Bad Hair Day

The morning was still and sunny, not a cloud in the sky in Madison, Wisconsin. After repeatedly being told by my girlfriend to get a haircut, I decided today was the day. I had been growing it out for some time, too lazy to get it professionally cut. I even considered doing it myself, but realized that I would regret that later, and pushed it off some more.

However, the long curls in front were starting to get in the way of my sight, and I would often find myself playing with them, only making me look even more like a girl. It was quite pathetic actually, how long it was. I could not  figure out why I had this feeling about cutting it, I guess I just knew something was going to happen. Meanwhile, my girlfriend, Sara would not stop bugging me about it, and so I just went, going against my gut.

I drove over to Ruby’s Salon, and was greeted by a tall dark haired woman once I entered the store. “Hi, we have and open spot right in that corner over there.” She pointed her finger.

“Thanks.” I replied. I made my way over to the chair she pointed at, were a man who was in maybe his mid-forties stood organizing his combs on the counter. I sat down and looked through the mirror at him.

“I just want a short trim. About an inch off the top, and shaved on the sides. A No.2 clipper should do.” Once I said this, he turned his head towards me and gave a slight nod. He finished setting down his brushes and grabbed a barbers gown and placed it around my neck and chest, buckling the back. I had never seen him before, so I guess he was new, but then again, I haven't been here in a while. He began cutting the top of my hair almost instantly, not saying a word.I started to feel uneasy for some reason, and scooted back in the chair a bit, closer to him. I guess I was fidgeting too much for him, because he grabbed my ear, and gave it a slight twist. Trying not to make a big deal out of the incident, I sat still, but continued to think about how weird that was. I also thought of leaving, but I needed this haircut bad, and I wasn't about to make a man with my hair in his hands mad. All of a sudden, I got an itch on my leg, and ever so slightly reached down to scratch it. Then out of nowhere, I felt a pinch on my ear. I looked up into the mirror, and saw blood coming down on my neck and ear. Shock took over my body for a second, and it felt like the world had stopped. Then, I came back to reality.

“Hey! Are you kidding me! You just cut my ear!” I yelled at the sight of it. I grabbed my ear and and turned around to look at him.

“Look what you did! I can’t believe this right now!” I said.  He looked at me with a side eye, and I wanted to slap him. I then faced the mirror to grab my wallet and phone from the countertop, when he grasped a No.0 razer and shaved a line across the middle of my head.  I looked 20 years older than I was, balding strait down the middle. In disbelief, I ran over to the front desk clutching my head trying to cover it as much as I could, which wasn’t working considering the damage.

“I need to speak with the manager now! What is wrong with you people!” I yelled at the woman. “Get away from me, you psycho! Ah, my god! I need an ambulance!” I screamed at the barber who looked at me like I was overreacting. I didn’t really need an ambulance because only the tip of my ear was snipped, but at the time it felt like my whole ear was gone.

The lady behind the front desk was gone, and must have been looking for the manager. I didn’t want to be in their any longer, and neither did any of the other clients apparently, because they all began to almost run out. I sprinted out of their as fast as I could, to scared and in shock to stop or look back.

I later drove to another barber shop where they had to completely shave my head to match the line in the middle previously made by the other barber from hell. I quickly called the police afterwards, feeling ashamed and scared. It all happened so fast, it almost felt like a dream.

I learned a lot from that experience. One, never go there again, two, I look terrible bald, and three,  go with my gut. I didn't feel comfortable with that man, and I knew something was going to happen. Now here I am today, writing this in my journal, bald headed and in trouble with my girlfriend.