MY VISIT TO THE DENTIST.

There are nights when you are restless: sleep eludes you as your mind awaits the delicacy of the morrow. Tuesday, March 5th, 2009 was not one of those days. Indeed I was restless, but it was not due to impatient anticipation of excitements to come, it was in dread and consternation of my appointment with the dentist. To say I was scared can not begin to detail the trepidation that coursed through my body at the thought of pain; my greatest dread. As I tossed and turned on my bed, I began to curse every pomo, saki, isi-ewu and roundabouts that collectively contributed to my gradual yet sudden tooth decay.

On Wednesday, after obtaining permission from my departmental boss at the office, armed with the medical form and a frail sense of courage, I set out for Nene Clinic at Ikeja. After struggling to locate the building amidst a cluster of boutiques and ‘high profile’ shops, I finally spotted it, standing – or maybe sitting – inconspicuously amidst the row of buildings. With my best foot forward and my heart in my mouth, I stepped into the clinic. There was nobody at the front desk; giving me a false sense of hope. Maybe they were on strike. Maybe they rushed to Kaduna to help some people and will not be available till December. As my impartial mind began to reel in its conjecture of endless prejudiced possibilities, the receptionist walked out into the lounge.
After filling the necessary forms I was led into an operating room to see the doctor. A dark skinned lady clad in immaculate white top and pants. I heaved a sigh. A female doctor would make the procedure considerably less painful. With a sonorous voice she greeted me and informed me of the doctor’s soon arrival. One more busted bubble! She then motioned for me to get settled in the reclining chair where the procedure would commence. As I lay there, I could not help but think about a guillotine and the events that occur therein.
As we waited for the doctor’s arrival, she started to produce all manner of sharp objects, needles and items which looked ominous. Very ominous. Alarm bells started to go off in my head amazingly at simultaneous rates. The foreboding had long returned and I was perspiring intensely even though the A\C was on.
The doctor walked in some minutes later with a fatherly attitude that immediately put me at ease. He set to work on me explaining in detail every step he was taking. I was relaxing albeit at snail’s pace. When he brought the first needle out, I stopped him and asked if it would hurt. In that gentle, reassuring voice he explained his intention of applying a local anaesthesia around the tooth region to numb it and excuse me of all pain. It stung a little bit, but after that, no pain. No Pain! My nerves were still stretched taut refusing to acquiesce to the pleasure of premature triumph. Lai Lai, until the end, before I start rejoicing o!
In about 15 minutes, he was done and I was on my way back to the office. So the stuff worked! I was so glad I was given that injection that helped me through it.
I left the clinic unscathed physically and mentally. The only evidence I carried was the numbness on my jaw and I didn’t really mind as it saved me the unpleasant pain I would have felt if I had gone through the procedure without the anaesthesia. After a while, it started to come across as obnoxious. My jaw felt as heavy as lead causing me to be unusually quiet all through the day. I could not even engage in my usual innocuous mischief with Ferdinand. I could feel nothing. No pain, no pleasure; nothing!
As is customary, submerged questions in my sub-conscious began to surface amidst a torrent of disarrayed thoughts, feelings and emotions in my bloated spirit.
What is life without the ability to feel? How does one cope with the heaviness of numbness? How many Nigerians, injected with the anaesthesia of a better life overseas, abscond to pursue surreal dreams? Do you solve a problem by assuming it doesn’t exist?
Whatever it is, I would still love to feel. Pain. Pleasure. Joy or discomfort.
I find it disturbing knowing that millions of Nigerians are eager to abandon this beautiful nation to sojourn in an uncertain land due to hardships. I say it time and again, I am one person who is not unmoved by the plight of Nigerians; having tasted of the bitter-sweet experience the nation offers. I was never born with a silver spoon, but I decided to buy a gold one and affix it to my mouth; discovering that the negligence of pain or sorrow is not the absence of it.

Indeed, Nigeria is yet to be defined as a nation, but as a group of states journeying towards nationhood. Gruelling as it is, the odyssey is further browbeaten by the malicious tendencies of narrow-minded, blood sucking leaders. However, the answer is neither in denigration nor defiance but in a self-motivated resolution to create the change the nation needs. Remember that the failures and disappointments of yesterday are the opportunities of today. Be the change.
So how are you doing?