‘He, the patient?,’ asked the girl at the clinic counter, after examining my insurance papers handed over by Megh, daughter-in-law.
‘Me, the patient?,’ I asked myself. ‘Why does she call me a patient?’.
In the next moment I mused again, ‘if I’m not a patient, why did I come here?. My problem according to me might be a minor one, but still I’m a patient’
I could find a supporting example too. I’m called a traveler, whether I travel five miles or five hundred miles.
‘How do you compare a patient with a traveler?,’ asked another voice from within.
But, there was no need for any argument. The doctor, after examination, confirmed that I was a patient!
It is better to know where you stand instead of remaining in a state of confusion.
While coming out of the clinic, I had another doubt. ‘Is it the same me who went inside?’
The reason for this doubt was, I had some friends who went inside hospitals in full ‘jor’ means, proudly, but came out, ( sorry not came out, it should read were brought out ), as a different person or no person!
But that doubt too was soon cleared when I asked Megh to give back my iPad to click the picture of the flowerbeds at the gate!
Nice to have an iPad!
Oh, It is me, very much, sakshat, real, Perinkulam, the great ! But the real greatness will be known only when I visit the hospital next time. And the person deciding that would be my doctor.
But, will I be entering the hospital again as patient and will the girl at the counter ask again, ‘he the patient?’