Face by Benjamin Zephaniah

purple. The two bandages were on the outside of his left calf, one low, and one high. The bloodstains on the white bandages worried Martin at first but as the bandages were slowly removed by Nurse Ling he relaxed – in the event it was quite painless. New bandages were put on, as were new pyjamas, and soon the nurses were on their way out. But Martin’s mind began to work quickly. He had now seen the injuries on his body.
Why not his face?
    â€˜Nurse,’ he shouted.
    â€˜Yes, Martin.’
    â€˜Can I have a mirror?’
    There was an uneasy pause, while the nurses looked at each other. The male nurse said nothing and Nurse Ling hesitantly replied, ‘Well, it’s not as easy as that.’
    She headed back towards Martin and the male nurse left the room. ‘The hospital has to be very careful about this and we can’t just give mirrors out on request. Give me a couple of minutes and I’ll see what I can do.’ She gave him a warm smile and left the room.
    Martin began to prepare himself. He thought that he might have a battle to fight here but he had made up his mind: he wanted to see his face.
    Five minutes later, a man entered the room. He was casually dressed in a shirt and jeans with long black hair which he wore in a ponytail. He looked so cool and relaxed that Martin thought he was a visiting pop star.
    The man smiled. He walked over to Martin and sat on his bed. ‘Hi, my name’s Alan, Alan Green, but just call me Alan.’ He was softly spoken with a Scottish accent. ‘My official title is Clinical Psychologist but even I don’t like that, it makes me sound like someone who does experiments. You just think of me as someone you can talk to if you have any problems. It’s completely up to you how you use me. I am not allowed to make a nuisance of myself but on the otherhand I am always here when you need me, or I’ll try to be.’
    Martin was surprised by his confident and upbeat nature; he sounded honest and sincere. Martin took a deep breath before speaking. ‘I want a mirror, I want to see my face.’
    Alan’s voice dropped slightly. ‘Well, I am sure you know that you have every right to a mirror but it has to be said that it’s a little early for that. I would suggest that you give it at least a couple of days. Sometimes it helps to prepare yourself, to get used to the idea.’
    â€˜I … want … a … mirror … now,’ Martin said slowly and precisely.
    â€˜Are you sure you don’t want to wait until your parents are here?’
    â€˜No, I just told you, I … want … a mirror … now.’
    â€˜Have you ever seen someone with facial burns?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Have you ever seen anyone who has been badly burnt anywhere on their body?’
    â€˜No, only in films.’
    â€˜We all know that the film world and the real world are two different worlds. I love films but they’re just films. I need to warn you that when you look in the mirror you may be quite shocked by what you see. Whatever you see will be improved on in time. But Martin, you must know that you will always havesome burns on your face. Your face will never be as it was. This may take some time for you to get used to. When you look in the mirror you are allowed to scream, cry or shout if you want to. Don’t be afraid to express yourself – I look in the mirror and scream all the time!’
    Even in this situation, Martin tried to smile. He felt himself smile inside but his face just couldn’t. Martin understood what was being said to him but he still felt that he might just be locked in a nightmare. Although he had seen the damage that had been done to his legs, he knew that seeing his face would confirm that this was for real. He felt that he needed to pass that threshold. He was frightened but he didn’t want to show his fear. ‘I understand,’ he muttered.
    Alan stood up. ‘Is