ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Hi,I am 35 yr old male from Singapore. I am used to write sories in my mother tongue that is Malay. This is my first effort in English. Do comment, thank you. [February 2002]
He was not feeling well that morning. He knew because he woke up late. His body shivered. Fever. He put the back of his right palm on his forehead and neck. Fever.
He pulled the blanket slowly, covering whole of his body. He slept again. The clock showed half-past eight.
Suddenly, he woke up about half an hour later. He stood up. Took his PDA that was lying on the table, and went through the day's schedule.
"Important! 0930 Hour, June 20, Meeting with Directors!? Gone, there goes my hope. No, its alright, it's alright…”he tried to calm himself.
He pushed away all the curtains in his room. Glaring sunshine blared into the room that was dark a minute ago.
Slowly he put the back of his palm to his forehead and neck. Fever still persisted. Body temperature still burning. His head felt dizzy and heavy. And he knew, at least, he got a reason for his absence for that day's meeting.
"But this meeting is very important to me. It is called specially for me. Ohh!…Damn it! I've got fever and not feeling very well. Ah! Don't tell me they have no brain. They’ve got feeling, have they? Must I worry? Shit…"he sat and thought for awhile.
He thought.
He thought again.
"I must go and attend. Let me be late, I must go. Let them see for themselves the situation I am in."
Quickly, he walked to the bathroom. He had made up his mind. Let he be late, he should be there in person. He must. He reached for his toothbrush and the toothpaste and AAARRGHHH!!!!!……….
He really could not believe his eyes. He really could not believe the reflection he saw in the mirror. He touched his face. He looked again into the mirror. AAARRRGGHH!!!!!!……
At that moment, he did not care. He examined his face thoroughly. Yes, the reflection in the mirror was no longer his face. His face had already changed into…DOG!
"Oh my God," he was puzzled, " what have I done? What have I done until I became…"
He stood up and looked at the mirror again. Yes, his face had transformed into a dog. Confused, he walked slowly into the reading room, and reached for the phone.
"Hello, Dr Rudy?"
"Yes, speaking. Can I help ya?"
"Doc, here's Sam. Can you come over to my house?"
"Oh, Mr Sam. Of course! This afternoon?"
"How about now?"
"Now?"
"Yes, now."
"But…"
"C'mon Doc, please help me."
"Alright Mr Sam. I'll be there half an hour time."
"Thank you, Doc."
Sam put down the phone. He sat on a chair, which have thick cushion. Blankly, he stared at the ceiling.
*****
Sam startled as the doorbell rang. Quickly, he rushed for the door. A middle aged man, in white shirt and black pants with a red tie and a jacket hanging on his right arm, stood before him at the doorway.
"God bless you Mr Sam."
"God bless you too, Doc. Please come in."
"You look very terrible. Since when?"
Sam stared at Dr Rudy for awhile," You mean…?"
"Your temperature, you look terribly sick young man."
Sam was shocked. He did not understand why Dr Rudy did not see the transformation of his face.
"Doc, look here," Sam stood in front of Dr Rudy," look directly into my face. Can't you see anything?"
"See what?"
"My face. Is there anything wrong with my face?"
Dr Rudy laughed. He shook his head. Sam was confused and he did not like it.
"Your face is very terrible young man. You got no blood in there. You are terribly sick young man. Must I say more?"
Sam walked towards a mirror in the room. He looked into his reflection again. Dog. He still got a dog's face. And Dr Rudy could not see it?
"Mr Sam," Dr Rudy took out a thermometer," I really don't know what is happening here. You called and here I come. As a travelling doctor, his is my job."
"I understand," Sam said as he sat," but something tragic has happened to my face. And I need your opinion. That is why I want you to look at my face and give comment. But I don't understand why you can't see it."
"Mr Sam," Dr Rudy walked towards Sam," let me take your temperature first, then…we'll talk," and he pushed the thermometer under Sam's tongue.
"43 degree Celsius?" Dr Rudy stood and grabbed his stethoscope, "you should be lying in the hospital right now! Your body's in flame."
Sam kept quiet. Dr Rudy examined his body with the stethoscope.
"Can you tell me, when it happened?"
"This early morning."
"Other symptom such as cough or others?"
"None. Only fever."
Dr Rudy held Sam's wrist as he look into his watch for a while.
"Doctor," sounded Sam, "I am still waiting for your opinion regarding my face."
"Mr Sam, you've got a terribly sick man's face. A very pale face that lack blood. What am I suppose to say anymore?"
Sam stood up and walked to the mirror again. He looked and examined his face again. DOG. A dog that always stuck out its tongue.
"This face!?" Sam pointed his face, "you still say that of a man's? Doctor, this is a dog's face. Can't you see it? This is a DOG's face. If not, then what?"
Dr Rudy shook his head. He could not understand Sam's behaviour. He approached Sam, opened his eyelid shone it with a small torchlight.
"Mr Sam,” said Dr Rudy, "in my opinion, you should go to the hospital for further investigation. How is it?"
"No! No! No!" Sam shook his head, "with this dog's face? I will not do it. No way!"
"Mr Sam," Dr Rudy tried to calm him, "believe me, you still got a human's face. Believe me."
"Lie! Lie! Lie!!!!!…Doctor, you're a liar!"
"Alright," Dr Rudy still kept his cool, "I'll get few guys out there for proof."
"Who?"
"Who ever they are. Especially those guys that I don't know. Will that be better?"
Sam looked straight into Dr Rudy's face. With his big eyes, he nodded approvingly, "But remember, no trick."
"No worry. You can look through the window, "said Dr Rudy as he walked out of the house.
*****
"Now three of you, please say truthfully, what can you say about this gentleman's face? Is it human or some else?"
"You mean…" the fat guy who was licking an ice cream, asked.
"Yes, I mean human or something else."
"Of course it's human," said the fat guy as he walked towards the door, "he thought he got an angel's face?"
"Yeah, of course it's human. What other face did he want?" said an old man angrily while holding a long broom with small towel over his shoulder.
"This is a face of a very pale person, perhaps due to lack of vitamin," an old lady wearing a sexy black dress complete with heavy make-up said as she examined Sam's face closely.
"Why is he quiet?" turning to the Doctor," Is he not well?"
"Thank you everybody," Dr Rudy rose from his seat and ushered the guests out of the house.
"What have I to say?"
Sam sat, puzzled. He thought for a while and then looked around his surrounding. Suddenly, he searched for something. He touched all his pockets as if looking for something.
"Looking for something Mr Sam?" asked Dr Rudy.
"Err…cigarette. I’m looking for cigarette…err."
"You smoke?"
"No. Err…no. I don’t know!"
"Mr Sam, I’ll write you a short note so that you can go for further examination in hospital. You’ll be referred to a specialist whom will look into your problems. Don’t have to worry…especially of your face’s condition. Believe me, it’s still human. Look into the mirror, go on."
Sam stood up slowly. His hands trembled as he stood before the mirror. Then, he smiled.
"Human. Yeah, my face is…human. Thanks doctor, thanks, he shook Dr Rudy’s hand, "I’m human again."
"This note for your further appointment at the hospital. And these medicines, are for your fever. I'll post the bill as usual."
"Thanks again doctor. Thanks, "said Sam as Dr Rudy walked towards the door.
"And don’t forget to take the medicine," reminded Dr Rudy.
"Alright Doc," Sam nodded and smiled, "thank you."
Sam touched his face. He extended his smile. Happiness could be seen through his facial expression. He walked straight into the bathroom. He reached for the toothbrush, he pressed the toothpaste out, stood before the mirror and …..AAARRRGGHHH!!!!!…
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