𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐍.

𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘

𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟓𝐭𝐡, 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟕.

A seventeen year old Salem approached No Grease, his dad's barbershop, just after his retwist. "Wassup bro." He nodded at an old head, JBall, as he swept the remaining hair off the floor. With JBall being the custodian, he spent more time here than Salem did.

Salem made his way to the back of the barbershop to put on his father's black apron, which displayed their logo, before returning to work. As several guys, ranging in age from old to teenage boys, waited to be called on in the six chairs near the door, Salem signaled that they could come sit in his chair. Thanks to Jball, he was able to set up his already cleaned equipment and begin working.

"What you looking for today, bro?" Seeing that the boy in his chair had product buildup, he asked him and already knew what he was going to do. "Just hook me up, you know how I like it."

"Ight. Ima give you a wash and dry then get back witchu, cool?" The boy nodded when he asked. Salem walked him over to the sink and began washing.

"I ain't seen Buddha round here in a minute. Where he been son?" An old head turned away from the basketball highlights on the TV above the entrance to ask.

"You know how my pops get. Too busy keeping the shop afloat on the backend." He was right - Salem's father was usually working too hard in his shop. Even when he wasn't supposed to, it wasn't like him to stay out of his own business for weeks at a time. He wasn't telling Salem but something was wrong. Before Salem thought too deep into it, he concentrated on shampooing the boy's hair.

"Yeah you right." The men around the shop agreed and knew how caught up his dad would be in other things to keep his shop going. He put his all into this shop and Salem did the same whenever he found time.

⮃

"You heard from yo dad?" As soon as Salem walked into his mom's crib, the aroma of lasagna and her question hit him.

"Nah, I came to ask you the same thing. Niggas been asking about him all today when I went to the shop." He told her as he opened the bags of groceries she had on the counter.

"You know they love his talkative ass... hell, all they do is talk about basketball." She laughed it off and took the lasagna out the oven. "For real. Ion know why they love comparing those old ass highlights from the 80's to now."

"Salem." She gave him a stern eye as she made him a plate. "Yeah momma?" He started organizing her fridge how she liked.

She claimed that when she was younger, she preferred to transfer anything that had been wrapped in plastic to glass because the food was better kept.

"Your dad and I had a disagreement sometime last week, and ever since then, it seems like he has been avoiding me. He hasn't came home despite me waiting late for him to do so." She stated, placing his plate across from her at the dinner table after a long sigh. "Baby, I just don't know what to do." That was after she started crying the way she always does. She had always been the type of person that was sensitive, especially when it came to Salem's dad and him.

They all placed a strong emphasis on communication in their household because every small thing might hurt her feelings and the two were aware that they shouldn't provoke her or make her overthink the simplest things.

"Don't cry ma. I don't know what y'all fell out about but that's not important right now.. what's important is you know he loves you and he'll never intentionally try to make you worry. Let me talk to him for you, aight?" He said, grabbing a napkin and something to drink for her. "You right baby, I really needed to hear that. Thank you."

"Yeah yeah, here. Let's enjoy this meal you poured your heart into."

Over their meal, Salem started small conversation to divert her attention from worrying about his pops. She soon felt better and began to be clean with his support. Times like this meant the most to Salem. There was nothing like bonding with your parents.

"Ima head out ma, thank you and I got you, don't stress it." Before leaving to get in his car and hit up his old man to find out what was up with him, Salem gave her a tight hug.

"Be safe baby, and let me know what he says." They both heard the familiar pickup truck rattle down the road as it approached the driveway before she smiled and locked the door.

It was JBall.

Salem greeted the man as he stepped out of his car, but he was crying and had an unhappy frown on his face. "Man, what's wrong? You aight?" Salem decided to start a conversation.

"Where yo momma at? I need to speak with y'all, then have y'all follow me immediately." The man rushed out through hiccups wearing a black apron over his ruined mechanic suit.

JBall drove a pickup truck across town, but his mind seemed to be going far faster.

"Wassup? You heard from my pops?" When the man led Salem to the door and his mother greeted them once more, Salem asked. As soon as Mrs. Pierre opened the door, she displayed the same worried look.

As Salem shut the door behind them, JBall interrupted him. "Sit down son. This is important."

They all entered the living room and took seats before discussing the topic at hand.

"I want you to know that I'm here for you, and I'm sorry to have to say this, but... Buddha entered the shop after you left and began working as usual.

He told me earlier that he was feeling okay and had even sat down until it was time to take the next head, but as soon as he got going, he passed out and became unresponsive. I requested an ambulance, told them to transport him to Union, and urged them to call you as soon as they got any updates.

I don't want to scare y'all, but I believe that was it.... He's gone." JBall spoke those things in a single breath, but before he could finish, Salem's mother was already sobbing and trembling uncontrollably.

She simply couldn't believe it.

Salem sat there, though, with a solid, cold expression on his face and a flood of tears streaming from his eyes. The air around them seemed to have closed their throats as they walked at a loss for words, despite JBall's attempts to lead them to Salem's car for some fresh air and to view the body at the hospital.

It was impossible to put into words how Salem was feeling. He learned that his father had passed away and witnessed his mother sobbing in front of him. He wished he had been oblivious.