Removing stitches 拆线

These few days after returning from Shanghai, I quite miss a person, which is my principal doctor back in Hong Kong, Doctor Ma. I remember during the first time when I saw him, I already felt really close to him. The reason I gave myself was during the filming of Legend of Condor Heroes, I had a lot of scenes that required me to ride horses (Horses are known as Ma in Chinese). Although this and his name Ma doesn't have a direct relation, I still feel like we should have known each other earlier.

This man has quite a strong burly figure, which does justice to his name Ma. However, his facial features are exceptionally handsome and delicate and his gestures bring along some feeling of elegance to it. His English is really good, especially when it comes to using medical terminology, because I don't understand. Anyway to sum it up, he gives me a feeling that we have met for a really long time.

I remember the during the days I had in Hong Kong, Ma showed me his power - removing my stitches!

That early morning, Ma came into my hospital room and he started his work in an orderly manner. I was lying comfortably on my bed, with my four limbs spread apart. Above my head, there was a bright lamp with glaring rays. Even when I closed my eyes, I could feel the glaring rays. There was a short moment where I felt as if I was on the stage with the spotlight on me, excitedly about to begin my speech. However, under this kind of lighting, there will often be a fountain effect when delivering lines so I suggest people with braces like me not to try...

 "There will be some pain." Ma said as he showed that he was about to begin the procedure.

According to logic, the same kind of lighting that was above my head, will also produce a fountain effect if somebody opens their mouth to talk. However, with my eyes closed and my face filled with injuries, even if there was "rain" that made everything wet, I also would not know. I stop those thoughts for a moment, because the feeling of superb pain was about to arrive.

All along, there has been no use of anaesthetics during the removal of stitches, even if I wanted to, nobody would agree. Although I was mentally prepared, it was apparent that this preparation was far from enough. Before that, in the make-up room, I had the experience of my eyebrows being plucked and that kind of pain will lead you to tear uncontrollably. Also, before that, under the pressure of my girlfriend to satisfy her crazy wish, I let her pop all the pimples that was visible on my face. That kind of pain was the type that was suffocating in your heart and you could not vent it out. However, the pain now compared to the previous two, it seems like previously I was making a mountain out of a molehill.

My left hand was holding tightly onto my right hand, my upper jaw clenched tightly with my lower jaw and then many images surfaced in my mind. The images were Guan Yun Zhang removing a poisonous arrow from his flesh, scraping flesh off bones, brewing wine while playing chess and laughing scenes. Then, I remembered Liu Bo Cheng not using anaesthesia and his story of removing bullet fragments from his eyes and for that one moment, I felt as if I was also a hero and will be looked up to by many generations. However, another image flashed right before my eyes,
which is Zhou Xing Chi in <<Da Hua Xi You>>, he was biting a wooden rod and both his legs were spread out and being stomped upon by many. Hot tears rolled down from the corners of my eyes immediately.

"I know it hurts, bear with it, it will be done soon!" I really think Ma is not bad, at least he knows when to comfort me in time. There was another young, pretty nurse in the room with us during the whole stitch removal experience. Although I feel that she should have seen these kind of incidents in the hospital too many times enough to be unaffected towards what's happening, I still want to show my heroic manly side in front of a pretty lady. At first I did not even make a single sound, I even let out my most fake and hypocritical smile ever. In the end, I only let Ma receive a shock, and the blade that he was holding became crooked and with that, it immediately forced me to return to my original form.

序 Sequence

I never thought that one day, I would become a scavenger. From the ridiculous stories that I have written from young, to the rich and colourful dreams that I have to experience every night, even the pile of jokes about low self-esteem from my friends. However, on the 26th of August during the late hours 10:51pm, along with an incident of a huge impact car crash, I helplessly began my journey as a scavenger with some acceptance.