bella looked at the female police officer and Master Barber and said with a smile on her face “she’s looking good Sir and will look even better when shorter... Yeap shorter Sir.”

Master Barber finished with the clippers and took a spray bottle and sprayed the top of Cindy’s hair making it soaking wet. 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 young Cindy and tilted her head back towards him again 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 usually reserved for cadets with a big mouth or those who try and tell the barber how to cut their tresses. The spiked hair at the top of Cindy’s head did not exceed the length of 1.00 to 1.55 inches at her fringe.

Now with a smile on his face Master barber tilted her head straightforward 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 the razor over her left ear as well and down her other cheek. He wiped my hairline off with the towel and threw the towel into a bin.

Just as Sir went to put some lotion on his hand and apply it to young Cindy’s skin where he had just shaved her sound of heavy rain and blowing wind becoming stronger could be heard outside.

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

Barber then took a dusting brush and poured some baby powder onto it. He brushed off her neck and over her ears and forehead while he loosened the cape.

 In the distance could be heard the wail of a siren, sounded like a police car or paddy wagon and became louder as it got closer to the barber shop.

Sooner then thought the paddy wagon had pulled up outside the barbershop and a male police office could be seen getting out from the passenger’s side door and proceeding to unlock the paddy wagon’s rear doors in readiness for transporting the four female prisoners to Juvenile Detention Center.  

Ma’am now made her way to the Barber Shop door and could be heard saying “They are all ready for you Bear” before coming back inside and with a loud voice shouted “on your feet now you lot” pointing to Fat girl, Asian Girl and Alcee three of the four female Juvie’s in the waiting area.

Bear, Short for "Smokey the Bear" in reference to the hats worn by some U.S. state police being similar to that of "Smokey the Bear".

Master Barber now removed the cape and unlocked the handcuffs that  had secured Cindy’s backside to the chair and said out loud in a serious and commanding voice “girl move your bum and join your friend’s over there now” pointing to Fat girl, Asian Girl and Alcee.

The Barber Shop door opened as two male police officers, muscular men with giant bodybuilder muscle wearing the Smokey Bear hats walked in.

“Ok here they are all four” said Ma’am to the Bears before one of the Bears looked at the four girls and with a stern voice said “hands behind your backs’ now all four of you”. The other Bear then proceeded behind the girls to apply PlastiCuffs on each of the four girls’ hands.

PlastiCuffs, another type of handcuffs (also called FlexiCuffs or Double Cuffs) are a form of physical restraint for the hands, using plastic straps. They function as handcuffs but are cheaper and easier to carry than metal handcuffs, and cannot be reused.

This traditional form of plastic handcuffs is cable ties, using either two interlocking straps, or a single cable tie around both wrists.

One at a time each girl was cuffed before being led out to the paddy wagon by the other Bear. First into the Paddy Wagon was Fat girl followed by Alcee, Asian Girl and finally Cindy.

The Paddy Wagon is a Police Van specially adapted inside the vehicle with a large Cell or Cage usually employed for the transportation of prisoners.

Finally all four were in the paddy wagon and one of the two Bears came back into the Barbershop  with a smile on his face, looked at Ma’am and said “what about that one” pointing to Bella.

Ma’am quickly replied” Oh Gosh No…. Bella is my best friend and you have not forgotten anyone thanks Paul”.

“Ok Ma’am…. just checking” said Paul with a cute smile on his face as he looked Bella in the eye and winked at her.

Bella being the shy girl she is just smiled back quietly and looked at the floor before face was covered with blush.

Sir now looked at Imee and said”May isang taong tumangay up ang tambak na mapahamak buhok ngayon” someone sweep up these damn piles of hair now.

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

Bella, quickly said “Imee let me help you” and 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, Bella held the Ergo Dustpan so that Imee could sweep all the tresses of hair into it with the broom to get away from Paul and hide the blush that now covered her face as well as her feeling embarrassed which was clearly visible by the fact that she had turned red in the face.

“Ok then we better roll then” said Paul to Ma’am before looking in Bella’s direction and saying “I reckon you would look really cute with a short haircut too Bella” and started making his way to the Barbershop door.

Bella looked up briefly in Paul’s direction and gave him a smile before pretending to look away at the floor again and mumbling the words “Thanks I hope so Bear”.

Bear made brief eye contact with Bella and winked again before opening the Barbershop door and being faced with two women looking awfully strange & battling the wet long hair around their faces standing besides a spiny Barberry shrub with yellow flowers and red berries across the road facing the Barbershop directly.

A Barberry or Genus Berberis of family Berberidaceae has many species, including the American barberry (B. canadensis) best known for its widely toothed leaves compares to the European barberry (B. vulgaris) which has more closely toothed leaves.

Just as the Barbershop door was about to close a teenage boy walked in. He looked like on of those kids who hadn't hit puberty yet, and his parents had finally decided it was time to show him who's in the driver's seat.

He looked like he had never set foot in a barber’s shop. His hair had grown in magnificent ringlets down his back, quite often he could have been mistaken for a girl.

As the boy neared the waiting area he looked at Sir  & Imee the Filipino lady hair cutter and said “I have to get my haircut please Ma’am or my mom will tie me up and shave my head bold when I get home”.

Master Barber (Sir) looked at the boy and said with a commanding voice, “Sure...   get your butt over here now.” Pointing to the barber chair where Alcee, Jonathan, Cindy and many others had been shorn.

The boy said nothing and walked over to the chair.

Sir showed no mercy in taking grip of the boys’ head and placing a neck strip tightly around his neck with just enough room to breathe before pushing his head forward and throwing a white cape around the boys’ body, simultaneously pulling the cape up securely and forcing it around his neck, pinning it securely and fastening the stud of the cape tightly around his neck before he asked him

“What’s your name boy?

“Django” he answered.

“How do you want your haircut today Django?” asked Sir with a serious look on his face.

“My MOM said to make sure I have it cut very short high and tight flat top. Mom said that since I am not paying for the haircut with my own money but hers’ I don’t have anything to say about it and if I came back home with anything longer she would tie me up and shave my head bold” replied Django.

Inevitably, some parents may regard threatening ones’ teenage son to tie him up and shave his head bold if he did not get his haircut draconian or drastically harsh or even a form of middle-class child abuse.

The reality of the matter is Django looked like a girl and would have kept his hair long, and so long it was, he would have continued to be teased and mistaken for a girl.

The reality is that 'tricking' your son into getting a haircut by telling him that you would tie him up and shave his head bold; that girls won't be interested in him with his messy long hair, or that insects like making their nests in long hair is much better then having him teased and embarrassed in public by strangers.

Sir didn't  give Django a chance to explain or question his mother’s instructions further. One could see the fear in his face and feel for him as his heart must have began to beat faster and faster.

What was to happen next was a hair cut that can only be compared to the awkwardness of a one fingered teenage boy trying to open a bra for the first time.

All that could be heard was Master Barber’s Electric Andis Clippers and Django‘s moaning as he felt the buzzing sensation on the back of his neck and watched as his hair fell into his lap -- higher and higher the clippers worked their way, shearing away all the tresses of hair he had touching his shoulders to a regulation short high and tight flat top.

          
  (To Be Continued - Parts 11 through 19 will follow soon)