By David Ralph

Mrs. Needy: Good morning class, my name is Mrs. Alneeda, but you can call me Mrs. Needy. For most of you today is the first day of preschool, exciting! Before you all become big boys and girls and go to kindergarten we will learn about all sorts of fun things, like animals, colors, numbers, and the alphabet. Do any of you know what the alphabet is?

Johnny: Is that kind of like my teddy bear?

Mrs. Needy: No Johnny, but it does have a B in it, and do you know what starts with a B? Bear. O.K. lets all put on our listening ears and follow me to the circle area over in the corner. (Acts like an airplane zooming to the corner)

Sara: I have to go potty.

Mrs. Needy: Hurry up dear.

Mrs. Needy: Can I describe her? Sure, she was so beautiful, the perfect little girl. Every day she wore wonderful dresses in different shades of pink; I would call her Miss Pretty Cindy in pink; pink every day; her favorite color. Her hair, her hair was golden and stretched like a sunset for miles; always combed straight and the smell of baby shampoo from her hair found a permanent home in my nose. As soon as she walked into my classroom she would bring a smile to my face. Every day she would bounce through the door full of life and her energy would fight her skin to escape from the body into wide-open spaces. I loved how she would say "Hello Mrs. Needy. How are you?" Every morning, "How are you?" Sometimes it was all that kept me going to work, just to hear her ask me how I was. She was so perfect, angelic in all her innocence to the world around her.

Is she all right now?

Tell me! Is she all right?

What do you mean you dont know?!

Find her!

Johnny: Mrs. Needy what does beer taste like?

Mrs. Needy: Johnny, how do you know about beer?

Johnny: My daddy drinks it all the time after work, but mommy wont let me take a drink. You know everything, what does beer taste like?

Mrs. Needy: Well Johnny, its real yucky and it only tastes good to some grown ups, but kids should never drink it because it will make them sick for days. Do you promise me youll never take a drink of your daddys beer?

Johnny: Yes, Mrs. Needy, I promise.

Cindy: Hello Mrs. Needy. How are you?

Mrs. Needy: Im doing excellent today Miss Pretty Cindy in pink. See you in the afternoon Mrs. Shapen. Cindy and I are going to have some fun today. (Waves goodbye to mother) Did you get a new dress?

Cindy: Yes, mommy took me shopping last night for losing a tooth. Look. (Shows a missing tooth)

Mrs. Needy: My, Cindy, you sure are getting to be a big girl and so pretty. Come here and give me a hug you(Hugging gesture)

(Still holding a hugging gesture but stops when she knows she is being watch) I told you, I dont know anything; I just dont know. The night before? I was at home with my husband watching television, we watched NBC for most of the night and then switched over to CBS to watch Dave Letterman, I cant stand Jay Leno. After the opening monologue we went to bed. I dont think my relationship with my husband has anything to do with anything. Am I being accused of something here, because I didnt do anything, why would I do anything? I loved that girl like she was my own child. If you want to do something to help then why arent you out there searching for her, shes probably scared to death and all you can do is stand there and ask me questions like what I was doing the night before she was taken and how my relationship is with my husband?!

Im sorry its just well, that little girl meant so much to me. She really was special and I just want to see her safe. She needs to be in the arms of someone who loves her instead of out there. If you think these questions will help then Ill try to remain calm and answer them to the best of my knowledge and ability. The faster I answer the faster you can get out there and find her.

Mrs. Needy: All right who put their number two on the bathroom floor? Huh? I want to know right now or we wont go out to recess like the other preschool rooms. (Stares at the kids)

Johnny: Mrs. Needy?

Mrs. Needy: Yes, Johnny?

Johnny: I think it was the poo fairy.

Mrs. Needy: Im sorry Johnny, what did you say?

Johnny: I think it was the poo fairy who did it.

Mrs. Needy: The poo fairy huh? O.k. everyone can get in line at the red door behind Mrs. Christy for recess, except for you Johnny. I need to talk to you for a second. (Give a beat or two for the students to leave) Johnny you can tell me if you did it or not. You wont get in trouble.

Johnny: Iwellummmsee the poo fairy told me that if I put my poo on the floor then she would turn the poo into lots and lots of money. Im sorry Mrs. Needy. I wont listen to the poo fairy anymore.

Mrs. Needy: You better not listen to that poo fairy any more or Ill have to have a serious talk with your mom and dad.

Johnny: You wouldnt be able to talk with my dad anymore. He left me and mom. I dont think hes coming back.

Mrs. Needy: It will be all right. Youll just have to be the big man of the house now. Come here and give me a hug big John. Now run on out and play. (Wait for him to leave) Poor kid. (Cindy enters) Hey Miss Pretty Cindy in pink why arent you out playing with the others?

Cindy: I thought I would come and help you clean up.

Mrs. Needy: Oh, well thank you, but Im afraid Ill have to clean this one up on my own. But I tell you what. If you really want to help me, you can use that wet washcloth over there and wipe the tables down.

Cindy: O.k. Mrs. Needy.

My husband and I have a great relationship. As good as a ten-year marriage can be Im sure. Yeah weve had our ups and downs but weve managed to stay together no matter what. How did you know that? Well the information is correct he did file for divorce a while ago, but we worked out our differences and I can say we are happy. Yes, I believe it was exactly that date. How is this helping anything? Im sorry but Im not seeing how this has anything to do with the investigation. Yes, I think Cindy started around the time of my husband filing for divorce, but Im not seeing the correlation. He filed for divorce because we just werent getting along. Yes thats truth. Why would my husband say such a thing? (Thinks for a minute) He never told me thats why he left, Im sorry, I just need a minute.

Im barren. I had ovarian cancer a year or so before Tom and I got married. I think it brought us closer at the time. I spent a lot of time in-and-out of hospitals, too much time, but Tom was always there for me. Thats when I knew that he was the one for me. However, after the cancer we were told that we couldnt have a baby, something was permanently wrong with my ovaries, at least thats what the doctor said. Of course we tried, God knows we tried, but we only came close once. I guess the miscarriage was a bit before Tom filed for divorce but I never put the two together. I thought it was because I spent too much time at work and not enough time attending to his needs. See, after the miscarriage I almost lost it and the best way for me to forget was to concentrate on the children at work. When I first found out I was unable to have a child of my own I decided to start working for the Child Development Center so that I could be around such beauty; such life. Do you know what its like to be so close to something youve always wanted only to have it ripped from you? You have no idea what I went through.