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It was Friday, almost the last day of summer vacation before David began his senior year in High School. David was about 6' 2", a lithe athlete that loved track and field. He was about to turn 18, just before Christmas. His parents tried to give David all the things a young man could need. He was a good student, but they weren't that well off; his dad was a over the road truck driver and spent many days, sometimes weeks on the road without coming home. His mom was a registered nurse, that worked long hours, 4 days a week, which gave her 2 good days off, after catching her breath on the first day off. His sixteenth summer, his dad had told him he needed to get a job, save up some money to add to his college savings. So, last summer he had worked with a yard crew and put away almost $2,000.00. He was really disappointed that his folks couldn't buy him a car, but did give him the mountain bike he wanted. He loved the out of doors, biking, skateboarding, and going to the lake to canoe and swim whenever he could. This past summer, he'd worked off and on, goofing off a lot and not really adding to his college stash. His dad warned him he was going to have a hard time, they couldn't afford to put him through college, he would have to take out student loans and work part time. He was having way too much fun. His hair had grown down to his collar and before his last road trip, dad had told him to pay more attention and work steady. He also told him to get a haircut, before he got back, which would be probably in two weeks, judging by his trip schedule.

The rig was parked in the yard when David rode up on his bike. He'd been to the pool with his friends. His dad asked how it had gone while he was away: had David made any money to add to his college fund. "Only about $50.00." So what had he been doing? Among other things, David had been raised to tell the truth, it was easier than lying about anything. "You didn't get a haircut either, I see?" "No sir." "Why not?" "I kind of like it long like this. My friends all have long hair." His dad shook his head but didn't say anything else. This was the 4^th day of his mom's long work day week, so she wasn't home. His dad fixed them something to eat and after they had cleaned up the kitchen he went to watch tv. David could see his dad was distracted and not happy about something. He decided he'd go 'hang out' in his room. About 15 minutes went by, then his dad called him to come here. He went, there was that tone of voice that said he'd better not be slow about it. 'Here' was the bathroom.

His dad was standing outside the door and told him to go in. He went. His dad had put down the toilet seat and told him to sit. David sat. His dad scooted the trash can in front of him. "Since you can't seem to do much of anything for yourself, even get a haircut, I guess I'll do the honors." David saw his mom's scissors in his dad's hand. He put up his arm. "I'll get one tomorrow." "You've had two weeks. Put your hand down and sit still." David's dad outweighed him by probably 30 or 40 pounds. There was no chance he could win. "Please dad. I will. I'll get it cut tomorrow. Just don't cut my hair. Please." "OK. Tomorrow first thing in the morning. You be up, washed and dressed. I'll take you right after breakfast. Your mom will be wore out, so there won't be no fussing around. You here me David?" "Yes sir. I'll be ready." His dad let David past him. 'Well, he thought to himself. I'd have really butchered it.' David was thinking he had dodged the bullet. His dad had been in the Army Rangers and still, every once in a while would get one of those high and tight haircuts with just a short burr on top, not enough to comb over. Then he would go for several months before he got another.

David heard his mom come in about eleven o'clock from her 12 hour shift. She almost always slept late the next day. Sure enough, when he got up for breakfast, his dad had made some scrambled eggs, toast and bacon. David had a glass of juice and then a glass of milk with his breakfast. He helped clean up the breakfast dishes and then they were ready to go. They got into his dad's pick up and started out. David usually got his haircut at the mall. It had been a long time since he'd gone with his dad to the barbershop near downtown. It was a real 'Men's Barbershop'; three big black leather and chrome chairs, the place had the smell of worn leather, clipper oil and hair tonic. A faint odor tobacco smoke lingered, but the smoking was now done on the bench outside the shop. The chairs were all occupied when the got there, so David and his dad had a seat in the chairs to wait. The shop was known for it's 'regular men's haircuts', no styling or much 'trimming'. David expected to go out with a short taper on the sides and enough to comb over on top. A couple of his friends came in, before school haircuts. That distracted him from watching the hair cutting. The chair farthest from the door and the center chair came free at the same time. His dad tapped him on the shoulder and motioned for him to take the far chair while he went to the center chair.

David got up in the chair and was just settling down when he heard his dad say to the barber, "he get's one just like mine today, high and tight, buzzed to about a half inch on top." David eye's popped and he started to say 'no way'! His dad saw the look on his face. "You don't want it cut like mine?" "No .. No sir." "OK." He then told the barber to use a 000000 blade and take it all off. Tears started to well in David's eyes. But his dad had sat back in his chair and he was talking to his barber about a high and tight like he usually got. David's barber gathered the hair on top of his head with a clip then fastened the paper strip and cape snugly around his neck. Then he let the hair down. His barber turned back to the counter and opened a drawer, pulling out a pair of red clippers. Out of habit he brushed them off, added a little clipper oil to the blades. He checked the adjustment then snapped them on. There was no loud pop, just an almost soft buzzing sound. David sat there frozen, his friends were still chatting with each other not noticing the conversation between David's dad, the barber.

The barber wasted not time. With the clippers buzzing like music he began the first cut straight across the top of David's head. There was a 2 inch wide strip of bald skin left behind as the clippers were pushed straight back. The barber was standing to one side as he worked. David's friends, stopped talking and stared, slack jawed, watching the hair drop to the floor in great big tufts. One elbowed the other, they looked at each other then gave their attention back to David, watching him go bald. The barber tilted David's head one way then the other as the hair was quickly removed. David very quickly, less than five minutes, looked like a recruit with his induction haircut. There was barely a shadow left because of his sandy blond hair. The barber went over his head at least three times to make sure it was all gone. He set the clippers aside and brushed David's head off with a wispy brush. The cape was unfastened and the paper strip removed. The barber tucked a towel into his collar. David noticed the fascination his friends had in watching him get sheared. The barber got out his straight razor and stropped it on the side of the chair. "Just clean up around the edges," he said. David suddenly figured that he might as well go the whole way and asked the barber, "can you shave it all smooth?" The barber looked at his dad who was having the sides of his head shaved, "I guess we can do that." The hot lather machine whirred and David's whole head was soon covered over. The barber tilted his head to one side, pulled the skin taut at the jaw and began right where there might have been a sideburn. The barber not only shaved it once, he re lathered it and shaved it again. Now it was really smooth. Pearly white like a cue ball. The barber wiped his head off with the towel. He rubbed a soothing lotion over the top and sides, then dusted the back down with a brush full of talc. The chair was turned around so David could see the finished work. He closed his eyes as the chair turned around, fearing the worst. When he opened them, there was a stranger looking back from the mirror. For a bald head it didn't look bad. Thank goodness he didn't have dumbo ears. He looked at it, turning his head one way then the other. "Looks like you got all of it." "Yes sir. Reach up and feel, smooth as a baby's butt." David reached up and felt. The barber was right. It was smooth and soft. He shook his head slightly. The barber turned the chair back around and removed the cape from his lap. The chair was lowered and David got out. His dad was getting out of his chair. His buddies asked him why he'd shaved his head. "It's the thing. My senior year." He turned and looked at it again in the mirror. "What do you guys think? Maybe I'll keep it this way. You guy's thought of shaving your heads? Come on, don't be chicken, just do it." He grinned at them and walked out of the shop with his dad. "Cool, huh dad?" "Yeah, that's pretty cool. Are you really gonna keep it that way?" "Yes sir. If it's ok with you and mom." "It's fine with me, I don't know about your mom, although she's never complained about mine and it's not much longer than yours." "How about I get a tattoo and earrings?" He looked at his dad smiling. "Sure, you want to go now - or would you rather wait until you are 18 and graduated. Kind of hard on a kid living in the streets these days and winter is coming." "Yes sir. I probably won't ever get either." "Now that is my son talking." His dad clapped him on the back and said, come on son, "let's go home and face the tiger."

The tigress didn't seem distressed. She told David it looked pretty good. "Use some sun screen when you go out today. There was a call, the work crew needs you to help. Woke me up. So you can go." "Yes ma'am." David went to put on an old pair of jeans and his work shoes. His mom handed him a tube of sun tan/sun screen when he went out the door. "Don't forget to use it. A sunburnt head won't be comfortable." "Yes ma'am," he said as he opened the tube and began to put it on his bare skull. The door shut. "Now. Let's go get your haircut finished. If he can shave his, you can take the rest of yours off." David's dad started to say something, but she just looked at him. "Go on. It won't take you but a minute to get the rest of it off. You guy's look good with a shaved head." When he got home, David was not only 'surprised' at his dad's now mutually shiny head, but his dad had a pair of earrings - and mom was smiling.

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