A Monday Surprise Smile for Nor
Nor had been my father’s patient for some years and was sad to hear he was about to retire. She didn’t realise that his daughter was not only a dentist (Ahm.. that’s me … a second generation dentist) but that I had promised him, when I was still in my teens, that I would take over his practice.
I always wanted to be like my dad. He used to take me to the clinic whenever there wasn’t a maid or during school holidays. I grew up with only one single burning ambition …. to be like Dad, a dentist!
However when I graduated from Dental School, Dad wanted me to serve the government, to ‘do my bit’…. “Berkhidmat untuk negara!” and all that … I also think a lot had to do with him being a little confronted at our different styles of dentistry (he graduated in the 50’s!!) and that we were experiencing a recession, had a lot to do with it too! So dutifully I joined the Government Service and put in 2 years of “khidmat”.
Anyways, take over Dad’s clinic I did, when he finally retired at the golden age of 77! (and that’s another story)
So back to Nor …
She heard from her colleagues that it was Dad’s daughter that was running the show. And the clinic had been re-named Klinik Pergigian Fauziah. And that the daughter wasn’t too bad a dentist to boot too!
So Nor made an appointment and came in for routine cleaning and polishing.
I did the needful, and just had to ask her if she’d let me make her beautiful
… her teeth, I mean. She had so many gaps and it was soooooo easy I was just itching to do her makeover!
She had the usual concerns … was it painful? was it expensive? Of course I said “No!!”
She could see I was all excited … who wouldn’t be? She had no idea what she will look like but had seen pictures of makeovers we’ve done on the digital frame that I have running in the waiting room.
I finished in half an hour and handed her the mirror with flourish.
Tadaah! Her smile said it all … Nor was absolutely pleased and promised to tell her colleagues at TNB that Dr Yunus’ daughter will look after them too!
I fully intend to keep my promise to my dad … that I will take excellent care of his patients!