All that attention..!

"Hotel sir, hotel?" he asked desperately. "You want to take me there and give me a haircut?"
The man fled.
"Where to sir?" asked the cabby.
"Why are you smiling?" I asked him.
"I am a honest cabby sir! I go by meter!" he said.
"It's not that long!" I told him, "maybe a few inches less than a foot, maybe a little more, its grown a week you know! But not a metre, definitely not a metre! Would you like me to grow it a metre?"
"He's mad!" said the cabby.
"Are you mad?" asked the policeman
"Do I look mad? Are you saying I'm mad because of my beard?"
"Sir let us go!" said my driver who had come to pick me up.
"Where?" I asked, "Barber shop?"
"Home!" he said, taking me to the car.
"Why are you staring at me?" I asked, seated inside.
"I am not sir, I am only looking at the traffic behind in the rear view mirror!"
"I saw you staring!"
The wife was waiting as I entered.
"You look strange!" she said, "Are you well?"
"My beard!" I said.
"What about it?"
"Laugh?"
"Why should I laugh about your beard?"
"Because it's funny!" I said.
"I never thought beards funny!" she said, "I love beards! I love your beard!"
"You do?"
"Of course I do Bob! What's wrong with you?"
"Beard complex!" I said wearily.
"What's that?" she asked.
"How would you like it if you were the only fellow in the country with a beard?"
"No beards in the Philippines?"
"None!" I said, "Hairy faces are a no no. No beard grows on their smooth skin!"
"You must have been quite a striking figure!"
"Very striking!" I whispered, "I was struck by laughter, chuckles, giggles and titters!"
"Didn't you want to shave off your beard?" she asked.
"What?" I asked, "and give up all that attention?"

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All that attention..!

Hotel sir, hotel? he asked desperately. You want to take me there and give me a haircut? The man fled. Where to sir? asked the cabby. Why are you smiling? I asked him. I am a honest cabby sir! I go by meter! he said. Its not that long! I told him, maybe a few inches less than a foot, maybe a little more, its grown a week you know! But not a metre, definitely not a metre! Would you like me to grow it a metre? Hes mad! said the cabby. Are you mad? asked the policeman Do I look mad? Are you saying Im mad because of my beard? Sir let us go! said my driver who had come to pick me up. Where? I asked, Barber shop? Home! he said, taking me to the car. Why are you staring at me? I asked, seated inside. I am not sir, I am only looking at the traffic behind in the rear view mirror! I saw you staring! The wife was waiting as I entered. You look strange! she said, Are you well? My beard! I said. What about it? Laugh? Why should I laugh about your beard? Because its funny! I said. I never thought beards funny! she said, I love beards! I love your beard! You do? Of course I do Bob! Whats wrong with you? Beard complex! I said wearily. Whats that? she asked. How would you like it if you were the only fellow in the country with a beard? No beards in the Philippines? None! I said, Hairy faces are a no no. No beard grows on their smooth skin! You must have been quite a striking figure! Very striking! I whispered, I was struck by laughter, chuckles, giggles and titters! Didnt you want to shave off your beard? she asked. What? I asked, and give up all that attention? [email protected]