A Man and His Boy

The smell of smoke fills the barbershop. It’s mixed with the scent of hairspray and body odor, but the smoke overpowers the other scents. It is freezing in the barbershop, because the owners cannot afford heat. A man and his son stand out side. Hand in hand. The little boy’s dad stands in front of him, creating almost a protective shield. The man smokes a cigarette. He takes a deep, refreshing breath of cold air. The little boy looks up at his dad, but doesn’t say anything. He has a puzzled look on his face, but turns his head back down and stares at the ground. After standing in the cold air for ten minutes they go inside the barbershop. The little boy sits down in a seat near the window and stares out longingly. The man walked away from the boy, disappearing into the back of the barbershop. The little boy sat there for hours just staring out the window. He wasn’t looking for anything, but looking for something.