Sarah stayed home from school as she was really ill. Her temp was almost 39 deg c. Mum in law was also under the weather & had not gone to church yesterday which is very unusual for her. I decided to take leave today just to ensure that Sarah's temp didn't skyrocket & also I needed to visit the dentist. She is on the mend, thankfully. No doctor visit this time. Just off the shelf flu panadol, lots of gargling with salt, warm honey lemon & the remnants of the antibiotics from the bee sting.

Dental visits used to scare me till I was in my 20s. Yes, that bladdy long ! I remember vividly till today...I was a child & there was this huge dentist, wearing glasses, dressed in white. He was holding this syringe with a needle as thick as friggin pencil lead !! And it hurt like hell when he used it on me.

I remember screaming in pain & fear. Dunno pain more or fear more. I think I might have been hysterical ?? I remember being held down by the dental assistant or my mum or someone, who knows. And I remember how the dentist was looming above me twisting & turning with something that looked like pliers from dad's toolbox. I sumpah, he had this crazed gleeful look on his face. Maaaaan !

For years I refused to step into a dental clinic. Who can blame me. I mean, I was a CHILD for pity's sake & kena such a monster. Imagine...I am still small (I like the word "petite") so can you imagine how much smaller I was at 6 or 7 ??? Sure terrorised what. Worst still, the dentist didn't try to be kind by talking to me softly & gently to alleviate my fears before he did his work. He just plunged right in. Jab, jab, twist, pull, twist, pull, twist, pull. Wah liau ! No foreplay lol. Like some horror movie -- The Demented Dentist. I think I am not alone in my tale of terror. If I am then I would be really depressed :<

I had no choice but to visit the dentist years later when I had a toothache. I was amaaaaaaaaazed at how thin the needle was. Could barely feel it. And everything was a breeze. Since then I faithfully go for my checks annually. Even bravely endured a few weeks of root canal. Damned good if I may say so myself. BUT, somewhere deep down still got some niggling fear lah. So I go to the same dentist. And he was very good with our kids when they were young. The first time Sarah went, he spent half an hour hahahaha or more coaxing her. It was only to pull out one milk tooth. His wife assists him & she too was very patient.

For someone who didn't have any epidural or painkillers through two births, quite funny to think that I was scared of dentists for so long & still harbour abit of that fear. heh.

Its quite a blow to find out that your friend isn't what it makes itself out to be. The untruths revealed. Not dogged sleuthing. Just accidental discovery, being at the right place at the wrong time. Or the wrong place at the right time. Whatever. Busted !

Makes you wonder what else has been intricately spun & woven to create a lavish fairytale. And worse, what exaggerations may have been regaled that have caused unhappiness & misunderstandings. And all the tales told, one upon another, pile up till it forgets what might have been said & done. And when that happens, doubts begin to simmer & boil. Till soon, erupts like Mt Vesuvius !

More disappointment & disapproval than anger at this point. No use for the latter cos not worth the effort.

If your friends need to be impressed by you just to be your friend, then they ain't no friend. With true friends, you can just BE.

Lament for the day : ice balls aren't what they used to be.