thinking teeth and tadpoles

i remember being 8 years old in a pinafore, squatting at the edge of my classroom's corridor, early in the morning, my tiny bum  almost touching the floor, knees wide open, holding my mini toothbrush, facing the drain separating me and grass.

it had rained yesterday and the field in front was still flooded. to my left and right were little girls like me all squatting just the same. we're were very chirpy that day. we've never seen each other brushing teeth. such glee. each had their own toothbrush, a cup of water and a handkerchief from home. 

then our teacher walked down the line and gave each of us the tiniest tube of Colgate. so rare, i've never seen this size in the supermarket, i thought, i cant wait to show my sister at home. Then teacher said to press out an amount as big as the tip of her pinky finger and put it on our tooth brushes and "everybody start brushing!" 

quickly i gulped some water into my mouth and got into action as the teacher shouts " front teeth first, up and down, up and down, up and down..NO NOT LIKE THAT...up and down up and down.....now back teeth in and out in and out ...PLEASE DONT VOMIT... " 

and as i watched my friends, mouths full with white foam i caught a glimpse of some black dots swimming among the grass in front of me. i looked and looked and for the first time i saw tadpoles. there were so many of them, hundreds all swimming with their almost invisible tails and i was shocked to see how big their eyes were. the girl beside me said these will turn into frogs and i was totally amazed. News started going down the line left and right and at once, we started scooping them, toothbrushes still in our mouths. i could feel them wriggle more n more as the water leaked away from my palms. such weird creatures.

today, almost 25 now, i brushed my teeth the way it should be brushed for the second time in my life. 

apart from the gag reflex, it wasn't too horrible.

flossed and then gargled with the blue teeth-bleaching water as well. Cleaned those teeth from enamel to root in 3 minutes while reminiscing on teeth and tadpoles.