Mother Haircut

It was 7 in the morning, I had just opened my shop and sweeping with a broom when a young lady entered my shop. She seems to be just 24 at max 28, her hair was pinned in a bun with a rubber bamd, and she was wearing a yellow Salwar. I made out she is married observing the bangles at her hand.

She approached me with a smile and asked, “Can you trim my hair?”

I answered back, “Yeah, I cut woman’s hair, but the shop opens at 7:30, so you have to wait”

She answered back, “well, I am in a hurry…you see I am not a regular barbershop visitor, it’s just that my parlor is too far away...and they refuses to come at my home”

I glanced at her.

She started undoing her hair and continued, “my baby would wake up by 8, so you see I have to get a haircut, and then bath before he wakes up…or there would be violent tantrums home”

I sighed and said, “Okay, but this time only. Only because you are a new mom okay?”

She had opened her hair now, and without even asking me she took a comb standing near the barber’s chair. She started combing it.

It was very long, past her waist, thick at first, then very thin at ends with untidy ends.

I said, “That’s a lot of hair”

She turned to me and said, “Yeah, that’s about a year of hair growth”

I kept the broom, and she started to sit on the barber’s chair. I stopped her, “you won’t need that, unless you want a very short above shoulder haircut”

She replied, “Well I just need it up to my midback, so yeah no chair”

I went near her and took the comb from her, and inserted into her hair, and started combing it. Then asked her, “How much you want me to remove off”

She replied, “Well I had it till waist...so now cut it till midback

I sighed and then picked up the mist sprayer, and started spraying on her hair from her shoulders. I then massaged it and then again combed it, and then placed my right hand at her hair below her breasts and asked her if I should cut. She felt the touch and replied, “Well that was my length before, go little above”

I now placed my fingers at bra strap length, she agreed. I brought her hair in front so that she could check the length, she nodded in affirmation.

I removed my hand and then combed her hair one last time and asked, “Straight or U cut?”

She replied, “Keep it straight”

I touched her head signaling not to move and inserted the scissor at her left and kaachchchch…chch.

Her chopped strands slide to floor. I gave the second kaachchchch…chch, more of her hair fell. I saw her reflection at the mirror, she had a strange smile and kept her eyes tightly closed. I gave the third cut and her hair was cut till middle.

I took the comb, and adjusted her hair little, and then again continued. I did this time quite fast…kachchch…chchchch…chchhhh chopping her rest of the hair.

I then made the hair even snipping some more hair on left side, then took a comb and combed her hair to make sure it is even. I then dusted her back with a dry cloth to remove any stray hair which attached with her cloth,

The floor behind her was covered with her black hair now. I signaled her to check it. She started seeing her hair from her reflection. She then moved all her in front through her left. At last she saw her chopped locks on the floor

I said, “That’s lot of hair”

She smiled, “yeah my hair is actually very thick, it had deteriorated at the ends”

I replied, “I can use thinning scissor to reduce the volume if you want”

She thought for a minute and the said, “Not today…I will be late, later maybe. How much?”

I replied, “₹25 only. Yeah you will need more trims to keep your hair healthy”

She left the paying me my fees after tying her hair in a pony which just reach her mid back now.

I thought that would be her last visit, a woman would get her hair done in barbershop only when she is extremely desperate…and that doesn't happens much.

But I was wrong…

It was 7:30 in morning, my shop was just opened for customer and I receive one of my favorite customer…the new mother who had her hair trimmed last time in my shop.

I could see her as I sat inside my shop, as she walked towards my shop from other side of road. She was wearing the same yellow Salwar, and her hair was held in a pony which reached below her mid back now. I welcomed her as she entered.

She smiled, “You recognize me?”

I said, “Yeah, very few woman customer you know…trim?”

She laughed, “Barbershop is not that bad for haircut I think but earlier I thought different…”

I replied, “So tell your friends about it…and…”

She removed her clip as she said cutting me in middle, “Yeah, the regular one please, not like last time”

I replied, “Two inches off, okay?”

She agreed turning her hair towards me.

I picked the comb and inserting it in her hair combed it thoroughly. Then marking with the finger at her breast length. She nodded in agreement.

After combing for last time, I took the scissor and kept it little above her ends and started cutting it…kaachchchch…chch…chch. I cut it quite ruthlessly taking no break from left to right.

I again combed her hair and then tuned her towards mirror. She acknowledged it. I then dusted her clothes and asked for her clip.

She passed it to me. I combed her hair one last time, then collected the hair in a pony at her neck…for tying it with clip.

Her hair was very thick at top and heavy growth I could see in her nape. I asked her, “Do you want me to reduce the volume?”

She was confused to answer it…I explained, “Don’t worry your length would not be reduced, I will be using thinning scissor”

She agreed hesitantly, “Yeah… I have time for it…yeah okay do it”

I told her, “You have to sit in barber’s chair for it”

She smiled as she took the seat. It was big chair for her.

I smiled at her saying, “First time in barber’s chair?”

“No, no I have many experience in parlor, but those were not so big”

I answered back as I searched for the thinning scissors in cabinet, “Those aren't true barber’s chair you know”

She smiled. I continued, “You must had last sat on them in your childhood.

She said gently, “Well yes, I don’t remember much…but dad used to take me to a barbershop, I had to sat on a plank kept on it”

I questioned, “You never got haircut sitting normally in a barber’s chair?”

She answered, “Honestly…no”

I said, “Whoa! Means you have been to barbershop last at what max age of 12”

She replied slowly, “Well 11 actually. And hey I came to your shop 3 months back”

I didn't said anything, but kept on searching for the thinning scissor. She continued to tell, “Well I started growing in long after that, mom used to trim it at home then. Then I start going to parlor at age of 16, and you know…so no barbershop visit”

At last I find it. I said, “Welcome back to barber’s shop then” I then signaled her to sit comfortably.

Then turning the wheels slowly, I bent the support of chair as done during shaving beard of males. She was distressed, but didn’t said anything. I bent her as much as possible, so she was almost in lying position, her hair hanged loosed from the chair.

She said slowly again, “Never knew, thinning is done like this in barbershop”

I replied, “Well actually nobody gets their volume reduced here, everybody gets a haircut. Do you know these thinning shears are actually brand new even though I got them few years back?”

I then collected her hair in pony at her base of neck with left hand and sat on the floor for better grip, then touching the thinning shears at her pony base applied pressure to the scissor. Few strands fell. I again changed my grip and ran it at different place.

I continued doing that till I was satisfied. The floor below was covered with not much of hair, if I would have combed a lady with hair fall problem, I think same amount of hair would be collected.

I then straightened the chair to normal sitting position, and then with a comb spread her hair, as if I am going to cut it. I then put a towel on her shoulders, and then sectioned her hair from front to back in five sections. Taking the first section from back, I inserted the thinning scissor near her scalp, and cut it. I did the same with four sections, and then I moved to front doing the same, but she asked, “Can you do bangs?”

I was little surprised, “You want bangs?”

She replied, “yeah, if you can do it”

I didn’t said anything, I just kept the thinning scissor and picked comb, brought some more hair to front section and combed it straight across her face, such that her face got covered.

I then picked regular scissors and asked, “Short bang or long?”

She replied, “Medium”

I placed the scissor just above her eyebrows which were well threaded and kaachchchch…chch, her hair went down to her lap. I continued cutting, as I chopped more, her face revealed, eyes tightly closed and an expression of excitement.

After my scissors passed through she opened her eyes. She smiled seeing her face and then the hair on her lap.

I said, “I should have used the cape…” as I combed her hair to remove cut locks from her hair.

She then put her hair in a pony then a bun and said, “Thanks for reducing the volume, its look nice now”

I said, taking control her hair from her, holding her hair high at top of her head, “your nape should be shaved…”

She didn’t replied, I continued, “clean nape makes ponies look beautiful you know…”

I didn’t waited for her reply, but started adjusting the towel on her shoulder. Then collected all the hair in my fist and made a bun at the top of her head. I then sprinkled water on her nape, bending her head forward, and then massaged it.

I then took a razor and started attaching new blade to it and asked, “Ever had nape shave before?”

She replied in a sad tone, “Yeah, when I was in college…I had done it”

I placed the razor where her hairline ends and told her not to move, and then I ran the razor from top to back of nape. I again adjusted the razor and did it again. By my fourth run, her nape was cleared. I checked her sides, she didn’t had much of sideburns, so left them.

I tuned her around and with left thumb picked the bangs and said, “I am removing the baby hair if you don’t mind”

She agreed and then keeping the razor at her front ran it down removing the baby hairs.

I then kept the razor and removed the towel and wiped her nape with it, then ran some alum to it, and told her, “It’s over”

She got down while touching her nape. She said, “Wow! A complete makeover…”

I smiled and said, “Yeah. ₹ 25 please”

She paid. I then took the clip from her and ponied her hair and attached it.

She smiled and left the shop.

I knew for sure now that she have become a customer of my shop…”