Upon my return to Brooklyn, getting up with Osvald was top of mind.
I stopped by the barbershop on a Wednesday night, half an hour before it was set to close.
Osvald was in the middle of administering a straight razor shave.
I waved in his direction and headed towards the couch in the back of the room. While I waited, I took a look around the shop. I could see why my friend wanted to move into something better. The space was worn down and there was a decided lack of ambiance- banks of low hanging fluorescent light fixtures cast a sickly yellow glow across everything and the old school checkerboard linoleum was peeling up from its edges.
“The fuck, Hopeton?” Osvald started in, once everyone had left the shop. “I ask you for a loan and then you go ghost on me?”
I could see he was legitimately offended.
I stood up and clapped Osvald on the shoulder.
“Hermano,” I reasoned, “No te pongas así. I know I told you to hang on for a few days and it’s been months. But this is exactly why I’m saying I’m shutting down New Hopeton bank.”
Osvald still didn’t look particularly happy.
“Come,” I said. “Let me sit in your chair. You cut my hair and I’ll tell you what I’ve worked out for the two of us.”
Osvald switched the radio from Hot 97 to a Mets home game.
I climbed into his chair and cut to the chase.
“Here's my proposal. I’ll buy a building on Pitkin Avenue and I’ll lease you the commercial space. I’ll give you ten years at below market rate.”
Osvald looked up from my head and locked eyes with me in the mirror.
“It’ll be a real lease, Osvald,” I cautioned. “You’ll be my tenant. You’ll have a very low, set rent for five years, then there will be a 7.5% increase for the next five years.”
“Why so specific?” Osvald asked.
“That’s the correct question,” I replied.
“I know,” Osvald said impatiently. “That’s why I asked it.”
“Once you’re in, I’m going to give you six months to renovate the space and then I'm going to try and sell the building. And I don't expect to sell it at a huge profit because nobody's really going to be interested in buying a building that comes with a long-term tenant at a low rate, but it is what it is. I'm willing to take that risk. Let me know if you're interested.”
I looked into the mirror and caught Osvald’s eye. He looked troubled.
“Why do you want to do this he asked.
“Because I can do it,” I replied. “Because it would help you out.”
Osvald didn’t look convinced by my explanation.
“And this way our friendship will stay intact,” I continued. “You'll have what you need, and I can keep on getting my hair cut by you. So, it's a win-win for the both of us.”
Osvald gave a soft laugh.
“If you're interested,” I offered, “we can start looking at buildings together. That way you can have a say in what works best for your business and I can decide what works best from a re-sale point of view.”
