Anna loved telling her patients jokes and light-hearted stories to distract them from their troubled minds that led them to psychiatry Ward B.
Imms was a new patient, a man who was the lone survivor of a bus accident. He didn’t speak much, he merely stared out of the window, as tears silently fell from his eyes. He sat in his usual spot, a bench by the window. Since it was night time, his view was a lamp that illuminated the outside of the ward. Anna’s first attempt for a smile from him was going to be the joke she used on new patients.
“A horse walks into a bar and the bartender asks, why the long face.”
Silence.
“They were right.” Imms voice boomed. It scared Anna as she was not expecting a reaction. His big eyes peered into hers.
“The other patients said that that is the joke you will start with.” Imms pointed out. Anna chuckled at how predictable she was.
“Why make people smile?” Imms asked, his attention back to the window.
A while back, Anna was on a bus in tears after a terrible break up. As she moped in her seat, a child who was a few seats away peaked over his chair, smiled and waved at her. His goofy smile made her smile and for a moment, she forgot about her pain. She was calm and happy.
After that day, she decided to pay it forward. “Smiling is a natural feel good remedy. It helps in hard times.”
With his lips in a thin line, Imms nodded slowly.
“I’ll get you to smile soon.” Anna promised and started to walk away. She looked over her shoulder and saw the corners of Imms’ lips slightly turn upwards. But, it was just for mere seconds.
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Read – Untethered Soul – A Flash Fiction by Amina Dattijo – Nigeria
