Saturday afternoon, seemed to lag on and just as I was going to close up for the day, a car pulled up out front and two guys came in the shop. One I recognized as the captain of the local pro soccer team - - Eric something-or-other. The other guy evidently was a rookie.
Eric is well, a stud. (Sorry Casey). Blond hair that fashion models would kill for. Blue eyes that sparkle like sapphires and a smile that would make a gruff old bear go mushy. Eric had come by before. He always got a slight tapper - -not too short and leave the top alone. Well there was a reason of course. Mr. Perfect had started to thin out on top a bit, but not too much.
As with most teams, every rookie is put through some sort of ordeal. Well for this team it meant trial-by-buzzing. So, Eric brought the teams latest catch from San Jose State. A kid named Josh. Tall and more rugbyish than soccerish. Longer brown hair on top that fell half-way over his ears and into his eyes and about two or three inches over his collar.
Evidently, young Josh had been told to be buzzed by practice time and had failed to do so. Eric brought him over right after they had finished for the day. They had to get back, because they had a game that night.
Josh was not taking this very well. He had never been in a real barber shop and was not sure he was going to like this. I suggested to Eric that if he got a trim, Josh might see that its not so bad. After all it had been four whole weeks since Eric had come by.
Eric agreed and he sat down. As I ran my fingers through his fabulous blond hair, I kidded Eric about not coming by for so long. (His hair showed it too.) A bit too shaggy for a professional league team captain. He laughed and said they had been on the road and he had waited so he could get it cut by me. We joked around a bit more and then got down to business.
Now as I said before, Eric has model slaying blond hair - - a bit straight, but none-the-less definitely model slaying. Thick on the sides and back about 2 to 3 on the sides and about 3 to 5 in the back. On top he kept it about 5 to 6 and 6 to 7 over his thinning crown. I asked if it would be the usual. He said no something more appropriate for a professional league team captain. At first I thought he was joking, but he was serious.
I got out my Oster and put on the #2 (1/4) attachment. I tilted his head forward and I started in the back. Slowly I moved the clippers up the back of his head to just below his crown. A shower of blond fell onto the cape and to the floor. Again and again I moved the clippers slowly up the back of his head to just below his crown reducing the 3 to 5 inches of blond mane to 1/4 stubble.
Then I moved to his left side and tilted his head and slowly moved the clippers from behind his ear, around his ear and to the front. A pile of blond hair fell into his lap. I then continued by moving the clippers up the of his head to the top reducing the thick 2 to 3 blond hair down to 1/4. Slowly I worked back around and blended it in with the back.
I moved over to his right side and starting in the back I moved the clippers forward around his ear. Once again a huge pile of thick blond hair fell into the cape. I then slowly moved the clippers up the side of his head to the top. A shower of blond fell as a reduced those thick locks down to 1/4. Then I took off the attachment and shaved off his long, wide and thick sideburns. I cleaned up the back and turned off the Oster. (It needed to cool down almost as much as I did.)
I took out the shaving cream and lathered Eric up around the ears and the back. I took the straight razor and defined the edges and then shaved his face. Then, I applied some Wintergreen tonic.
Once again I got the Oster and this time I put the #3 (3/8) attachment on. I tilted his head forward and started where I had left off just below his crown. I let the clippers rev up a bit since Erics hair was 6 to 7 all around his crown.
I started in the back on the right and slowly moved the clippers up and over the crown and down the top to the front. A cascade of gold fell onto the cape. Again and again I slowly ran the clippers from just below his crown up over his crown through 6 to 7 of blond and to the front reducing the 6 to 7 of blond to 3/8. When I finished mowing down those locks frontwards, I went to the front and ran the clippers over the top of his head over his crown. As for his crown, like all of us of a certain age, he was indeed thinner at the crown, but nothing to write home about.
I blended the sides and back with the top and clicked of the clippers. I brushed him off and ran my hand up the back of his head and rubbed his crown. He smiled, got up and paid me. He ran his hands over his buzzed head and laughed. He pointed at Josh and then pointed to the chair.
It was obvious that Josh had enjoyed the show when he stood up. He had also gotten over any fears he may have had. He sat down and I got out the Oster again - - this time with out an attachment. Josh had longer brown hair on top (8 or 9) that fell half-way over his ears and into his eyes and about 2 or 3 inches over his collar.
I tilted his head forward and then I started in the middle of his forehead and slowly moved the attachment-free clippers across the top of his head. 8 or 9 of brown hair fell onto the cape. Again and again I moved the clippers through 8 or 9 of brown hair to his crown. By the time I moved to his right side, there was a mound of long brown locks in his lap.
Then I moved to his right side and started where I had left off on the top. I moved the clippers towards the back reducing the long brown locks to nothing. I removed his right sideburn and what remained just above his ear and moved to the back. I tilted his head forward and moved the clippers up the back of his head reducing the 2 to 3 of brown locks down to nothing. Again and again I moved the clippers up the back of his head. A constant flow of brown locks fell on the cape and to the floor.
I moved to his left side and started by removing his left sideburn and moving up the side of his head to the top. Then I moved the clipper front towards the back until I had reduced it all down to nothing.
I clicked off the clippers and got out the shaving cream. I lathered up his head and slowly and carefully reduced the stubble down to a smooth dome. Then I shaved his face. I applied Wintergreen tonic on his head and face and rubbed my hand over his bald head. Josh laughed and got up and paid me. He was rubbing his hands over his bald head as they left.
Later that evening, Casey and I watched our team defeat a certain unbeatable team from the Great Lakes region. Both of my clients scored goals. After I gave Casey a trim I too scored.
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