Indian Flute
I frequent a little East Indian Salon around the corner from our house to get my eyebrows threaded for three bucks.
I'm generally one of the very few whiteys in the place, and the ladies are absolutely charming. They call me "dear", and "sweetie" the whole time.
Over the past two years, they've gotten to know me, and I them.
I get little snippets from their lives:
"Oh, when the movie "Water" was being filmed, close to my home...they chased them out. They didn't want Deepa telling the truth!".
"My Mother in Law always gives me trouble when I do the laundry in the morning. She says that the hydro is more expensive during the day...even when I show her the bill to say it is not true!"
"I cook in the morning time, before I come to work. My husband doesn't like to wait in the evening. He is too impatient, my husband..."
Today while Kami was talking and doing my brows, Indian music playing in the background, the song switched to a Reggae tune. It took me a moment to realize that the lyrics were in Hindi. The duet in Indian style, a women's high falsetto and man's low baritone to reggae. I found it both amusing and pleasing to hear the blending of musical cultures.
I love sari fabric and make beautiful scarves from it.This never goes unnoticed and often two or three of the ladies will "ooh" and "ahh" over my choices, telling me the proper names of the fabrics I chose, which I promptly forget, no matter how hard I try, or how many times they patiently repeat it for me.
Nevertheless, the warmth and comradery of these women shines and spills over onto me whenever I am in the shop.
It's gratifying to connect with people who are off my well worn and beaten path.
It restores my faith in the general goodness of humanity.
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