From the dentist's chair

Yesterday a dark cloud formed and showered me with a sense of dread. Six months had passed and it was time for my teeth cleaning. Excuses formed in my head as I searched for a justifiable reason to cancel the appointment. There was none. But I did have one card in my favor; Katie was scheduled at the same time (with another person). Maybe if my hygienist knew I had to hurry up and get Katie to school, she might not talk as much. Or perhaps the pressure would be so great as she competed for first place against the other lady that she would not dilly dally. I was hoping.

Instead, I found myself sitting in the dentist chair at 9:00 with a heavy bib on my chest and a whiter-than-white smile glaring down at me. My lady stood there for a good five minutes filling me in on all of her kid's escapades since our last get-together; graduation, college, class trips, blah, blah, blah.

"What do you have on your agenda for the day?" She finally asked.

"Getting Katie to school so she doesn't miss too much."

This made her step of out the room, remote in hand, but she kept on talking. As she clicked the x-ray button she asked me a question. I nodded.

"Oh, no! Did you move? You need to be absolutely still during the x-ray," she chided.

"I'm pretty sure you had already pushed the button," I answered.

"Oh, well. If it doesn't turn out we'll just have to do it over. Silly me."

Then she proceeded to clean my teeth. She reminded me of Glinda the Good Witch from Wizard of Oz, full of sparkly glee as she waved her magic wand. Cleaning instruments were forced into my opened mouth as she continued talking and asking questions with an animated voice.

"What are y'all doing this summer?" She asked.

"Uh, eh oe no," I managed.

"That sounds familiar," she said as she flitted around from one task to the next.

"Aa beh," I said.

Then she divulged in a sweet story about a boy who spoke at her daughter's school. He had such an amazing story, he shouldn't be alive. Everyone was in tears when he was finished talking, my lady said.

That's fine, but let's get done with this! I raised my arm and looked at my watch.

"We're done sweetie. It's been so good talking to you."

"Yes, it has. See you in six months." Thank God. I went to get Katie, grateful to be finished at the dentist. (But my teeth still aren't as white as my lady's).