Women Who Think Too Much by Jeanne Marie

Part 2

The Show Goes On …

It’s Wednesday, Oct 27, 2010

Police cars scream outside these walls on Main Street. People walk by self-consumed with their own lives.

The Cates murder trial is ongoing at the courthouse on Spring Street behind our building.

The barbers at our all-girl shop, including myself, are sitting here staring at the television news about the trial.

We are sheltered, restless, anticipating who will walk through the door and break our sadness over the murdered victim.

The barber shop has become our stage, entertaining our customers no matter what we are feeling beneath the surface or if we are not particularly in the mood. We pick and choose the script.

John enters through the door and sits. The show begins.

“How can we make you look better today?” I ask.

“The usual,” he said.

I can’t show my sadness so I start the chatter. As…

Sitting here in the barber shop on Main Street, Nashua, New Hampshire. It is February, 2008. Snow is falling, cold and uncaring. Inside, behind the front door, it’s different. Sadness, hurt feelings, death. My longtime mentor – Rino Long – the man who taught me my trade, died the previous day.

I worked side by side with him for 11 years. The shop seems empty now.

Rino’s Barber Shop that he owned for 30 years at two different Main Street locations. The photo depicts the last location where Rino conducted business prior to his death in 2008. The establishment existed as a barber shop on Main Street in two different locations under previous owners dating to 1947.

Fifty years of life has come and gone through this door.

My new shop across Main Street where Rino had his shop for 30 years.

Some people come through this door and leave…

As the snowflakes fall against my face they melt as each chapter of my life has melted into the pages of my book.