WEIRD & WONKY WORLD WRITING CHALLENGE

Knock Out

         Ah, teeth. We all have them, at least for a while. We flash them when we smile. We clench them as we grimace with pain. There may be times when we bare them to indicate extreme emotions such as anger and annoyance. Some of us gnash them and grind them together. Certainly we all appreciate them when we attempt to bite and chew food. A few select people abuse their pearly whites using them as bottle openers, or as a means to rid themselves of fingernails.

         Most of us strive to care for our dentition whether that be regular brushing and flossing, or infrequent visits to a specialist for repairs. No one wishes to be toothless. We try to preserve our teeth.

         Six year-old Christopher could boast if he were so inclined as having a mouth full of splendid chompers. Each one pristine and positioned for optimal usage. Nary a cavity, or a blight. He had never thought or worried about said teeth. They simply existed within his mouth and he found them wonderful to have on standby especially when he chose to eat. His teeth could and did bite into anything of the food variety. Because of them he could enjoy chewing his favourite treat in the whole wide world, cookies.

         Mom had explained that his were still considered baby teeth and for some reason this annoyed him. Anyone could see he was not an infant. He could talk and walk. He dressed himself. He played T-Ball. He had learned to ride his new bicycle. He went to school. If he was not a baby, how could his teeth be babies?

         Christopher had watched wide-eyed as his older sister Carrie worried her loose tooth with her tongue. Over and over she poked at it. When it began to wiggle and wobble she tugged at it with her fingers. He had gasped when the slippery, slimey, bloody tooth was waved in his face. Carrie grinned and stuck the tip of her pink tongue through her newly created hole. She looked like a Halloween pumpkin.

         Chris ran his tongue over his teeth, but found no weakness. All of them lined up without waggling. He did have a few questions. First, why did his sister's tooth bleed? He knew she was eight-years old, so why was her new tooth called an adult tooth? Mom and Dad were the adults. What would happen to that old tooth?

         He laughed when Carrie informed him that she planned to tuck her tooth under her pillow. How silly. He would never sleep with a tooth. She claimed a tooth fairy would sneak in while she slept and leave some money. This tooth fairy bought used teeth. Hearing this he had another question. What did she do with the tooth? Carrie shrugged. She did not want to keep it.

         A few days later, Christopher pedaled his bike up and down the sidewalk in front of the house. Mom's warning not to go too far echoed in his brain, so he turned around after passing the neighbour's house. His turns were sometimes a little shaky, but he sensed that with continued practice the wobbles would disappear. He liked that the training wheels were no longer attached to the rear wheel. Being a big boy he no longer needed them.

         Riding back and forth Christopher picked up a bit of speed. He enjoyed the wind whistling though his hair and the hum of the tires. He and his bike were fast. All he had to do was pump his legs and steer.

         Everything felt like fun until it didn't. Something changed. One minute he was looping around in front of the house and the next his bike seemed to be out of control. Where had that big pole come from? Had it always been right beside the sidewalk? Was he going to crash into it? What should he do?

         Christopher had no time to blink. He could see that pole looming closer and closer. Should he jump off his bike? Should he holler for help? Could he stick one of his feet out and drag it on the ground? It was all happening too quickly. He needed more time to think. This was his new bicycle. Would his bike be broken? Would he be hurt?

         Christopher was six. He did not yet know how to tell time. At some point he understood that he had run out of time. Seconds or minutes, it did not matter. He chose to clench the bike's hand grips and ride it out. Perhaps if he steered and held on the inevitable crash wouldn't be too terrible. Maybe he could skim past the post and scrape one of his legs. Maybe he would not be knocked from his seat. He did not know.

         He remembers the sudden, ferocious pain. Oh, he discovered just how solid that cement pole could be. It forced the breath from his chest as he slammed into it face first. The sudden stop toppled him from his perch and tossed him to the pavement. His eyes watered and his mouth throbbed. Blood and saliva dripped down his chin. Carrie screamed for Mom.

         He permitted his mother to scoop him up and carry him to the car. As she buckled him into the back seat he moaned. His tongue had found the source of the pain. His two top front teeth were wet and wobbly. Something tasted awful and he spat it out. Mom handed him an ice pack and reassured him it would probably hurt, but he needed to hold it to his mouth.

         Mom drove to the emergency dentist. The smiling man said he was sorry but he had to poke around to look at the damage. He again apologized when he saw Chris turn white after a sharp needle was waved around. Chris found it difficult to speak, but he could and did shake his head. The prick in his gum line only hurt for a short time. His mouth felt strange and the throbbing stopped. Where was his tongue? He could feel some pulling.

         He couldn't believe it when that man handed him a shining tooth. It felt warm and smooth. He heard the dentist explain to Mom that the other top tooth had some damage, but he thought it could be saved. He had put in a few stitches. Chris marveled at that. This man had sewn inside his mouth? He tried to smile and answer when he was asked how his bike was.

         While Mom thanked the dentist, he patted Chris on the shoulder and exclaimed, "You're the first young man who chose to save his bike with his mouth. That must have been some pole. You won't do that again, will you?"

         What could Christopher say? He didn't want to ever do that again, so he shook his head. He could not smile. For some reason his lips would not move and they felt numb.

         Later at home, Carrie helped him place his tooth under his pillow. She was certain the tooth fairy would come to claim it even if it was a knock out.

         Christopher did not know this then, but it would be years before the adult tooth grew in as a replacement. Until it did his tongue had somewhere to poke out.

         1221 words

         National Tooth Fairy Day