This time, my heart was pumping so fast that I almost freaked out. Suddenly someone tapped my shoulder from my back, I turned around and saw my mentor standing behind me.
He gave me a wide smile and said: "Tom, just go out there and enjoy yourself. Don't be too tense up, look at the audience and give them a smile whenever you can. To win or not is not important, what is important is you had taken your first step in your career and achieved your first goal which is to join this hair competition. I have confidence in you, just go up to the stage and show them what you got. Make yourself and your parents proud." Then he patted me on my back and walked off.
In fact, my father had not even talk to me once since the day I joined hairdressing. He was totally disappointed in me for quitting school and was furious with me for joining hairdressing. Both me and my father lived like total strangers to each other at home.
When I heard those words; "Make yourself and your parents proud", my eyes filled up with tears. I knew that it was my fault for quitting school that angered my father. I knew that my mum always cried herself to sleep at night because of what I did. I had disappointed them when they had pinned all their hopes on me to be successful both in school and in life later. All our relatives looked down on my family as we were seems as failures in academic result. Just when I looked down, I saw my pair of cutting scissors in my kit bag. I picked it up and it was one of the best gift I ever received. It was a pair of 5 inch Yasaka scissors which my mum had bought for me a month ago. She had scrimped and saved few months of her household allowance to buy me that scissors. I knew that I had to do my best in this competition. It's not just for exposure, experience or fun, it's for redemption!
Each categories of the competition. were split into 3 groups with each group about 20 contestants. I've got another senior of mine in my group and the rest of them in the other groups. Just when I was admiring my scissors, the music softens and MC announced that all contestants for the Man's Cut & Blow-Dry category to go onstage. Slowly, one by one, each contestant numbers and name were called out and then I heard; "Number 11, Thomas Foo from Win's Cut House". Suddenly my legs were trembling and shaking! My legs became jelly-like and I was trembling in cold sweat. I turned to my model and I told him:" Patrick, I can't walk! My legs are trembling!" Patrick looked at me and said: " Don't worry, can't walk? Well, we can crawl up the stage then." We both shared a little laughter. That laughter really helped a lot to loosen up the tension and there I was; up on the stage.
It was my first time on stage, with all those spot lights beaming at you and people down there cheering on. However, my cold sweat didn't stop and my legs keep trembling and shaking whenever they like. I had to stand straight with my knees locked to keep them from trembling. To make matters worse, there was a huge speaker behind me pumping away loud music.
Over the air, the MC announced: " Contestants, you have 20 minutes to complete your haircuts and your time begins NOW...........!
