As soon as I woke up this morning,
I drew a mental picture of all the things I would do throughout the day. After
my morning prayers, I went to the nearest ATM and got some cash. I proceeded to
the petrol station and filled my motorbike for the journey today and estimated
that the fuel would last me a week.
I also had to reload my phone and
rightly did so. I got home and fiddled with my phone, a habit that I am
starting to notice getting stronger and stronger and dislike but as we all know
distractions play a big part in our lives. If I am left alone with my thoughts,
misery then takes over.
Such is the reality I would say
but sadly I have to somewhat agree of the reality I have painted for myself.
Instead of taking from my previous experiences the good of the bad. Since reality
painted itself mostly in a dark manner in the beginning and I being weak and
unable to look beyond, took what was at hand. I reached for what I saw and
experienced and not taking of which that lay beneath the surface. Skewed is my
mind when it comes back forlorn-ing.
Now back to the story, I thought
to myself that I was set to go; I looked at the map on where I had to go and
took a nap. Exactly 2 hours later, I got ready and was off to the klinik
kesihatan to visit the dentist. I had some holes that needed fillings.
Amazingly, I didn’t get lost…though I had to stop once and ask for directions.
I reached there quicker than expected and assumed that things might just go
smoothly today.
I registered, got my number and
was mentally prepared to wait for 2 hours. And so I got my phone out and played
whatever games I had and then in the middle of it remembered that I have a test
coming and so I started prepping for it. Thanks to smart phones and the
internet, channeling information so effortlessly had become a reality!
I saw the number of people in the
clinic decreasing and I also noticed that after 2 hours the people that came
after me got called before I did, I mentally questioned on what kind of system
were they using but decided to not bother myself with unhelpful thoughts. After
all, the staffs seemed like they got their hands full.
I didn’t want to feel this way
but after almost 3 hours, what I was afraid of most had then transpired, I started
to get agitated and as soon as I was getting all annoyed, my name was called. I
entered the room and was told to lie on a seasoned green dental seat. The nurse
then gave me the suction thing to hold on to and told me to place it beneath my
tongue.
The doctor asked me on the purpose
of my visit, but the doctor outside whom I met had already asked me the same
question, didn’t she read the card? Still I casually and respectfully replied, ‘tampal’.
The doctor then checked my teeth and spewed out some terms like fracture,
rupture and things that I could not remember now. I knew that I had multiple
teeth that needed fillings.
As she was doing this, she was
talking to the nurse and asking what time it was and explaining to her that she
had another patient appointment after this. She seemed to be in a hurry and she
had this thing in her hand that had a pointy needle-like thing that she is
using to drill into the already injured tooth. I was hoping that I would come
out safe from this experience. She was talking with the nurse again on what
time it was and the nurse said it was already 1pm. That was when the clinic
closes I thought. I couldn’t help pitying myself as I have waited for 3 hours
and the time was already up.
After drilling into my teeth she
then inserted the white cement and asked me to bite on it and then told me that
we were done. I asked her on the other tooth, at first she ignored me and so I asked
again, she then replied we only do one treatment at one time. The nurse told me
to come back tomorrow. I was very surprised mainly because when I went to the clinic
in shah alam, they filled all the damned holes in one visit. You know, so it
was worth the wait, the journey and the patience displayed.
I was not happy but I left the
room and walked to the counter where they issued mmy number. I asked the lady
there and she out rightly said only one treatment at one time but I was going
like, but fillings are one treatment. Of course, I didn’t say that out loud. I
walked out of the clinic feeling unhappy and as I reached my bike, I decided to
go up the building and ask again for the second time. There was a different
nurse seated there. I explained that I waited for several hours to get fillings
but only got one done. She then said, that’s how it is. I just replied, is that
so. I left the building for good this time.
The day was not over and I had
several thing planned, I was supposed to go somewhere but troubled by this
incident I drove myself back home. As I reached my house, it was 1ish and went
to look up on the net for a number I could call on what was bugging my mind. I
found it and called that number; the guy on the other line told me to call
another number and instructed me to call after 2pm.
It was almost 2.30pm now; I
called the number the guy had given me before and a lady picked up. I told her my concern and I was put on hold
for minute. Another lady then picked up and I explained to her what had
happened. She started asking me the most annoying questions. She asked me if
the clinic were opened every day, I told her no it wasn’t and just to be sure I
had to open up the net to confirm the details. I told her it was opened Monday to
Thursday, she then asked me what happened on Friday, I told her Friday is for
pregnant ladies and children. She then asked me on their operational hours. I don’t
like losing my temper so I pretended everything was okay and proceeded to
answer her. After a couple of minutes of more insignificant dialogues she gave
me text book answers which I was okay with. After all I just wanted to know
that I wasn’t being taken advantage of. Perhaps that was their system.
She then asked me for my details
and I gave them. Lastly she told me to go back and get my fillings done. I didn’t
know how to reply to that and replied, ‘I’ll think of it’.
I know if I had the money to go
to a private clinic I would have readily gone there as there was one right in
front of my house, like a minute away. I
also understand that I shouldn’t make a big deal out of it? Perhaps I am
over-thinking this but does receiving cheap treatments makes you someone devoid
of pride that a person don’t deserve to be given a certain amount of respect?
In a nutshell if I were to take today’s
experience into account, I would say that a human being is only one if he has a
standing in society? Though I suppose I am
more pissed at myself for troubling myself with such thoughts that had ruined
all my plans for today.
Thankfully, despite being
distressed by the event—I’ll forget about this tomorrow and start anew and
hopefully stick to my plans. However, today was a bleak day.
