The week before the holidays was a busy week, mum was rushing trying to get everything sorted at school, whilst dad was doing his normal thing and was in and out at all times of the day and night, and my brother Timmy had packed and emptied his case at least 3 times. On the Wednesday mum said to dad over a hurried breakfast "Take the boys this afternoon to get their hair cut", and as usual dad just grunted as he passed through on his way to work. Dad usually takes us into town to his barbers and we all get our hair cut at the same time, with both me and Timmy quarrelling over who gets the girl barber or the man barber to cut their hair, Timmy always wanting the man and moaning if he can’t get his own way, and it usually ends up with dad volunteering to have the girl just to shut us up. Nothing more was said until Friday afternoon and we were in the back of mums car coming home from school for the last time that mum, who was in one of her more enlightened moments looked at us in the mirror and asked "Did your father take you both for a haircut?" Now as Timmy was sitting next to me with his hair just like Bart Simpson’s, sticking up in spikes and mine was hanging almost over my eyes I didn’t think it took a lot of brainpower for her to work out the answer so I just replied "Nope". "Alright then" said mum "I’ll take you to Christine’s and see if she can do a quick cut". At the mention of mums hairdresser Timmy started "I’m not going in there, it’s full of women and they all pinch my cheeks and call me sweet, I’m a boy and men cut my hair". I didn’t like the idea either so I didn’t try too hard to quieten Timmy down, the shop was full of old grannies and it did have a funny chemically smell about it. "Alright, we can sort it out later" mum said to try and shut us both up.

The following morning we loaded up the car and started on our way to the holidays, with dad insisting on mum keeping to the speed limits, mum moaning at dad about not getting our hair cut and the two of us moaning at each other about the space, the sweets, the books and any other thing we could think of. We soon arrived and things started to look good. The house we had was on the edge of a small fishing town and we could walk straight out of the house and onto the beach. Over the next few days we met and played with other children there on holiday as well as several local kids, playing on the beach, swimming in the sea and going into town to play in the arcades. One evening as we were walking through the town looking for somewhere to eat mum noticed a barbers shop just off of the main road, "There you are, you can take the boys there in the morning" she ordered. Morning came and went and it wasn’t until we came in for some lunch that mum noticed we still had not had our hair cut, "When are you going to take them" she demanded of dad, who was stretched out on the beach. "I’ve booked a game of golf this afternoon, but I’ll take them tomorrow" he replied. I thought about this and decided it would be a good excuse for getting to the arcades so said to mum, "I don’t need anyone to take me, I know where the shop is, and if you give me the money we can get our hair cut by ourselves". Mum was a little unsure at this but dad said it sounded fine and gave me enough to pay for the haircuts and some left for us to spend in the arcades.

After lunch off we went into town, Timmy had been given his instructions and was to do as I said and not mess about. We soon found the street mum had seen the barbers in and we easily saw the red and white striped pole above the door. The main window of the shop had a curtain half way up and I was just too short to see over to find out if the barber was busy or not, so with a final warning to Timmy I pushed open the door. As I opened the door I saw two ladies dressed identically in white shirts and short denim skirts, "Oh sorry, we were looking for the barbers" I said trying not to look embarrassed. "Well that’s fine then, because you’ve found us," the blonde lady said, gesturing to the three empty red barbers chairs to my right. At that moment Timmy started his whining, "I want a man, she’s going to pinch my cheek". I tried to quieten him down and said "Alright Timmy you don’t have to have your hair cut if you don’t want". The dark haired younger girl then came over smiling, and taking Timmy by the hand, sweetly said "Timmy, come and try Gail’s throne to see if you like it" and with that she led him over to her chair on which she fitted a board across the arms before helping Timmy up, "Try my cape on and see how it looks, and I promise not to pinch your cheeks" she soothed. 

The other lady turned to me and asked if I also wanted a cut and as Timmy was going for it I felt it only right that I should have one as well. "How do you want your hair?" she asked and after a moments hesitation I remembered what my dad had once asked and said "A crew cut please and tight on the back and sides" only to be followed immediately after by Timmy saying "Me too". As if in stereo both girls said at the same time "Are you sure?"  To be honest I wasn’t sure but said, "Yes we always have one at this time of year". My barber put a cape around my neck then pumped up the chair to a better height. Taking a pair of clippers in her hand she went behind me and eased my head forward, then after a loud snapping sound I heard the buzzing behind me soon followed by buzzing from Timmy’s direction. I felt the cold guide touch my neck and then start to run up my neck and head, with the tone of the buzzing growing deeper and the vibration running right down my back and into my bum. Chunk by chunk I watched as my hair fall to the floor and then watched in fascination as she moved to the side of my head and in one steady stroke ran the clipper up the side of my face and deep into my hair. I glanced over to see how Timmy was doing as he had now become very quiet. Timmy was sitting very still with a wide grin on his face as one side of his head looked just like Bart Simpson and the other side just like Homers, with just a covering of very short hair all over it. I turned back to stare into the mirror in front of me and was even more surprised to see that by now all of my hair had gone with the exception of a ½ inch covering of light brown fur. As I sat watching, my barber remover the guide from the clipper and with the bare cutters started to cut the sides to an even shorter length and then moved around to the back. The clippers were soon turned off and the cape was removed from around me allowing all my shorn hair to fall to the floor in piles. Taking a brush my barber started to brush away the last of the cut hairs around my shoulders and from down my tee shirt. Coming round to face me she enquired, "Do you usually have the back of your neck razored?" I’d seen our usual male barber use a razor on adults before, but that service had never been offered to me before and so I thought, well I’m old enough to come on my own, so I must be old enough to have that done and replied "Yes, I usually do". And of course up piped Timmy, "Me too, please". I turned and looked at him, "Timmy, you’re just a kid and don’t need it" I said firmly. "Don’t worry Timmy", said Gail laying a supportive hand on his shoulder before he could start crying "I’m cutting your hair and if that’s what you want that’s what you can have", And Timmy grinned and stuck his tongue out at me.

My barber then laid a towel around my shoulders, turned on the hot tap and taking a small shaving brush from her equipment held it under the water before pumping a little shampoo onto the bristles. Turning to me she started to work the brush side to side in small circular motions until she was satisfied with the covering of soap on my neck. Taking a tissue and her razor she gently eased my head forward and I held my breath as I felt the cold blade touch my skin and then travel down, removing both the lather and the hairs before it. 3 or 4 more strokes and she seemed satisfied, as she then lathered my sideburns and again carefully ran the razor down my cheek removing any stray hairs and leaving my cheek soft and smooth. The towel was removed and the excess soap wiped off. "My turn, my turn" shouted Timmy and even Gail sounded exasperated as she replied, "Just a moment Sir, and I’ll soon finish you off". Shortly Timmy’s Mickey Mouse cape was removed and the loose hairs brushed from around him. Taking a white towel she laid it over Timmy’s shoulders and picked up the shaving brush, "Water and soap first please", he commanded, and just to keep him happy Gail did as she was instructed, "Now paint it on like on Paulie’s neck" and she spread the lather across his neck, "Now the knife" and I watched in amusement as Gail took the razor and without opening it to expose the blade ran the handle over Timmy’s neck a couple of times. "Are you sure you wouldn’t like a shave as well Sir" she asked and picking up the shaving brush dolloped a large blob of lather onto Timmy’s chin, "Don’t be silly, I’ve not got a beard" he snapped and wiped the foam off with the back of his hand.

We didn’t bother going to the arcades after but ran along the quay back to mum and dad with both of us running our hands over our spiky new crew cuts, and my loving the feel of the transition point where my spiky hair suddenly changed to smooth razored skin. Dad was the first to see us, and after a few seconds silence agreed that it did suit us, mum took a little longer to come round but after a couple of days even she agreed it was easy to look after. During the rest of the holidays Timmy and I on three or four occasions stopped off to see the barbers, and were always made to feel most welcome, though I never got up enough nerve to ask for a neck shave again Timmy did get to sit on Gail’s lap and give her a hug. Now I always go to the barbers without an adult, although I still get the job of taking Timmy with me, and we go into town for our haircuts, with Timmy always insisting that we go to a shop with a girl working in it so that he can tell her each thing he wants done, and he always insists on a neck shave. Roll on when he is 15 so he can go on his own and by then I can go back to the coast to see if Gail wants to do that shave she offered Timmy and me.

THE END