_hit Day

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.