Toothaches and Solidarity
Luigi Ray Villanueva Laud
ENE 13.05i D-Q3
When everyone prayed for everything to go back to the way we were before, we did not
expect it to be responded to with how we were in March 2020. Being under Enhanced
Community Quarantine (ECQ) for the second time was much more difficult than the first.
Especially when you are not just trying to strengthen your mental fortitude but also trying to
brave yourself with the excruciating pain three wisdom teeth attempting to come out can
bring. When drinking two ibuprofens and tears of pain are the only things that can comfort
you, you realize how the dire COVID-19 situation of our country does not just affect those
who need medical care but also those who cry for dental care.
On the eve of the Holy Week, one of my teeth started an uprising. As I was about to begin on
the things I have to do for my academics during my break, one of them decided to break the
silence and bring more to the plate of the things I have to accomplish and endure. However, I
was still able to operate on a normal basis, do my routine and just ignore the inconvenience
