“That’s it, sir. Short-back-and-sides.” Jennie addressed the mirror.
“Just so. Thank you so much. My wife will be pleased.”
The colonel paid Jennie with a generous tip as Anna emerged from the back room.
“Lookin’ gooood!” she said to the colonel’s back. “I love silver hair on a man. It looks tray dis-tin-gay, as they say,” she chimed, her sobs now apparently put to rest.
“Thank you. But this lady is the artist here, not me. “ He then turned to Anna. “I don’t think you need to worry about the wreaths. Some government official thought there were too many, that’s all. He wanted to limit the number of them at the War Memorial on Remembrance Day, but he has had a change of heart after a public outcry. The order has been rescinded. No harm done.” He turned to go. “I think if you read the story carefully, in a less sensational paper, you’ll find that nothing has been changed.”
“Oh, thank God for that! But why did they say no reths?”
“I think you’ll see that the incident has been exaggerated. Probably someone wanted a tidier war memorial. But war is never tidy, is it?”
“No- yes. It’s not. I’m so relieved.”
“You can’t believe everything you read in the media.”
“Isn’t that a fact? That’s so true…”
The colonel nodded and slipped away.
In Ramon’s chair, the panhandler stirred uneasily and whispered to him. “You know that guy, the one who just left? He’s a judge. I shoulda been before him last week, but I skipped town. They want me for jimmyin’ open slot machines for the change. Weird he didn’t reckonize me… I been before him three times…” He clambered stiffly down from his chair and fished in his pocket for his coins.
Ramon smiled. ”I know who he is. It is your lucky day—twice already.” He reached to close the outstreched unwashed hand proffering him a handful of tainted change. “ On your way now. Give thanks to God, who understands and is ready to forgive all.” And turning to the waiting clients, he asked, “Who’s next?”
