Emily and Ambria worked out over Skype that she should call to talk to Reda at 6:40pm. Ambria called Emily on Skype at that time. Skype said she was not available (online but not answering).
Ambria retried immediately at 6:41pm. This time, Emily answered the call. Reda could be heard talking and her video came on. Reda said she is “prettier than Panda.” Emily was trying to help her use the phone.
Reda says she’s grown up on her. She said she thought of her “every day as somethin’ or other.” She recalled a time when she asked Ambria to pick something up and Ambria told her she couldn’t because she was too little.
Emily asked Ambria to tell Reda about what she’s doing in school. Ambria told her she’s taking independent living. Right now, they’re learning to grocery shop on a budget. They just finished reading a book in language arts. They read The Catcher in the Rye. Reda says she didn’t read that. They’re on spring break now. Reda started making kissy sounds.
Ambria told her she’s on spring break. Reda said it’s too cold for spring break. Ambria told her it’s kinda cold. She said it was 72 one day but mostly it’s in the 50s. Reda asked if she can still spell.
Emily asked Ambria to show her fingernails. Ambria did. Reda said they were pretty and asked if they were real. No. Emily said her natural ones can almost get that long. Reda said Bob would like to cut them.
Emily asked if Ambria remember the time she was mowing and tried to put the garage door down and got her hand caught. Emily asked her to go get some help, and Ambria ran to get help.
Reda asked what her sweater said. Ambria said it says “Thrasher.” Reda asked what it is. Ambria told her it’s a skateboard magazine. Reda said you have to be careful with them.
Ambria told her she bought some video games recently. Reda said something else about being safe. Ambria said she is. Emily told her she wears a helmet and pads.
Emily told Reda Ambria went to a play today. Reda asked if it was a community theater. Yes. Ambria told her the story. Reda said something about a girl who is 4 or 5 there.
Ambria told her we got dinner and brought it back. Emily asked what she had. She had a ham and cheese sandwich. Reda said something about grilled cheese. Ambria said she likes it.
Reda asked what the place on her nose is. Emily told her it’s a shadow. Ambria told them she got ice cream. Emily asked what flavor. Ambria told her nutella. Reda told about a sweet she had. Ambria said we have some orange chocolate. Reda said they have ice cream a lot there. Ambria told her they have a lot of flavors at the place we went to.
Emily asked if Reda knows Ambria is good at speaking French. Reda asked her to speak some. Ambria said her name is Ambria in French. Reda asked if she has a pen pal. Yes. Emily said they do email. Ambria said she writes physical letters to one.
Reda asked something about spelling. Ambria said she was just thinking of when Reda helped her with spelling tests. Emily asked if it was for a spelling bee. Ambria thinks it was just to learn. Reda asked which word she missed. Ambria told her the words she missed in 3rd and 4th grade. Reda spelling “raisin” and Emily guessed how she had misspelled “pouch.” Reda spelling “pouch.” She asked if Ambria can spell it now. Yes, but she got confused. Emily spelled “pouch.”
Reda said “You better be talking to me.” Ambria said she is and asked if they have plans. I believe Reda said they don’t. They talked about Wal-mart, Big Lots, and the dollar store. Reda said she was saving up for Target. Ambria said she went over the weekend.
Reda asked about Ambria’s letters. Ambria got cards. Reda said she can’t do handwritten letters. She can’t write and she can’t read her writing. Reda talked about how Ambria wanted to help with shopping lists when she was little.
Emily asked Reda if Ambria doesn’t have pretty hair. Reda said yes. Emily said she has bangs. Reda said it’s in her eyes. Ambria said she just trimmed them.
Ambria told her we’re going to a history museum tomorrow. Emily said that sounds like fun and asked if it’s the holocaust museum. No, that’s Wednesday. Ambria looked up and told them the name of the one we’re going to tomorrow (Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture). Emily said that “sounds interesting.”
Ambria told them we’re going to a cat cafe on Thursday. Reda repeated “cat cafe?” Emily asked if that’s where you can eat with cats. Ambria told her how it works. Emily said she’ll get some cat hair in her drinks. Reda asked if she still wants the cats there. Ambria told her she can’t take care of them. Reda asked again if she still wants them. Ambria told her we can’t really take care of one here or we’d have one. Reda said something but it couldn’t be understood. Emily said she heard one of the cats “gallop by.” Emily said she can’t pick them up because they bite her.
Reda said some things about the cats, but I can’t understand. Emily said she (I’m assuming one of the cats) runs “like a raccoon” around the house. Ambria noticed one of the doors open and mentioned it.
Ambria asked if it’s warm there. They said it is. Ambria told them it’s 43. They started breaking up. Emily said it’s probably in the low 60s. Ambria looked it up and said it’s 57 in Knoxville. Ambria said that’s out high over the next week. Reda said it snowed there on Saturday. Emily said it’s weird to get snow in April.
Ambria asked if they’re going to play Monopoly. Reda doesn’t know where it is. Emily speculated Ambria hid it. They talked about whether Ambria was an honest banker. Ambria said they didn’t play it right. Emily said she always wants to be the dog or the iron. Emily thinks she was the cat… or maybe there isn’t a cat. They talked about the pieces.
Reda asked if she wants a car. No, she doesn’t know how to drive.
Reda asked if she writes Edie a letter. Ambria hasn’t written much but might over break. Reda said something about a 9-page letter. Ambria remembers that one. It’s the one with the pictures. Reda said it told about all her classes.
Reda asked if she needs anything. No, she’s OK. She’s about to order some Hello Kitty stickers. Emily said she likes Hello Kitty and has “a bunch of Hello Kitty items.” Reda asked if she’s forgotten Spongebob. Ambria has a bunch of those things too.
Reda asked what color her room is. It’s white, but she has a lot of posters on the wall. Emily asked if she has any music posters. Elvis. Reda said he came to her home. Ambria said she heard about it. Reda recounted the event. Reda said he wore blue. Ambria’s poster has him in all black. Emily asked if that was in leather. Yes. Emily asked if that’s “young Elvis.” Ambria thinks so.
Emily asked who else she likes in music. Ambria said she’s been listening to Taylor Swift. Reda called her Taylor Sludge. They joked about it
Ambria asked which cat was climbing under the couch. Emily asked if she’s talking about Ambria’s or Emily’s. Emily’s. Emily said it was Birdie. Emily told about her solution to the problem to keep her out. She had to staple fabric onto the bottom of the couch.
Reda said Ambria has a good neck. They said something about her school picture and her changing a lot. Ambria said it’s mostly her hair that has changed. Emily asked if she still does the pineapple thing. Ambria said she doesn’t anymore. They talked about the ways she wears her hair. Emily asked if she braids it. No.
Reda asked if she brushes her teeth “good nowadays.” Reda said they were white. They talked about what toothpaste she uses. They talked about Reda’s recent dentist visit and her good report.
Reda said something about her being able to wink with both eyes. Ambria did it.
Ambria said she will have to get her fingernail fixed next weekend. They talked about how they might fix it. Emily asked if it hurt when it broke. No. She asked how it broke. Ambria told her she was trying to put a painting in a frame. Emily asked if they charge by the nail. They asked lots of questions about the nails and talked about other types of nail treatments.
Emily asked if she knows that each Trader Joe’s has a person that does their signs. She watched “a girl” that makes all their chalkboard signs. She said it was “interesting to watch.” She does it in pencil first. She didn’t know each one has an artist for that. Ambria said that’s neat.
Reda asked what something was, and they decided it was probably the drawstrings on Ambria’s hoodie. They said something about fake lashes. Reda said something about buying something for a penny.
Reda asked if Ambria has changed since Reda saw her in December. Yes. Reda asked if they saw each other in December. Reda said she couldn’t remember it. Ambria reminded her they talked on the phone like this.
Reda said she should come back to her. Emily asked if Reda remembers holding her for the first time. Reda said she does. Emily thinks she got to hold her before Emily did. Reda doesn’t seem to remember it. She doesn’t think she held her in the hospital. Emily said she did. They talked about how pretty she is and was.
Ambria said she played Just Dance yesterday. Emily asked how she did. Ambria is better than she was. Emily asked if she’s practiced. Ambria doesn’t know but she is a lot better. Maybe she pays more attention. They joked about why.
Reda asked if Ambria remembers a light green dress Reda got her. Ambria remembers. Emily bets it doesn’t fit anymore. Ambria isn’t sure. Emily asked how tall she is. 5’1”. Reda said that’s about as tall as her. Ambria asked how tall she is. Reda thinks she’s 5’5.5”.
Ambria asked what they’re doing tomorrow. Reda doesn’t know. She said something about being “busy busy busy.” Emily said they have a big list and she will need to put gas in the car.
Reda said she has a birthday coming up soon. Ambria said in 6 months. Reda asked if she had sent Ambria a birthday card. Ambria thinks she did. Emily asked if she likes Reda’s glasses. Yes. Emily asked if they’re purple. Reda says they’re purple and red.
Emily asked if she needs to get off the phone. No, but she’s not sure what else to say. Emily tried to come up with something. They started trying to make Ambria wink. They talked about Ambria’s curls.
They talked about Ambria’s grandfather calling her “Umbrella.” Emily told about a time Ambria was talking to him and he needed her to repeat. Ambria was patient to repeat to him. They talked about riding in his motorized chair to the mail. Reda asked if she remembers him. Ambria has some memories. Emily asked if she remembers Papaw Tim. She has more memories of him. They talked about how he didn’t call anyone by their names. Emily asked what Ambria’s was. She thinks hers was “Lucy.” Ambria asked hers. Emily’s was “Girl.”
Ambria heard a door open and asked which one it was. It was the screen door.
Emily asked if Reda said Ambria’s eyes are still blue. Couldn’t hear Reda’s response. Ambria can’t tell. “I’m bad at eye colors.” Reda said she is too. She mumbled some things.
Ambria asked if they remember the Hello Kitty skirt she got at Wal-mart. Reda thinks she does and bets she can find it.
Ambria said she got a new stuffed Hello Kitty last weekend. No one responded. Reda said the stuff is still here “if (they) could just find it.”
Reda asked what Ambria did with all the slime she made. Ambria said it’s “probably gross by now.” Emily said it’s still “slimy.”
Emily tried to show the cat again. She finally got one and showed it to the camera until it ran away. Reda asked if Ambria saw the spotted nose.
Ambria said she needs to go soon. No one said anything. Emily was cutting in and out. She and Reda were talking about the cat. Emily asked if the cat is “always biting (Ambria) like that?” Yes.
Ambria asked if she will be able to talk tomorrow. Ambria wants to talk tomorrow. Reda would like to be able to talk tomorrow too. Emily said she guesses she was getting tired.
Emily said to message her on Skype and to let her know when she wants to talk. She said she would hand her back to Reda.
Reda said she loves her and something about kissing her nose. Reda said she loved her triple what Ambria loves her. They waved and Reda kept talking as they ended the call.
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action call with Emily end time
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