One ring. Two rings. Then someone picked up.
”Hi,” I said. Even I could hear the hesitation in that single syllable. “I’m not sure how we do this now. It’s been a long time.”
The voice on the phone was soothing. “Tell me what you need, and I’ll see what I can do to help.”
”Well, it’s been more than a year,” I said, “so it’ll be my first time since …”
”i understand.”
After listening to a run-through of the process, I was given an appointment time forty minutes into the future. Best to get it taken care of sooner rather than later.
When I arrived, a couple of other clients were there, both reading questions and filling in the blanks on forms trapped by dollar-store clipboards. The young woman behind the counter passed me my own clipboard and a pen. “Let’s get started with this.”
I did as instructed, answered a few more questions verbally, had my temperature taken, and then followed her through the reception area and into the back room.
”You can put your coat there,” she said, gesturing to a chair. “You said you wanted shampoo, right?”
My first haircut in over a year. Seven inches lopped off, in easily the oddest salon experience of my life.
This is my last day being 50. I wonder if 51 will be just as strange.
This post was created as part of Two Writing Teachers’ March Slice of Life Challenge.
You can view other writers’ Day 4 contributions via the comments here.
Awesome. You really engaged me. I couldn’t wait to find out where you were going with this piece. I was so relieved to know it was a haircut (which looks great BTW). Happy 50th. I’m a little older and can assure it is a great decade. Enjoy. Hopefully 51 will bring you more frequent visits to the salon that 2020 did.
Oh my gosh, I’m going to chuckle about this post all day long! I love how you took us through the process without giving us an idea what was going on. The slightly-medical feeling of the experience is a great touch. The cut looks good, and I hope 51 is no where near as strange as 50 was!
Thanks, Tim! Glad you liked the set-up. 🙂 It was the strangest haircut experience I have ever had.
I bet it was!
Cute hair cut! I did the same just a few weeks ago. A hair cut after a whole year feels funny. I love how you set us up. I was sure it was some medical procedure and then to learn it was a hair cut was great! Nice writing.
Thank you, Joanne! That was totally the effect I was going for. And yes — it was a strange experience.
So much suspense! Your hair cut is cute. 🙂 Happy birthday!
Thank you for the birthday wishes and the compliment! The hair is much easier to deal with now. Glad you enjoyed my post!