Having been through everything I can think of regarding the day-to-day running of the barbershop, I pour myself and Rita a brew and ask her if she has any other questions.
‘No, I don’t think so. Not at the moment. You’ve been very thorough.’
‘Sorry, I’ve not been mansplaining, have I?’
She giggles. ‘No, no. You’re behaving like someone who’s run their own business for years and is now handing the keys over to someone else. Don’t worry, I’ve run my own business too, remember. I totally understand. It’s a bit like entrusting a new babysitter with looking after your little kids for the first time.’
‘I’ll have to take your word for it on that analogy,’ I say, grinning and taking a seat next to her in the waiting area. ‘I really appreciate you doing this, Rita. I haven’t said that enough. We’ve not known each other for long, but it doesn’t feel that way, probably because of what we’ve both been through lately. You have my full trust and support. I wouldn’t have agreed to this otherwise.’
Rita nods. ‘That’s nice to hear, Luke. I’ll look after the place like it’s my own, I promise, without forgetting that it’s not. And I know exactly what you mean about us knowing each other far better than we should on paper. We had a couple of rocky starts, didn’t we? But I think there’s a real bond between us now, like we’re meant to be friends and will be for a long time. It might sound mushy, but … maybe this was Iris’s last gift to us.’
There are tears in her eyes as she says this, voice wavering. It sets me off too, so I give her a hug.
It was a huge help to have her at my side when I first walked back through the door. I’d already confessed over lunch how nervous I was about it; Rita made me feel better, saying it was totally understandable.
And in the end, probably because I wasn’t alone with my memories, it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. Apart from having to pick up the change from the till that Moxie had thrown at the wall, there was no real sign of what had happened the last time I was here. It was plain old Luke’s Barbershop – home from home.
It also helped that a couple of traders from shops nearby bobbed their heads in to see if I was okay and to voice their support. That was particularly nice, considering I’ve never made much of an effort to be neighbourly in my time here. The way Rita was laughing and joking with them after a couple of minutes suggested that may well change on her watch, which can only be a good thing, I reckon.
‘Don’t feel like you need to open for exactly the same days and hours as I usually do, by the way,’ I tell Rita once we’ve both calmed down to a less emotional state. ‘That’s entirely up to you while you’re at the helm. Just give me a heads-up, so I can make sure I’m here for closing time.’
‘Great,’ she says. ‘Will do. That’s good to know.’
She hasn’t specifically said so, but I’m pretty sure she thinks me coming by at the end of each day is unnecessary. At the same time, I hope she appreciates why I need to do that, for my own peace of mind as much as for her safety. I have at least explained that it’s not about me checking up on her. And she says – probably for my benefit more than hers – if there’s ever a day I can’t do, she could always ask one of her sons to drop in, as they both work nearby.
We’re about to close up when there’s a knock on the door, which I’ve kept locked, since we’re not open for business today. The sound makes me jump and gives me a momentary flashback to Moxie knocking and then peering through the glass, pretending to be a nice guy. I turn around, ready to shout that we’re closed, only to see Connor’s familiar face staring back at me.
I say his name under my breath and Rita throws me a quizzical frown. ‘Who’s Connor?’
‘A regular,’ I whisper. ‘He’s a good bloke, but a bit eccentric. He just lost his mother.’
‘Really? Poor thing. Are you going to speak to him then or what?’
I nod, stand up and walk over to the door. After hesitating for the briefest of moments, I fumble with the key in the lock and then let him in. ‘Hello, Connor. How are you doing? I haven’t seen you since the funeral. How, er, how was it?’
In reply he mutters something I can’t make out, eyes wandering everywhere apart from at me.
‘They’re always hard, funerals,’ I say. ‘My friend Rita over there lost her niece recently.’
He glances in her direction for a second and scratches the side of his nose. ‘I see.’
‘If you’re after a haircut today, I’m afraid we’re not open.’
‘You’ve been closed for several days now, Luke, with nothing on display to explain why to your customers. You said you didn’t have any other closures planned after the last time this happened. I’ve been confused and concerned. I tried calling you several times on the number you gave me, but it didn’t work.’
I look over at Rita, who’s pulling a bemused face, then turn back to Connor.
‘I guess you haven’t heard, but there was a bit of an incident. It was in the news. A man forced his way in here to rob me. He took my phone, which is why you couldn’t get hold of me. He also attacked me with a knife.’ I hold up my bandaged limbs. ‘As you can see, I’m going to be out of action for a bit. But there is good news: from Monday, Rita will be running things in my place.’
Connor looks ahead blankly and doesn’t say anything for what feels like an age. I’m about to break the silence when he finally replies. ‘No, I hadn’t heard anything about that, Luke. I haven’t been following the news lately. I’m sorry for your, um … Are you okay?’
‘I’ve been better, to be honest, but I’m getting there.’
‘Right.’
‘So, as I say, if you’d like a haircut, Rita will be able to help you out from Monday afternoon.’
‘But you cut my hair, Luke. You always do it. No one else knows how I like it. Couldn’t you do one quick haircut?’
‘No, I’m sorry, Connor. I’m not up to that yet. That’s why Rita is covering for me. She’s very nice and excellent at cutting hair. I wouldn’t team up with her otherwise. Come over and say hello.’
Connor looks terrified at this prospect. ‘Oh. I, er, need to get going, actually.’
‘I don’t bite, love,’ Rita says, taking the initiative and walking over to introduce herself. ‘Connor, is it?’
‘Yes,’ he says, shoving his hands firmly into his pockets and shuffling his feet.
‘Very nice to meet you. I’m Rita. I used to run a unisex salon of my own and, to be honest, I miss it. I’ve also been struggling a bit since my niece, Iris, died. We were very close, you see, and I need something to take my mind off how much I miss her. I don’t know about you, but I cope better when I’m busy than when I’m twiddling my thumbs at home.’
Connor grunts something monosyllabic and incomprehensible in reply. His cheeks are flushed and he seems particularly twitchy, but if Rita’s noticed, she doesn’t let on.
‘Hey, I’ve got an idea for you. How about I cut your hair now? We’re not open yet, as Luke said, but I’m prepared to make an exception for a handsome regular customer like you. Luke could even watch over me and make sure I do it right. How does that sound?’
I’m totally blown away by how well Rita is handling this situation and I assume Connor will take her up on her generous offer.
But that’s not what happens.
Instead, he starts vigorously rubbing his forehead with the fingers of one hand and stutters: ‘I, I, d-don’t th-think that’s a g-good idea. Sorry.’
He turns to leave, grabbing the door handle.
‘Wait, mate,’ I say. ‘It’s fine. There’s no need to race off. You don’t have to get a haircut now if you don’t want to. Why don’t you stay for a brew?’
‘I have to get b-back to work.’
‘Right. Well, don’t be a stranger. I’ll have my old phone number back up and running again soon. I’ve been meaning to sort it, but with one thing and another, I haven’t got around to doing so yet. I do have a temporary number I can give you, if you like. Hang on, I’ll grab it for—’
‘That’s okay,’ he says, a fresh look of alarm on his face at the prospect of me leaving him alone with Rita. ‘I really have to g-go.’
And with that he leaves.
‘Sorry,’ Rita says.
‘What for? You were amazing with him. So much so, I thought he’d go for what you suggested. He blooming well should have.’
‘He didn’t, though.’
‘Please don’t take it personally. He’s, er, unconventional at the best of times. And he was very close to his mum, who died suddenly. He still lived with her and he’s obviously struggling. That’s why I gave him my number last time he was in, which was just before the funeral. I don’t usually hand it out to customers. In fact, I’m struggling to think of a time I’ve ever done so before. But I don’t think he has a lot of friends or people to look out for him, so—’
‘It’s all right. I get it,’ Rita says. ‘There’s a heart of gold hidden away somewhere deep inside that chest of yours, isn’t there?’
Her comment throws me. ‘I, um, don’t know about that. He’s been coming here a long time, that’s all.’
‘Whatever you say, Luke.’ She pinches my cheek like my mum used to do. ‘I wish my boys were half as thoughtful as you are.’
I head to the supermarket on the way home, having declined the kind offer of a lift from Rita, telling her a walk in the fresh air will do me good. It’s pretty warm today, albeit a bit drizzly. Now we’re near the end of March, I’m hoping we’ll start to get some more consistent spring-like weather.
I’m feeling a lot more relaxed than earlier, now Rita and the barbershop are sorted. I’ve still got my date with Nora ahead of me, but knowing how she feels is a big help. Hopefully I’ll be able to enjoy that rather than get too worked up about it.
However, on approaching the supermarket entrance, my new-found calm goes out of the window when I spot Tommy sitting on the pavement outside, chatting to a departing female shopper.
Heart racing, I consider trying to slip past him without being noticed. But the woman moves on at just the wrong moment, having handed over some change, and he spots me.
‘Luke! Bloody hell, are you all right, mate? I heard what happened with Moxie – that frigging psycho. I called by the barbershop a couple of times to see if you were there, but it was closed.’
‘Hello, Tommy,’ I say, employing slow, deep breaths. ‘I’m on the mend, thanks.’
He eyes my bandages and, standing up to chat to me, pulls a pained face. ‘It’s true that he took a knife to you, then?’
‘Yes.’
He shakes his head and frowns. ‘I’m really sorry to hear that, Luke. I knew he was trouble – I’ve had a few run-ins with him myself – but I didn’t think he was capable of that. And after you’ve done so much for us. I bet you wish you’d never got involved.’
‘I think he was on some kind of drugs,’ I say. ‘He was after money, probably to get another fix.’
Tommy nods but falls silent at this.
‘I understand why people take stuff when they’re on the streets,’ I continue, pulse rising as I say what I feel I must. ‘It’s a temporary way out, I guess, a means of escaping reality. But it’s not a real answer to any of your problems, is it? Ultimately, it’s only going to make things worse.’
Tommy looks into the distance, still not responding. I think he knows I’m not talking about Moxie any more, so I take the opportunity to hammer the message home.
‘You’re an intelligent guy,’ I say. ‘You know what I’m talking about. I’ve no idea how you ended up where you are, but I bet you could use that brain of yours to get yourself into a better place if you really wanted to. Okay, lecture over. But think about it, yeah, before it’s too late?’
He meets my gaze for the briefest of moments and nods once.
‘Good.’
I continue into the store, adding to my small shopping list a pre-packed sandwich and a bottle of water. I hand these to Tommy on my way out instead of cash I fear he’d waste on spice.
‘Cheers, Luke,’ he says. ‘All the best with your recovery.’
‘You too. I didn’t forget about digging you out another Rebus book, by the way. There’s one waiting for you in the barbershop whenever you’re ready. Just pop by.’
‘Really? After everything that’s happened? Wow. I don’t know what to say, other than thank you.’
‘No problem. I may not be there, as I’m taking some time off, but I’ll make sure Rita knows where it is. She’ll be running the place in my absence.’
I’d like to tell him that the free haircuts for the homeless sessions will be continuing at some point soon but, honestly, I don’t know if that will happen. It’s all still too raw at the moment to make a final decision.