THE BARBAR'S TALE

THE BARBAR'S TALE
The Barbar looked at me with a sad countenace . I was so engrossed in his relaxing tousle and cutting; of my hair with eyes’s closed that I ignored it. It was quite soothing when he dipped his hand into the hair , massaged it and
gently pulled it to cut it. At the end I looked more human and better than I was before ; which my wife never failed to comment upon . I was his regular customer for the past 20 years .There was nothing that we felt and left discussing about, from politics to our family affairs . He was an avid listener and I was a curious chatterbox After he finished with the cutting and my babbling which he listened with his usual retort ‘ sir' to prod me, I asked him “ You are too preoccupied today . Your tone is low and you are looking a bit down. What happened?" His countenace appear to worsen and his speech got stuck . Tears appeared in his eyes and it dropped down .He rubbed his eyes.  “ Common , tell me“.“I was worried about you , sir for a year now it is my wife.
“The doctor said she has a tumor in her chest and it appears to be cancerous"Oh , I am sorry to hear it “. “Do you have the details?”
“I shall show it you, sir“ “Fine , bring it to me and show me tomorrow evening in my house. I will see it and explain everything". I left wondering why he was worried about me . He came the next day with a file and I read it thoroughly .His wife had a stage – 1,breast cancer and the doctor had suggested expiration of both breast – radical mastectomy” . “Should we do it? Is there any drugs to cure it” I explained everything and I suggested to get it done at a government hospital and I would help him through  a colleague of mine who was a good surgeon; to spare the expenses. He acquiesced and as he left he said “I know you will help me and please take care , sir” . I made all the arrangements and he took his wife to the Government hospital and she was operated by a surgical oncologist  and returned home uneventfully. After a fortnight he came with his wife to thank me and she looked much better and more healthier “ He is happy now as I am cured" she said.” “I knew that you will know better as you have gone through it and now you are all right after a year” he added. I was baffled about his statement .What have I gone through
I was too curious about his utterance that as I was passing by his shop I decided to clarify it . He was sitting alone in the saloon . He invited me in “You are worried about me ; are you”. “ Yes sir , I was extremely worried about you, but now you look all right” “ Why should you worry about me?
Sir , you had cancer and I was worried about it .I did not want to hurt you often by asking .I knew you would help my wife as you have suffered it yourself and become all right.
  I was shocked to hear the idiotic tales he was spewing . “ Who told you I had cancer?”
"you only said you had it sir
I told you .. when? Last year..remember when you were talking with your friend in my saloon. I am sure I heard it as I was worried about you from that day onwards" .I looked baffled groping for an answer .He saw my consternation and said ” Sir, ask your friend. He will confirm what you said". He was staying near by , so I called him to clarify it . When he dropped by  I told him the doubts that the barber had about me . I instructed the barber to clarify himsel” Sir, last year you both spoke about your been bitten by a ‘Scorpion’ and your friend said he had cancer”. My friend was equally shocked . “ Well, I did not say anything to that effect" he said categorically . I summed up to diffuse the mis- interpretation and set the doubts aside and told him" I have no such cancer and please don’t worry about it. Sir , you told me then and I am carrying the burden for a year and now you say you did not mention it" he appeared upset and apparently was feeling quite hurt  and perhaps cheated. We consoled and then departed .
  I was a bit upset as I knew he was not the type to tell lies. I tiptoed down to my friends house and over a coffee I was discussing it, when his 11 year old dauģhter asked “ Daddy what is a zodiac sign. Mine is Aries and what is yours?” “ I think mine is Scorpion" Then it hit me with a punch as he had mentioned that my friend was bitten by a Scorpion .Before I could utter she asked me “ What is yours, uncle ?” “ Oh , it is cancer". There appeared to be a spark in my friend's eyes also .My friend then recalled having said about it, in the saloon casually which he perhaps had heard, misinterpreted and decided that I was suffering from cancer . We again troupped to the saloon to set it right. After I explained he understood his stupidity of misinterpreting it. “ I am sorry you had to bear the burden for so long".“ It is o.k sir . If it had not happened, I would not have come to you for my wife's cancer treatment and she would not be completely cured now”.“ All for good only" I retorted . “All is well that ends well" my friend capped it up. We had a hearty laugh and then ; Thereafter every time I went,he looked at me happily and we continued our friendly tirade but I was careful not to say anything beyond his capacity to understand and give room for speculation.