The Tooth Fairy

Today, my daughters other front tooth fell out. I barely remember what it was like losing my baby teeth. I have two memories of it as a kid:

1) In Kindergarten, I had a loose front tooth. I was showing my classmates that the fucker was loose as hell. However, I learned that you should never, EVER do this in the South Bronx. Here in the midwest, my daughter tells me, your friends sit around and try to predict on which day your tooth will come out. But, not in the South Bronx. Jorge made a fist and punched me dead in the face. I was stunned, and immediately just wanted to cry. But I spit my tooth out, and he said, "see!" And we all ooohed and ahhhed at how smart Jorge was. In fact, I thanked him.

2) I was at my aunt's house in Puerto Rico - maybe 4, maybe 7. Those were two of the times I went to PR. I told her that my tooth was loose as hell. However, I learned that you should never, EVER do this out in the Puerto Rican country side - because the next thing I knew I was laying back in some rattan chair with one end of a long ass piece of thread tied to me tooth and the other end held tightly in my aunt's fist. It hurt like FUCK - and she pulled so hard that my tooth went flying through the air and landed clear on the other side of the room. We all heard the "tink" of the tooth on the tile floor. Even Fifi. That bitch ass dog took off running after of it and my aunt had to fight that dog to get my tooth out her mouth.

But it's not like that anymore. One word: Anbesol. After my daughter sank her teeth into some fried chicken grandma made, the tooth was hanging only by a thread. And my daughter was wigging out. I felt so bad for her, bendito - she kept saying, "but I wanna eat!" (And who can blame her when grandma done made some fried chicken and cabbage. mmmmmm - cabbage)

So, we went to CVS, picked up some anbesol and numbed the gums surrounding that tooth. With a Q-tip (soaked with more anbesol) I began to massage her gums and when she least expected it, I pulled the tooth out. She jumped for a minute, but then we inspected the tooth and all was well. Without her front teeth - the fried chicken thought it had a fighting chance. But, alas, the incisors and a child after her grandma's cooking .... it was a wrap.

And now the tooth is in the box in my closet and a dollar under her pillow awaits my princess in the a.m.