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It was Steve who spoke first. "I don't believe it," the tall
cowboy said.
We all turned then, and the full impact of the deed struck us
almost simultaneously. There, on Dud's head, was a sculpture of such
blasphemous proportions as would silence all of us in attendance at
the Mule Barn truck stop's philosophy counter and world dilemma
think tank. It was beautiful, of course, but it was also tragic.
"They call it feathered," said Dud, turning red. "A razor cut."
We just stared at the haircut without saying anything. It curved
gracefully around his ears; it waved softly in sculptured layers
over the top of his head. It fell in gradually decreasing
thicknesses down the long back slope of his head toward its tapered
termination at the neck.
"It was Anita's idea," Dud said. "She gave me the money for it
and everything."
Finally, Doc spoke. "What's Kelly going to say?"
"That's the worst of it, all right," Dud said. "I know he's going
to be hurt."
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column in this article]
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Kelly hadn't really worried too much about the future of his
barbershop when Fantasy Fantails set up shop. He assumed it was a
haircutting place for women who didn't want to take the time to go
to the beauty parlor and for guys who came from the city to live in
our small town.
Kelly's had always been the stronghold of local manhood here. The
magazines had nothing to do with decorating a house or how your
investments are working out. The magazines had everything to do with
what kind of bait to use on catfish and how big an engine your
pickup needed to pull a large boat. You wouldn't find a single
advertisement showing a guy wearing a sweater tied around his neck.
Not at Kelly's. In the past, when magazines were magazines, you
could read how some guy captured gestapo headquarters with his
headhunter brides.
"Well," said Doc, shrugging. "That haircut of yours is a work of
art, without a doubt. But there's at least one good thing about
getting a really expensive haircut, Dud. Sooner or later, it'll grow
out."
[Slim Randles]
Brought to you by "Raven's Prey." Read about
it at www.slimrandles.com.
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