Contest #33 winner 🏆

Pennies and Years

Submitted into Contest #33 in response to: Write a story set in a salon or barbershop.... view prompt

159 comments

Romance

I’d know his face in a dream, I’d know it in a thunderstorm. It sets my stupid heart fluttering and my fingers trembling in the scissors, every single time. Even today, when it appears at the barbershop window like a mirage, drenched in the rain, his hair looking like it’s been caught in a lawnmower, my pulse feels like it’s going to burst joyfully from my neck. I don’t know his name.  

The way I know him is a long story. It starts with the girl I was a decade ago, in messy pigtails and overalls, the girl who ran wild throughout the shop and through the legs of her father’s customers. My father never sent me upstairs or told me to be quiet. The customers thought I was cute, and he needed any draw he could get in those days; the trickle in and out of our creaking doors was thin, and our scraped-together earnings at the end of each day were thinner. I was aware of this only peripherally. I knew my father’s face was lined and gray when he went to bed at night, and I knew he sometimes set dinner in front of me without setting anything for himself, but I was young enough to think that was normal.

I was that girl when I saw him the first time. He passed our shop humming and tapping a pen on empty air, steps light like he might be about to start skipping. His hair was a mess of dark curls that had been swept into knots by the wind. I pressed my nose up against the glass to watch his bouncing walk.

He looked up when he was directly in front of our store, and his eyes locked on me. For a moment I wanted to recoil, cover my suddenly-pink face and pretend I hadn’t been watching — but a moment after he saw me, his mouth stretched into a wide, double-front-teeth-missing smile, and he waved with the hand gripping his pen. 

Tentatively I put up my hand, a shy half-wave as he spun around and bounced away. Even then I could feel something warm flutter in my stomach at that smile. It wasn’t handsome, but it was wide and bright, just like the barbershop’s sunny windows. 

That was the first day I saw him. I discovered, in the following weeks, that he came by at the same time every day; humming, smiling, his eyes up at the sky or peeking into shop windows. He was coming home from school, I realized; in those days my father taught me himself in the evenings, but I knew most children in town went to the big brick and plaster schoolhouse several blocks away. Yet I didn’t ever talk to him. I didn’t open the window and call to him; we were a tiny barbershop, and the people I greeted week in and week out had known me all my life. I was too nervous to approach someone who walked on his own out in the wide world.

The only time I ever heard his voice, other than his off-tune humming, was the day he came to the shop’s door with a box of sticky fudge. 

It had been two weeks of hoarded nickels and weak soup. I’d hid in the opposite corner when I saw him coming to the door, too nervous to speak with him head-on, but I smelled the fudge even across the shop; dark rich chocolate and sugar, the kind that would melt over your tongue and leave its taste behind for hours. My mouth watered as I breathed it in. My father had come to the door and was listening as the boy explained he was selling them for a nickel apiece.

I don’t know what would have happened if I’d come up to my father and begged him for the fudge; if he’d have rearranged our finances, chosen another tiny luxury he could live without, to get one of them for me. I don’t know whether I’d have used the opportunity to speak to the boy for the first time, or whether I’d have retreated, and perhaps never known anything of him but that he walked by our shop and had the world’s most captivating smile. But I didn’t move or make a sound. And my father, looking weary and sad, shook his head and said we didn’t have the money.

The boy only shrugged and left, that day. I went back to playing in the sunlight and ignoring my hunger. Beginning the next week, though, when the boy came by, he came to our door again. I hid in the back again. And when my father approached him, he presented him, proudly, with a penny.

“I gave my parents the money from the fudge,” he said, “but I kept a penny for you. ’Cause you don’t have enough money.”

The penny looked brand-new; it caught the light and sparkled like a tiny star when the boy handed it over. And when my father took it, I saw his lined face break out for the first time in weeks into a smile.

“Thank you, son,” he said. “That’s very kind of you.”

Even then I knew a penny was too little to change anything for us. But as he walked away, his curls windswept and his hands still tapping the air like an instrument, as I saw the quiet warmth in my father’s eyes as he stared down at the penny, I thought it was the best thing I’d ever seen anyone do. 

I never did talk to him. I never gained the courage to go up and introduce myself. But he began stopping by, twice or three times a week, on his walk home from school, with new pennies — pennies he’d found on the ground, pennies he’d won in bets with his schoolmates, pennies he’d kept back from his earnings when he sold more of his sticky fudge around the neighborhood. Sometimes the pennies were rusty, greenish like the photos I’d seen of the Statue of Liberty, and sometimes they were dark and faded, like they’d been soaking in a gloomy bath for a hundred years. But once in a while they’d be fresh and new and sparkling, like the first time. 

“One day maybe they’ll all add up to something,” the boy said to my father. I imagined him bringing us enough pennies to build a towering copper castle. 

Years passed like that. At some point he should have become one of the familiar faces, one I could greet casually and charge past and nearly knock over as I played, but it was always different for him, somehow.

The last time he came in, he was six inches taller than he’d been the first time I saw him, and his teeth had grown in large and white. My pigtails had dropped down into braids, my overalls exchanged for jeans, but I still hid when he handed over his penny.

“I came to tell you my family’s moving away,” he told my father. “To the next town over. I won’t be coming to this shop anymore.”

My father put a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll miss you, son.” 

He seemed to be hesitant to leave. He clasped his hands behind his back, shifting from foot to foot. “And I — I wanted to…”

“What is it?”

His eyes flickered around, and I thought for a moment they caught on me. Just as they had on the first day, when he’d only been walking past the window, unaware of who was inside, unaware of the entire world encompassed for me within this shop. But this time my pulse jumped too quickly, and I did what I’d considered doing then — I retreated, pulling myself out of sight behind the back curtain. 

And he left. And that was the last I ever saw of him. I began learning to cut hair from my father, getting the hang of scissors and razors and dyes and polite conversation. Business started to do a little better. We added up larger and larger earnings at the end of each week. The days of sporadic, uncertain meals disappeared behind us; we never became rich, but we stopped having to hoard our cents. 

The boy didn’t come back. He’d disappeared from my life like some tiny guardian angel. 

Until now.

I’d know his face for a thousand years, and that’s him outside. My father’s out and I’m here alone. I’ve just been cleaning up after my last customer, but I’m frozen now, scissors still held aloft, mouth agape as he enters. I barely hear the old-fashioned bell above the door chime. 

“Hey,” he says, and his voice is a little rougher, a little deeper than I remember, but it’s still got the same cadence. I can still hear his humming in the back of my mind. He rubs the back of his neck, not touching the dripping, slashed-up mess that’s his hair. “Hey, uh — I don’t know if you remember me.”

My own voice is breathless. “I do.” 

He stares down at the floor. He looks as though he doesn’t know what to say.

“What—” I swallow. “What happened to you?”

He touches his head ruefully. “My little sisters decided it’d be funny to cut my hair up while I was taking a nap.” 

His little sisters. A laugh rises into my throat despite myself at the image of two younger versions of him snipping his hair into its ridiculous current formation as he slept. When I giggle, his smile returns, and, yes — it’s just as I remember it. Memory didn’t do it justice. Under the ugly mess of his hair it’s only more beautiful than before. 

“I was supposed to ask this girl I like on a date today.” He spreads his hands. “But I can’t ask her like this.”

“You need a trim?”

His gaze drops. “I don’t have any money.” 

Something tugs between my ribs. “Oh.”

I know what those words mean now. I understand, as I didn’t yet the last time I saw him, what it means to not have enough money. I know the shame of it locked around the discomfort. I see it in his posture, and I understand that our roles have been reversed. 

“Sit down,” I say. 

He steps back. “I really can’t—”

“You brought us pennies for years.” I’m already gesturing to the seat. “I’m sure it added up to at least the price of a haircut.” 

Even his briefest smile is radiant to me. He sits, and I take a towel and gently dry his head and shoulders, leaving his hair damp but not dripping. I pick up the scissors again and will my hands to quit their trembling. 

After all this time, I still feel exactly how I did. 

I settle into the job with a hand that’s long-practiced by now, cutting his hair close and neat; I want to keep as much of it on his head as possible. I run my fingers softly through it.

“The way it curls,” I murmur.

“Hmm?”

I clear my throat. “The way it curls. Your hair. It hasn’t changed either.” 

His eyes meet mine in the mirror. They’re gentle and fond, an expression that makes my lungs feel sucked empty. I don’t know what I’ve done to make him look like that. 

The boy that brought us pennies every other day when I was too young to know what poverty was. The boy that looked for them on the sidewalk just to give to us when my stomach was always grumbling. Just to be close enough to him, now, to trim his hair, feels like lying in the sun somewhere soft and warm. Just to see him again, to know no part of him was my imagination, feels like floating. 

I put my hands on his shoulders when I’m finished. “What do you think?” 

He examines himself only briefly before his mirror-eyes return to me. “Perfect. Thank you.” 

“Good enough to ask your girl on a date?” I ask, half-teasing again, half-encouraging. 

A little blush rises in his cheeks. “I hope so.”

And I’m in love with him. It’s a simple thing to know, though I don’t know his name, though I never really learned anything about him. Though it’s been so long since I’ve seen him at all and he only ever spoke to my father when he was here before. I’d know his face in a thousand lifetimes, and I’d love it in every one. And I’m too shy ever to tell him so. 

That’s all right, though. The love is mine anyway. 

I step back. “Then go on.”

He turns to look at me. “I… never got your name.”

“It’s Michaela.” 

“Elias,” he says.

Elias. I like it. Though I think I might like any name attached to him. 

And then Elias stands, slowly. His eyes are still on me. I’d expected him to head immediately for the door, but he doesn’t; there’s that hesitation in his face again, the uncertainty in his stance, like he’s waiting for something else to happen. Like he’s working up the nerve to say something else. 

“You really don’t have to pay,” I say. 

His hand reaches out toward me, then freezes, aborts. It drops back to his side. It was like an unconscious gesture, I think — one he thought better of a second after he couldn’t stop himself from starting it. 

I stare at him. Why is my heart suddenly pounding out the rhythm of some crazed drummer in my chest? 

“Michaela,” he says.

“Yeah?” 

His gaze is close and tender and tentative, and I’m in love with him. “Michaela, would you want to have lunch with me sometime?” 

My breath comes in sharply. I can’t stop staring.

“Your name.” He bites his lip. “For years you were always just — just the girl in the window. It’s weird, knowing it now.”

“You,” I whisper. “You were the boy on the sidewalk.”

His eyes widen. “You too?”

I nod mutely. 

The light that enters his face then, the hope, the joy that enters his smile, is entirely new. Nothing has ever been as beautiful in all the years I’ve been alive. He reaches out again, and it’s instinct — I meet him halfway. I catch his hand. My fingers, still shaking as though they haven’t yet recovered from his walking into the shop, lace between his.

“You never came to talk to me,” he said.

I shook my head. “I was too nervous.”

“I should have said something to you.”

You were too nervous.” 

He reaches up and feels the close-trimmed hair on his head, grinning. “When you’ve got a bad hair day like I had, nerves kind of go out the window.”

I want to kiss him. I will, I think with a thrill — when we’ve gone out to lunch somewhere, and we’re alone, across a table from each other, and I’ve put my hand over his and we lean toward each other naturally, easily, as though we’ve always just been waiting for the right moment — it’ll come, I think. It’ll come.

“Remind me to thank your sisters, then,” I say. “If I ever meet them.” 

Elias, the boy with the pennies, has a laugh that could grow daisies better than sunlight and rain. It’s even sweeter when I’m the one that makes him do it.

March 18, 2020 01:34

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159 comments

00:40 Mar 28, 2020

We certainly got our share of sticky fudge, wouldn't you say? It made me think of Southern manners and time that rolls along like clouds. I felt myself floating away... and then being pulled in by a phrase, sometimes a sentence, But it was the dialogue I loved. Just short and clipped enough to hear the tease in your voice. You must have loved writing it - it sings. Not quite my kind of song but it still sings and you must take the credit for a job well done and a dream spun out gently for your readers to enjoy. Thanks.

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Phoebe Barr
01:26 Mar 28, 2020

Oh this is such a gorgeous comment it makes me blush. You truly have a way with words. I'm so happy to hear you appreciated the story and I'm grateful for your comment!

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Zilla Babbitt
15:36 Mar 27, 2020

This is so lovely. Perfect. Definitely deserved the win.

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Phoebe Barr
17:23 Mar 27, 2020

Thank you so much!! I'm so glad this one got the win because I think we all need something lovely and somewhat cheesy right now

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Zilla Babbitt
22:43 Mar 27, 2020

I agree :)

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Cynthia Obinabo
18:40 Mar 28, 2020

Beautiful story. I can't top the comments so, I'll just say I enjoyed every minute of it.

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Phoebe Barr
18:37 Mar 30, 2020

:) :)

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Carrol Halliwell
00:03 Mar 28, 2020

I loved reading this story. So well written. I felt that this was something that you actually experienced (non-fiction). I didn't want it to end. Speaking of endings, it was perfect. I was so fully engaged in the story. Sadly, I realised that I don't think I could write as well as you. I will stick to copywriting. You most certainly deserved to win. I look forward to reading your novel. :)

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Phoebe Barr
01:31 Mar 28, 2020

This is a beautiful comment but I don't think you should stick to copywriting at all, I bet you have a lot of wonderful stories to tell and practice makes perfect after all! And this little bit of writing here certainly made me smile :) (also I do have a couple of novels that I'm working on so maybe someday!!)

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Jemi Valcarcel
16:55 Apr 16, 2020

I agree with Phoebe. Sometime in our life, we find our own style. I'm sure you'll find yours soon!

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Unknown User
00:13 Mar 28, 2020

Awesome story! So romantic & beautiful! Beautifully written!

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Phoebe Barr
01:27 Mar 28, 2020

Thank you so much!!

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Anna Clarke
03:44 Mar 29, 2020

This story was beautifully written. It made me feel as if I actually know Elias and Michaela. You painted vivid portraits with your words. I like that she was able to repay him for his acts of kindness. Thanks to his little sisters they were finally drawn together. This story has left me feeling warm and happy. Continue crafting beautiful stories.

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Phoebe Barr
18:33 Mar 30, 2020

Thank you! I love that you said you felt you knew Elias and Michaela, that's such a sweet thing to hear :) and I'm glad you liked the story!

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Inactive User
19:27 Mar 27, 2020

Congrats on your win. You deserved it!

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Phoebe Barr
22:01 Mar 27, 2020

Thank you! :)

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Millie Spence
22:35 Apr 02, 2020

This is so cute. This definitely deserved the win.

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Phoebe Barr
03:52 Apr 07, 2020

thank you!! :)

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Stephanie Frank
08:35 Apr 02, 2020

Congratulations! This is an awesome story! I love everything about it!

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Phoebe Barr
03:54 Apr 07, 2020

thank you!

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Jess Whitlock
05:30 Apr 01, 2020

This is such a sweet story, and I really didn't expect how invested I could get into two nameless characters until the end. I guess I kind of felt like both of them, thinking of them as the girl in the window and the boy on the sidewalk. There's an ease in your writing that I admire as well. It makes it feel honest, and I think that makes it stronger and makes me more willing to be invested in the story. All in all, I really loved reading this story. It certainly cheered me up during a tough time, so thank you for sharing it. :)

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Phoebe Barr
03:46 Apr 07, 2020

Thank you for this comment! That's a wonderful compliment about my writing style and I'm glad this story could cheer you up some :)

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Nazeefa Ahmed
00:13 Mar 29, 2020

I was thoroughly entranced with your story! Every single sentence beautifully captured your character's motives and life stories. I am in awe. Thank you for inspiring me!

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Phoebe Barr
18:25 Mar 30, 2020

That's awesome! Thank you for your kind words, they're inspiring to me as well :)

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Mercy Duke
16:11 Mar 28, 2020

The story is super. Congrats for the win you deserve it.

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Phoebe Barr
18:24 Mar 30, 2020

Thank you so much!

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Unknown User
21:51 Mar 27, 2020

Phoebe has written a beautifully crafted tale conjuring up the poverty and the Want of the earlier years. The tale about the pennies and Elias generosity builds up well. The use of dialogue is superb

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Phoebe Barr
22:02 Mar 27, 2020

I'm glad you were engaged! Thanks for commenting!

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Skye Thorne
18:40 Mar 27, 2020

This was so beautiful! Amazing job!

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Phoebe Barr
21:58 Mar 27, 2020

I'm glad you liked it! Thank you!!

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Luna Lovegood
17:38 Apr 06, 2020

Congratulations on the win! I loved the story!! The in-depth description, yet the simplicity of the dialogue is what made it stand out beautifully to me! I hope to see many more stories of yours, and hopefully more wins! Beautifully written!

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Phoebe Barr
03:47 Apr 07, 2020

Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it and this comment made me smile :) :)

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Luna Lovegood
20:16 Apr 07, 2020

It's not a problem, just speaking the truth. Thank you!

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Sailan Adeeni
08:36 Apr 06, 2020

This story made my heart happy. Very well written. There's a flow and a bounce to it that makes it even more special. Well done, Phoebe.

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Phoebe Barr
03:47 Apr 07, 2020

Thank you! :) :)

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Megan Walsh
05:46 Apr 04, 2020

Absolutely lovely. Thank you for sharing this story! I was right alongside these characters throughout. Congratulations!

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Phoebe Barr
03:48 Apr 07, 2020

That's amazing to hear! Thank you so much!

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Emma Huang
20:38 Apr 03, 2020

this is amazing

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Phoebe Barr
03:48 Apr 07, 2020

thank you :)

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Nusa Zam
08:15 Apr 03, 2020

Oh. My. Goodness! I didn't want it to end, it was so CUTE! :)

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Phoebe Barr
03:48 Apr 07, 2020

I'm so glad!! :)

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Rahee Pradeep
02:41 Apr 03, 2020

To be honest, when I first went through the length of the story, I wasn't willing to read it. Just to know what the story is about, I thought of reading the intro, but as I started reading it, I couldn't take my eyes off it. It was like a poetry- meaningful and in flow. There was no such point, where I thought that the story was not coming together. It definitely deserved the win. Great job!

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Phoebe Barr
03:52 Apr 07, 2020

It can be tough going through a whole 3k words but I'm glad you gave it a chance! And I'm so happy to hear you liked it!! :)

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15:30 Apr 02, 2020

I love it so much. At some point it kinda relates to me except for the barber shop setting

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Phoebe Barr
03:53 Apr 07, 2020

I hope you got a cute date :) and thanks for reading!

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