"What can we do for you today?", the young girl at the reception said, smiling.
"I need a hair cut"
"Please have a seat. Someone will be with you shortly."

A minute or two later she said, " Jane will be helping you today."
"Thanks."

Jane was an elderly woman. My first impression of her was that of an eager person. I wouldn't despise myself for thinking that way; one could, statistically speaking, associate obsequiousness with ingenuineness.
She smiled and asked me to take a seat. "How would you like your haircut today?"

I described to her what I wanted, removed my glasses and placed them on the table in front of me. I was concerened about how skilled she would be, how would I look after I got my haircut done: I sat there feeling insecure like a kid, too shy to get up becacuse I dare not disregard an elderly person. She listened to me, smiling all the time.

She took a pair of glasses off the table, wore them and then realized that the pair wasn't hers. She apologized for the mistake with a grave look on her face said, "I am sorry. They look similar"
Actually they did, just that mine were a bit larger. "Thats okay, I said in a polite tone."

She started working on my hair, slowly and carefully, pausing at times.
"How old are you?" she asked smiling.
I hesitated for a while and then replied, "25".
I felt confused, and as my humility blinded my senses, I asked, "How about you?"

She laughed, "Oh you don't want to know". I felt awkward and shy, that wasn't the most appropriate question to be asked.

"I have 2 kids, a daughter and a son, they are about the same age as you", she said after a pause.

"Oh really, what do they do?"

"My daugther has been living with us ever since she got divorced." I could notice pain and disappointment on her face.

"Oh, I am sorry". I said apologetically feeling bad that this got brought up.

"I told her that she wasn't doing the right thing by marrying this man. But she wouldn't listen to me", she said.

She started working on my hair and I felt like a kid sitting in a chair. After a while she said, "You have a good soul, I can tell, you seem like a gentle and quiet person, not aggressive at all".
I felt touched by her remark. She was probably right, my dispositon tends to be that of a gentle person, especially in presence of elders.
"Do you have a girl friend?" She was in total control of me by that time, I emotionally acknowledged her authority, her ability to notice people, and the experience in her age.

"Yes", I said.

"When will you get married?"
"I don't know", I said politely.
"But you would never move in with your girlfriend unless you were married?", she stopped working on my hair and waited for my answer, with scissors in one hand and a comb in the other.


There was a pause. I knew exactly what to say.
She felt happy and relieved and was her own nice smiling self once again.


"You would never disobey your mama, would you?"

I noticed the scissors, the comb and her pause again, and said, "Never."

"My son and his girlfriend broke up recently. I kept telling him that she isn't a good girl. He never listened to me. He moved out.", her deivery was slow and quiet.
"You know we can tell who has a good soul and who doesn't. Once when she was away, she called. She didn't ask how my son was doing, but she asked about her dogs. I knew then, she isn't a good woman"

I thought she could be called paranoid by someone like me who didn't understand the situation. And then its also human to feel jealous of somebody who enters a loved one's life and takes their attention. I saw a concerened Italian mother, who didn't like this young woman in her son's life. I thought I knew what would be right for her to do. But I knew if I told her, she wouldn't listen. She seemed like a sensitive mother to me, kind and compassionate, and I respected and trusted her experience in life, her ability to notice people. She was perhaps correct in apprehending the break up.


"Does your son work somewhere?", I wanted to talk about something else, she looked sad all this time speaking about her son's relationship.
"He used to, but he quit. I tried to make him go to college but he didn't listen. He started working with his uncle in the car stereo repair shop, but then he didn't want to work there."

There was a pause.
After a while I said, "I can see that you are a kind person".
She stoped working on my hair, and looked at me smiling.
I continued, "Children can commit mistakes someimes. But we have to forgive them, because we love them. I am sure your children will see your love for you very soon"

She seemed happy. She thanked me.
"This country is bad. Children have no respect for elders." She said sadly.
"Thats probably true. But we cannot change the whole country. If we try to, it'll only bring us disappoinment. There will be many things you like about it too. May be we can live happily accepting what we feel is not good."
She looked at me, smiling all the time I talked, "How do you have so much wisdom?"
Her voice was slow and firm. "Do you study psychology?"

I appreciated her saying that and I felt happy at that moment. "No, but I read about it once in a while".

She was soon done with my hair. She offered me my glasses and asked me to check out how my haircut looked. It looked good.

"It looks good", I said.

She held a mirror behind my head for me to get a view in the mirror in front of me. She herself looked at the mirror all this time and I looked at her in the mirror in front.

"Let me take off a little bit from the side", I could read disappintment on her face, you know the kind that you feel when things are not perfect.

"Say hi to your girlfriend. She must be very pretty", she smiled gently.
"I wish that you and your children get together soon. I am sure they'll see soon, how much you care for them." I said
"I hope so. I don't know if I'll see you again," she said. She seemed happy and sad.


As I noticed, that was the best haircut I had ever had. If I were to see her again I wouldn't doubt her skills.


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