It was the start of another long and hot summer. Nadia had shoulder-length black hair, very thick and naturally tightly curled. She had worn her hair long for the past 8 years and often dreamed of what it would be like to have it cut short. But hers was no ordinary dream for she had long since yearned to find out what it would be like to be cut in a barbershop. She had no idea why it appealed to her, she only knew that it did, but she never dreamed that soon it would finally come true.
It was the following morning: only 7am and already the heat and humidity was getting to her. She decided to give her hair a wash as it wasn't exactly looking its best. Once washed she sat down and combed her hair out. It was real tough work, her hair was in knots. It took her a good 5 minutes to de-tangle, she started to dry it off, but it was taking so long her arms ached holding the hairdryer and brush as she tried to style it. When she had finished she looked at herself in the mirror & thought to herself: was all this effort really worth it day after day? It was then that she thought to herself: no it definitely was not worth the effort. She loved her long tresses but the time had come for a drastic change in style. She didn't have a style in mind but was sure it had to be a short cut, after all it was only going to get hotter in the coming months and she couldn't bear the heat any longer with her long mane.
It was decided then, as it was her day off, to go into town to do some shopping and while she was in, she was going to pop into her regular salon in the hope that it wasn't busy and they could fit her in there and then. She did a little window shopping but found nothing that caught her eye. As she crossed the road, she could see her salon on the other side. She opened the door and strolled up to the receptionist and asked if there was anyone free to cut her hair. The receptionist looked at Nadia and apologised: she stated that they were fully booked for the day. If only she had phoned in earlier they could have fitted her in. She thanked the receptionist anyway and left the salon. Nadia was feeling really let down, she had built herself up and was at last ready to sacrifice her tresses after so many years, but to no avail. But Nadia knew if she didn't do it today she never would. "Well I'm not giving up so easily," she thought to herself. She tried salon after salon but all gave her the same bad news, fully booked up for the day.
It was almost 3pm by now and Nadia had just about had enough. She was tired and was just about to head for home. She was sitting waiting on a bus when she looked up and to her amazement her heart started to pump fast with excitement for across the street, not 30 feet away, was a barbershop: red and white pole lit up, it was a fairly large shop compared to the ones she had seen before. Nadia thought to herself: dare I go in? One minute the answer was yes, the next no. In the end she thought to herself, "I'll just have a quick look in the shop window," and so she did. The shop was pretty busy: there were 7 chairs and all were taken. Across form the workstations roughly ten others were waiting their turn, Nadia was fascinated, almost mesmerised as she watched them being cut. Before she realised what she had done, she was inside the shop. There was a very different atmosphere to the one she was used to in the salon, but it was one that she liked. As she stood there not quite sure what to do, she knew that all eyes in the shop were on her. She felt awkward and out of place, but that soon passed as an elderly looking barber motioned her to take a seat, she did so and found herself beside the others, waiting her turn.
Nadia had never felt so excited and alive, but at the same time terrified. She watched eagerly as the barbers did their work, cutting, all the time the mound of hair on the floor grew larger. One at a time as one customer was finished another took his place, down to seven, five, two customers waiting including herself. Her heart raced, then finally she was next at the far end of the shop as a client got out of the chair and she knew this was it: the moment of truth. She felt like running out of the shop but for some reason she was unable to. It was then that it happened, the barber came over to her and said, "Sorry miss, but it's my break. I'll have someone attend you."
A few minutes passed and then from out of the back of the shop came a sight that she dared not believe to be true, for coming towards her was a barberette. She looked great in her tight white uniform. She said to Nadia, "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"That's ok," replied Nadia.
"Please follow me and take a seat." Nadia did as she was told. Her pulse was racing as she sat in the chair. It was a large old-fashioned barber's chair with headrest and footstool, deep red in colour. "I haven't seen you before, ma'am, this your first time?"
"Yes," replied Nadia.
"Well don't worry. I'm very experienced at cutting women's hair. By the way, my name is Samantha, you can ask for me personally if you feel too shy to be cut by the gents."
"Thank you," replied Nadia, "I'll remember that."
"Now then, how can I help you today ma'am?"
"Well," replied Nadia, "I'm really up for a change. Something pretty short, it's too hot this time of year to have long hair."
"OK, ma'am, have you a particular cut in mind?"
"No," said Nadia. "I was hoping you could suggest a style."
"OK, ma'am, let's see… Now how about I take a lot of length off and thin your hair down a lot. I'd suggest a chin length bob, but I'd also suggest it's cut close into your nape. Here, I have a picture of the style in this magazine."
Nadia looked and instantly agreed with Samantha. "Yes, that's a great cut."
"OK, let's do it. Short it is, ma'am."
Samantha took the cape from the back of the chair and draped it over Nadia & tucked it in tight. She then applied tissue round her neck and tucked that in too. Moving to the front she brushed out her hair & when she finished, she lifted her scissors from the counter. Combing her hair down and applying pressure to make sure it was straight, Samantha made her first cut high above Nadia's shoulder. Nadia felt the cold steel of the blades as they touched her nape. Snip, snip, snip. Nadia felt very sheepish and not in control as Samantha continued to cut. The first cut took 5 inches off the length. As the hair started to tumble onto her shoulders and into her lap, she looked on in horror at the amount of hair falling to the floor, but it was too late. Samantha continued to cut away, snip, snip, all the time Nadia's locks fell away, exposing her neck for the first time in many years. It was a real shock to her.
As she worked her way to the sides, cutting all the time, Samantha was enjoying her work. Nadia could see this in the mirror, the hair continued to tumble, shorter and shorter. She worked her way round to the other side and finished that off. "OK," said Samantha, "That's as short as I'll go here, but I'm going to cut you shorter into the nape area," Nadia nodded half-heartedly in approval. "OK then." She moved round and started to cut into the nape scissor-over-comb style. Each cut took it shorter and shorter.
After a few minutes Samantha proudly said, "There now, all done. I've taken it in to about 2 inches in the nape area, that OK?"
"Fine," said Nadia, "can I see?"
"Sure you can." Samantha lifted the back mirror and displayed her new cut to Nadia. Nadia loved the cut, but there was a look of uncertainty in her face. "Is there anything wrong ma'am?" asked Samantha.
"No, no, I love the cut but I was thinking, well, I've gone this short, I think I'd like it shorter."
"Are you sure?" asked Samantha.
"Yes, certain," replied Nadia.
"OK, ma'am, how much shorter? 2 inches?"
Excitedly, Nadia looked to the customer in the next chair to her. He was getting a crew cut. "I want it cut like his," she replied.
"You sure ma'am?"
"Yes, I'm certain," said Nadia.
"OK, if you're sure. It's a very short cut. What I'll do is give you a more feminine version of that cut. It's a little softer looking than the men's."
"That's fine," said Nadia.
"OK, let's go." Samantha put on a no. 2 guard on the biggest pair of clippers Nadia had ever seen. She started to wonder if she done the right thing, but too late: Samantha brought the blades of the clippers to rest on her now exposed nape and switched them on. At that moment a shiver went from Nadia's head to her toes. The feeling of the vibrating clippers excited her, but too late she ran the clippers up the back of her head. Nadia couldn't believe how good it felt, as she watched in the mirror her curly locks of hair fell onto her shoulder and lap once again, but it felt different this time, this time she was going to lose most of her hair. As Samantha continued to run the clippers up and down the back, Nadia could feel them burrow deep into curly tresses and watched, excited, as they fell. Samantha then started on the longer hair, running the clippers from the back of the head now and cutting into the hair at the sides. Nadia was having the time of her life by now, as the hair fell thick and fast. Onto the other side now, cutting, all the time with each pass the scalp was now being exposed for all to see.
Samantha came round to the back of the chair and said to Nadia, "Could you please tilt your head slightly back?"
Nadia complied and with one swift movement the clippers were placed onto her forehead and drawn back. There was a huge gap in the middle of her head where there used to be a mass of curls. Samantha continued to cut till all her thick tight curls were no more. Nadia thought that it was the end of the cut and was expecting to be brushed down, but no, she looked on as Samantha picked up the clippers, took off the no. 2 guard and replaced it with a no. 1.
"Don't worry, ma'am, I'm not going to shave you, just a little tidy up." Nadia looked relieved. Just then Samantha placed the clippers onto the side of her head and ran them up to high above ear level. She continued to cut, taking in the nape, back and sides. "High 'n' tight, nearly done ma'am."
After a quick tidy up of the neckline it was all over. She once again showed Nadia the result of her new cut. This time Nadia's face broke out in a huge smile, for Samantha this was all the approval she was looking for. Nadia then thanked Samantha and remarked, "From now on, no more fancy salons for me. This is the best cut I've ever had & the service was fantastic." Samantha brushed down Nadia and thanked her for the compliment as she paid the bill. "Is it OK for you to cut me from now on?"
"Certainly," replied Samantha, "just ask for me whenever you're in. You may have to wait your turn but it shouldn't be a long wait."
"OK, thanks again," said Nadia as she left the shop.
It wasn't till then that she realised that she no longer felt tired, in fact it was the opposite: she was excited and full of energy. That night she returned home and dreamed of her next encounter with Samantha in the barbershop, something she couldn't wait for.
THE END
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