Episode transcript - “MENTAL GYMNASTICS”
ADAM RAYMONDA: Before we get started today, we would like to let you know that this episode deals with the topic of abortion and anti-choice protestors. Please take care of yourself as you listen.
Forgive Me! Season 3 Episode 10: Mental Gymnastics
[SFX: The door to Pat’s Diner opens, and Klem and Ben walk in mid-conversation]
FR. KLEM: No, no, no! It is unbelievable what you’re saying.
FR. BEN: I just don’t think you can say from her perspective how hurtful that language could be.
FR. KLEM: Oh, so now we have Mr. Holy Man here WILLINGLY JUSTIFYING this group completely ostracizing that poor woman. Because she told the truth? Absurd. Hey Pat!
PAT: Hey gentleman. Be right with ya.
FR. BEN: Klem, I’ve been saying this to you for weeks now. I do not think what they are doing is right or justified, I just don’t think it invalidates the feelings, however bizarre they may seem to you or I.
FR. KLEM: You’re saying I need to sit here and be all understanding because she was told she “smelled like hospital”? This grown adult has been on a tirade for months because of this, and I am supposed to feel sorry for her?
FR. BEN: Isn’t that the Catholic thing to do?
PAT: Now what is this you two are yelling about in my diner?
FR. BEN AND FR. KLEM: True Homemakers of Salt Lake City.
PAT: Ah, I see, and here I was thinking you two were just spilling the lives of your churchgoers all over my counter.
FR. BEN: You know me better than that, Pat.
PAT: And I know nobody riles you up like this wise guy.
FR. KLEM: He’s an easy target, Pat! And you have to admit it’s a bit dumb this boy tries to turn every reality show we watch into a lesson on empathy.
FR. BEN: I just think it’s important to live our values. I’m not gonna start dumping on people just because they’re behind a screen.
FR. KLEM: So many jokes I could make with the word dumping from here…
[SFX: The door opens again. Emily walks in.]
EMILY: Hey Pat! Mind if I grab a booth in the back?
PAT: Hey, Emily! What a pleasant surprise seeing you on a Sunday evening. No Tom tonight? Here, take a menu.
EMILY: (walking toward the counter) Thanks, and nah just me. (noticing Klem and Ben) Oh! Hey Fathers. Didn’t see you there.
PAT: No need to apologize to these two scoundrels. They’re here so often they blend into the furniture.
FR. KLEM: (playfully) Hey! Look at mister comedian now! Mocking two servants of the Lord. Go get my coffee, heathen!
PAT: (laughing) Right away, your holiness!
FR. KLEM: Good to see you, Emily!
EMILY: Likewise Father. Glad to see you staying out of trouble.
FR. KLEM: (chucking) Ahh, only because this one won’t let me have any fun!
FR. BEN: Hey Emily. How’s the family?
EMILY: Oh fine. Tom’s figured out that David likes watching him play video games, so they’re playing that video game Olden Bling tonight.
FR. BEN: They’ve really become such a pair.
EMILY: I should thank you for that, you know.
FR. BEN: Why me?
EMILY: Says you talked some sense into him about David right around the time you first got here.
FR. BEN: (blushing) I’m honored if anything I said made a positive impact.
EMILY: It’s funny, I asked him what you said, and I swear I’d said the same thing to him verbatim, but something about how you phrased it clearly left a mark, so thank you.
FR. BEN: Really is silly how that works. Sometimes we can hear the same answer over and over, but we just have to be in the right place to really listen.
EMILY: I guess so. I think that collar probably helps a bit too.
FR. KLEM: It certainly does! You should see how much free food I’ve gotten over the years with this thing. Now Pat, where’s my coffee!
EMILY: Alright, well I’m gonna go find a booth. Nice running into you two!
FR. KLEM: Nonsense! You’re eating alone. Sit with us. Benji does smell a bit, but the stool on the other side of me is open so you should be safe.
EMILY: Oh, I appreciate the offer, Father, but I’m meeting somebody, that private investigator actually.
FR. BEN: (chokes on his drink and coughs a bit)
FR. KLEM: Slow down there Benji. I know your sermons are dry, but there’s no way you’re that thirsty.
EMILY: You alright, Father?
FR. BEN: (coughs once more but regaining his composure) Oh yeah, sorry! Just went down the wrong pipe. I remember you saying you were meeting with her earlier today. I didn’t realize you meant tonight.
EMILY: Yeah. Figured if I’m gonna do it I might as well get it over with. Plus she’s buying me dinner
FR. KLEM: In that case, let her know if she needs anyone else to talk to. I’m available. I’ll pin the whole thing on Father here if it means a free plate of waffles.
EMILY: (laughing) I’ll let her know. Have a good dinner, Fathers.
[SFX: Emily walks away from the counter.
FR. BEN: Okay, let’s get out of here.
FR. KLEM: Are you kidding? It’s Meatloaf Sunday!
FR. BEN: We haven’t even ordered yet.
FR. KLEM: Good point. (Shouting over to pat) Pat! Two meatloaf specials for me and the pope here!
PAT: Coming right up your holinessess. Diet Bepsi with the meal, right?
FR. KLEM: You know me too well, Pat.
PAT: Seltzer with lemon, Father?
FR. BEN: (resigned) Yes, thanks Pat.
FR. KLEM: What were you saying?
FR. BEN: I just think it’s better if we aren’t here when the PI arrives. I don’t want to… I don't know… get in the way.
FR. KLEM: I hear you my boy, I do. On another occasion I might even have listened.
FR. BEN: But…
FR. KLEM: But it’s Meatloaf Sunday. And while I love you, and I would do anything for love. I won’t do that. I won’t leave without my damned meatloaf.
[SFX: Door chimes and Olivia enters.]
FR. KLEM: Look who it is now! The town private dick. Olivia, isn’t it?
OLIVIA: (a little surprised to be spoken to) What? Ah, yes. Hi. It’s Father Klem, right?
FR. KLEM: That’s right. The best priest you’ll find for at least the next 15 miles. I’m not sure if you’ve met my colleague, Father Ben.
[SFX: Ben kicks Klem]
FR. KLEM: Ow! What?
FR. BEN: Thanks Father, but Olivia and I have met before, down at the church.
OLIVIA: Ah yes, I vaguely remember chatting with you about something a few weeks ago.
FR. KLEM: That sounds like our Father Ben, vaguely memorable.
FR. BEN: You’re really on one today.
FR. KLEM: Sorry, sorry.
FR. BEN: Emily’s in the booth on the back wall if you’re looking for her.
OLIVIA: Oh?
FR. BEN: She mentioned she was meeting you here.
OLIVIA: Got it, thanks.
FR. KLEM: She also mentioned something about a free dinner. I don’t know what kind of budget Susan is giving you for this, but I’m sure I could come up with some helpful anecdotes. It’s just that my weak old memory would probably require some help. I think I’ve heard Maine lobster is good for cognition?
OLIVIA: I’ll keep that in mind… Have a good night, gentlemen.
[SFX: The sound follows Olivia as she is walking away. Fr. Ben and Fr. Klem’s convo fades as she moves farther away.]
FR. BEN: (calling after her) Thanks, you too. Let us know if we can be of any help!
FR. KLEM: Very cool and collected there. (teasing) “Let us know if we can be of any help.”
FR. BEN: I asked if we could leave. The least you could have done was kept a low profile.
FR. KLEM: Sorry, my boy. I change for nobody.
[MIDROLL AD BEAK]
OLIVIA: Hi, Emily?
EMILY: Olivia, hey! Sit down. Hope you don’t mind me grabbing a seat. I saw the best booth in the diner open and had to grab it.
OLIVIA: Totally get it. What makes this the best booth though?
EMILY: Back corner, windows on both sides. You can see the whole place but your conversation can be pretty private, not to mention it’s nowhere near the bathroom. Pat keeps this place pretty spotless, but it’s still a diner bathroom.
OLIVIA: (amused but still tense given they’ve never really met and what they’re here for) That’s a very well reasoned opinion.
EMILY: I grew up here, and it’s the only diner in town. I had entirely too many arguments over the pros and cons of each booth in this place when I was a teenager.
OLIVIA: I can relate to that… I have to say, I really appreciate you meeting with me. I’m sorry for all the pestering, and you would’ve been well within your rights to tell me to F off. So the fact that you were willing to… Well, thanks... It makes my job a lot easier.
EMILY: Yeah, I mean I was definitely going to tell you to take a hike and my husband probably would’ve had stronger words than that for you.
OLIVIA: Why didn’t you?
EMILY: A couple reasons, honestly. I talked to that priest over there, Father Ben, about it.
OLIVIA: You did?
EMILY: Yeah, he’s a great priest and has been a really good friend to me and my husband these last couple years, so his word means a lot to us. This morning after Mass I was complaining to him about how relentlessly annoying you’ve been with your voicemails…
OLIVIA: Sorry about that.
EMILY: It’s all good. I get it. Anyway, he told me that he’s spoken to you, and you’re a kind and empathetic person who wouldn’t go and twist my words around.
OLIVIA: That was… certainly nice of him to say. And I can tell you it’s true too. I’m not trying to trap anyone or anything.
EMILY: That actually brings me to the other reason I wanted to talk to you.
OLIVIA: What’s that?
EMILY: Well, if you’re so great I just feel like you have a right to know who you’re working for.
OLIVIA: Susan?
EMILY: (humored by the suggestion) The Parrot PI? No, she’s a character, but she’s harmless. I’m talking about the A of A. How familiar are you with the organization?
OLIVIA: I mean a bit. Sam, my… ex-husband, is a member of the group in Binghamton, but they seemed pretty different from the one here. They only really met to plan fundraisers for the refugee families that moved to the area.
EMILY: That’s certainly different from what we’ve got here.
OLIVIA: Yeah, these men seem a bit more… intense?
EMILY: That’s one word you could use.
OLIVIA: (laughs) Okay, they seem like real assholes, Roger in particular.
EMILY: See, now I get why Father Ben thought we’d hit it off.
OLIVIA: He said that?
EMILY: Yeah. He said you tell it like it is, no bullshit. He actually said “no bullshit,” which is super not like him and was particularly funny since he was still in his vestments.
OLIVIA: Hah, I guess I appreciate the vote of confidence.
EMILY: You should. Anyway, I agree with you. These guys are assholes, but honestly that doesn’t quite cover it. They’re dangerous.
OLIVIA: Dangerous? I mean they definitely aren’t a net positive on your community, but what damage could a bunch of conservative uncles obsessed with their bowling alley really do?
EMILY: You said you’re from Binghamton right?
OLIVIA: Yeah.
EMILY: I’m sure you’ve noticed, but compared to here you may as well be from Manhattan. A club full of bigoted old white dudes raising money for personal and “social” causes? They can do a hell of a lot more damage than what you’d see in your big city.
OLIVIA: Oh god, what have they been doing?
EMILY: So many things over the years. I mean one pretty awful example comes to mind though.
OLIVIA: What’s that?
EMILY: Using their fundraising money to have a PI and her assistant harass an entire family over an insane vendetta.
OLIVIA: Very funny.
EMILY: I’m serious! Why do you think we’re talking? I can’t imagine your investigation actually pointed in mine or my husband’s direction.
OLIVIA: I mean there was a witness saying you weren’t at the petting zoo at the time of the fire…
EMILY: Look me in the eye and tell me that’s why you're here and not because the “Supreme Admiral” commanded it.
OLIVIA: You’re right. He insisted you’re a suspect.
EMILY: Fucking prick. I knew it. I should listen to my dad and sue his ass for harassment.
OLIVIA: Harassment?
EMILY: What would you call it?
OLIVIA: I think I’m missing some context.
EMILY: Yeah, sorry. Listen, this is all a lot to talk about but it stems from an abortion I had about 15 years ago.
OLIVIA: I see… I’m sorry I didn’t mean to pry…
EMILY: Oh no. I’m comfortable talking about it. Honestly, I knew it would come up tonight. It's just always an awkward balance of when to bring it up. Figured I’d warm you up with some booth banter rather than jumping straight to it the second you sat down.
OLIVIA: (awkwardly laughing) I can respect that.
EMILY: Anyway, yeah, I was 18. It was the summer before college, and I was dating this kid at the time, Riley Donaldson, just a classic high school relationship doomed to fail by midsemester freshman year.
OLIVIA: I know the type.
EMILY: Yeah, well, like most high school romances, we spent that summer trying to educate ourselves. Then lo and behold it's mid-July and I’m throwing up, peeing on a stick, and sobbing to my mom, begging her not to tell my dad.
OLIVIA: God, I’m so sorry. I met your dad, actually. He’s… a lot.
EMILY: Yeah, he’s an ass, but this was one of his shining moments, actually. He just said…
JOE: Emily, it’s alright. I love you so much and support you. Whatever you want to do from here, it’s the absolute right decision because this is your choice and nobody else’s.
EMILY: It’s a really nice memory, actually.
OLIVIA: Damn, good dad.
EMILY: I wouldn’t go that far, but he probably deserves slightly more credit than I give him.
OLIVIA: I’m worried to ask, but where does the Armada play into this?
EMILY: I knew I was going to get an abortion the minute I saw the second line on that stick. Mom helped me schedule an appointment the next day and went in the next week. The nearest clinic was in Binghamton
OLIVIA: The Planned Parenthood on Applewood?
EMILY: I don’t remember honestly… why?
OLIVIA: My Aunt works there…
EMILY: That’s interesting, I’m pretty sure Fr. Ben used to work at a church in Binghamton. Small world.
OLIVIA: (surprised at Ben being mention) Er, yeah it is. (recovering and changing the subject quickly) Anyway, it probably was. That’s the only Planned Parenthood actually in Bing and not in one of the suburbs. Sorry, I interrupted.
EMILY: Completely fine, but yeah we took that trip, which I have to say was just so weird.
OLIVIA: What was so weird about it?
EMILY: I remember my mom and I were planning to go alone but then my dad said:
JOE: “I really want to be there for you.”
EMILY: It was sweet, but if you know my dad he isn’t exactly a comforting presence most of the time. My mom was in this intense mama bear mode, which I love her for, and I remember her telling him:
DARLA: “You can come but you’re sitting in the backseat.”
EMILY: My dad was and still is pretty big on stuff like having his seat, so if the idea of him tagging along to my abortion wasn’t weird enough, the fact that he just replied to my mom saying:
JOE: “Of course.”
EMILY: Made everything feel ten times more surreal.
OLIVIA: God, I can’t imagine that car ride. Did you just sit in silence the whole trip?
EMILY: (sound of the car ride coming in) Pretty much, but it’s also strangely one of my favorite moments with my parents. Sitting there in the front seat, no radio on, looking out the window, feeling so tense. I remember glancing up for a moment at the rear view mirror and seeing my dad sitting, for some reason, in the middle seat, his head bumping against the ceiling of the car, frizzing up his comb over.
OLIVIA: What a visual.
EMILY: I looked over at my mom, and we made eye contact. She’d clearly seen the same thing and is trying to keep a somber, consoling face. I see her smile betray her for just a second and then we both just started dying laughing.
[SFX: Emily and Darla burst into laughter.]
OLIVIA: (humored) Oh my god.
EMILY: I know! My dad was so flustered by us laughing. I remember him saying:
JOE: “What’s so funny?!”
EMILY: Which of course just made us laugh even harder. Finally, after like 30 more seconds and my dad pleading “What?!” a couple more times, my mom managed to get out between laughs:
DARLA: (panting with laughter) Joe… your hair... you look like the world's most uptight peacock. Here look in my mirror..
EMILY: He looked in the mirror and burst out laughing himself. We just all laughed for a good minute or two until it died off. Then my dad said:
JOE: Why don’t you put on some music?
EMILY: Which was also miraculous because I don’t think his radio had ever been tuned to an FM station before. We drove along the rest of the trip listening to top 40, and it was a nice moment, right up until we arrived.
OLIVIA: I assume this is where our friends come in.
EMILY: That’s right, I…
PAT: (interrupting) Sorry to interrupt. I took the liberty of assuming you’d want water and I know it's late but I also brought a couple mugs of coffee if you’re interested.
EMILY: Thanks Pat. You know me too well, but I’m good tonight.
PAT: No problem.
OLIVIA: I’ll take one, thank you.
PAT: (reaching) Here you go. Can I get you both anything to eat?
EMILY: I’ll have my usual.
PAT: Pancakes at 6pm, a woman after my own heart. For you?
OLIVIA: That sounds great, actually. Make it two, thanks.
PAT: Coming right up.
OLIVIA: Hope you don’t mind.
EMILY: What?
OLIVIA: Me copying your order.
EMILY: Usually I’d say that’s a lot of pressure, but pancakes are pretty hard to screw up, and Pat never has in the twenty years I’ve been ordering them here.
OLIVIA: Seems like I made the right choice. We were just getting to the Armada…
EMILY: Right, yes, so we pull up to the clinic, and there’s a small crowd of about ten people with signs standing out front. I hear my mom curse, and I’m not clear right away what’s going on until I see what’s on the signs.
OLIVIA: Oh, Jesus.
EMILY: (wryly) Jesus was on a bunch of them, as a baby of course. I bet you can guess who was leading the whole charade.
OLIVIA: Roger?
EMILY: Bingo. We see him and realize the A of A men were having their monthly field trip to harass women going into the Planned Parenthood. My mom quickly parked the car next to a clinic escort, and I immediately hid my face and started sobbing. My Dad is frantically talking to the escort to see if they have a backdoor or something. Before I’m even out of the car, I see Roger’s lap dog, Brett, point at us, and Roger comes gallumping over with his whole posse behind him.
OLIVIA: He didn’t…
EMILY: At first he’s beaming ear to ear. He must have seen my mom and assumed she was there to join the protest. He started to say:
ROGER: Darla, so glad you came out to help us defend the unborn.
EMILY: Then Roger saw me crying and the rage on my parents’ faces, and his face twisted into this mirthful disgust. The escort was great and realized immediately that he clearly knew us. They moved quickly and started herding me and my parents through the group. I remember them calmly saying to me:
CLINIC ESCORT: I'm sorry about them. You don't have to listen to a thing they say. I can walk you in, if you'd like.
EMILY: Having that calm confidence got my legs moving with my parents. I just remember focusing on the back of the escort as I walked forward with my parents to either side. People I grew up around, parents of kids in my school just shouting the most horrible things.
[SFX: Men shouting. “Murderer.” “Child killer.”,“Enjoy hell.” “The Lord is watching.”]
EMILY: My dad was a ball of rage as we walk, just muttering
JOE: I’m going to destroy these men.
[SFX:: Continued shouting. “Don’t let her kill your grandchild.” “Your grandchild’s blood is on your hands.” “You’re going to burn for this.”]
EMILY: My mom calmed him down saying.
DARLA: Joe, don’t be an idiot. Emily, don’t listen to these assholes. We’re going to destroy them.
EMILY: I really do love my parents.
OLIVIA: Sounds like they really showed up. So, did they kill them?
EMILY: Well, as we got to the steps into the building, the men stopped shouting at random and began shouting this prayer at us. It was honestly more aggressive than the insults and one of the scarier things I’ve ever seen.
ROGER, BRETT, & CROWD: Heavenly Father, in Your love for us, protect against the wickedness of the devil, those helpless little ones to whom You have given the gift of life. Touch with pity the hearts of those women pregnant in our world today who are not thinking of motherhood. Help them to see that the child they carry is made in Your image—as well as theirs—and made for eternal life. Dispel their fear and selfishness and give them true womanly hearts to love their babies and give them birth and all the needed care that a mother can give. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.
OLIVIA: God, that sounds so scary and awful.
EMILY: It really was. And then right before we open the door, Roger shouts to my parents.
ROGER: “You let your child defile her body, and now you’ll let her be a murderer?”
OLIVIA: What a piece of shit.
EMILY: Oh, my mom tried to slap him across the face and probably would have sent him flying into the next parking lot if the escort didn’t get in the way. Lucky too because judge or not I’m sure they would have lawyered up.
OLIVIA: God, I’m so sorry you had to deal with that.
EMILY: Me too.
PAT: Two orders of pancakes and some syrup for the most serious table at the diner.
EMILY: Thanks, Pat.
OLIVIA: Thank you.
PAT: Of course. Just holler if you need anything else.
EMILY: Will do.
OLIVIA: I really appreciate you telling me that.
EMILY: I mean I’m not done with the story if that’s alright.
OLIVIA: Oh! Sorry, I just assumed the Roger part was done… Go ahead. What happened next?
EMILY: Well, I got the abortion. I decided to have the aspiration procedure rather than do the pill since there’d be less follow up, given the hecklers outside.
OLIVIA: Understandable.
EMILY: Yeah. Anyway, I had the procedure and we came outside after to find all the A of A assholes gone. My dad would never admit it, but I think he used his judge card to make some calls to somebody in government and had them shooed off.
OLIVIA: Damn, he must really have some pull.
EMILY: Yeah, he does, but just don’t let him hear you say it or he’ll really puff out his chest.
OLIVIA: Still, that had to be a relief.
EMILY: I guess. The rest of that day is kind of a blur. I just remember wanting to sleep. Anyway, the real bullshit with the Armada began the next Sunday.
OLIVIA: There’s more with them?
EMILY: Oh, always… We walk into church and everyone is looking at me with these somber eyes. One of the old ladies turned to me and said, “I’m very sorry, dear.” By the time we get to our seats it’s clear that Roger and crew had made sure the entire community knew about my procedure.
OLIVIA: That sounds terrible.
EMILY: I remember sitting down and seeing Riley Donaldson glaring at me from across the church.
OLIVIA: You hadn’t told him?
EMILY: Oh, of course not. Honestly, I didn’t think it was any of his business. Plus I knew he’d pressure me to keep it. Catholic kids. You wind up talking about shit like this, and I knew where he stood.
OLIVIA: Fair enough.
EMILY: Honestly, I didn’t mean for anyone to know who didn’t have to. Not cause I’m ashamed or anything like that just, what business is it of theirs?
OLIVIA: You don’t need to explain yourself to me, I…
EMILY: (interrupting) I know, I know. Plus the folks at St. Pat’s, as far as rural Catholic churches could handle something like this, at least didn’t actively try to make me feel like shit.
OLIVIA: But…
EMILY: But I’m convinced there are no Catholics who are good at talking about abortion from the perspective of a woman. Everyone treated me like I was grieving. Hell, one woman gave me a pamphlet on grief counseling for women of unborn children. Don’t get me wrong. This was a sad and intense time for me, but I wasn’t grieving and I didn’t have regrets.
OLIVIA: Are you kidding me?
EMILY: It sucked. Still does, really. People at the church don’t forget anything, and now that everyone my age is having kids, you can literally watch the mental gymnastics they do around me when the topic of babies comes up.
OLIVIA: I can see it now.
EMILY: The worst, though, really was the Armada and their messaging update.
OLIVIA: What do you mean?
EMILY: Seeing me clearly sparked something in them. They became a lot more fervent on abortion and would send out mailers to everyone in the community, including us. Their new fundraising line was “unborn children are being murdered every day, even at St. Patrick’s.”
OLIVIA: Those fucking assholes.
EMILY: They never mentioned me by name, never pointed at us directly. They knew my dad would destroy them in court, but they did everything they could to make certain I knew how they felt. Fr. Klem at the time tried to put a stop to the messaging, calling it “crusade language,” but the A of A appealed to the Diocese and the Bishop sided with them.
OLIVIA: Damn.
EMILY: Anyway, that’s pretty much the whole story between us and them. I left for college and moved away for a decade and have been back for a couple years now. Every time I see the old A of A people I look them straight on to watch them look down at their feet like ants. It’s a small thing, but it’s nice to show them they still don’t get to control how I live my life.
OLIVIA: Spineless idiots.
EMILY: So…
OLIVIA: So what?
EMILY: So why do you work for them?
OLIVIA: I… I don’t know.
EMILY: Really?
OLIVIA: No, that’s not true. First, I don’t work for them. They are a client, and I barely do what they say anyway. I saw Roger for the bigoted prick he is the first time I met him, and Susan convinced me it’d be worth milking him for some cash, given it seemed like it was clearly an accident and we were just satisfying his paranoia.
EMILY: So why did Susan tell my mom and husband the case was basically pointless, but you’re the one who is obsessed with trying to solve it?
OLIVIA: She did?
EMILY: First thing she said to both of them.
OLIVIA: (to herself) I’m gonna kill that woman.
EMILY: What?
OLIVIA: I don’t… Okay, I get how bad that sounds, and the real explanation is not much better at this point, but it’s better than “I’m just doing my job.”
EMILY: What is it?
OLIVIA: I think somebody really did burn down that building. There’s something about the situation that just does not add up, and I feel responsible to get to the bottom of it.
EMILY: Why?
OLIVIA: Because I’m on the case.
EMILY: But you just said you weren’t put on this case to solve it!
OLIVIA: Emily, I…
EMILY: You’re literally out here doing legwork to try and help the worst person in this community make somebody in my family into a fucking criminal.
OLIVIA: It’s not that simple. I mean if I don’t do this then…
EMILY: Then what?
OLIVIA: Then an arsonist is free to attack your community.
EMILY: Seriously?
OLIVIA: (offended) Actually, yes.
EMILY: If you actually gave a shit you’d be going back to the authorities with this info rather than trying to solve it yourself.
OLIVIA: I don’t have anything solid enough yet, and I’ve been told the fire unit isn’t exactly reliable around here.
EMILY: So, what? You’re gonna just keep working at this then, taking your pay from Roger, shaking down whoever he deems morally questionable?
OLIVIA: For better or worse, I’m going to finish what I started.
EMILY: (rustling out of the booth) Well, thanks for dinner. I’m thinking it’s time for me to head out.
OLIVIA: Emily, wait!
EMILY: What?
OLIVIA: (clearly pained to be asking) I have it from a couple witnesses…
EMILY: You can’t be serious.
OLIVIA: (powering through) …you weren’t at the petting zoo at the time of the fire. Where were you?
EMILY: You’re unbelievable! Fine. I was taking a call.
OLIVIA: What was the call?
EMILY: Fuck you.
OLIVIA: Emily, I’m sorry. I have to ask.
EMILY: It was my doctor. We’re having a girl, you fucking dickhead.
[SFX: Emily storms out.]
EMILY: (heard from a distance) Night Pat! Uh, Nancy Drew over there has my tab.
PAT: Sounds good, Emily.
OLIVIA: (to herself) I really am a fucking dickhead…
[MUSIC: A melancholy version of the Forgive Me end credits song plays.]
ADAM: Forgive Me! is a Rogue Dialogue production. This episode was written and directed by Jack Marone and Bob Raymonda.
Here’s our cast in order of appearance:
Josh Rubino as Fr. Klem
Casey Callaghan as Fr. Ben
Graham Rowat as Pat
Emily Elizabeth as Olivia
Caroline Mincks as Emily
Michael Larkin as Joe
Sarah Rhea Werner as Darla
Jeffrey Nils Gardener as Clinic Escort
Bob Frame as Roger
Michael Antico as Brett
Additional voices from Bob Raymonda, Adam Raymonda, and Jack Marone
Script editing by Jordan Stillman.
Sensitivity reading by Jay Griffin.
Dialogue Editing by Bob Raymonda.
Sound design, score, and mixing by Adam Raymonda.
All of the graphic design comes from Sam Twardy.
Season three of Forgive Me! Would not be the same without our Executive Producer Curtis Dibrell Jr.
Find out what we’re up to by following @forgivemeshow on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this unfortunately timely episode. We’d like to especially thank Jeffrey Nils Gardener for introducing us to our sensitivity reader, Jay Griffin, who they met during their own time as a clinic escort in Chicago. We would not have been confident enough to produce this script without their care and guidance in the writing process.
Since last June, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade: we’ve watched in horror as anti-choice politicians and demonstrators have worked hand in hand to degrade the right for bodily autonomy throughout this country. Our entire team is fiercely pro-choice, and wanted to do all that we can to support the mutual aid funds that are fighting to provide safe and vital healthcare access to millions of people every single day. In lieu of payment for their services, Jay requested that we donate their stipend to the Midwest Access Coalition because of the incredible work they do doing just that.
Additionally, we’ll be donating all of our Patreon proceeds for the month of September. If you’d like to join us in supporting this important cause, please follow the link in our shownotes.
That’s all for now! We’ll see you back here in two weeks for episode 11.