7. The Letter

Melissa gets a letter from the last person she ever wants to talk to again – her dad.

Writer & Director - Kristen Torres

Cast:
Kristen Torres

Anna Lamadrid

Fred Munoz

Lucy

 

Creator & Showrunner - James Kim

Executive Producer - Taylor Chicoine

Editor & Producer - Cameron Kell

Head of Post & Sound Designer - Diego Perez

Sound Mixer - Daniel Martinez

Photographer - Julian Park

Score - Robert Garrova & Ryo Baum

Artwork - Tony D’Amato

Typography - Ben Tousley

Interviewer - Shaneisha Martin

Special thanks to Andrea Torres.

 

Thank you to our sponsors at Sennheiser.

You Feeling This is a production of iHeartRadio and Overtones Media. Find out more at http://www.youfeelingthis.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
You feeling.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
This is our production of iHeart Ladio and Overtones Media.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
Fern, come on, it's time for our walk. I know
I'm excited too, Mama. All right, hold on, let me
get you Leishan ready good, I know I'm excited. Okay, keys, phone, earbuds, water, Okay,
let's go. Oh actually, you know what. I want to

(00:56):
check the nail really quick. Hold on, wait one second,
check and make sure that I have My check is
not here yet?

Speaker 3 (01:14):
What?

Speaker 1 (01:17):
How do you get my address?

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Oh?

Speaker 4 (01:25):
It's Burn?

Speaker 5 (01:26):
Hey body?

Speaker 1 (01:28):
What kind of dog is she?

Speaker 5 (01:29):
Again?

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Burn? She's like a doxy Terrier mixed or something, right right?

Speaker 4 (01:35):
You told me that?

Speaker 3 (01:36):
So you know.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
I was at a dinner party the other night with
my friends and we were talking about getting a dog
and what he.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Was to do.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Hey, yeah, no, we it's time for her walk. We're
gonna head out now, good single se alright by Fern Fern.
We're gonna need to go for a longer walk today.

Speaker 6 (02:14):
Hey, oh my god, I was just thinking about you, Soul.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
Oh my god, I am so glad you've picked up.
That's kidding.

Speaker 6 (02:23):
I'm gonna wait for my phone right now and do it, sirically.
Don't leave a message after the beat.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
Beat Hayful the nineties called they want their voicemail joke back.
This is kind of random, but have you heard from
Dad recently? I got this letter from him in the mail,
and I don't even know what to do with this, Like,
first of all, for starters, how does he even know
where I live?

Speaker 5 (02:52):
Man?

Speaker 1 (02:53):
Just my freaking look Erne is taking a huge poop
right now and I'm straight up out of poop bags.
Hold on, hold on, you know what. Actually, I have
a brilliant idea. We're just gonna use this freaking latter
to pick up her poop. Also, in the slightest chance
that you've listened to this voice message, could you please

(03:15):
give me a call back as soon as possible. Okay,
I love you, Bye, Fern. How do you suggest we
pick up this poop? Come on, come drink some water?

(03:45):
Good Fern, I know it's not today, very good. Okay,
let me put this away. Haseel, What up? Pizar? Did

(04:12):
you listen to my message?

Speaker 7 (04:14):
Okay? No, it should go more like hello, my favorite
big sister and the whole entire world. How are you?
How's your day? How does work? Oh? Melissa? You're the
best little sister. I'm so glad that you asked. That's
how you do it.

Speaker 1 (04:29):
Okay, damn, I'm sorry, sis. How are you? How was
your day? What you have for lunch today? Was it
a soup? A salad?

Speaker 4 (04:36):
How?

Speaker 1 (04:37):
I have protons with your salad? Oh? My god? Did
you listen to my voice message?

Speaker 7 (04:41):
Shut up? I'm just messing with you. No, I obviously
didn't listen to your message.

Speaker 5 (04:46):
Stupid.

Speaker 7 (04:47):
What's going on? Is everything okay?

Speaker 1 (04:50):
Well not really. Actually, before I stepped out on my
walk with Fern, I checked my mailbox and I got
a letter from the last person I expected to hear from.

Speaker 7 (05:00):
Oh cute, did you find me? Hear back from the
Blue Man Group?

Speaker 1 (05:03):
You were so annoying that. First of all, you know
that was years ago. And secondly, you know I sent
it in a self tape audition for Stomp. Oh my god, you.

Speaker 7 (05:14):
Were so annoying, banging everything in the house.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
I thought I thought I was pretty good.

Speaker 5 (05:20):
You know.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
That's besides the point. I got a letter in the
mail from Dad. Wait, what, No way, yes way, I
almost just use the letter to pick up Fern's poop.

Speaker 7 (05:34):
You were on a walk without a poop. Back again, girl,
you gotta get your life together.

Speaker 1 (05:39):
I know, I know, I know. At least it's like
biodegradable or whatever. Soul, for ills I need to know.
Did you give Dad my address?

Speaker 7 (05:50):
Why do you think I would do that?

Speaker 1 (05:53):
Well, you're the only one in the family who still
kind of keeps in touch with him.

Speaker 7 (05:58):
Well as the oldest. You know. It is the burden, eyebear,
that he tapped on everyone some lork. This might come
as a surprise to you, but we're all still fucked
up from that failed intervention. It's not just you, Okay.

Speaker 1 (06:13):
Dad made a very clear choice that day. We gave
him every chance to fix things, to make things better,
to make a goddamn effort for once. But instead, what
did he do?

Speaker 7 (06:26):
He stormed out, like he always.

Speaker 1 (06:29):
Does when things get hard.

Speaker 5 (06:31):
I know.

Speaker 1 (06:31):
So I actually have moved on so much so that
I don't even think about the man anymore. Well, actually
up until today when somehow, mysteriously I have a letter
from him in my mailbox. Soul, what did I tell
you that day.

Speaker 7 (06:54):
That you didn't want anything to do with him anymore?

Speaker 1 (06:58):
Right? So I get to choose if and when he
comes back into my life. I don't let him have
the ability to just waltz in here like that.

Speaker 7 (07:10):
Okay, well you should know Dad wrote me a letter too.

Speaker 1 (07:16):
Wait, so you did give him my address.

Speaker 7 (07:21):
I'm sorry, but look also like I'm.

Speaker 1 (07:23):
Not sorry, soul dude, you straight up went behind my back.
Why would you do that?

Speaker 7 (07:28):
Because I am worried about you.

Speaker 6 (07:31):
Anytime I try to bring up Dad, you immediately shut down.
It's not fair that I have to do all the
work in this. It just really makes me wonder. Have
you moved on like you say you have.

Speaker 5 (07:40):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (07:41):
Oh, you can't be serious right now.

Speaker 7 (07:45):
You deserve peace now. Besides, I knew he was only
going to send you a letter, Like what did you
really think he was gonna do a greyhound from New
Mexico and show up to your door and be like, hey,
I'm ready to celebrate Father's Day if you come on
his dad.

Speaker 1 (08:00):
No, no, no, don't even joke around like that. I hate
you so much right now.

Speaker 7 (08:03):
Well, you were always by his side trying to fix him. Okay,
ever since you were a little kid. I just don't
want you to live your life holding on to all
of this because it's not yours to care.

Speaker 1 (08:14):
It's not Wait, your signals starting to break up hate
if you can still hear.

Speaker 7 (08:19):
Me, or for anybody for our stuff.

Speaker 1 (08:24):
Okay, So I'm so pissed at your dumbass what. We're
gonna have a long talk about boundaries later, but I'll
call you back when I get home. I love you.
No bye, Come on, friend, Let's go sit in the
shady spot, good girl.

Speaker 5 (08:46):
Come on.

Speaker 1 (08:47):
Okay, damn, look at this view made it all the
way to the top.

Speaker 5 (09:00):
Huh.

Speaker 1 (09:16):
I don't even know what to do with this. What
do you think for an huh? I think I think

(09:37):
Soul is right about one thing. It's time for me
to start moving on, to start healing.

Speaker 3 (09:51):
Mm.

Speaker 4 (10:05):
The letter was written and directed by Kristin Torres, with
editorial and directing support from Fred Munios. Melissa is performed
by Kristin Torres. Soul is performed by Anna La Madrid.
Neighbor was performed by Fred Munios and introducing Lucy as Fern.

(10:26):
Special thanks to Fred Munos, James Kim and Andrea Torres.
The editor and producer is Cameron kel On set sound
mixer is Daniel Martinez. Sound design and head of podcast
production is Diego Perez. Creator and showrunner is James Kim
On set photographer.

Speaker 1 (10:47):
Is Julian Park.

Speaker 4 (10:48):
Score by Robert Garova and Ryobaum you Feeling.

Speaker 1 (10:53):
This is a production of iHeartRadio and Overtones Media.

Speaker 4 (10:57):
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, check out the iHeart re
You app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.