It Happens Everyday

Waiting in the chair directly next

to the front door

of a hair salon.

My son wants his hair cut like John Connor from the movie, 'Terminator 2'.

He doesn't think a barber will do it 

so I brought him here.

I see this old man

like seventy or eighty years old

white guy with hardly any hair at all

holding a mirror in his hand

bitching about something

there was no mistaking that tone in his voice.

A young woman with purple & pink hair

cut in a short bob

trimmed a couple more spots and then

he was done

and at the register directly in front of me

paying with a debit card.

"...and right here, is where you can leave a tip."

she said, pointing.

"No, no, no, I won't be doing that today." He said, waving her off.

"Let me see how I like the haircut first and then maybe next time, a tip.

Also, write down the days you're working."

He didn't ask

he didn't say, 'If you don't mind, could you...'

he just instructed her

and that bugged me.

Then I heard him say,

"How do you think those nails would look...in my hands?"

I looked up

saw her long, blue, nails

and the look on her face

cringing

her skin crawling

as she just had to stand there

waiting for the debit card receipt to print out

once it did, she threw up a fake smile and said,

"Have a good day, sir!"

Then she turned around and went back to clean up her station.

Old man turned for the door and found my eyes burning into him.

I motioned with my two fingers for him to come to me.

Now I was the one giving orders.

When I knew, I had his attention, I said,

"Next time, don't be such a creep."

"HUH?" The old bastard couldn't hear me

and so, he leaned in, even closer

so I repeated it again

at a much louder volume this time

so the entire salon could hear.

"NEXT TIME, DON'T BE SUCH A FUCKING CREEP."

His face turned into a sour expression.

"Well, I'm sorry if that's how you choose to interpret it..."

"It's not a matter of interpretation, it's reality. You're a fucking creep."

He stood there dumbfounded

he began to say the same phrase again

so I just cut him off, in mid-sentence,

"Just get the fuck outta here. Go on. Get the fuck out."

The old man's face went red & he clenched his fist

as he swung the door open

and got the fuck out.

The same lady cut my son's hair

and did a good job too

looked just like the kid from Terminator 2, in fact.

As I was paying for the haircut

and giving her a decent tip

I apologized about that dickhead earlier

she just shrugged and said,

"Oh thank you, but honestly, it's not a big deal. It happens every day."

"Well, it shouldn't."

As my son and I were walking out

into the parking lot

her words echoed in my head

like a ringing gong;

It happens

every

day.