Murder House...

a story from my memory box...

It was scary when it was your turn. And you never knew when it was coming. The previous victim would come to your classroom with a name on a slip of paper; I'd wait holding my breath, so relieved when somebody else was called. I hated it when it was my turn to go up to the big school to visit the' Murder House.'

 

There were two ways to get to the dental clinic, the short way, up the path behind our classrooms, or the long way. When it was my turn I always took the long way. Out the side gate so I'd have to go right around the outside of our playground. But first though walk down the wriggly snake painted on the ground then along all the other lines on the playground, squares, circles, and zigzags making sure not to miss any. Along Railway Avenue, past all the factories. When their big doors are open you can see the people inside working on rackety clackety machines.

There's the main gate of the big school. No not that way, it's too quick, go right around the outside to the top gate. Finally in the very end gate, dawdling down the sloping path to the 'Murder House'. Knock on the door.

 "Just sit down and wait, I won't be long." Calls a voice from the other side. A poster on the door has a picture of a 'vegitabull', a funny sort of cow that has a body made up of all different sorts of veggies. Carrots and potatoes, leeks and beans.

"Come on, in you come." The funny smell makes my nose prickle.

The dental nurse wears a stiff white apron and a sort of white scarf that's gathered at the back of her head.

Up onto the high wooden chair with its red leather cushion, on with the crackly blue plastic bib, lean back as the chair tilts.

She pulls a little table around in front to work on. It's got tiny draws, that's where she keeps all her shiny silver instruments of torture

"Open wide."

Pick, scratch, pick, scratch. Oh no there's a hole in my tooth.

The drill growls and grinds and I squeeze me eyes shut tight.

Drill, rinse, spit into the round white basin. Drill, rinse, spit.

She makes the filling it in a tiny bowl, grinding up all her magic ingredients together. Then packs it hard down into my tooth.

Rinse, spit out all the hard little bits, rinse, and spit.

"There, all finished".

"Here, take this with you." She says giving me a slip of paper with a name on it.

"Off you go now, and no dawdling along the way."