A Tooth Sickly Sweet



While the world was sleeping in a temporary repose and the clock struck two,she came inside my room saying "Ouch!My tooth,it hurts".And thus began the trouble in the house last night and this toothy story.The afflicted subject my mother and here is one of her old and famous takes on life"Delivering babies is better than having a sore tooth rotting in your mouth,no pain like the latter".This was an unintended compliment for her two kids,now that she had finally found something worse we wondered if we are now free to be happy.

 

"Some tortures are physical
and some are mental,
the one that is both is dental"
-Ogden Nash

She refused to lie down,the inertia and silence made the pain worse.Home remedies like garlic and clove oil  all were tried,nothing seemed to work.Even drinking water seemed impossible.A pain killer was the only saviour left but gulping tablets for anything and everything is against her rule book, this is something which features in mine too.She did not budge thinking she might as well bear the pain than have a burning stomach later.And then is when her daughter doctor stepped into action,with a tablet in hand I said" Amma take this,it will make you better in a while,you can sleep".She looked at me with an amusing helplessness and said "What if I go dizzy and fall?".Not any surprised I replied" Trust me".Maybe this pinched the ailing root and she had no choice but to take it.

Brushing teeth is considered a daily ritual in the family which is beyond my brother's ability follow,to make him understand the importance of it she found this crisis ideal!When the pain settled down she looked at him and started her sermon”Look this is what happens when you do not brush your teeth!”.The smart one that he is,my brother shot back” Now who is the
blessed one with the caries,me or you?".

Imagining the icy possibilities and creamy prospects of the next morning he added “I am taking you to the dentist tomorrow, you better get that devil pulled out,and then we shall have lots of ice cream,now go sleep.”That sounded like some plan indeed.

After a sleepless night and a visit to the dentist this morning she is back with a numb pumpkin sized cheek,courtesy an extraction.So here is a prayer from her kids for the tooth “Forgive our mother for keeping you in blight,a heartfelt thanks for the strawberry ice cream and may your roots rest in peace!”.

And this for the one tooth less lady, hoping the dentures do not arrive any soon:

-R.