The Second Hand Man
July 15th, 1969

My throat hadbeen unusually sore for the past couple of days, but as I lacked the usualsymptoms of flu or colds, my mother dragged me off to the doctors earliertoday.

Our family,as do many other families in Sedgefield, visit the medical partnership of Levy& Berman, both highly capable in their profession (Although, as a child Ipreferred to be examined by Doctor Levy as he always handed out red lollipopsafter his thorough inspections.).

It was, ashad been expected, a case of tonsillitis.

I had beenasked to return to the waiting room while the doctor explained, to myoverly-concerned mother, the preparations involved in my need for me to bebooked into the local hospital for an immediate tonsillectomy.

Hell, I’mgonna be the only person in history to have his tonsils removed – twice!

I can’t sayI’m looking forward to making history!

It was duringmy second stint in the waiting room that Marnie Marnowijk had stumbled in.

He lookedterrible, which made me feel slightly better. His eyes were puffed up andwatery, and his nose was red from constantly having to blow it.

I wasslightly concerned about catching whatever it was he had, but after hisdisclosure to the equally concerned lady that he had chosen to sit next to, wasrelieved to discover that his condition was not contagious.

“I hade distime o’ da year,” he had lamented. “Id always makes m’ allergies act ub disway.” He gave a long blow into a fresh handkerchief. “Every year id yust seebsto get worse an’ worse.”

It was just abad case of pollen-related hay fever – apparently a very bad case too.

A few minuteslater, Doctor Berman appeared, and after bidding farewell to the patient he hadbeen seeing, indicated to the lady next to Marnie, that he was now ready to seeher. She disappeared down the passageway towards his consulting room.

On seeingMarnie, he immediately said to the lady behind the reception desk, “Bring meMr. Marnowijk’s file. It’s just a prescription renewal. We don’t need to keephim waiting.” Then he also disappeared back down the passage.

Thereceptionist, using a key that was mysteriously fastened to the inside of herpocket by means of an elastic cord, opened the M-section of the large filingcabinet behind her and removed a thick folder.

Then she toovanished down the passage.

A couple ofminutes later, she reappeared with the file in one hand and a slip of paper inthe other.

She handedthe paper to Marnie, who after thanking her, stumbled out again.

I have neverfelt such relief and joy in a person’s exiting a room.

Thereceptionist suddenly turned to me and confessed, “I need to make a…quick turn.Could you please tell anyone coming in that I’ll be with them shortly?”

“No problem?”

“Thank you.You’re a dear. I’ll get you another lollipop when I get back.” She hastilyslapped the file down on the reception counter and went off to make her…quickturn.

As everyoneknows, the worst part about seeing the doctor is not the examination, but thegoddamned awful lack of any decent literature available in the waiting room.

For the firsttime ever, I was pleased to replace some rather stimulating and interestingreading material.

As to thevalidity of what I had read, I will unfortunately have to wait until a laterdate in order to verify my replaceings.

At the momentI’m waiting for my father to arrive home early from work so that he can deliverme to the hospital.

I hope myimpatience doesn’t affect my healing process.

I am alreadyconsidering a number of possible actions that could be involved in another, farmore important, healing process; the one involving curing Hannah of her worstailment!!!