The Softer The Pitch, The Louder The News.

Heard it on the grapevine.

Where else but at the doctor's does one hear the latest news, views and boos. The waiting room at our local doctor's is small, noisy and often stuffy. Especially now during the cold season. For some reason people are scared of a hint of fresh air and would rather face a room full of circulating coughs and sneezes instead of letting in blasts of freshness. Who am I to argue? And anyway, I try not to breathe in too deeply whilst standing in line.

The reason I stood in line was to get medication for one of the villagers. It was a reasonably longish wait ( 10 min or so ) which afforded me the opportunity to be within earshot of the general news room. Not that I wanted to, but sound does travel. At least I pretended to study the pamphlets that were stuck on the notice board whilst taking in the on-dits of Deutsch Schützen.

There were two friends sitting and having a good old catch-up and the points discussed weren't out of the ordinary. Eavesdropping can't be helped in such small confines.

When I moved to the head of the queue was when the whispering started. Well, who wouldn't equate that audible reduction to oneself. Of course I threw a quick glance but thankfully it wasn't directed at me. The one lady was whispering to her friend why she preferred one doctor to the other and how to ensure that she was seen by the right one, yet the more she tried to whisper, the more audible it became.

The door to the surgery and reception was closed so that not too many ears took note. I did have a wee giggle to myself at the ingenuity applied by patients in order to be seen by doctor of their choice.

Biggi