three conversations

jude:  dava, did you have a bad dream?

dava:  uh-huh.

jude:  was it a nightmare, or a skeleton?

dava:  no, it wasn’t a nightmare.  it was just unpleasant.

jude:  oh.  was it a skeleton?  that was saying ‘stupid’ and ‘dumb’ and kicking and being mean?  (he sneezes twice.)

dava: god bless you.

jude:  thank you.

*

jude:  what’s that?  (pointing at phone screen)

dava:  that’s an icon.

jude:  what’s an icon?

dava:  a symbol.

jude:  what’s a symbol?

dava:  …so, that takes you to your home screen…

jude:  what’s a home screen?

*

daddy: boy, it’s really winter out here today.

jude:  it sure is.

daddy:  it’s cold out.

jude:  …what do you mean, ‘holed out’?

daddy:  (shivering)  context, jude.  …context.

*