At the dentist, in the waiting area, watching expressions of agitated apprehension etched on all the faces of the others, waiting, anticipating that hungry drillbit that will soon be gnawing on all of our jaws. There ought to be a law – No Pain Please! Nevertheless, in this waiting room, despondency prevails. So to assuage my trepidation, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. 

I closed my eyes; a tender vista materialized. Within me, it was me, a younger me, in a sandbox. “Glad to meet your acquaintance. It sure has been awhile? You’re so young, such a child. Is this your playground? I mean…I remember. I remember this sandbox. Such fun it was; it had no laws. Just simple fun. What’s that…oh, thank-you. Say….would you mind if I stayed a spell? I seemed to have run adrift…and.. well…I like your smile.”

“I remember when everything used to giggle with the tickle of tranquility. Dreamy darlings  dancing  into eternity. Oh such  savoir-faire. Yes…we used to play….see…just down there. By the creek. You and me. Remember? Tell me, do your eyes always beam? Oooohhh…. it soothes me so to laugh again. This warm sand between my toes… hugs me so. Like a friend….my square beach woos me so… to love again.”

“Hey…what ya making? Your hands so nimble, so adept, and yet….so firm to the grout. An artisan massaging his clay, assuaging his day, marching his parade, oooohhhh….you make me want to plaaayyyy!! …lol..do you always get your way?  Ok..ok….theres that smile again.” Giggle”….we really should get together more often…I really do miss you. Pardon me, what did you say? Oh..yes..the pail…full of water – here you go. Water in a sandbox? I see that smirk.”

“Once dirt, or was it sand – now is mud?” THUD!… ”MUDPIES!! …Ah ha!….you missed. Coming at ya…lol.” Splat!! “Hey, thats not fair,”…giggle… “I wasn’t looking.” SPLAT!!…”that’ll teach ya…ha..ha.” SPLAT, thud, SPLAT, thud, hurling mud…then CA-PLUNK! Laying in a sandbox. Cloacked from head to toe… in wet earth….laughing beyond control…..teary fulfillment only a sandbox can know….”aahh…how I’m happy so.” “With all of lifes hard knocks; I miss my sandbox.”

“S….Si….Sir”….coming through the clouds…….”Sir…can you hear”…loud and clear. “No, I don’t want to leave.” But I knew I had to. “Please?” Still I had to…leave? I looked at our muddy selves, donning wet hallowed ground, chuckled one more time, this  innocuous sandbox of mine, we embraced….ourselves. “Freely, the innocent smiled. And discreetly…I retired. Until another time.

“Sir, are you ok”….I opened my eyes to a concerned dental assistant leaning over me, “you were talking to yourself, its time for your appointment.” Trying to muster up some humor to appease my visit, the assistant further added, “you might want to watch where you are when talking to yourself – people might think you’re crazy or something. But then again, maybe you are crazy,” further jesting, ”I’ve never seen anybody smile so much as you in these parts before.” And without missing a beat, the assistant eased me into the dental chair, tucked, bibbed and basically finished up on the remaining  prep necessary for the incoming dentist. “There you go,” remarked the assistant, “the dentist shouldn’t be long. Meanwhile, you can lay back and relax if you should decide.” So suitably surrendering to the chair, a smile  from ear to ear, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

Randy Quickfall ღƪ(ˆ◡ˆ)ʃ ☼

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