Monday, February 15th, 2021

The barber emerges from the back of his shop. His arms are full of towels. I ask him how things have been, now that the lockdown has eased. “Last week was crazy. I booked everybody. I was too busy. This week, I’m easier on myself. I even let myself wash the towels in the middle of the day.” He stuffs the towels into his washing machine and turns the knob. He gestures at the hair-washing chair. “Please.” I sit down in it and take off my glasses. “I haven’t been working much for the past year. Toward the end, I told the partner of my life that I love her and the kids, but I just want to get out of the house and go to work. I never said that before.” He massages the lather into my scalp. I’m quite aware that, apart from unintended collisions in hallways, these haircuts are the only touch that I’ve experienced from another person in close to a year. He wraps a towel around my head and guides me to the barber chair. “You want something not too long, not too short, that you won’t have to care for too much.” He knows. The speakers overhead play 70s funk, heavy on the horns. He hums along and dances as he cuts. “Are you still using that DJI device when you film? I have to get one sometime.” I haven’t been filming much. But I should be doing a lot more this year. When he’s done, I hand him my customer card and the money. He hands the money back. “Look at the card. Everything is punched. This one is free.” He tears the card up and trashes it. “Say hello to your family for me. I will see you again.”