Transcript for the Piece Audio version of Missing Sylvie

Music Bed?(Tim Easton) All the pretty girls leave town?all the pretty girls leave town?did you hear about the young one went away and never called?.

Cut: 04 Hi, this is Sylvie, just trying to get ahold of you?

ALMOST EVERY NIGHT, THERE ARE TWO OR THREE MESSAGES LIKE THIS ONE ON OUR ANSWERING MACHINE. EIGHT YEAR OLD SYLVIE IS VISITING HER DAD IN SITKA, AS SHE HAS EVERY FEW MONTHS NOW FOR ALMOST HALF HER LIFE. SHE CALLS OFTEN FROM A CELL PHONE AT HER DAD?S SAWMILL, AND FILLS ME IN ON THE WEATHER, THE HERRING FISHERY, OR JUST WHATEVER SPRINGS TO MIND.
Phone cut 1 :28 oh yeah, it?s really sunny and hot. ?oh, are you wearing shorts?? no, it?s not that sunny?but you could wear your flip flops out here pretty much?etc. etc?

HER BROTHER AND I, TRY TO MAKE SENSE OF HER ABSENCE, BUT FOR ALL THE TIMES SHE?S BEEN GONE, WE STILL HAVEN?T REALLY LEARNED WHAT TO DO WITH OURSELVES WITHOUT HER. (fade gwen Stefani music?) WE STOPPED BELIEVING A LONG TIME AGO THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD BREAK, OR THAT WE WON?T MISS HER HIP HOP MUSIC, OR HER PRACTICAL JOKES. WE MISS EVERYTHING ABOUT HER, MAYBE BECAUSE THERE IS JUST SO MUCH TO MISS.
CUT :I?m the kind of girl :20?Sylvie singing: I?m the kind of girl who eats junk food, I?m the kind of girl who is a vegetarian, I?m the kind of girl who wears make up, I?m the kind of girl who is a rock star, I?m the kind of girl who wears rock star clothes, I?m the kind of girl who has a white car?

ON HER BEDROOM DOOR IS A SIGN THAT SAYS, ?DO NOT COME IN WITHOUT INVITATION?, AND THERE IS AN ARROW POINTING VISITORS TO THE MAKESHIFT FRONT DESK?IT?S HARD FOR ME TO SEE THIS SIGN EVERYDAY WITH HER GONE, AND USUALLY WHEN SHE LEAVES I AVOID THE ROOM ALTOGETHER?BUT TONIGHT WE?VE DECIDED MAYBE WE NEED TO SPEND TIME IN THIS SPACE THAT IS SO HER. THIRTEEN YEAR OLD DYLAN HAS LOST HIS INVITATION, BUT MINE HANGS HANDILY ON MY BULLETIN BOARD:
SYLVIE 2: :17 you need that piece of paper that I made for you guys? that?s the invitation slip, or you can get permission from me on the phone. ?okay, so does Dylan have permission to go into your room?? yeah?he does?
BS AND DYLAN IN SYLVIE?S ROOM? 1:20
MUSIC BED: SYLVIA HOTEL?

I TELL MYSELF I?LL GET USED TO IT, AND MAYBE I?LL EVEN BE PRODUCTIVE AND MAKE USE OF THE TIMES WHEN SYLVIE IS VISITING HER DAD. BUT UNTIL THEN, IT?S NOT UNUSUAL FOR ME TO WAKE UP AT 3 AM, FEELING LOST AND LISTENING OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO HER MESSAGES:
PHONE CUT??HI THIS IS SYLVIE, JUST TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU.?
MAYBE I?M JUST TRYING TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH HER TOO.

FOR AK, I?M BONNIE-SUE HITCHCOCK