Oreofe returned from school looking weak, and her mom became restless immediately the school bus dropped her.
"My daughter, what's wrong? You don't look okay," Mrs. Bidemi asked, stretching her hand to check Oreofe's temperature.
"My head hurts and my tooth is shaking," Oreofe replied, sounding almost inaudible.
"Sorry, dear," she replied and bent to check the shaking tooth.
"Ouch, it hurts. Can I just pull it out?" Oreofe whispered.
"No, you can't do that. It will only hurt more," she replied, and they both went inside the house.
Mrs. Bidemi kept checking her daughter's temperature from time to time, and later that evening, she suggested that they visit the pharmacy in the neighborhood.
Upon arriving there, Mrs. Bidemi explained Oreofe's situation, and they were prescribed some drugs by the pharmacist.
On their way back home, Oreofe's temperature increased, and her mom had to administer the drug for Oreofe on the road.
"Are you feeling better now?" She asked Oreofe while checking her temperature as they approached their compound.
"Yes, mummy, I feel better, but my tooth is shaking. Wasn't the drug going to make the tooth stop shaking?" Oreofe muttered, and her mom couldn't hold back laughter.
"The drug was just to ease the pain. Your teeth are meant to be removed and grow again until a certain age," she replied, still smiling.
"Okay mom," Oreofe replied.
That night, Mrs. Bidemi shared with her daughter memories of when she grew her first tooth instead of the regular bedtime stories.
"I was so happy, and it felt like a huge achievement for me as a mother. Even your father bought chicken and gave you the legs to press with your only tooth back then.
"Did I eat the chicken legs?" Oreofe asked.
"There was no way you could, and that was just a tradition here," she replied.
"Replacing teeth has never been easy for you, and it makes me really worried. I hope the tooth is out by morning so you can be relieved," she added and noticed Oreofe wasn't listening anymore.
She realized her daughter had slept and gently covered her with a blanket.
"Sweet dreams, my baby," Mrs. Bidemi whispered and retired to her bedroom as well.
She informed her husband, who was abroad, about Oreofe's tooth, and he insisted that his daughter should visit the dentist the next day.
"Let the dentist just pull it out so she can feel better, or have you forgotten what we went through a few years ago?" he asked his wife during the phone conversation.
"I will do that tomorrow morning, but you have to speak to her in the morning, so please create time for that at work," she replied before bidding her husband good night.
Oreofe woke up the next morning with a high temperature, and her mom took her husband's advice immediately.
"Your dad suggested that we go to the dentist to get rid of the tooth, so I have informed Mrs. Tosin, your class teacher, you won't be coming today," Mrs. Bidemi informed Oreofe while breakfast.
"Dad called?" Oreofe asked, wearing a huge smile on her face.
"Yes, but you were fast asleep. He will call you before leaving the hospital," she replied.
"Hmmmm! I can't wait to talk to him," Oreofe replied and continued with her breakfast.
Pexel
Mrs. Bidemi has already booked an appointment with a dentist for 10am, and they left the home around 9am.
"She has grown so big," Mr. Lucas said immediately he saw Oreofe and her mom.
"Good morning, Mr. Lucas," Mr. Bidemi said upon reaching to where the dentist was standing.
"Good morning, madam," he replied.
"Sorry for informing you this late; I didn't know she would need to remove the tooth this way." She apologized.
"I should be at the headquarters, but Oreofe is my big friend, and I can't keep her waiting. How are you, Oreofe?" He replied.
"I am fine. Thank you, sir," Oreofe replied.
Dr. Lucas had a brief chat with her before heading to his office, where he examined Oreofe's tooth.
"It should be out by the end of the day, but since you are here, let's just get it done," Dr. Lucas said to Mrs. Bidemi.
"Okay, doctor," she replied.
The procedure went smoothly, and Mrs. Bidemi was happy her daughter didn't give them any problems like the last time.
"Can I have my tooth?" She stuttered some minutes after the minor operation.
"Yes, you can, but why not allow me to dispose of it properly?" Mr. Lucas replied.
"I want to do it myself," she replied, and the dentist handed it over to her.
"Your dad is calling," Mrs. Bidemi told Oreofe, and she felt happy.
"Hey daddy," Oreofe said immediately, her mom picked up the video call.
"Look at my angel, how are you doing?" He asked.
"Fine dad, I got my tooth removed." Oreofe replied, taking her teeth closer to the camera.
"You still look beautiful," he replied.
"Thank you, Daddy," Oreofe replied, smiling and feeling happy.
"Is that your daughter?" A voice asked at her dad's end.
"Yes, she had her tooth removed. I am just checking up on her," he replied.
"Oh, let's say hi to her," the voice replied, and Oreofe's dad turned the camera to his colleagues who wanted to say hi.
"Hello," they chorused.
"Hope you are feeling better now," one of his colleagues asked.
"Yes, I am fine now," Oreofe replied, giggling.
"You still have the tooth?" A woman asked, noticing Oreofe was still holding a transparent case with the tooth inside.
"Yes, I want to bury it myself," Oreofe replied, and everyone, including her mom and the doctor, was eager to know why.
"Why?" Doctor Lucas asked.
"My classmates said lizards eat teeth when not properly disposed of, and my tooth won't grow again if a lizard eats mine," Oreofe replied, and a loud laughter erupted from both sides of the video call.
"That's funny," her dad colleague replied.
They chatted for a few minutes before the call ended.
Mr. Bidemi and her mom returned home hours later, only for Oreofe to start searching for the tooth case.
"I can't find it, mom; my tooth is gone. Mom!" Oreofe started crying immediately.
"You must have misplaced it in the Uber," she replied.
"Please call him to bring it back," Oreofe pleaded.
"I am not sure about that, but I will call him to be sure you left it there," she replied.
She put a call across to the Uber man, who claimed there was no case or tooth in his car.
Oreofe felt bad and couldn't stop thinking about her with her front tooth.
She always felt bad every morning whenever she stared at the mirror after preparing for school.
Oreofe woke up one morning, and while brushing her teeth, she noticed a small white line slightly showing on her gum.
She rinsed her mouth and touched the line with her finger.
"My tooth is growing again." She screamed and rushed out of the bathroom to her mom.
Mrs. Bidemi was happy and felt relieved knowing that Oreofe would stop complaining about her missing tooth.
