Open Writing

'Check up! Who needs a check up?'

'You do, and I've made an appointment with Doctor Stevens for next Friday, at ten o'clock.'

'Aw, come off it Mum. There's nothing wrong with my teeth.'

'Wrong or not you are due, overdue, for a check up.'

'But Mum, I can't go on Friday.'

'Why not?'

'Well, I'll be on school holidays, and . . . '

'And that's the whole idea.'

'But Mum, Friday is the first day of the holidays. You can't expect me to go on the first day—and at ten o'clock.'

'I thought of that. We'll get it over early in the holidays and then if you need to see the orthodontist about braces we might be able to fit it in too, before you go back to school.'

'That's not fair; other kids go the dentist in school time.'

'Yes, well what other kids do or don't do has nothing to do with taking good care of your teeth. You know your father and I only want the best for you. You'll thank us one day.'

'Yeah, yeah, but how come Tom Taylor—you know Tom Taylor—topped our class last year when he's always having days off to go to the dentist.'

'What Tom does is no concern of ours, and he can obviously cope with missing a bit of school.'

'Are you saying I can't? Are you saying that I'm dumb?'

'O-o-h! No, Damien I am not saying you're dumb. I'm simply saying if you don't have to miss school, then why do it? You don't want to have to do extra work to catch up do you? And, besides there might come a time when you do have to have appointments in school hours.'

'Like when?'

'Well if, and I'm only saying if, Doctor Stevens decides you need braces we'll have to go to an orthodontist and sometimes these appointments might have to be in school time.'
'Mum, I've told you that I'm not having braces.'

'Oh, Damien we've been through this again and again and you know that Doctor Stevens said that you probably would need them to straighten your eye teeth.'

'I don't care. I don't want to look like a nerd.'

'Come on, I bet lots of kids in your class have braces.'

'Only the nerds.'

'Bill Gates was called a nerd when he was at school.'

'Who?'

'Bill Gates, you know, the computer wiz, Microsoft and all that, billionaire business man.'

'Oh, that Bill Gates.'

'Yes, being called a nerd didn't hurt him did it . . .?'

'You are sure he had braces?'

'Yes, yes, but he didn't let that stop him did he?'

(God understands mothers must sometimes tell white lies)

'I might not need them anyway.'

'Well let's hope not, but we'll find out on Friday, and then we'll know for sure.'

'S'pose.'

© Colleen McMillan

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Colleen writes for Bonzer! magazine. Please visit www.bonzer.org.au