Jesse's Tale by Moc

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Lisa and I met at a college party given by some of my friends, I was instantly drawn to this petite brunette, and we hit it off. Lisa is an English literature major, and I am a secondary education major, attending college on a track and cross country scholarship. I had long dark brown hair, it tends to curl, so I kept it in a ponytail especially when running.

Lisa and I share a love of movies, and one night in late September, while watching 'Last of the Mohicans', she told me it was her favorite movie. I guess I felt like a Daniel-Day Lewis wannabe that evening and suggested we celebrate Halloween with a 'Last of the Mohicans' theme. "Really?” she said, "I'd love to!”

A couple of days later she gave me a pair of soft sole elk moccasins and told me to break them in, as a prelude to Halloween. As a gesture of thanks, I went to the college bookstore and picked up a nice hardbound edition of 'Last of the Mohicans', with color illustrations by N.C. Wyeth, Lisa loved it!

A couple of days before Halloween, I went to pick Lisa up for our date, and she was watching 'Last of the Mohicans' on video and was sketching away on a notepad. "What have you got there?” I asked. "I've been sketching the tattoos, I hope you won't mind doing a quick shave for Halloween . . . I've been practicing with henna, and I can do the designs on your chest, legs, and arms.” Lisa asked with a twinkle in her eyes. Of course I said, "No problem, we're going to win 1st prize!”

Track practice wasn't over until 4:00 on Halloween and Lisa was picking me up, so we could get the costumes. A couple of buddies were giving me grief while I was doing a quick shave in the shower. I just grinned and told them there was a Halloween party and I was going as Nathaniel, the hero played by Daniel-Day Lewis in Last of the Mohicans. I was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and the elk mocs when Lisa picked me up at 4:30. My hair was still damp so I hadn't put it in a ponytail yet.

As I hopped in the car, Lisa said, "Hi, we're running a little late, so I've already picked up your costume. We just have a couple of stops left before we head back to my place for your henna tattoos! I love you, and I'm so excited, you are going to look incredible!”

We drove downtown, parked, and walked by a barber shop on the way to the costume rental place. Lisa had picked out a tight-fitting gown that really showed off her body, she was so hot! We signed the forms and we headed back to the car, walking hand in hand, Lisa squeezed my hand and said, "Just one more stop!”

We stopped at the barbershop we had passed earlier and Lisa said, "Time for a trim! This is Dave's shop, my brother Rick's buddy from high school!”

"Hey, Lisa, it's great to see you!" Said the barber with a huge smile, as we entered the shop. I noted he sported small hoop earrings and a shaved head, and guessed he must be about 22.

"Hi, Dave!” Lisa said, "This is my boyfriend Jesse, we're doing a 'Last of the Mohicans' theme for a Halloween party.”

"Hi great to meet you, Jesse!” Dave said as he grasped my hand with a grip like a vise! He motioned to his burgundy leather barber chair and said, "Have a seat!”

O what the heck, I figured a quick trim on my split ends . . . and we'd be out of there! He put a cape on me, and ran a comb through my hair removing all the tangles. I was facing away from the mirror, looking at Lisa, who was perched on one of the chairs.

"Your are going to look so hot Jesse!” Lisa said with a big smile on her face.

I barely remember the barber saying, "One Mohican, coming up!”

The sound of the electric clippers didn't register, fully, as I was thinking, Mohican . . . isn't that like a Mohawk? I was stunned out of my reverie as the clippers plowed into my hairline on the top of my head, above my right ear, shaving a huge swathe of hair. I was suddenly sick as I watched a 20" hank fall into my lap! "What the ****!!” I said.

Dave, the barber, stopped, and said, "You want wanted a Mohawk for the Halloween party, right?”

I looked at Lisa in horror and said, "I was going as Nathaniel, Daniel-Day Lewis!”

With a look of shock, Lisa said, "No, no, no, . . . you're going as Uncas, the Mohican!!”

Dave, the barber, started laughing like a hyena. "Well, there's nothing to do now but let me take it off! I can't put it back on your head!”

I was sort of pissed, but had to grudgingly agree, and said, "Well, make it one hell of a good looking Mohawk! If I'm going to have a bald melon for the winter, we better win first prize tonight!”

Dave continued to chuckle as he mowed my head, dropping my long locks in my lap. When the clippers stopped, I ran my right hand over my head, to find it covered with a short stubble except for a strip about two inches wide running from my forehead to the nape of my neck. It was a weird sensation, but sort of cool! Dave came back at my head with some sort of goo which he began working into my remaining hair. The sound of crunching scissors let me know he was trimming my hair into a Mohawk crest.

As I was toying with the 20" locks in my lap, I suddenly had an inspiration. "Do you have a couple of rubber bands?”

Dave said, "I'm sure I've got some here somewhere,” as he paused to rummage in the drawer.

Lisa had a puzzled look on her face, so I said, "If I'm going to be a Mohican warrior, I sure need a scalp at my belt!”

Lisa grinned, came over and kissed me, and said, "I love you Jesse!”

Dave gave her a couple of rubber bands and I gave her my lap full of hair, to gather and tie into a bundle.

"Let's finish this up so you folks can win the prize at your Halloween party!” Said Dave as he spread shaving lather across the stubble on my head.

I felt the razor glide across my scalp, as the stubble yielded to sharp steel. Dave finished my head shave, then he proceeded to strip away the five-o-clock shadow from my face. A towel removed the last traces of lather, and he re-combed my Mohawk crest, and checked for any stray hairs. As I felt him tugging at the hair on the back of my neck, he said, "I'm braiding the end, so you can tie your war plumes to it!”

"There you go, one Mohawk!” Dave said as he spun the chair around to face the mirror. I was stunned, I looked like one of the illustrations in Lisa's book! My Mohawk was about two inches wide and three inches tall, and rigid to the touch, as I gingerly felt the crest. As I ran my hands over my shaved melon, and looked at my Mohawk, I began to grin, because it looked so cool!

Lisa came up, kissed me, and squealed with delight as she ran her hands across my head. "I love it!”

I paid for the haircut and we left, Lisa holding my long locks in one hand as her other hand squeezed mine. Dave gave me a jar of the goo for the Mohawk, "Just in case you want to keep it!”

We got back to her apartment, and after stripping down, Lisa painted henna tattoos across my pecs, calves, and forearms, and applied some theatrical paint to my face. My costume consisted of the moccasins, a deerskin breechclout that barely covered anything, the henna tattoos, the face paint, and a feather for my hair. With a tomahawk from the rental shop, and my scalp at my belt, I was ready to go!

Needless to say were quite the hit at the Halloween party! Lisa made a stunning Alice, and I was the ever vigilant Uncas, her Mohican! I had lots of friends come up to me and say, "My god, you look incredible!” We won the five hundred dollar prize that night.

My track team mates took to calling me Uncas, in homage to my haircut. I kept the Mohawk until past Thanksgiving, when Lisa first shaved my head. I've let my hair grow to about an inch overall, I still wear the moccasins, and Lisa and I are still together.

The End

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