iMartist

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The following is a fictionalized account of a fellow bloggers life.

For a few dollars more

We haven’t had snow like this in forever. I was off to get a haircut at my salon, and it was quite a challenge to get there because every sidewalk wasn’t cleared at the same time.

After a long, arduous trek, I finally made it. Was it shoveled? No, there were 12-inch footprints leading to the door and back, with a sign on the window that read “Follow the footprints.”

When I entered, I asked my stylist, “What’s with the sign?” She looked at me and said, “Lisa, I can’t shovel that heavy, wet snow, and I can’t get any of the other girls to give it a shot.”

There is a knock at the window; it’s a disheveled-looking young man in a tattered winter coat. He sticks his head in and says, “Any chance I can pop in for a bit of warmth?”

My stylist says, “For a few minutes, I suppose. Are you looking to make a couple of bucks?”

The young man perks up, smiles, and says, “Doin’ what?”

I pipe in under my breath and roll my eyes, “You gonna ask him to shovel.” Not realizing my stylist heard me, she says, “If you shovel a walkway into the store, I’ll pay you $10.”

“$10?! Nothing I can buy in this city for $10. Make it $50 and you’ve got a deal. Can I have the money in advance?”

My stylist says “I’ll give you $10 now and $40 when you finish.”

The young man says “Deal”.

My stylist offers the young man a very fancy-looking ergonomic shovel. I say, “Never seen a shovel like that. Is that the kind that makes it easy to shovel? Must’ve cost you a fortune.” “Top of the line,” she says.

“Top of the line” rings in the young man’s ears, and he probably figures he can hock this shovel at a pawn shop and make double his money. The young man goes outside and shovels one small patch in front of the door, looks in, and smiles.

My stylist gives him the thumbs up and starts on my hair; I see the young man make a break for it, shovel in hand. I say to my stylist, “How much did you pay for that shovel?” And she replies, “$290, are you looking to get one?”

I say “No, but it looks like you’re out $300.”

“Damn it !”, She yells. “I shoulda just gave him the fifty!!!”