The Quiet Barber -the Microfiction
A Story Every Day in 2024 Sept 5th 249/366
He didn't like to talk to his customers. It wasn't because he had nothing to say: he had a great interest in people and he had a life that was full; anecdotal and at times, crazy. He could regale his customers animatedly if he chose to, like a lauded entertainer and they would laugh, wide-eyed, at his witty, well-delivered tales.
But he stayed silent.
He liked to focus on his art. For that was how he saw it. For him, it wasn't just about cutting hair. It was about the result.
He'd got into hairdressing by accident, at university when he was studying Philosophy and International Law and got himself a Saturday job to pay for books and beer. He was there to sweep hair and keep the customers lubricated with coffee, but often he watched, fascinated as with precision and dexterity, people were transformed from unkempt, unruly, hirsute individuals into shiny gods and goddesses of the street.
It wasn't long before he tried it on a housemate down on funds and he marvelled at the way hair was so compliant and how transformative the process was. He also liked the motion of the method, the movement of his arms and the angles of his elbows infusing him with a feeling of the sculptor.
He was more than a barber: he was an Artist.
He never tired of it but he did tire of the chatter. It was distracting.
When, one day, a particularly ebullient customer had jollied him into more ribald stories, a minor slip caused a correction to be made, something which had never happened previously, and he hated that it had happened. From that day, his sole focus would always be the hair and his craft. The customer never noticed the slip but did notice the silence that descended.
At first, it was unnerving. Some customers thought they had done something wrong; not all could relax into the silence.
But many loved the moment of quiet introspection the barber offered; a reprieve from "small" talk and a chance to sit and contemplate and marvel as a skill was demonstrated before them and they knew they were safe with this solid, silent man.
***
366 words
I hate having my hair cut. I would love a quiet barber.
This links to an acrostic I wrote for fun and for the challenge but mainly for fun called "The Quiet Barber - the Poem".
Thanks for stopping by! If you do read this, please leave a comment as I love to interact with my readers.
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Comments (13)
Hi Rd - So how are they 'Hanging'...sorry, you made me say that..! Recently went to a barber for the 1st time since I was a 'yuth @ $2.50 per cut. Sign said: 'Razor-Cuts' $50.00 & Therapy 'Kvetch' advice extra; at least with bartenders' advice you get a drink to go with his schpiel..! I did notice that no one was in the shop - no waiting around there reading the stacks of Penthouse magazines scattered around the room. With hands shaking as he put on my 'Bib' he told me that he just had his 90th Birthday. Wishing him a HaPpy Birthday I gave him the $50 and scooted out of there; hope I didn't hurt his feelings. Who me, Silly? - True Story - j-bud
Hahah! This ties so well into the poem you did with it!! Nicely done Rachel!! Happy we're in the same boat about a quiet Barber!! 😅 Also, hate having my hair cut... usually cut it myself just to avoid the whole ordeal! 😂
What a great pair of companion pieces! Love the backstory you wove for this barber
I love how you can imagine yourself as a barber so well that I’m convinced you cut hair on the side. Maybe just your husband and your boys? Great storytelling, Rachel!
Ha! This is perfect timing! I am off to get my hair cut in the morning. New hairdresser in a new city. Gulp! Thought this was so good.
This is really well done. I feel I can see him working his craft. Also, I agree. Sometimes I just want the hairdresser to shut up and cut. Not that I'm averse to a little conversation, but sometimes they need to stop and concentrate on the task. I swear that's my hair was cut too short last time. 😁
Ahh, yes, the silence of art in motion. I love this!
This is precisely what I was talking about when I responded to your acrostic on the same theme - except from the customer's perspective. Really liked this micro fiction based on the poem.
I'm glad you wrote this version. I may never have read the story had you just done a poem. I haven't been to the barber in over 25 years because my wife does such a great job cutting my hair. We don't talk much while she's doing it.
Loved the companion pieces, great job!
This is special. I love the character development and the way you play with the archetype of the barber. The minor slip is almost ominous. Thank you for writing this!
See now I am thinking that I was tense in the poem because of the silence, but no, I can be comfortable with that. I think it was in the cutting itself.
Oooo, I learned two new words from you today, hirsute and ribald! And yes, I too love someone who wouldn't talk to me while they cut my hair. Loved your story!