For this one, you must convince your 5-year-old to leave mom at the jailhouse and come back home with you.
JAIL TIME (any gender, early twenties through late life)
Jessy, I don't KNOW. They won't tell me what your mommy did. And your MOMMY won't tell me what she did. It's under investigation. That means they're want to make sure they find out the truth. And I can't help them. I know you think I can--
God, it's fucking cold out here-- Oh, no Jess. Sorry. I shouldn't say things like that. It's not "fucking" cold. That's bad. "Fucking." Okay, I said it again. That's the last time. Bad word okay? Don't say it. Cold isn't a bad word.
But it's a bad thing. Jessy, we're going to freeze out here if we don't get into the car soon. We're not going back to the jailhouse-- back to where mommy is staying. She needs to stay the night.
I'm not happy about it either, okay? And if I DID know what mommy had done... I... I... okay, listen Jess. Jessy Bear? I'll tell you one idea I had. I'm not saying your right. I don't have the Genie Powers, okay? I'm not magic. I just sometimes have ideas.
Here's the idea that came to me. Mommy DID do something. She feel really bad about it. She might feel bad about it for a long time. But Jess, the police won't feel as bad about it as she does. They're going to let her out of jail sometime this week.
It's going to be tough. We might have to move to a different home, we might not be able to go out to Chucky Cheese for a long time. But Mommy will be with us. And we'll help her feel better. But only if we're strong. And you know strong means healthy. And we do healthy things to be healthy. And staying out here in freezing winds? That's not healthy. Can we get into the car and go home?
Jess?
Jess, I think I just had another idea. Your Dory doll? I have an idea where it is. Let's go home and see if I can find it.
Copyright 2016 by Matt Haynes. If you would like to use this piece, please credit: "Courtesy of Matt Haynes and The Pulp Stage"