Waiting Room

The little girl with the pigtails and pretty pink dress sat on her
mother's lap fidgeting with her nylons. I could tell she was nervous
about seeing the doctor; it made me wonder what might be the problem
that brought her here. What kind of disease or ailment might loom over
her pretty little head. Or maybe she was just here for a checkup.
I didn't want to be rude. I tried hard to refrain from staring at her,
but my eyes kept wandering from the year old Reader's Digest over to
the quiet drama that was unfolding in the corner of the waiting room.
Why was the doctor making this little girl and her mother wait so long?
She drew for a while, then she looked at the pictures in a magazine and
then she drew some more. Then she fidgeted with her nylons again; at
her age, she probably was not used to wearing such things. What's
keeping that doctor!
First one patient, then another was called back to the examining rooms
until there was no one left but me, the mother and the little girl with
pig tails. I didn't know what I was more angry about, the doctor
keeping me waiting, or him keeping her waiting. She seemed to be so
patient!
Just then, the door opened, and a tired looking nurse called my name. I
got up and went to the door where she stood. At that very moment, the
doctor appeared behind her. He pushed past her and as he passed me, he
said, "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting, Mr. Gibson, you're my last
patient for today, but I have one thing I need to do before seeing
you...." With that, he went on past me and into the waiting room. I
turned just in time to see the little girl in the pretty pink dress
leap from her mother's lap. She was bursting with excitement as she
exclaimed, "Daddy! Daddy!" She ran to the doctor and threw her arms
around his neck. He clutched her in his arms and spun around and around
with her. His face was beaming with happiness as well.
All I could do was smile. I felt better already.