I beg your pardon?

I was waiting for my turn at the clinic just now. It was my annual-ear-infection and follow-up day. It was boring waiting at the reception area.

Then there was this Chinese lady who was there earlier smiled at me. I smiled back. She asked me why I was at the clinic. I told her that there was a swell in my right ear. So I asked her illness.

"Oh my ears have hole in the middle." She told me frankly.

I beg your pardon?

"I was picking my ear when my son just sort of slammed on me and the ear pick went through my ears."

She was straight faced when she told me this. I was astonished first then laugh.

Err.. sorry, not trying to be insensitive but it was so bizarre.

"Yeah. It happened about two months ago. I can hear this wooshing sound, like gush of winds went through my ears."

Was there a lot of blood?

"There was. I came here for the past two weeks. Its ok now. The hole's getting smaller. By the way.. the price here was expensive eh?"

Err.. yeah. Quite.

Suddenly the nurse called her name for her medication and next appointment. She took out RM100 and another RM10 notes from her wallet.

On the way out we smiled at each other.

And I was still smilling an hour later.