ANGUS BERNARD GILLIS
BEN'S NOSE
Like every town, Salem had its share of drunks; the
most flagrant was probably Ben. Not only did he disturb the peace when
drunk, often winding up in jail, but sometimes when sober as well. The
poor fellow was a sort of pariah living on charity and an occasional odd
job.
My father believed the cause of Ben's drinking
to be his unfortunate nose, protruding from his face like a large beak.
On one occasion, when my parents were discussing
Ben's latest run-in with the law, I heard my father say, "You know Anna,
if it were not for that nose, he would be a handsome fellow."
"Yes, I agree," Mama chipped in, "He has expressive
brown eyes and a well-shaped face."
"A pleasant smile, and a head of curly brown hair,"
said Papa. "All he needs really is regular, medium-sized nose, and I would
love to give it to him with plastic surgery!" Angus smiled at the prospect.
"It just might change his life!"
They looked at each other for a long moment.
Then Papa said, "Ben would never consent to it.
In fact, he'd be terrified!"
One night, when the doctor was working
late in his office, updating records, and thinking it was about time to
go home, he heard an ungodly yelling nearby outside. Opening the window,
he looked down into the dimly lit street.
There he saw a lone man, slowly staggering toward
the Bank Building. He saw him fall to his knees, then get up awkwardly
and continue stumbling on. The man held a handkerchief to his face, and
was moaning. Then began crying out pitifully, "Doctor! Doctor! . . .Help
me!"
My father rushed out of the office down the stairs
and out the front door, just as the man reached him and collapsed in his
arms.
A friend of Angus' happened to be across the street.
He ran over to them, and together they managed to drag the now unconscious
body up the dark stairway and into the surgery.
"Let's get him up on the table, Rob."
In the half-light from the office they laid him
out and turned on the surgery lights. Rob and Angus stared together at
the man's face in fascinated horror. Where the nose should have been was
a bloody pulp! Blood was still oozing freely.
"My God," said Rob. "What can you do, Angus?"
"Who is this anyway?" asked my father. "I'11 clean
him up, while he's still unconscious, and we'll see."
He scrubbed his hands at the nearby sink, picked
up towels from the supply on a table, and began to carefully mop up the
blood.
A very strong whiff of alcohol wafted up from the
slack, open mouth.
"It's Ben!" Angus exclaimed softly in wonder. He
gave Rob a quick look of mingled joy and triumph! "This is my chance! And
from the smell of his breath, he's had enough booze to sleep right through
the operation!"
''0peration?" asked Rob.
"Yep. We're going to give Ben a new nose. . .Now,
we'll have to work fast to be finished before he wakes up."
"We?" said Rob.
"Go wash your hands, and use plenty of soap! You're
going to assist me, and you'd better not be squeamish!"
Rob groaned, "I guess I can."
He scrubbed up while Angus collected the instruments
he needed, then set about the difficult work of reconstructing a nose out
of the pulp.
Angus worked in feverish haste, his hands moving
quickly and deftly, and Rob, caught up in the excitement, silently did
whatever he was told.
As Angus said, "We're done!" the patient stirred
and moaned. Opening his eyes, he gazed blearily about.
"Ben," whispered my father, "You're in my office,
You're going to be all right. . ,You've had an accident."
Ben moaned piteously; then cried out, "What's wrong
with my nose?! Oh. . .it hurts, . . .it hurts!"
"I know," said Angus soothingly, "But it's going
to be fine! Listen to me, Ben. Be quiet and listen. I gave you a new nose!
It's worth the pain! When we take the bandages off, you're going to be
amazed! In 3 or 4 weeks you'll have a good-looking nose!"
"I remember now" Ben groaned. "I was riding my bicycle.
. . It was dark. . . I didn't see the telephone pole. . .I ran into it
and smashed my nose. . .Oh! the pain! Oh Doctor!" He began to sob softly,
and then he said querulously "A new nose?!" he reached a hand up to touch
it. . .He smiled, went pale and fainted away. Angus gave him a shot of
morphine, covered him with a blanket. He slept through until morning.
Four weeks later Ben returned to the
Doctor's office to have the bandages removed.
He raced up the stairs, entered the waiting-room,
and sat down on the edge of a chair, hardly able to contain his excitement!
As Angus opened the examining-room door, Ben shouted,
"I'M HERE, Doctor!"
Angus welcomed him with a big grin. "Come on! Let's
see what we have! Man, I'm as excited as you are!"
He grasped Ben's arm, and led him through the door
to a chair, and began peeling away the Bandages till the nose was revealed.
A bit shiny, discolored, still healing, the nose was still a nose of handsome
shape, and just the right size!
Angus handed him a mirror. For a long moment Ben
gazed at his image with loving admiration! Tears of joy filled his eyes!
"You did a fine job, Doc!" he said, smiling up at
Angus. "I really appreciate what you did for me!. . .Boy! is everyone going
to be surprised! It's wonderful! I feel like a brand-new person!"
Ben's story played itself out with almost
fairy-tale precision, in the following predictable order: Ben gave up drinking;
got a steady job at the lumber-mill; married a pretty, blue-eyed blonde;
they had two little girls, who inherited their mother's delicate nose and
their father's expressive brown eyes and curly brown hair! The townspeople
were delighted!
NEXT: TOUR DE FORCE
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