High Spirits by Camille Gomera-Tavarez

Author:Camille Gomera-Tavarez
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Levine Querido

When they returned to the chair, Tony combed through his wet hair a couple more times, working in silence as news audio filled the shop. He pumped a mysterious liquid into his hands and ran it through Yoan’s tight coils. He ran a smaller comb through his hair again, this time stopping a half inch from the ends.

“You see your ends, right here? They’re split and damaged so I’m just gonna trim this much off, okay?”

Yoan nodded tepidly in agreement. He immediately felt the weight on his head shrinking bit by bit. Just as Tony was finishing, José averted his gaze from the TV. The protests began when Tony put the scissors down. Whoa, whoa, whoa. It wasn’t short enough, Yoan’s estranged brother said, tugging at a coil. He wanted it all off.

“He doesn’t want to cut it — I asked,” Tony shrugged in reply.

“He doesn’t want to eat vegetables either, but sometimes you just have to, no?” his brother replied with laughter in his voice. But Tony was a brick wall — a wall Yoanson looked to in awe.

“Look, he doesn’t want to cut it, I’m not gonna cut it. We’ll figure something out. Meantime, you can take this”—he slid a folded bill out of his pocket and placed it in José’s hand—“and go get two beers from next door. Okay? Cálmate con takeiteasy. Ya ’ta to’.” He patted José on the shoulder.

José stood in a moment of shock. His eyes passed between Yoanson and the barber towering half an inch above him. José lowered his voice and looked intently at his old friend.

“Mami’s gonna kill me if I bring him back with that on his head,” he pleaded.

“Sounds like her problem. Don’t even worry about paying, it’s on the house. Relájate, bro,” Tony said with a smile, guiding José out the door. Finally, José complied, leaving the shop behind him. Yoan was stunned. It was some sort of small magic.

Tony clapped his hands together and brought his attention back to his client.

“It’s you and me, Señor Belén.”

Yoanson’s eyes lit up. His nerves had dissipated into the air, leaving his attention focused on the image in front of him, willing it to grow into something that felt … right. Searching for hints at what he was meant to become.

Tony continued.

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