1 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:06,160 Speaker 1: Do you remember Do you remember. 2 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 2: When you do you remember? 3 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: Do you remember when you once told me that we 4 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: were talking about the blues, because you like, you were 5 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: saying how you you love the blues? You know, you're 6 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: just making you said that you really know. You said 7 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: you love the blues, and then you told me that. 8 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 1: I said, oh, who's your favorite blues musician and you 9 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: said Jim Belushi. I said, really, there's so many great 10 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: like blues. 11 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 3: You're an idiot. 12 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:37,840 Speaker 4: Oh my god. 13 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: From Gimblet Media, I'm Jonathan Goldstein and this is Heavyweight 14 00:00:50,360 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: Today's episode, Becky and Joe LA All around me cinematic landmarks, 15 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 1: the Chinese Theater, Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Sunsets, the Pacific Ocean, 16 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: Tony Shaloub, the Observatory from Rebel Without a Cause, and 17 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: the Hollywood Sign from the Entourage movie. Fun Fact LA 18 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: is what industry insiders call Los Angeles. Hey, Becky, I'm 19 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles to see Becky. She grew up here. 20 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: Her parents work in the film biz. They're producers of 21 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: movies that if I named you'd say, I know that movie. 22 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: What a nice place. Becky gives me a tour of 23 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:57,559 Speaker 1: the nice place which happens to be your mom's place 24 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: because it is a quiet place, a good place to talk. 25 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: It's so great the way that all the rooms disconnect, 26 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: one to the other, one to the other. I'm in hollyweird. Alright. 27 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,799 Speaker 1: There are windows too, overlooking a yard. Oh my god, 28 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: are those oranges? 29 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:17,639 Speaker 2: Yes? 30 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: The California dream you just like? Open up the window 31 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: in the kitchen. On the wall hangs the painting of 32 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: a boat on the coffee table sits a pipe? Does 33 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 1: your mom smoke a pipe? 34 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 5: No? 35 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: Just a conversation piece, but worth every penny, because as 36 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: the tour draws to an end, the conversation begins. The 37 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: story all started, Becky says a few months ago, while 38 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: dining at an Italian restaurant with her parents and older 39 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 1: sister Joe. 40 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 6: We were at my birthday dinner. My whole family was there. 41 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 7: Mom and dad. 42 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: Becky's mom and dad are divorced, so the whole family 43 00:02:58,960 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: rarely gets together. 44 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 6: Like my parents, they're cordial, but like it's really birthdays. 45 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: Their chit chat proceeded along, and that way. Family restaurant 46 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: discussions often do a lot of remember that person, remember 47 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 1: this thing, remember that thing. This person was supposed to return, 48 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: but never did, and now we don't have that thing 49 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: or know that person. It was in this way that 50 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: Becky came to mention someone the family hadn't talked about 51 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: in years, Letitia. As soon as the name was uttered, 52 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: Becky could see the power it still had over her 53 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: older sister, Joe, even after so many years. 54 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 4: Becky brought up Leticia. 55 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 1: This is Becky's sister, Joe. For her, the very word 56 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: was like a gut punch. But as she looked around 57 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: the table, Joe saw their parents were struggling to even 58 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: place the name. 59 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 8: It felt like people were trying to remember Leticia, like 60 00:03:58,080 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 8: it was this hazy thing. 61 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: Everyone held little snippets. Letitia drove a red car. Letitia 62 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: had small hands. Letitia was very beautiful. As the family 63 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: batted around half memories, Joe remained quiet. Becky watched the 64 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 1: emotions sweep over her sister's face. 65 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:21,159 Speaker 5: Across the table in this very loud restaurant, I just 66 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 5: got this wave of sadness about Letitia. 67 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: Leticia was Becky and Joe's babysitter until one day twenty 68 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: years ago, when she suddenly vanished from their lives as 69 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: movie producers. Becky and Joe's parents worked long hours and 70 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,919 Speaker 1: were rarely home, so from the time they were toddlers 71 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: until they were young teens, the girls were looked after 72 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: by a parade of babysitters, one after the other. 73 00:04:58,040 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 7: We had a babysitter named Melissa. 74 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 4: We had a babysitter named Robin. 75 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:03,599 Speaker 7: There was a babysitter named Mae. 76 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,599 Speaker 8: We had a babysitter named Candide. 77 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 7: Don't remember too much about Audriana. 78 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: Sixteen babysitters in total, sixteen young women lurking in the 79 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 1: background of family photographs, dimly remembered each odd in their 80 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: own way. 81 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 7: Helena, she was kind of an asshole. 82 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 8: She ended up falling in love with this exterminator that 83 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 8: came to our apartment when we had fleas. 84 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:29,799 Speaker 1: There was the babysitter who joined a cult. 85 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:32,279 Speaker 7: She just said, now, my name is Mollie. 86 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: The babysitter who performed Reichi treatment on Becky. The babysitter 87 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: who lied about a death in the family to scam 88 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 1: travel money. Aislyn Aislyn Aislin brought Becky and Joe onto 89 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: the front lawn one day and taught them a ten 90 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: year old and a six year old had to put 91 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: a condom on a banana. 92 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 4: And let us like pick a flavor of condom. 93 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 8: I just remember looking over across the lawn and seeing 94 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 8: my sister, who looked so small to me, tasting a 95 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 8: like grape flavored condom. 96 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 6: Also just going out on the lawn part like, I don't. 97 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: Oh, well, did you have a banana tree outside? 98 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 2: Nope? Huh. 99 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: Becky and Joe's parents were always absent, so while the 100 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 1: caretaking fell to the babysitters. They fed the girls when 101 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:34,599 Speaker 1: they were hungry, comforted them when they were upset, became 102 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: integral to their lives, and then after a couple of 103 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: months they usually left. It walloped Joe each. 104 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 4: Time to have all these women come and go and 105 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:46,840 Speaker 4: choose to go. 106 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 8: It kind of felt as though, you know, they were 107 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 8: hired to be our friend, and then we were just 108 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 8: too much, or there was something that was too much 109 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 8: to even make money worth being our friend. 110 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 4: I just really felt like I had no one. 111 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: But then came someone, neither Becky nor Joke and a 112 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: recall where Leticia came from. She just showed up one 113 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: day as glamorous as a movie star. Joe, ten years 114 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: old at the time, was dazzled. 115 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 8: She was everything that I kind of wished I was 116 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 8: in a teenage girl. Her hair was straight and I 117 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 8: wanted to straighten my hair and long nails, and I 118 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 8: bit my nails. She wore spaghetti straps, and she was 119 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 8: like a grown up popular girl. 120 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: And what set her apart was how she made the 121 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: girls feel like they were friends. She brought them to 122 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: her home to meet her mom. She took them to 123 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: the beach and to the mall and taught them how 124 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: to apply lip gloss. Letitia seemed impossibly cool. Becky and 125 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: Joe remember her showing up late one time and explaining 126 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: that she just crashed into a cop car. The girls 127 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: were in awe. Even her music was cool. There was 128 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: one song in particular that she loved to play, that. 129 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 8: Aliyah song are you that somebody with the baby sample 130 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 8: in it? 131 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 4: You know that like dirty so here we go? You 132 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 4: know that song? 133 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 7: Yeah? 134 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: I don't know it. I make a mental note to 135 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: sign up for Spotify to listen to the song, just 136 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: as soon as I figure out how to connect to 137 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: the hotel Wi Fi. 138 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 8: Letitia choreographed this dance for us. 139 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 6: Just like this weird thing that we would like do 140 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 6: with our hands. 141 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:43,839 Speaker 8: In the car we were seated. Me and Becky still 142 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 8: remember it and we can do it like on. 143 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 6: Cue, driving in the car listening to that song and 144 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 6: doing that dance, feeling cool and close to both of them. 145 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 6: Kind of felt like I was like riding along with 146 00:08:56,559 --> 00:09:02,319 Speaker 6: like two older, cooler girls. I always idolized my sister, yeah, 147 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 6: a lot. 148 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: So she was like your older sister's older sister kind of. 149 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 7: Yeah. 150 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:15,560 Speaker 6: Letitia would just like lie on Joe's bed with her 151 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 6: like kind of like on her stomach like pillow, talking 152 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 6: sharing secrets or something. I think that Letitia genuinely, like 153 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 6: really loved my sister. 154 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: Letitia made them feel like she'd be sticking around, but 155 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: in the end, she only stayed a couple months, and 156 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:37,719 Speaker 1: of all the departures of all their babysitters, Letitia's was 157 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:41,560 Speaker 1: the most brutally abrupt. The last day Becky and Joe 158 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: ever saw Letitia, they were all hanging out in the kitchen, 159 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:48,079 Speaker 1: and when thinking about what drove Letitia away, this is 160 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:51,439 Speaker 1: the moment Joe always returns to. It was after school 161 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: and Letitia was making her a smoothie. 162 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 8: I accidentally I knocked over the smoothie. I was just 163 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 8: so excitable around her and she kind of dropped her 164 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 8: knees and I tried to help her pick it up, 165 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 8: and she seemed pissed, and she was like, it's okay, 166 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 8: I got it. 167 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 1: For the rest of the day, Letitia seemed distant. The 168 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: next afternoon, as always, Becky and Joe waited for Letitia 169 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: to pick them up outside their elementary school. 170 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 4: We just didn't see her car and we were waiting. 171 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 7: She was sometimes late. 172 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 8: You were like, oh, it's okay, Like five minutes, she's 173 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 8: just really late. 174 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: Five minutes turned to ten, turned to half an hour. 175 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 1: Joe took a seat on the grass, and then so 176 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: did Becky. Other cars came and went an hour, an 177 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 1: hour and a half. As the school emptied out, it 178 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: took on a far away, ghostly quality. 179 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:59,679 Speaker 8: I remember the light changing, also Becky's face changing and 180 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 8: looking more to me. Becky's face to me was a 181 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 8: huge emotional compass because she was so much younger than me. 182 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 1: Joe's first impulse in scary, uncharted situations was to reassure 183 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 1: herself by reassuring her sister. She'd explain to Becky what 184 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:19,440 Speaker 1: was going on or tell her things would be okay. 185 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: But sitting on the front lawn of their empty school. 186 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: As night approached, Joe wasn't sure things would be okay. 187 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 1: I imagine there was nothing more to do than hold 188 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: her little sister's hand. 189 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 6: Two or three hours went by, and we were like 190 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 6: sitting on the grass, like both of us just crying. 191 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 6: Then like it really setting in that like she's not coming. 192 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 6: I remember thinking too, like maybe she died. I think 193 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 6: I knew by her not coming to pick us up, 194 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:57,559 Speaker 6: that like she was gone, like she was not going 195 00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:59,599 Speaker 6: to be in our life anymore. 196 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: And she wasn't. After waiting several hours, the girls phoned 197 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: their mom, who instructed them to walk to a nearby 198 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: friend's house. Maybe in the end, Letitia hadn't loved them, 199 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 1: maybe it was just a job. Letitia was gone without explanation, 200 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: but Joe knew it had to be because of that smoothie. 201 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: Whatever the case, By the very next day, Letitia had 202 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 1: been replaced Becky and Joe's mom had worked to get 203 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: back to. 204 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 8: The problem was solved the way our parents looked at it, 205 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 8: which was, you know, they're okay, they have supervision. 206 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:47,679 Speaker 4: But I was just so heartbroken. 207 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: Even all these years later, when Joe talks about it, 208 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: it's in the language of a first breakup. Letitia's disappearance 209 00:12:56,160 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: even comes up in therapy with each new relationships, biggest 210 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,679 Speaker 1: fear is that the person she's with might suddenly disappear, 211 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: just like Leticia did. Since that family dinner, Becky hasn't 212 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:11,439 Speaker 1: been able to forget the sadness on her sister's face, 213 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:14,960 Speaker 1: But whenever Becky prods her about it, Joe brushes it 214 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,959 Speaker 1: off or changes the subject. But Becky knows her sister, 215 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: and she can tell she's hurting, and she wants to help. 216 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:29,079 Speaker 1: As the older sister, Joe took care of Becky. Becky's 217 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: now twenty seven and Joe is thirty. She's still the 218 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: older sister, but Becky feels the time has come for 219 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 1: her to take care of Joe. If Leticia's out there, 220 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: Becky wants to find her and ask what happened that day? 221 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 4: I want to talk to her. 222 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 1: Becky doesn't know where Leticia came from or where she 223 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 1: might have gone. She's not even sure of Leticia's last name, 224 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: which is why Becky has chosen to wade into that 225 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 1: swamp of collective memory known as the family storage Unit. 226 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 4: I feel like. 227 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 5: There's only so much time I can spend in here, 228 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 5: just like because I know how many rats. 229 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 8: Are in here. 230 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: The storage unit isn't lit, and Becky forgot her flashlight 231 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: at home, so she uses the light on her phone 232 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 1: to scope out the room. Inside her boxes piled atop 233 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:49,560 Speaker 1: each other, containing years and years worth of old school assignments, 234 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 1: VHS tapes, and birthday cards from barely remembered family friends you. 235 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 5: Just made up in here that's like twenty years old. 236 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: She's here to find Joe's childhood address book. When Joe 237 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: was a kid, the way that some people might collect autographs, 238 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 1: she collected addresses, so every time she met someone new, 239 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: Joe would scrawl their address into a little book with 240 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 1: a hologram dog on the cover. Becky is hoping the 241 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: book contains Letitia's full name and an address, any clues 242 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: to help agin the search everyway. While digging around in 243 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 1: the dim light, Becky finds one of Joe's old journals 244 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: with entries dated from around the time of Letitia. She 245 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: sits down in the child sized chair she used to 246 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: use in her family's old living room and realizes a 247 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 1: dream long held by little sisters everywhere. With Joe's permission, 248 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 1: she opens her older sister's diary and explores the once 249 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 1: carefully guarded pages. 250 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 7: The summer twenty first, two thousand. 251 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 1: Dear we Both, Joe named her diary Webo, after the 252 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: robot in flubber. 253 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 5: Bush is our new president they told us about a 254 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 5: week ago. Anyways, I have a totally new crush. It's 255 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 5: Justin Timberly. He is so hot. 256 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 7: I love him. 257 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 5: She declares on December twenty third, nineteen ninety nine, that 258 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 5: her relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio is over. 259 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 4: She says, ps. 260 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 7: Leo is over too. He is a part in my 261 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 7: French gay Lord. 262 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 5: It is the new Jojo and I'm a single exclamation point. 263 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: With Leo and Justin, Joe created a fantasy of the 264 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: perfect boyfriend, and as Becky reads further, she wonders if 265 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: with Letitia, Joe had created a fantasy of the perfect mom, 266 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: a mother who would always be around for her. 267 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 5: Dear Weebo, mom is going away tomorrow. I can't believe it. 268 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:41,920 Speaker 7: Again. 269 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 5: For four days, which is usually extended to six days, 270 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 5: she never thinks about time with her family. I love 271 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 5: her so much, and she's mostly away from me. Work, work, work, 272 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 5: And every Saturday night she goes out with my dad. 273 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 5: I just spend the scraps of time with her that 274 00:16:57,960 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 5: I have. 275 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 4: Fuck so sad. 276 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: Alone in the dim light of the storage unit, Becky 277 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: puts the journal down and continues her search, but after 278 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: digging around for a couple hours, she gives up. She 279 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 1: can't find the address book. It seemed like the storage 280 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 1: unit had been a dead end, but a few days later, 281 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 1: Becky phones with some good news. She'd taken Joe's journal 282 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:48,679 Speaker 1: home to keep searching for clues, and she found some. 283 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 7: There are a. 284 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 5: Couple entries that mentioned Leticia, and the. 285 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 1: First mention of Leticia is from the day she showed up, 286 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 1: which was also the day the previous babysitter left. 287 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 5: Dear wee Bo. Today I found out some bad news. 288 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 5: Sylvia is leaving. I'm trying not to make a big 289 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 5: deal about it because I don't want to make Sylvia 290 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:14,159 Speaker 5: feel guilty. The new babysitter is Letitia. She's really nice 291 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:23,920 Speaker 5: and she's nineteen years old. August third, nineteen ninety eight. 292 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:27,400 Speaker 5: Letitia and I have found one thing in common. We're 293 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 5: planning a Leo Knight. We both love Leonardo DiCaprio, love Joe. 294 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 1: And what else do you have? 295 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 5: There there's September sixth, nineteen ninety eight. Dear wee bo, 296 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 5: Today Letitia's coming to babysit. I love Letitia. She's the best. 297 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 5: She's one of those babysitters that actually does stuff with you, 298 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 5: like For one, she will take you to the pier. 299 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 5: Two she goes on the rides. A lot of my 300 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 5: old babysitters weaseled themselves off the rides, but not Letitia. 301 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:08,400 Speaker 5: She rocks. She's coming at one. 302 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 1: But only a few weeks later, Letitia was gone, and 303 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: for Joe her disappearance was so painful that it led 304 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: into the departures of the babysitters that followed. 305 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 5: Dear wee bo, a'sln and Hillary are leaving. I don't 306 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:30,040 Speaker 5: want them to go, while at least they told us, 307 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 5: unlike Letitia, we need to find a babysitter that will 308 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 5: actually stay. I gotta go to school. I love you, Joey. 309 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,840 Speaker 1: And then, in a diary entry written months after Letitia's disappearance, 310 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: Becky discovers proof that her sister's heartbreak went beyond merely 311 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:53,399 Speaker 1: writing about Leticia. She was also writing to Letitia. The 312 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: substance of Joe's letters was always the same, I miss 313 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 1: you and I'm sorry. 314 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:02,440 Speaker 5: I wrote a letter to Letitia. It says I still 315 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 5: love you, and today I got a letter in the mail, 316 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:09,080 Speaker 5: but it turned out to be an advertisement. I really 317 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 5: want to track her down. 318 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:15,359 Speaker 1: All told, Joe wrote Letitia about a half a dozen letters. 319 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:20,679 Speaker 1: Letitia ever responded, and now twenty years later, it's Becky 320 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 1: who wants to track her down. According to Joe's diary, 321 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,399 Speaker 1: Letitia was nineteen and attending a nearby college when she 322 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: became their babysitter, so present day, Letitia would now be 323 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:38,439 Speaker 1: forty years old and possibly an alumna of the local college. 324 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 1: Armed with this, I start dialing Letitia's by the dozens. 325 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 1: An excellent dialer, I dial with confidence, leaving dozens of 326 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:50,439 Speaker 1: messages but receiving no responses. 327 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:55,879 Speaker 3: Until Yeah, I just received a call from this number. 328 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,880 Speaker 1: Oh hi, yeah, I was looking for Letitia. 329 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 3: What what is this called? Pertaining too well? 330 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:05,439 Speaker 5: I uh. 331 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 1: While strong at the dialing part, my weakness has always 332 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:12,200 Speaker 1: been the part that comes immediately after. There's a couple 333 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 1: of people who wanted to reconnect. She was a part 334 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 1: of their past. Is this the right phone number? 335 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 5: Or sorry? 336 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:23,439 Speaker 3: Who would that be? Who would that be? 337 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:28,200 Speaker 1: She was their babysitter in the late nineties. 338 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:48,119 Speaker 3: Oh okay, that's interesting. Okay, I will pass the message along. 339 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 1: That's great. So this this, this is Letitia's number. 340 00:21:56,600 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 3: No, it's not, it's my number. 341 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: At any rate, if you're in touch with her or 342 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:07,439 Speaker 1: what have you, you know, she. 343 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 4: Could give me a call. 344 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:16,679 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, okay, thank you, bye bye. Was the hedgy 345 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: owl man going to deliver my message to Letitia? Or 346 00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:23,639 Speaker 1: was he merely some basement apartment bachelor taking a break 347 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:26,359 Speaker 1: from opening cans of chili to have a little fun 348 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 1: at my expense Because I have no other leads. I wait, 349 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: and then one afternoon a week later, I get a 350 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: call back. So once again I unholster my trustee dialing 351 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 1: finger and get ready to deliver some news. Hey, Joe, Hey, Becky. Hi, 352 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: So I have some news to share. I found Leticia. 353 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 5: Holy s what the fuck? 354 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 4: Holy shit balls? 355 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:09,080 Speaker 1: After the break, the holiest shitball of all Letitia. 356 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 2: Nice to see. 357 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:26,439 Speaker 1: We've arranged meat at a place near Letitia's house to 358 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 1: talk about what happened that day long ago. It turns 359 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,400 Speaker 1: out that Letitia still lives in the same neighborhood where 360 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:35,560 Speaker 1: she used to babysit Becky and Joe. The sisters are 361 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 1: the first to arrive, so it's just supposed to be 362 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:42,160 Speaker 1: coming soon. Do you want to sit there? 363 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 5: Sure? 364 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:44,520 Speaker 2: And because I thought I. 365 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 1: Would sit here, And after detailing my elaborate seating chart, 366 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: I offer refreshments. I have some water and glasses for 367 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 1: the water. We fall into a nervous quiet. Joe swimming 368 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 1: in decades old emotions seems especially unsettled. 369 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 8: When you said you found her, I was like, wait, 370 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:10,879 Speaker 8: I don't know this person at all. It's so like 371 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,440 Speaker 8: the last time I saw her was the last time 372 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 8: I saw her, Like, it's so weird. 373 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: Like And then we wait and wait and wait. Becky 374 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,480 Speaker 1: and Joe sit on the couch, side by side, listening 375 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:38,959 Speaker 1: to the cars pass by. Five minutes turns to ten minutes, 376 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 1: ten to fifteen, until finally a knock at the door. 377 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 3: Hello. 378 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:55,640 Speaker 1: Letitia has a warm smile and blonde highlights in her hair. 379 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 3: Oh, it's nice to meet you. 380 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:01,359 Speaker 2: Come on in, Joe are here. Oh great. 381 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,160 Speaker 9: Before the last time I saw you, you were just kids. 382 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: As per my seating arrangement, Becky and Joe are on 383 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 1: the couch. Leticia sits down on the chair opposite them, 384 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: So I maybe we can. I don't know how to 385 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 1: to start exactly, but maybe maybe what with all my 386 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 1: planning out the seating arrangement, which so far seems to 387 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:26,479 Speaker 1: be working like a charm, I hadn't come up with 388 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 1: a plan for how to actually begin a babysitter baby sadded, reunion. 389 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:34,439 Speaker 1: So I figure we should begin at the beginning with 390 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 1: how Letitia came to be hired in the first place. 391 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 1: Do you remember, like there being an interview. Do you 392 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: remember initial impressions of. 393 00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:44,639 Speaker 7: So I think I. 394 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:48,200 Speaker 9: Found a posting maybe on Craigslist. I want to say 395 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 9: I did. I interviewed with your mom. 396 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:53,720 Speaker 1: You know, but didn't come up in the interview, Letitia says, 397 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:56,679 Speaker 1: is how big the job would be. It wasn't just 398 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:59,199 Speaker 1: looking after Becky and Joe. She also had to do 399 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 1: the cooking and house cleaning. Letitia was barely out of 400 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: high school and clearly in over her head. It was 401 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 1: the beginning of a tumultuous period in her life. 402 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 9: When I started to work with you girls, it was 403 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:17,719 Speaker 9: like I was going through like a breakup and like 404 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 9: just my whole world kind of felt like it was 405 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:24,200 Speaker 9: just you know, unraveling, you know, it was just like 406 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:34,199 Speaker 9: it was overwhelming. I remember it being so difficult for 407 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 9: me to get out of my car and like walk 408 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:43,199 Speaker 9: across the street because I felt so uncomfortable under the 409 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 9: glare of like the people just looking at me crossing 410 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 9: the street. I don't know, I felt very like vulnerable 411 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:50,800 Speaker 9: in the world. 412 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:56,680 Speaker 1: Letitia began to overeat compulsively, and when she gained weight, 413 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: it filled her with self hatred to Becky and Joe. 414 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: So Letitia was the definition of cool, but in reality 415 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:07,399 Speaker 1: she was barely keeping it together. Even the inspiring story 416 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 1: about crashing into a cop car was less a middle 417 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:13,240 Speaker 1: finger to the man and more symptom of being trapped 418 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: in her own head. 419 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:16,439 Speaker 9: I remember like breaking down in tears because for some 420 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 9: reason I thought I was going to like go to 421 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:20,920 Speaker 9: jail or something because I hit a police officer. 422 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,879 Speaker 1: When Letitia stopped getting her period, she knew something had 423 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:28,439 Speaker 1: to be really wrong. So finally she went to the doctor. 424 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:32,199 Speaker 9: And it was the doctor who told me, you know, 425 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 9: I think you're depressed. And suddenly when he said that, 426 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:38,159 Speaker 9: it was like, oh my god, yes, of course, like 427 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:39,080 Speaker 9: that's what's happening. 428 00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:43,359 Speaker 1: Eventually, Letitia would crawl out of that depression, but it 429 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 1: would take her a decade to do it. 430 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 9: I mean, I wish I would have had the courage 431 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:50,880 Speaker 9: to come back and speak to you both in person. 432 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:54,880 Speaker 9: So I was really excited and happy to hear that 433 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,119 Speaker 9: you know, you guys had reached it out. 434 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 1: For Letitia, the day she didn't pick up the girls 435 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:04,159 Speaker 1: from school was just one more bad day and a 436 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 1: long blur of bad days. But for Becky and Joe, 437 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 1: it's the day they keep coming back to, one of 438 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:14,440 Speaker 1: the worst of their childhood. Even if Letitia was depressed, 439 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 1: why did she have to abandon them without a word 440 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:19,960 Speaker 1: of warning? Didn't she care that they'd be left waiting 441 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:23,359 Speaker 1: all alone? Joe can't bring herself to raise the question, 442 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:26,960 Speaker 1: so Becky steps up and tries to explain the day 443 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 1: for both of them. 444 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,920 Speaker 5: We sat together on the grass, and I just remember 445 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:36,479 Speaker 5: like the last car, like and then sort of this 446 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 5: panic setting in of. 447 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:42,560 Speaker 7: Like we're alone, and like, yeah. 448 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 5: We waited a really long time, and I remember being 449 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:47,600 Speaker 5: worried that, like you were okay. 450 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: Becky looks over at Joe. Just like when they were kids, 451 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:56,040 Speaker 1: they study each other's faces, looking for direction, trying to 452 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:57,240 Speaker 1: figure out their next move. 453 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 8: Tentatively, Joe, Yeah, I mean that that is what happened. 454 00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 1: But Letitia looks confused. She offers her version of the day. 455 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 1: She'd been unable to get out of bed for most 456 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 1: of the morning, telling herself that she had to go 457 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:16,880 Speaker 1: to work, and yet she couldn't possibly go to work. 458 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:20,719 Speaker 1: This was when she picked up the phone and dialed 459 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 1: Becky and Joe's parents. 460 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 9: I called them and told them that I was going 461 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 9: to be and this was before your school ended, that 462 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 9: I was sick. 463 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:30,800 Speaker 4: But I did call. Of course. 464 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 9: I called and told them, and this was before your 465 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:36,720 Speaker 9: school was out, that I'm sick, and I'm you know, 466 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 9: I wasn't going. 467 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:39,120 Speaker 4: To come in that day. 468 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:41,840 Speaker 7: And that wasn't the day. 469 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 9: That was that day. 470 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 8: No one ever told us that at all. We really 471 00:29:56,200 --> 00:30:00,680 Speaker 8: didn't know, we really and it's been I'm. 472 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 7: Thirty years old. 473 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 8: I mean like I've gone my whole life thinking. 474 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 4: That that was not a part of it. 475 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:11,720 Speaker 7: The fact that you called that she. 476 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 8: Knew that you weren't coming is so absolutely bonkers to me. 477 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 8: I think I felt at the time like it was 478 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 8: it was me and Becky, like we were just too much. 479 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,080 Speaker 1: Becky and Joe reach out for each other's hands. 480 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 8: As Joe continues, according to the I mean my mom 481 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 8: was like, I don't know what happened, Like truly, that's 482 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 8: what we thought happened. 483 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 7: We thought that you just disappeared. 484 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:42,800 Speaker 1: Letitia tells them that she'd only meant to call in 485 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 1: sick for one day, but that their mom had grown 486 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:49,040 Speaker 1: so upset that Leticia, in her fragile state, felt like 487 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:54,280 Speaker 1: she couldn't ever return, and so began Joe's letter writing campaign. 488 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 8: I after you left, wrote like countless letters to you, 489 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:03,840 Speaker 8: and I remember my mom had all the stamps. 490 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:09,520 Speaker 4: And she would mail my letters. 491 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 1: Joe looks at Letitia again. She struggles to ask the 492 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:18,240 Speaker 1: thing she really wants to know, why didn't you ever 493 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 1: respond to me? But before she has to come out 494 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: and say it, Letitia jumps in, I. 495 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 9: Didn't get any letters. I never received any letters. 496 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:35,200 Speaker 1: Joe takes in Letitia's words and speaks in a whisper. 497 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 8: That makes me so mad, Like it's just genuinely confusing, 498 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:49,080 Speaker 8: I mean anger, But like I'm. 499 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 4: Just like, why. 500 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:54,600 Speaker 1: Why hadn't Becky and Joe's mom mailed the letters? And 501 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:57,479 Speaker 1: why hadn't she told the girls that Letitia had actually 502 00:31:57,520 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 1: phoned that. 503 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:06,720 Speaker 10: Day that that is not my memory of what happened. 504 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:10,480 Speaker 1: I reach out to Becky and Joe's mom, Julia to 505 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:13,719 Speaker 1: ask her memory of the day is foggy, but she 506 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 1: does not remember getting a call from Letitia. 507 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:21,120 Speaker 10: As I remember it, I just got a call from 508 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 10: someone at school saying nobody came to pick up your kids, 509 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:28,840 Speaker 10: and that felt like the worst thing I had ever done, 510 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 10: in letting my kids down. 511 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:35,600 Speaker 1: Julia also doesn't remember being given any letters to mail, regardless, 512 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 1: she wouldn't have been mailing them in the first place. 513 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:42,479 Speaker 1: She says, Joe knew where the stamp drawer was. Julia 514 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:45,600 Speaker 1: remembers the time of Letitia's employment as one of worry 515 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:48,520 Speaker 1: and stress. She was producing about a half a dozen 516 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 1: film projects at the time and was always exhausted. She 517 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:55,080 Speaker 1: kept long hours during the week, and on weekends she 518 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:57,640 Speaker 1: read the scripts that arrived at her doorstep in a 519 00:32:57,720 --> 00:32:58,320 Speaker 1: huge pile. 520 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:02,160 Speaker 10: I didn't feel I had to apologize to my girls 521 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 10: for having a career, but I did see that they 522 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 10: kind of resented it, and I could understand why because 523 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:16,960 Speaker 10: it did take me away from them. 524 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:19,600 Speaker 1: Julia herself understands what it means to grow up with 525 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:22,240 Speaker 1: an absent mom. Her own mother was a New York 526 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 1: talent agent who was always distracted with work and handed 527 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:27,600 Speaker 1: her off to a series of housekeepers. 528 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 10: And I had my own memories of what I resented, 529 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 10: like my mother did not get up in the moment. 530 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:39,880 Speaker 10: She liked to sleep late, and so she didn't get 531 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,720 Speaker 10: up in the morning when my brother and I went 532 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 10: to school, so our lunches were always made by the housekeeper. 533 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:50,800 Speaker 4: I just remember. 534 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:55,880 Speaker 10: Wishing that my mother had made my lunch herself. You know, 535 00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 10: when I became a mom, I think I hoped I 536 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:02,479 Speaker 10: would do better, But when I got there myself, I 537 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:03,719 Speaker 10: saw how hard it was. 538 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 1: But she was always sure to make the girl's lunches herself, 539 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 1: taking care to drop a note in saying she was 540 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 1: thinking of them, that she loved them. As for the 541 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:17,759 Speaker 1: other household chores, it seems like a lot of that 542 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 1: fell to the young women she hired for Julia, being 543 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,520 Speaker 1: responsible for the cooking and cleaning while working a more 544 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:27,400 Speaker 1: than full time job was too hard, and it was 545 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:30,400 Speaker 1: made even harder by an agreement struck with her husband 546 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:32,000 Speaker 1: early on in their marriage. 547 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:36,240 Speaker 10: My husband, I mean, it was clear he never wanted 548 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:38,960 Speaker 10: kids as much as I did, and I think he 549 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:41,919 Speaker 10: loved them once they got here, but it was my deal, 550 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:47,040 Speaker 10: and I was fully one hundred percent responsible for all 551 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:53,160 Speaker 10: child's care duties and everything, and that was something that 552 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 10: was a bit of a problem in my marriage, you know, 553 00:34:57,239 --> 00:34:59,560 Speaker 10: which ultimately ended in divorce. 554 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:04,440 Speaker 1: Julia says that when she envisions Becky and Joe sitting 555 00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:07,400 Speaker 1: on the school lawn embracing as the sky turned dark, 556 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:09,880 Speaker 1: she can't help but remember the day she sat her 557 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:12,319 Speaker 1: daughters down to tell them that she and their dad 558 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:17,520 Speaker 1: were divorcing. Becky was eighteen by then and Joe twenty two. 559 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:20,880 Speaker 1: Julia remembers them holding on to each other while she 560 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:25,319 Speaker 1: broke the news. Well, Julia thought, at least they've got 561 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:27,120 Speaker 1: each other, and I. 562 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:47,440 Speaker 10: Felt like they're together, They're gonna be okay. 563 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:49,120 Speaker 9: Yeah, you were ten. 564 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:53,680 Speaker 1: I remember, because after hearing what their mom remembers, Becky 565 00:35:53,719 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 1: and Joe say that there's probably no way to ever 566 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:59,719 Speaker 1: know for sure what happened. Back then. Julia was just 567 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:04,000 Speaker 1: trying to survive, and so was Leticia. They each remember 568 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:07,399 Speaker 1: things differently, and some things they don't remember at all. 569 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:11,359 Speaker 8: I remember making a smoothie with you and spilling the 570 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:15,800 Speaker 8: blender and I thought that was the reason. 571 00:36:16,719 --> 00:36:19,840 Speaker 1: When Joe brings up the spilled smoothie, this painful regret 572 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:23,400 Speaker 1: she's carried with her well into adulthood, Latitia tells her 573 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:25,799 Speaker 1: that she has no recollection of any smoothies at all, 574 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:29,080 Speaker 1: and so Joe pulls out another pivotal memory. 575 00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:32,880 Speaker 8: I have a question, do you remember that Alia dance? 576 00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:34,319 Speaker 4: We're doing it? 577 00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:39,719 Speaker 1: Letitia shakes her head. She doesn't remember, but the sisters do. 578 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:43,239 Speaker 1: It's another moment that they still carry with them, that 579 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:43,920 Speaker 1: only they. 580 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:45,719 Speaker 4: Share, Like I remember that. 581 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:48,400 Speaker 2: That's so adorable. 582 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 4: Yeah, it was like. 583 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:58,520 Speaker 1: The sisters mirror each other's hand movements, they fall into 584 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:02,359 Speaker 1: the dance automatically. They're enjoying themselves and each other. 585 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 4: And I just went again, that so funny. 586 00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 1: In the Aliah song are you that somebody? Aliah poses 587 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:18,160 Speaker 1: a question, are you that somebody? Because of a hotel 588 00:37:18,239 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: Wi Fi situation. I've yet to listen to the song, 589 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:28,800 Speaker 1: so I don't know whether Aliah ever gets her answer answer, 590 00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:32,680 Speaker 1: But watching Becky and Joe, it's clear they've gotten their answer. 591 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:37,960 Speaker 1: Becky and Joe's somebody was neither babysitter nor parent. The 592 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:41,279 Speaker 1: one constant the sister's always had was each other. 593 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:44,360 Speaker 7: I care a lot about my sister. 594 00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:51,239 Speaker 4: Yeah, and I mean we're closer now than I think ever. 595 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:53,960 Speaker 8: And Becky's one of the closest people to me in 596 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,440 Speaker 8: my life and my hero. 597 00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:03,880 Speaker 9: Hello. 598 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:05,920 Speaker 2: Yes, issue Okay. 599 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:09,560 Speaker 1: Letitia gets a call from the hedgie man, who it 600 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:13,200 Speaker 1: turns out is also her husband. Their nineteen month old 601 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:15,799 Speaker 1: daughter is having a meltdown and their six year old 602 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,880 Speaker 1: daughter needs to be picked up from school, so Letitia 603 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:21,680 Speaker 1: has to rush off. They all make plans to get 604 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:25,319 Speaker 1: together soon, but for now, Letitia needs to take care 605 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:28,520 Speaker 1: of her daughters, and Becky and Joe for their part, 606 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:32,799 Speaker 1: head out together into a beautiful la afternoon, doing their 607 00:38:32,840 --> 00:39:15,480 Speaker 1: best to keep taking care of each other. Now that 608 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:20,040 Speaker 1: the furnitures returning. 609 00:39:19,040 --> 00:39:26,720 Speaker 7: To its goodwill home, now that the last month's rent 610 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:29,120 Speaker 7: is scheming. 611 00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:32,600 Speaker 1: With the damage to pozzle, take this moment to dissolve. 612 00:39:35,239 --> 00:39:40,640 Speaker 4: If we meant it, if we tried. We felt around 613 00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:46,040 Speaker 4: for far too from things that accidentally. 614 00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:54,080 Speaker 1: This episode of Heavyweight was produced by Khalila Holt and 615 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:58,360 Speaker 1: me Jonathan Goldstein, along with Stevie Lane Nba Parker. The 616 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:01,880 Speaker 1: show is edited by Jorha Special thanks to Emily Condon, 617 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:06,440 Speaker 1: Lulu Miller, Annah Sullivan Kate Parkinson, Morgan Matilde, Urfelino, and 618 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:10,160 Speaker 1: Jackie Cohen. Bobby Lord makes the episode with original music 619 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:14,000 Speaker 1: by Christine Fellows, John K. Sampson and Bobby Lord. Additional 620 00:40:14,080 --> 00:40:16,959 Speaker 1: music credits can be found on our website, gimbletmedia dot 621 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:20,440 Speaker 1: com slash Heavyweight. Our theme song is by The Weaker 622 00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:23,279 Speaker 1: Thans courtesy of Epitaph Records, and our ad music is 623 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:26,480 Speaker 1: by Hailey Shaw. Follow us on Twitter at Heavyweight or 624 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:29,839 Speaker 1: email us at Heavyweight at gimltmedia dot com. You can 625 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:33,879 Speaker 1: listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 626 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:36,640 Speaker 1: We'll have a brand new episode next week.