Nightline
Call #2
"Hello, my name's Paul. What's your name?"
"Is Chelsea there? I spoke to her last week."
"Chelsea's with another call at the moment. Can I take your name?"
"I can't talk to anyone but her. I said I'd phone at this time."
"If you'd like, I can put you on hold until she's free."
"Yes please."
...
"Hello?"
"It's Phil."
"Hello, Phil. How're you? Are you at the park again?"
"Yeah. I couldn't bring a coat this time 'cause Mum went to bed angry and I didn't want to risk waking her."
"Why did she go to bed angry?"
"Dad and she were fighting. I've never seen him so angry at Mum before but it's all my fault."
"Why do you say that?"
"I told him she broke my wrist and he said she needed to stop. I was on the stairs and could hear them arguing and he said...he said she was abusive and then he started to cry. He never cries 'round me but I know his crying voice because he does it in the toilet. He's never told me but I think he's scared of her too."
"It wasn't your fault, Phil. It sounds like your dad doesn't like it when your mum gets mad at you."
"He doesn't. He tries to stop her but sometimes she hits--I-I didn't mean that."
"Does your mum hit your dad, Phil?"
"I didn't mean that."
"You can tell me anything you want and I won't repeat a word to another person. This call is between just me and you, no one else."
"You sure?"
"I'm positive, Phil."
"Sometimes...sometimes she hits Dad. He always send me to my room before they start arguing but they don't know that I sit on the stairs and listen. She pulled a knife on him last night."
"Is that why she went to bed angry?"
"Yeah. I went and hid in my wardrobe and I was scared she might do something to Dad."
"Do you know whether your dad's okay?"
"He's in bed, well, he was when I left. I checked, just to be sure."
"Has she ever pulled a knife on him before?"
"I dunno. Mum's not...she's not...I-I dunno."
"That's okay, Phil. How have you been since our last call?"
"I'm okay."
"How's school?"
"I'm doing better than last year."
"That's good. What's your favourite subject?"
"Biology."
"And what do you like so much about Biology?"
"I want to be a doctor and everyone says I need Biology."
"That's a good career. You have to work really hard in school to be able to do medicine in university. Are you good at it?"
"Yeah, my Biology teacher thinks I'll get into Separate Science in Year 10. That means I'm in the top 70 of my year."
"That's impressive. You must be really pleased."
"I am. Dad's dead proud too."
"Have you told him that you want to be a doctor?"
"Yeah, he's been wanting me to do well. We haven't told Mum."
"Do you not think she'll be proud of you too?"
"She hates me talking about school so I never say anything when she's around."
"That's not very nice of her. Education is really important and it's great that you're so enthusiastic about your subjects."
"Thanks, Chelsea!"
"You're very welcome. Are you still at the park?"
"Yeah."
"Do you think you should head home soon?"
"I guess. Can I call again?"
"Any time you want."
"And you'll talk to me?"
"If I can."
"Promise?"
"I promise, Phil."
"Okay, I'll go home now. Bye, Chelsea."
"Bye, Phil."
"Is Chelsea there? I spoke to her last week."
"Chelsea's with another call at the moment. Can I take your name?"
"I can't talk to anyone but her. I said I'd phone at this time."
"If you'd like, I can put you on hold until she's free."
"Yes please."
...
"Hello?"
"It's Phil."
"Hello, Phil. How're you? Are you at the park again?"
"Yeah. I couldn't bring a coat this time 'cause Mum went to bed angry and I didn't want to risk waking her."
"Why did she go to bed angry?"
"Dad and she were fighting. I've never seen him so angry at Mum before but it's all my fault."
"Why do you say that?"
"I told him she broke my wrist and he said she needed to stop. I was on the stairs and could hear them arguing and he said...he said she was abusive and then he started to cry. He never cries 'round me but I know his crying voice because he does it in the toilet. He's never told me but I think he's scared of her too."
"It wasn't your fault, Phil. It sounds like your dad doesn't like it when your mum gets mad at you."
"He doesn't. He tries to stop her but sometimes she hits--I-I didn't mean that."
"Does your mum hit your dad, Phil?"
"I didn't mean that."
"You can tell me anything you want and I won't repeat a word to another person. This call is between just me and you, no one else."
"You sure?"
"I'm positive, Phil."
"Sometimes...sometimes she hits Dad. He always send me to my room before they start arguing but they don't know that I sit on the stairs and listen. She pulled a knife on him last night."
"Is that why she went to bed angry?"
"Yeah. I went and hid in my wardrobe and I was scared she might do something to Dad."
"Do you know whether your dad's okay?"
"He's in bed, well, he was when I left. I checked, just to be sure."
"Has she ever pulled a knife on him before?"
"I dunno. Mum's not...she's not...I-I dunno."
"That's okay, Phil. How have you been since our last call?"
"I'm okay."
"How's school?"
"I'm doing better than last year."
"That's good. What's your favourite subject?"
"Biology."
"And what do you like so much about Biology?"
"I want to be a doctor and everyone says I need Biology."
"That's a good career. You have to work really hard in school to be able to do medicine in university. Are you good at it?"
"Yeah, my Biology teacher thinks I'll get into Separate Science in Year 10. That means I'm in the top 70 of my year."
"That's impressive. You must be really pleased."
"I am. Dad's dead proud too."
"Have you told him that you want to be a doctor?"
"Yeah, he's been wanting me to do well. We haven't told Mum."
"Do you not think she'll be proud of you too?"
"She hates me talking about school so I never say anything when she's around."
"That's not very nice of her. Education is really important and it's great that you're so enthusiastic about your subjects."
"Thanks, Chelsea!"
"You're very welcome. Are you still at the park?"
"Yeah."
"Do you think you should head home soon?"
"I guess. Can I call again?"
"Any time you want."
"And you'll talk to me?"
"If I can."
"Promise?"
"I promise, Phil."
"Okay, I'll go home now. Bye, Chelsea."
"Bye, Phil."