OKU-ed

Yoong Sin and Zi Qin were waving at me at the corridor of the science labs. I rushed out of the classroom, frantically, returning their wave, desperate to talk to them. I never reach my destination. During my rushed sprint, I did not pay attention on the path. Beneath the step, lay a deathly crack, isolated and dangerous. My right feet sank into the crack, as I felt the turquoise sky spin, as I heard hurried footsteps from Yoong Sin and Zi Qin, as I heard Yoong Ling’s loud enquries. Luckily I did not fell as dramatic as you imagined, despite the dramatic intro. No eagle sprawl, no four limbs facing the heavens. It’s just a simple fall, I landed left foot on the ground, right leg bended to a kneel, right foot stuck on the damn crack, my arms already around the shoulders of my three friends, who apparently came to the rescue.

As they helped me into the classroom, I felt a sharp throbbing pain on my ankle. Thinking about simple bruises, I did not pay attention on it. But my three friends were more worried than I was. They kept shooting me questions like: ‘Are you okay?” “Are you really really really okay?” “Does it hurt?” “Want to rest?” on an interval of 30 seconds or less, and showing me the I-don’t-believe-you look after I repeated: “I’m fine” for at least a hundred times. It was the feeling I had until I removed my shoe to scrutinize the sore. When I saw my ‘swollen twice the normal size’ ankle, I sincerely felt that everything was not that fine. Plus when I was requested to walk, I half managed to do so, and with great agony on the ankle and calf. My three friends made sure I remained seated in their classroom, despite me having Mr. Ng’s mathematics class. They even fetched some cloth soaked in warm water to ease the swell. Great friends, really. Then, sensing that I am officially “physically challenged”, Zi Qin ran to my class to request Mr. Ng’s help. He recommended me to treat my sore by traditional Chinese medication and massage. He also forbid me to stay back to presume my duties in the library, and told me to shut up when I insisted and tried to explain. He also offered to fetch me halfway but I reclined his offer. But Mr. Ng was really a great teacher.

After hobbling and staggering all the way, I reached the library. My three friends went to report the case to Pn. Ang, Senior Assistant in charge of students’ affairs. During my wait with Zi Qin in the library, I was feeling nausea and I was about to take the day off. So I went behind the counter to inform my leader. It was just at the moment the wall fan chose to detach from the wall and fell on the table, shredding bits of plastic and glass everywhere. Luckily the extension wire was strong enough to remain the spluttering fan from reaching my back, which was just 10 cm away. Zi Qin’s reflexes and responses were fast enough to switch the power off, leaving me ashen faced and badly shaken, gasping behind the counter. It was exactly those Final Destination scenes minus the part where everything gets bloody. Still recovering from the fact that I survived from the incident that nearly got my head chopped, I sensed that I really had to get back home as fast as possible. Pn. Ang arrived seconds later, requesting loudly to see my swell, flanked by the twins and behind them, heads bobbling to catch a better view were Zi Qin, my leader and Pei Foong. After jotting down my personal particulars and interviewing my condition, she followed the three of them to the ‘crime scene’, where they complained about the poor facility of the school which were potential injury threats such as cracked cement, holes on the floor, unlit classrooms and more. By the way Pn. Ang wanted to have a talk with me when I get back to school and maybe I can claim my medical expenses from the PTA. Then, the twins and Zi Qin accompanied me to the bus stop and watched me hobbled on a Rapid KL (luckily not Selangor Buses with big steps, reckless drivers and rude conductors). The Rapid KL driver was a nice guy, though. He fetched me to “masuk dalam” (bus passenger-driver-conductor language regarding a particular destination) when I requested him to do so. He even drove the whole bus up the curb so that I do not have to descend so much and even stopped and waited patiently for me to get down. As usual, I walked back home, trying to ignore curious glances from the mamak stall workers who were apparently interested in my staggering style of walking. I reached home 20 minutes later, after dragging my right foot during the journey I usually take 5 minutes to complete. And I felt exhausted, worn, tired, frustrated, angry, and panicked.

After taking a nap, I woke up feeling pangs of pain on my whole right leg. Even my left leg was experiencing some slight muscle cramps. The swell was still there, despite my hopes that it will reduce after some rest. Realising that I will not be able to sit for my scheduled Piano Exam tomorrow (Oh yeah, I was supposed to sit for ABRSM Piano Exam Grade 8 on 6 July 2007), due to locomotion problems and the disability to press the sustaining pedal using my right foot, I panicked. I called my piano instructor but the damn woman told me that I have to go by hook or crook because it was impossible to postpone the exam. Sweating and slightly dizzy, I called my music centre and the person in charge told me to send a MC before 8.30pm. WTH, it was already 6pm when I made the call. Then, I called the general clerk to confirm the statement whether I was able to sit for a re exam but she replied me that she was not so sure because the procedure was very complicated as it involved The Ministry of Examinations, but she said she will try her best. After that, I called my mum and told her about my condition and to nobody’s surprise, received a series of naggings and scolds about irresponsibility and carelessness. After a whole afternoon of happenings, I broke down to fitful tears, wishing that today did not start.

The twins appeared on my doorstep almost immediatedly after I phoned them. They promised to bring me painkillers and offered to take me to see a Chinese doctor. Then my mum arrived and took me to the clinic nearby. The doctor is Dr. Goh who was our family doctor since I was 4. It was almost 10 years since I consulted him. But he still held my records. He just had a look at my swell and pressed here and there, and drew a diagram consisting 2 major calf bones, tibia and fibula, and explained that maybe a crack on my fibula was suspected. Then he wrote a letter explaining my condition to the hospital, plus a MC. No medicine, no bandages. Just 10 minutes consultation. RM15. WTH. Must be rich being a doctor, that is probably one of the reason I ambit to be one. Then my mum fetched me to Damansara Specialist Hospital for a X-ray scan. That was the first time I stepped into a hospital as a patient after 5 years. ( I went to Sg. Buloh Hospital when I received bites all over my limbs after a camp in Kuala Selangor when I was in Form 1) And that was my first encounter sitting on a wheelchair and being pushed around by a nurse. I was feeling like an authentic ‘orang cacat’ and very very embarrassed. After a moment’s waiting, I was wheeled into a room where a doctor asked me questions and tried to diagnose my swollen ankle. He asked me whether I heard something cracked during my fall. Like I noticed every sound and motion during my fall. I was too busy falling down to notice such sounds. Stupid question, indeed. Of course I was not aware of it. Then he said that I need a x-ray. So I waited and a radiologist wheeled me into the x-ray scan room. The room was isolated, chilly, and unoccupied, with rotating machines and faint humming sounds. The radiologist asked me to climb and sit on the table, which posed as a challenge for me. After yoga-ing my way to the table, she placed a slab of plumbum lead block and told me to place my foot on the thing, which also posed as a challenge for me. Then she adjusted the machine above my leg, so that the thing shone some kind of light on me, and she disappeared into a room behind. Next I heard something churning and wheeling, and she reappeared, asking me to bend my leg in another angle to take another shot. Cursing silently, I twisted my whole body from the abdomen part so that she can take her shot. Repeating the same procedure, she once again disappeared into the room to retrieve my scan and she took a long time. So I amused myself by wheeling myself in the wheelchair and examining those lead coats that the twins wore before when they went for orthodontic check-up. The radiologist emerged, declared the scan was complete, and wheeled me to the waiting area, leaving bored and tired.

Not long I was been called by the doctor. The x-ray scan showed my bones were okay and nothing was broken. I almost got down from that frigging wheelchair and thank God on bended knees. It was just an ankle sprain and some tendons and ligaments were injured. That’s all. He advised me not to move a lot to enable the injury to recover faster. The doctor also said that walking will be very painful, which I believed him. Then I got some painkillers and an ice pack from the pharmacy, which I will never swallow one tablet of it. The bill was RM118. What the hell. My mum paid with visa.

I did not went to school. Yipee. From this minor injury, I felt that I had troubled my friends and family a lot. Credits for those people who had helped me. Special thanks to the twins and Zi Qin. Thanks for being the best friends in the world. Without your help I will still be sitting on the crack. Thanks to Mei Li for SMSing your concern. Thanks to Shin Peih for concerning and spreading the news so that the whole SMK Kepong knew about it. Thanks to Yan Yan to inform CY Tuition Centre. Thanks to Pei Foong for understanding my condition. Thanks to Kang Jing for helping. Thanks to 6 Rendah Cekal for the hospitable condition in your classroom and the hand wrestling entertainment. Thanks to Si Jia for the concern via freindster. Thanks to Mr. Ng for the offers and concern. Thanks to Pn. Ang for the concern and the help. Thanks to mum for fetching me to the hospital and paying the bills. Thanks to sis and bro for helping with the household chores. Thanks to Mrs. Oon for offering help and recommendations for Chinese medications. Thanks to mum’s boss for recommending Damansara Specialist. Thanks to Ms. Lau for informing Sonata. Thanks to Sonata clerks and especially Ms. Koh for handling my case and undergoing all procedures. Thanks to Dr. Goh and Dr. Vinod and all medical staff in Damansara Specialist for helping. Thank God for keeping me alive. I will pray.