I've been trying to get my haircut for over a week now, but a lot of things have been preventing it. (No, not that I don't have hair to cut) I finally got there before work today.
My guy, Ed, was there, we started talking and he asked if I had anyone coming to the island for the holiday. I told him that I was actually going home and not coming back. He asked why and said that I haven't been here that long.
[Tangent Alert] I feel kinda bad for this, but if this were a blog for kids I would say something like, "sometimes adults lie to spare others' feelings." That's what I've been doing. I found a good "explanation" for why I'm leaving that no one can really argue with. Most of you don't know that my Step-Father, George, has been in and out of the hospital over the last 6 months or so. He just had his last stint a couple of weeks ago. So, when I say this to people, I don't actually say that's the reason I'm leaving, but I have to admit that I am implying that...I would be going back to Rochester anyway.
But I get into these awkward conversations with people. Maui just isn't for me - and when you try to tell people this, they look at you like you're crazy. Then you go through the reasons why, just the obvious ones, the money, etc and they begrudgingly agree, but then try to argue back with the beach and surfing and all the stuff I couldn't care less about and it's just never enough...as if my dismissal of Maui is a dismissal of them. And I don't even get into the stuff that actually does imply such things. So I've been telling folks that I'm leaving because I can't afford it (true) and because my Step-Father has been ill (true, but irrelevant to me leaving).
So that's what I told Ed today and he was fine with that. Then he told me HIS news. The owner of the buidling told him that he's renevating the buiding before it gets condemmed and that Ed has 30 days to leave. When is the 30 days up? Today! The guy's a million and six years old. This is probably the last day of his business. He basically had a "eh, whatever" attitude about it, but it was still sad.
Then, he thanked me for coming to his shop since I've been here and noted how he pretty much only gets locals and that I'm the only redhead - that he really appreciated that. It was a genuinely touching moment and probably the only cool incident I've had being a redhead since I told some old women that I got my red hair from the milkman. I was three years old and had no idea what it meant.
He also started telling me about how most of his customers are regulars who are "retired". And one by one they just stop coming back, leaving that thought trail off...I knew what he meant.
So when I get back to Rochester, it'll be back to Tony and all my gumbas back at OK Barber Stylists. My haircuts will be more even and the conversation will be more fast-paced and east-coast-like. But it won't be the same.
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