Ages & Stages: The Cleaning

Normal 0 By Elizabeth Esse Kahrs  

 
I lie on my back, helpless, gloved finger holding down my tongue, tiny instrument scraping dangerously close to my dentin. This is when the monologue begins. The hygienist has control over my mouth for twenty-five minutes or so, and like a comedian, she has her timing down perfectly. I learn about her daughter’s college plans. I hear about her son’s graduation from high school. And then there is the cabin in New Hampshire where her entire family will meet up over the summer.

There is a moment after I rinse when I am able to offer up a tidbit about my own life. I feel this urge to communicate; in a way it feels like self defense. I mention something about our summer plans, a family trip to Canada. But the hygienist doesn’t seem to absorb this information; she continues speaking her own thoughts.

When she is through with the scraping, the polishing begins. She now speaks of matters of the town, the recent teacher layoffs, the lack of adequate sidewalks, and the rising cost of the pay-as-you-throw bags.

Wrapping a string of floss between her pinkies, the hygienist saws between my teeth. When she is finished, she wipes me with the bib, polish and blood grinding into my cheek. She raises the chair to a seated position and I reach for a paper cup. I swirl water around my gums, lean over, and spit into the porcelain bowl. Finally, I am able to speak.

“So I’m really excited about going to Canada this summer,” I say, jumping down from the chair, planting my feet on the floor. “We’re thinking about making a trip to Prince Edward Island.”

The hygienist remains with her back to me, cleaning up the table of instruments.

“Have you ever been to Prince Edward Island before?”  I speak a little louder this time.

Slowly, the hygienist turns around. Gripping a blood covered instrument, she stares at me, head tilted to the side, eyebrows furrowed.

Clearly, she is confused by my sudden ability to speak.

Elizabeth Esse Kahrs is a mom, freelance columnist, and fiction writer living on the South Shore.