Isabelle On The Line

ISABELLE:
Hi, my name is Isabelle, and I'm a volunteer for Groove-On.com.

WOMAN ON THE PHONE: For who?

ISABELLE:
Groove-On.com. It's a national progressive movement fighting for health care justice.

WOMAN:
I don't like fighting.

ISABELLE:
Well it's not fighting like punching people. It's a political group.

WOMAN:
Who is this? How did you get my number?

ISABELLE:
We get people's names from the voter rolls. I'm a volunteer. My name is Isabelle.

WOMAN:
What are you selling?

ISABELLE:
We're not selling anything.

WOMAN:
I don't want to buy anything.

ISABELLE:
We're not selling anything.

WOMAN:
Although wait a minute, we need milk. Wait a second. Chester? Chester, are we out of milk? He's not answering like he doesn't hear me, but I know he hears me.

ISABELLE:
We're not selling milk. We don't have any milk.

WOMAN:
Well what do you have?

ISABELLE:
We don't have anything. We wanted to talk to you about universal health care.

WOMAN:
What does that have to do with milk?

ISABELLE:
It doesn't have anything to do with milk.

WOMAN:
Then why bring it up?

ISABELLE:
Do you agree that everyone should be able to get good health insurance at an affordable price?

WOMAN:
You mean like for doctors?

ISABELLE:
Yes, so you can go to the doctor or you can go to a hospital.

WOMAN:
What would I want to go to the hospital for?

ISABELLE:
Well I'm saying if you needed to go to the hospital.

WOMAN:
I'm not going into the hospital. Is that what you're calling me for? It's terrible in the hospital.

ISABELLE:
I'm not calling to ask you to go into the hospital.

WOMAN:
There's all these sick people in there. And the doctors? You never see them. They're never there.

ISABELLE:
Well, that's part of the problem. The system isn't organized so that…..

WOMAN:
With my asthma and my emphysema, how am I going to sit around waiting for some doctor to come in off the golf course?

ISABELLE:
Well I'm sure you know just how bad the system is for people like you who have chronic illnesses and people who…..

WOMAN:
And the drugs? Don't even talk to me about the drugs.

ISABELLE:
I actually wasn't going to…..

WOMAN:
Don't talk to me about the drugs. They cost an arm and a leg.

ISABELLE:
Can I get you to call your Congressman to ask him to commit to universal health coverage?

WOMAN:
They're terrible, those drugs. You have to keep taking them and taking them and taking them. And they're expensive.

ISABELLE:
Yes, they are expensive.

WOMAN:
And you know why?

ISABELLE:
Why?

WOMAN:
Because they cost too much money.

ISABELLE:
Well that's true, all health care costs too much money.

WOMAN:
I don't have that much money.

ISABELLE:
Can I patch you through to your Congressman's office so you can leave a message asking him to support universal health coverage for all Americans?

WOMAN:
I have to go get milk.

ISABELLE:
Is that your whole life, going to get milk? Is that who I'm talking to? Is that what I've been reduced to? Is this what I get for volunteering my time for a cause I believe in? Stale coffee and yesterday's pizza? Is this what I got my Batchelor of Political Science for? Did you have to pass Statistics and Econometrics? No, you didn't have to pass the God damn 7-11, did you. Is this what I worked for? To be rejected by people like you? Who the hell are they giving the jobs in D.C. to? Pat Boone's grandchildren? Six months of knocking on doors and I can't get a stupid interview with the Custodial Bureau of the General Services Administration?

WOMAN:
Is this Isabelle?

ISABELLE:
Yes.

WOMAN:
Aren't you Marian Slavitt's daughter?

ISABELLE:
Oh my God....

WOMAN:
I used to do your mother's hair.

ISABELLE:
Mrs. Ricci. I'm so sorry, Mrs. Ricci.

WOMAN:
I did your hair once too, but you didn't like it.

ISABELLE:
It was fine, you did it fine. I was just…..a kid then.

WOMAN:
Did you want me to call someone? Sweetheart? Are you there?