The Sorghums are coming! The Sorghums are coming!

Julie: Mom, I need the ice pack. Where is it?

Mom: I took care of it already. The Sorghums are coming.

Julie: OK... but where's the ice pack?

Mom: I tossed it off the tower. (Off the bed.)

Julie leaves the room to put the ice pack away, then returns.

Julie: Who are the Sorghums?

Mom: The witches. They're black and they fly in the sky. When you take away what they want, they fall out of the sky and can't fly anymore. When you hide what they want, they freeze in ice in the air. 

Julie: Why did you toss the ice pack?

Mom: Because they wanted it.

Julie: Why did they want the ice pack?

Mom: Because I had it. 

Julie: Right, but what did they want to do with it?

Mom: Nothing.

Julie: They just wanted it because you had it? Why?

Mom (in exasperated tone): Because they're just.... like that.

Julie goes to the kitchen to make Mom tea. After a short while, Mom shuffles into the kitchen, with about 1/3 of her hair loosely attached at the top of her head with a clip and the other 2/3 maniacally askew, and continues the conversation without preface.

Mom: You know, they're not interested in the hot pack at all. 

Julie: That's funny, you'd think it'd be the other way around, if they don't like being frozen.

Mom: No, because it's new technology to them. (She indicates the hot pack) They already know how to make these no problem.

Julie: Oh. Then that makes sense.

Later, Mom goes to bed and listens to Julie’s iPod, singing unintelligibly and slapping her belly – enthusiastically, and for a long time – to keep the beat.