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«Much hair outside, little thoughts inside»
Russian proverb
Leaving this room with glass doors I felt amazing lightness inside, as if I have dropped a heavy bag off my shoulders , but I have dropped just а half a gram, no, a little more- , – thimbleful of grey hair from my head.
Suddenly I recalled a scene from my childhood, when deep in the night my grandmother cut a clump of my long hair. In the morning she told me:
- A cool guy, you say ! Tarzan!.. A Rocker!
-A cool hairdresser, you say! – I answered in tears.
Since that time I didn`t like this word. HAIRDRESSER. Especially when syllabicated – HA-IR-DRES-SER!
Nevertheless we regularly visit this place, men once a month, women- once a week. In recent years hairdressers salons are called different names, sometimes even foreign ones. And than , looked back over my shoulders I read -“VAGAN”
And some words beneath « BEAUTY CLUB»
That was a prologue. And now – the story starts …
Once being at my friend`s I told him:
- Martyn, your haircut looks terrific, is your hairdresser from Paris?
- No, he is from Moscow, – he answered, – I could show you this salon.
Some time passed and once in the midnight I was surprised by a sudden call :
- Zavenych, may I drop in for a minute ? – that was Martyn , stepped on the threshold he handed to me an oblong shiny envelope and … disappeared like heroes of David Copperfield`s performance.
Underneath is the complete body of the letter from the envelope:
«Dear Robert Zavenovich ! «VAGAN» Beauty Club and Beauty Club art-director are happy to invite you into our saloon. You will get the best service – haircutting , hair and skin treatment and massage in the VIP- saloon of one of the most famous European experts and will enjoy his art.
Please call our art-director for appointment 137 10 19
Best regards,
VAGAN”.
I called , said my name and made an appointment.
- Please come when it suits you – I heard a polite answer in the phone.
- Martyn gave me your contact – I said on the threshold of the room with the glass doors.
I was treated with such a courtesy , politeness and joy, as if I have said “ Mr. Putin gave me your contact ”
Two absolutely identical young men – both in faces, bodies and clothes like twins- took my cap and jacket in a twinkling and – nearly in hugs- led me to a leather arm-chair.
«Good service here!» – an idea came into my mind.
On my way to the working studio of the maestro a pretty girl with fair hair in a tight and short white mini-dress asked me politely:
- Would you like some coffee, tea or juce?
-No, no, thank you – I answered automatically, but to be honest I felt like drinking some tea, as it was November behind the glass doors. .
Finally I was seated in the arm-chair , a big mirror before me and the maestro behind me.
- “My name is Vagan – said the maestro, putting a kimono on my shoulders.
He was not a tall young man, thin-figured , with big eyes, like many Armenians, and with a bush of curly hair as if he hadn’t visited a hairdresser for more than a year! Oops, again this word, my “favorite”!
After a tender head massage and hair wash I was sat down into another arm-chair.
- What haircut would you like ? – Vagan asked me. One of the best experts in Europe as it was written in the letter of invitation.
- I am all in your hands, but not only in the “bold style”.
He started his work . ( I deeply regret ,that I didn`t invite cameraman Garnik, as what I saw in the mirror, the way the maestro was working was worth a movie film. «Conductor», not with a conductor’s baton , but with scissors in his hands! That was fantastic!)
Vagan`s thin light fingers dived into the waves of my hair , played with it, let it fly in all directions (in this very moment I saw a rear grey Indian in the mirror ) – and said to me in a very serious tone:
- You should leave more hair on the back of your head. First, your it is flat , second , art people it fits better, if you mind ?
- How would you call this hairstyle? – I asked.
- Not every hairstyle has its name , – Vagan replied, – as it is individual.
- From my childhood I remember such names as «Box», «Hedgehog», and others – I said..
- Have you heard such names as «Dead leaves» or «A Monk without a Robe» ? – he asked.
- You know what , Vagan, I didn`t find the word “hairdresser” or at least «shaver» in any dictionary. I found only the word “wig”, it is translated like a “Bizantian peasant “in some books and like a “switch” in others.
- I wonder –said Vagan. There is a famous opera with such a close for us name «The Barber of Seville”
-Figaro , if I am not mistaken?- I said, – «Figaro, Figaro»
- Not really , – corrected me maestro, -these are the words from «Rhigoletto » opera, the hero is also called Figaro. But the real barber was created by Rossini in «The Barber of Seville”
…
- I see, – I interrupted him , he is well-educated»,- came into my mind.
Suddenly the pretty blonde girl in a tight short white dress entered the room:
- Dear Alla , be so kind , wash his hair , offer him some tea, give him some magazine to read and tell him I `ll be vacant soon.
- Vagan, tell me something about hair , what kind it can be, how much of it is on a man`s head, how it grows, how it dies – I was interested to know it while I was examining graphical pictures on the wall partly made of hair .
Vagan came to the computer, made off the music followed some movie on the small screen , that let some cut hair fall off my shoulder wrap and said:
- Do you remember a fairy tale , when the Shah asked witty Hadji Nasreddin how much hair is on his head , the witty man thought for a moment and that replied: «as much as many stars on the sky, your Majesty». It was a joke of course, but scientists say, that there is about a million hair in the upper part of the head. According to some calculations a man looses about 80 hairs a day.
- Does hair grow fast ? – I asked him.
- Scientists say that it grows 3 millimeters a day , – replied a “master of haircraft” , and if you look into the Welcome Book ,you `ll understand that he is a Grand Master. – It is not a problem now, when we have special growth-stimulating medicines, head massage, proper hair treatment at our disposal . Proper hair style as well …
- … What do you mean ? – I asked , looking at my bald pates.
- Well, for example bald men should wear wide moustaches and the long temples, and people with deep bald pates – divide hair …. Would you like your hair to be divided?
- No, no, – I was worried – I brush my hair backward for all my life.
But suddenly I recalled lines from a poem of my favorite poet , Velimir Khlebnikov about “bald forests”.
As a philologist I tried to remember a proverb about hair, Russian, Armenian, Chinease all the same. I failed , nothing came into my memory and suddenly I recalled something from Chekhov`s story – «Why cry over hair at all when the head will roll?».
Looking at the pictures on the walls , with no heads but with hair, I asked the maestro:
- Vagan, what hair is that on the sheets of paper?”
- These are my drawings, – was the reply, – when needed I use hair instead of paints or pensil in people`s portraits I picture, I glue their own cut hair on the head in the portrait or eyebrows or a man`s beard …
- it`s something new in painting – I said, – it is a kind of appliqué work . I hardly remember Picasso or Dali use hair in their masterpieces.
- Yes, I am the first one who use this technique in pictures, – said the artist , – and now I`m seriously studying human anatomy, reading special books, and I`m deep in this manner of painting. …
- It`s very interesting, – I said and after the master`s permission left the arm-chair with bib, sorry, special cape on my chest , and started to scan mini graphics of the artist … real artist …
Suddenly a pretty blonde in a short white dress appeared at the door.
- The client drunk all drinks and read all magazines…
- Just five minutes, Alla, – Vagan closed the door , seated me again in the arm-chair and than , taken a small brush into his hand, started to collect short hair from my shoulders and put it into an envelope.
- Why ? – I wondered.
- It`s for your future portrait , – answered the real artist and presented me with a small cassette , – watch it at home”
Evening. I am home.
- Darling , you look ten years younger ! – said my wife in amusement , just looked at me.
I called my friend Alfred at once, my old bearded friend :
-Hey, old chap, feel like looking ten years younger?
- Not half!
- Than write it down : Leninsky Avenue 62/ 1.”BEAUTY CLUB”
P.S. I watched the record . Virtuoso Vagan was cutting a clients hair …blindfold.
Robert Babloyan
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USA, Los Angeles, Ca 
Rus, Moscow +7 (985) 763-48-85