Dana L. Yeoman, DDS

Dentures and Implants

The Power of a Smile to Transcend Borders Part 10

Daniel, a cute ten year old Ukrainian boy, became a permanent fixture in our dormitory.  I can’t prove it, but I think he had a kid-crush on one of our blonde hygienists.  It helped that we were armed with candy and gave him plenty of attention.  Daniel was introduced to the wonders of Cup O’ Noodles, American pop music, and peanut butter from adoring girls.

As far as I knew, Daniel materialized out of the trees for I never saw where he actually lived.  He would just appear and disappear.  Through translators we found out that he and his mother made a home in the woods.  I didn’t know how they made a living, but living off the land wasn’t unrealistic in this area.  For instance, a very ancient lady would walk by every day pulling a cart stacked high with branches and sticks.  We Americans were appalled to see such an old lady hauling wood, presumably to sell in town.  One of our boys offered to help carry her load.  By the time she figured out what he wanted to do for her, her lined face crinkled into bright laughter.  She had probably been hauling wood for 55 years, and this was possibly the first time anyone had offered to help.  Chances were she had another mile or two to walk.  She appeared to be thanking him, but more for the laugh than the offer.  This was just how it was done.  

Daniel reminded me of one of those kids in movies who lived in the forest and befriended animals.  He was particularly proud of his she-goat and brought us a jar of fresh goat’s milk as a gift.  I didn’t want to be rude and refuse so I just braved it, wondering what Louis Pasteur would think of me if he were alive.  I was surprised to find it tasted like Feta cheese.  I had to laugh at my naivety to find out that “fresh out of the goat” meant “not refrigerated”.  I had just expected milk to be cold like it always was.  Wasn’t I a classic city girl?

On the night that Sergei, the translator, brought a ferocious, protesting wild Yozhik into the dorm, all the screaming girls circled it as closely as they dared.  About the size of a cat, it doubled in volume when it bristled.  Menacing the world with its sharp quills, Yozhik was ready for a fight.  No one was very eager to reach down to pet it, no matter how cute it looked when it was angry.

Daniel crawled on the floor between our feet and scooped up growling Yozhik with gentle hands.  The critter calmed down, laying his prickles flat and sniffing Daniel’s fingers.  It seemed like Disney magic right before our very eyes.  I began to think that he was the male counterpart to Snow White.  He made a home in the woods, lived off the land, moved like a free spirit in and out of trees, and now could handle wild animals as if he had a psychic connection.  If there was such a thing as a Yozhik Whisperer, Daniel was that person.  It was otherworldly to watch this beautiful interaction between boy and beast.  

If the birds had started singing in tune and dancing mice came out of the walls, I would not have been more fascinated.  This was a world where crickets talk, elephants fly and bunnies help sweep the floor with their tails. We stood mesmerized.

We never expected to witness what came next...