Hair Punishment

                                      Hair Punishment

  This story is written in the first person perspective.

       Me and my older brother Doug began letting our hair grow at the time all teen and pre teen boys were starting to do it. It was the times. Our mother had no problems at all with it either. It was "hip" at the time and she neither encouraged or discourage us from growing it. She did how ever have one strict rule. We had to keep our hair clean and it wasn't allowed to hang in our face.
      Well of course from time to time our hair would fall down on the sides of our face or we'd not wash it the day before. Long hair was new and the grooming of longer hair for boys was too. Mother would give us stern warnings.
      "Get that hair out of your face. I'm getting tired of having to tell you boys."
      Well I was first. At our grandmothers my hair was hanging in front. My mother called me over to her and with my brother, grandmother and grandfather watching my mother placed four bobbi pins in my hair to hold it out of my face. My hand was slapped when I reached up to stop her at first.
     I became teary as I was not allowed to take the bobbi pins out till we were ready leave.
     "Well you should learn to keep your hair out of your face, better yet, get a man's haircut," my grandfather said while chuckling at my situation. 
      My brother and I, our hair was not that long. Mine completely covered my ears and was over my collar, but the front bangs were heavy and tough to manage.
      Early on we both e got bobbi pins a few times. Then I was in the grocery store with my mother and she put bobbi pins in my hair right there in the store.
      "There how's that," she said knowing how I embarrassed I felt.
      "It's fine," I said trying to hold my head up.
      "Hold your head up Jimmy," she said as she continued shopping.
       We came to the aisle where the hair products were.
     "Which one's do you want to wear Jimmy?" she asked me pointing at the brightly colored barrettes.
      "I don't want any," I replied in a timid tone.
      She then grabbed a card of them and put them in the cart. They were plastic bows in several different colors.
      "Mom," I whined.
      "Hush," is all she said.
       After we were in the car she pulled the barrettes out.
      "Look at me," she said.
       She moved my hair out of my face with her fingers and placed two red ribbon shaped plastic barrettes in my hair.
      "There now. Do you like that better?" she asked.
      "No," I said pouting with my head down.
      "I'm telling you boys, I'm getting fed up with this hair. I don't care if have long hair but it must be clean, neat, and out of your face."
       It was some time later that I came home from school and my brother was sitting in a chair in the kitchen with no shirt and a towel wrapped around his shoulders. His hair hung straight down and wet on the side I could see. Mom was working on his hair on the other side. I was surprised to see his head was half full of brush rollers. She was talking to him as she rolled his hair till I walked into the room.
     "Hi Jimmy, how was your day at school?" my mom asked as she continued rolling his hair.
     "It was fine mom," I said grinning at Doug getting his hair rolled.
     "That's good honey. I need you to go put your books away in your room and take your shirt off. Your next just as soon as I get done with your brother."
      I was shocked. I hadn't done anything.
      "Mom, you're not going to curl my hair are you?"
      "Yes I am."
      "Why mom? I didn't do anything," I whined looking at was being done to Doug.
      "I told both you boys over and over about this hair. I don't mind you boys having long hair, but it will be clean and you will keep it out of your face. You are both more than welcome to borrow my bobbi pins if you need to, but if I'm going to have to shampoo your hair for you, I'm going to set you in curlers and style your hair for you like a girl."
       She turned Doug's head to one side and looked at me.
       "Run along Jimmy. I'll be done with your brother and ready for you in fifteen minutes."
       I slowly walked away and heard what she was was saying to Doug now. She was teasing him to drive the point home.
       "You like having me put you in curlers like a little girl don't you honey," she said rolling the other side.
      "No ma'am," he said with his head down.
       "Sure you do, or you'd take care of it. You're going to have a head full of beautiful curls like a girl. Your hair will be clean and out of your face," she said as she worked.
       He fidgeted in the seat.
       "Would you like to put you in a dress too. Hmmmm?"
       "No," he said whining.
       "I think it would be very appropriate. You won't mommy to paint your toenails red like a little girl? I can do that for you if you like."
      "No," he said softly.
      "Are you sure honey. I think you'd look nice dressed like a little girl. I think that would be a good lesson for you learn. We will buy you a nice pretty dress and we can get you a pair of flowered sandals to show off your pretty toes to your friends."
      "No mom." he stated again.
      "Alright, if you say so. You need to take care of this hair then, keep it clean and out of your face if you want to look like a boy, cause if I do it I'm going to put you in curlers, and you will wear it in curlers or styled like a girl and you will wear it like that for the day. Got it?"
       "Yes ma'am."
       Doug's head was covered in curlers with pink pins in perfect rows. Mom took the towel from around his shoulders had him stand up. She lifted his chin with her finger so he was looking at her.
      "Look at yourself in the mirror young man," she said turning his head to the mirror.
      Doug's eyes teared up at what he saw.
      "You like the way you look Doug? Your hair in curlers? Not very manly is it."
      "No ma'am,"
      "Your friends would probably laugh at you wouldn't they."
      "Yes," Doug said tearing up.
      "Now I want you to come over here," she said leading him over to the breakfast nook and pushing him face first into the corner. "Stand here. Stand up straight and think about it while I do your brothers hair."
      "Mom, I didn't do anything," I pleaded hearing what she said.
      "Bend over to the sink young man," she said turning the water on and warming it up.
       I pleaded with her while she waited on the water to warm up.
      "Stay still," she said picking up the shampoo.
      Mom washed my hair and conditioned it. When I stood up she towel dried it and wrapped the towel around my head. I looked over and saw Doug still standing in the corner the back of his head full of curlers. I pleaded with her knowing she was about to do the same to me.
     "Mom? Why do I have to do this?" I asked whining now.
     "Hush Jimmy. You know why," she said combing out my hair.
      I gave one last desperate plea when I saw her pick up a curler and getting ready to start my hairset punishment.
     "But I didn't do anything. My hair wasn't dirty or in my face," I whined now a tear going down my cheek.
     She positioned my head by lifting my chin. The first curler was pinned into my hair. I was so demoralized having my hair put in curlers by my mother, even though it was a punishment and meant to be used as a deterrent from the offensive activity.
      "Jimmy, do you want to wear a dress this weekend? I can get you a  dress and dress you like a girl."
     "No," I whined getting the same treatment as my brother had gotten.
     "No? Really? Well honey I think I may want you to. I think you would look pretty with your hair done up in bows and wearing a party dress."
      "Mom, stop it. No. I didn't do anything," I said to her teasing.
     She continued winding the brush curlers into my hair.
     "Didn't do anything? But Jimmy, boys don't wear hair curlers, but you have to, tell me why that is. Tell me why your hair is being put in curlers like a girl," she said as she worked.
     "I don't know," I said not wanting to say it.
     "You don't know? How about if I give you a permanent wave for the summer Jimmy. I will do that if I need to, it will help you having such memory problems. I bet you remember when you have curls that don't come out," she said pushing his head forward to roll the back of his head. "I will paint your toes red too like your brother is going to get."
      Doug grunted and shook his head. He didn't want his toes painted.
      "I didn't keep my hair clean," I said with a bit of a blubber from frustration.
      "That's right honey, and what do I do when a young man doesn't do what he is suppose to with his hair?"
      "You wash and curl my hair."
      "That's right. You did remember. You expect to get your hair curled when it's not clean don't you," she asked.
      "Yes," I said softly.
       "You want your friends to see you in curlers? she asked as she was finishing up.
       "No," I said as she took the towel from my shoulders.
       Mom made me look in the mirror. A couple of tears ran down my face. I couldn't believe how silly I looked. My head looked so big with the curlers in my hair.
      "You like that Jimmy? Don't you look so sweet. I'll do this everyday for you if needed. Put you in curlers everyday when you get home from school, and you can wash out the curls each morning before going to school. That way you will wash your hair."
      "No," I said again and she directed me to the other corner to stand.
       Mom worked in the kitchen while we both stood with our noses in the corners with curlers in our hair for not keeping it clean or letting it fall in our faces.
       We had dinner that evening Doug and I in curlers, then we were sent to bed for the evening in curlers. It was a horrible experience. The next morning mother took our curlers out and teased our hair into humiliating hairstyles and sprayed liberally extra with hairspray. It was Saturday. 
      We were both forced to have a picture taken by mom of us together with our girly hairdo's. This picture sat in the corner of the mirror in each of our bedrooms as a daily reminders. We could take it down when friends came over, but it had to go back up when they left.
     I was involved in an incident at school and my mother was called. Nothing major really, but it was the week she took the picture of us, as a result my brother was wearing his black slacks, white shirt, a bow tie, and his teased up in a girly hairdo. I stood next to him. I was wearing a yellow girls party dress, white ankle socks with yellow sandals, and of course my teased up girly hairdo with the little white bow added, that I was told I deserved. It was the only time either one of us ever forced to wear a dress.    
       This was the first time our hair was curled as punishment. It did happen more. It seems to me though that when I was forced to have my hairset in curlers for not being clean Doug never had to. I had to do it by myself and my brother teased me, but when Doug was forced to get a hairset it seems like I always had to have mine done too. I don't remember my brother ever having his hair put in curlers and me not.
      It was difficult at first but I began using bobbi pins at home to hold my hair back. Four on each side. It did help it seemed, though Doug teased me.
      Now I realize it was a punishment and quite an effective one, but at the time I hated having my hair set like that and teased about wanting to dress like a girl. Today I would welcome such a scene.

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