How Eleven-Year-Olds Shave

…

Grumbling and brooding over their recent humiliation had led Link down a path he was not sure he could return from. What was worse, Line was the one doing the grumbling and brooding. Over a week after nearly exposing the fact that the boys had to endure a day of work wearing dresses, the boys had come up with a means of revenge equal to their humiliation. It was hard to do since Line wanted to actually cause physical harm to Airman Robert, also known as "Guay-face, the Superbeer" and the man who had stolen their tunics. Link talked him out of hurting Robert since attacking fellow airmen on the ship was punishable by a considerable lack of employment, something neither of them could afford considering their age and the amount of time they had spent with the company. Captain Alfonzo was about as tolerant toward pranks, but if pranks were grounds for firing, Line, and probably Link as well, would have been dismissed years ago.

They waited for a day when both of them and Robert would work until late enough in the evening. Their sleep was put off as they searched the berth deck for the necessary materials to enact their revenge under the premise that Robert, being an engineer's mate, would be so tired after his shift that he would sleep soundly while Link and Line carried out their revenge. Not that Link really had that kind of confidence in the plan; with what they were about to do to Robert, Link anticipated screaming and possibly running for their lives. In the hours leading up to their deed, he had hoped to himself that Line would decide to forget about the whole event. It was not until they started gathering things when Link found his fears confirmed. He could only hope that Guay-face slept on a top bunk.

Later that evening, they stood looking down on Robert, snoozing with his face turned away from them. Link cringed, knowing that if he ever woke up, they would not have much warning. He glanced around at the other airmen asleep nearby, silently wishing one of them would wake up and talk them out of this stupid idea.

"Just set the stuff down there," Line whispered to Link, pointing at the foot of the partition between berths. Link carefully set down a satchel holding their necessary tools. "Look at him," Line said. "All snug and stuff. I still say we should hit him in the face with a wrench."

"No, Line," Link replied in a harsh whisper. "I already told you we can't hit him; Captain Alfonzo'll chuck us both overboard."

"Yeah, yeah…" Line studied Robert for a moment before holding out a hand to Link. "Scissors."

Link opened the bag and pulled out a pair of scissors, which were actually a pair of blunt-nosed bandage scissors Line had borrowed from the sick bay. He handed them to Line, and Line tested them by holding them near Robert's exposed ear and cut the air a couple of times. Robert did not stir, so Line took a tuft of hair between his fingers and cut. Then he paused to wait for a response again. Still, Robert was oblivious. So Line gestured to Link that he should slip under the hammock and watch Robert for signs that he was waking up. Link only understood this after Line started mouthing words, as he had interpreted Line's hand signs as humored (and then hostile) indications of their fate should Robert wake up. Then, with Link watching Robert's face, Line gave Robert a haircut. Line took pains to make sure the hair landed on the floor instead of inside the hammock so they could sweep it up later. He took Robert's brown hair down until it was uneven stubble on the side of the airman's scalp. The boys exchanged confused looks with each other when they saw how pale the skin under his hair was.

When Line was finished with the entire scalp available for him to cut, he replaced the scissors and pulled out a straight razor. He folded the blade out and pondered it for a moment. Then he made to start shaving Robert's head.

"Sssst."

The unexpected sound caused Line to flinch, and Link thought he was about to slice open Robert's scalp from the way his hand jerked. Line looked up in alarm to find the airman in the hammock above Robert awake. He was leaning over the edge of his hammock with a finger to his lips to keep Line silent.

"Just what are you boys doing?" the airman asked in a whisper.

"We're gonna shave his head," Line replied.

The airman's response was a half-humored look. "Do either of you know how to shave?"

Line held up the razor. "You use this thing, right?"

The airman shook his head in disbelief. He glanced over Line's head and called out, "Eddy. Hey, Eddy."

Someone snorted to life behind Line, causing him to jump. "Wha?" a deep voice growled. "What's going on?"

"You got some time to kill?" the airman above Robert asked.

Link and Line watched as the airman in the lower hammock of the opposite berth rolled over. He glanced at a pocketwatch before replying, "Yeah, I can spare a minute."

The airman pointed down at Line. "These boys wanna shave Robert's head. Why don't you give 'em a hand before they scalp the guy."

"I'd ask why they're shaving his head," Airman Eddy said as he stood up, "but that would imply that I care. Gimme that razor."

Line gave Eddy the razor, and Eddy reached around and snagged a towel from an empty berth nearby. Link and Line watched as Eddy carefully took the razor across Robert's head, not even considering the idea that Eddy might be far too tired to be doing such a thing. However, Eddy performed well as he was, producing skin almost completely devoid of hair. The boys were horrified when Eddy then placed his hands on Robert's head and turned it so that he could get the rest of his hair, but both Eddy and his friend above chuckled at their response, explaining the depth of Robert's sleep as Eddy shaved this side of his head as well.

"There you boys go," Eddy said after producing a head perfectly without hair. Link could not help comparing the color of Robert's head to a plucked, uncooked cucco. Eddy wiped the razor with the towel and threw it back where he found it. "Anything else?" he asked as he handed the closed razor back to Line.

"No, that'll do it," Line said. Then he reached into the satchel and pulled out a rag and a small jar. "Unless you wanna help us wax his head, too."

Eddy gave a humored chuckle. "No thanks," he said as he returned to his berth. "You boys have fun. And remember: he who polishes a fellow's head shall eventually find a boot in his ass."

"Yeah, but you can say that about anything," Line said as he uncapped the jar.