UNCONDITIONAL

ONE

It's a wet Saturday morning in the South of Africa. It's exactly 11pm when I walk into Groomed,A unisex barber/hairsalon. Where I had an appointment for my four kids to get their hair done as school is re-opening in 2 days. My sons had to get a cut while my daughters were getting cornrows.

I look around to see if I can spot my hairstylists but I can't seem to locate them. I decide to walk up to one of the other stylists busy twisting a client's dreadlocks,to ask about the whereabouts of my usual stylists.

'Morning,are Sipho and Christi here?"

Christi does the girls hair and Sipho is my boys usual barber.

"Sipho didn't come in today and Christi went out to get food,she should be back any minute now. You can wait for her"

"Ohk thanks"

How unprofessional of this guy. I made an appointment with him a week ago. The least he could've done was let me know he wasn't coming in. If I was that type of person,I would be asking to speak to the owner but I'm just going to sit here and wait on the girls stylists. I'll just take the boys somewhere else.

PERCY

I walk into my establishment popularly known as Groomed. I came to check on business and the stylists who work with me. I'm the boss but we are a team and I prefer that we work together than them work for me. We're all family in here. This place used to be a barbershop only but I then turned it into a hairsaloon for women too. My cousin Christi is a hairdresser and she needed a place for her customers. So we came we the idea to combine our skills and it's been a good decision so far.

I walk in to find that the shop is full and there's a long line of people waiting for their turn. Everyone is highly busy due to the schools re-opening soon. Christi and her crew are doing their thing while my crew is cutting,twisting,trimming and styling. That's when I notice there's a barber missing and I wasn't notified of this.

"Hey Cedric where's Sipho?"

I ask one of the guys who's cutting a young boys head.

"He hasn't come in today. Didn't he call you to let you know?"

"Now would I be asking if he called? !"

"Okay... my bad but we really need him here. It's that time of the month and he couldn't have chosen a worse day not to show up for work. All he's regulars were here earlier and they all left after finding out he's not around"

He replies

"This is making us lose money dude. He's not even answering his damn phone"

I say by now highly agitated. I decide to cut hair since I'm a barber shot and due to how long the line is two barbers is not enough. I have six guys in total. Two only do dreadlocks while the rest of us cut.

By the time I'm done cutting and the line is only left with two women who came to get their dreadlocks done. I notice a woman sitting on one of the couches with two boys who definitely need a cut.

"Hey Cedric whose that lady sitting over there with the two boys? Is she here for us or Christi?"

"She was here for Sipho and Christi but as you know,Sipho isn't here. She must be waiting on Christi now"

By the time he's done talking,I'm already headed to assist her and her kids. She's so involved in her phone she doesn't even notice me stand next to her. So I decide to make my presence known.

"I hope you're not giving this place a bad review on twitter"

She looks up at me and smiles. She doesn't have a million dollar smile as the saying goes and it's not the most amazing smile I've ever seen but it does something to my insides.

"No I'm not"

Mmm ... short answers does this mean that I'm bothering her.. but she's still smiling at me..back to business Percy

"Well I'm Percy and I was wondering if you'd let me cut your boys hair since Sipho isn't here"

She looks at me like she's judging my capability to cut hair. It's irritating how she's judging me right now but I won't let my emotions get in the way of money.

"I assure you I'm more than capable of cutting their hair and if you don't like it. You don't pay"

Why did I just say that! I mentally kick myself.