By Christin Kuck
What if Jesus were born today How would he be received Christ's birth through the eyes of a modern day bed-and-breakfast owner.
Solomon Silas - A feed store owner
Elizabeth Silas - Solomon’s mother
Thomas Peterson - A dairy farmer/Bed and Breakfast owner
Three chairs, a chess table, cups of coffee for Sol and Elizabeth.
(Solomon and his mother are sitting on a bench playing checkers in front of the feed store. It is early on a Saturday morning.)
Eliza: Fine mornin’, ain't it Son
Sol: Yup. But bet there’s snow comin by morning. My corns are aching.
Eli Yup.
Thomas enters: Mornin’ Sol, mornin Mrs. Silas.
Sol and Eliza together: Morning Thomas
Eliza: How’s things over ta Bethlehem, Tom.
Tom: Fine, fine. Things are just fine. And with you
Eliza: Fine
Sol: Yup, fine.
Eliza: So how’s the Bed and Breakfast business, Tom
Tom: Not bad, not bad. 'Course that’s really Rebecca’s doin, ya know. I try to stick to dairy farming. What do I know 'bout all that Martha Stewart stuff
Eliza: Yup.
Sol: Yup.
Tom: Funny thing happened the other day, though.
Sol: Yeah, what’s that
Tom: Well, ya know how the government’s ordered that census and all
Sol: Yup. That’s the government for ya. Messin’ in people’s lives. Can’t even use the jon without havin’ to fill out ten thousand forms and payin’ a tax.
Eliza: Yup.
Tom: Well, Becca’s been doin’ real good with the Bed and Breakfast, what with people havin’ ta go back to the city of their birth. Fact is, we’ve been booked solid for the past three weeks.
Eliza: What’s so weird about that.
Tom: Well nothin’, really. Fact is, we’re glad to have the extra income and all.
Eliza: Always can use extra income.
Tom: See, the other night, me and Becca heard this knock at the door, ya know So I went to see who it was. Well this young buck and his wife were standing out in the rain. She was in the family way, if you get my meaning. In fact, I was sort of worried she might drop the little bundle right on our door step.
Sol: So what did you do
Tom: Well all our extra rooms were full. And, you know, all the motels in the area are full due to the government’s meddling. Well, heck. I couldn’t turn them away. I put them up in the barn. The cows keep it mighty warm in there.
Sol: Dang, Tom. That is mighty strange.
Tom: Heck. I haven’t gotten to the strange part yet.
Eliza: Okay, go on.
Tom: Well, you see, the gal, Mary her name is, had the baby that night, right there in the barn.
Eliza: Oh my.
Tom: Yup. Her husband, Joseph, said they couldn’t afford medical attention.
Sol: Dang.
Tom: I even had to give them an old quilt to wrap the kid in, because they didn’t have clothes for the little tyke. 'Course the father, Joseph, he’s a carpenter you see. He’s been fixing up some of the weak spots in the barn. Sure appreciate the extra hand.
Sol: Well, that’s not so strange. Lot’s of folks can’t afford medical attention, what with the way the government’s been taxin’ us. I’m just glad I was born here, so I didn’t have to travel to my city of birth for the census.
Tom: Wait, there’s more.
Sol: Yeah Well, go on.
Tom: See, the night the kid was born, these sheep herders came down out of the hills to see him.
Eliza: How’d they know the kid was there
Tom: They was rantin’ and ravin’ about some singing angels. Craziest bunch you ever saw. Their eyes was lit up like.... like...like that bright star that’s been hangin up in the sky every night.
Eliza: Sounds like they was hitting old man Abraham’s moonshine.
Tom: Yeah, well maybe. All three are quiet for a moment.
Eliza: Well look, there’s that delivery truck at last. No you sit a spell Sol. I’ll take care of it.
Tom: Good to see you again, Mrs. Silas.
Eliza walks off stage. Tom and Sol are quiet for a moment.
Tom: You might think I’m nut’s Sol, but there’s something peculiar about that baby.
Sol: Yeah Why
Tom: Well, I was talkin’ to the father, Joseph. See. And he told me a story. Said he was visited by an angel.
Sol: Yeah
Tom: See Mary and Joseph were set to tie the knot, when she told him she was pregant. But it wasn’t his kid.
Sol: Dang. And he married her anyway
Tom: Yeah. See, the angel told Joseph this kid isn’t any ordinary kid. This kid is the Son of God.
Sol: Sounds like that Joseph’s been hittin’ the same moonshine as those shepherds.
Tom: He seemed convinced about the whole thing.
Sol: I don’t know Tom. That’s a pretty far fetched. Don’t you think.
Tom: Sol, you haven’t seen this kid. There’s something... special about him. I can’t explain. But I look at him... I feel a peace like I’ve never known in my life. I didn’t want to say it around your mom. Well. You know your mom.
Sol: Skeptical
Tom: Yeah. That’s it. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’d be skeptical, too.
Sol: Hmmm. Well, I wouldn’t be tellin’ too many people about this Tom. They might say you was crazy.
Tom: Well, maybe yer right. But. Why don’t you stop by some time. See the kid. See what I’m talking about.
Sol: Changes the subject So what do you think about the weather. Gonna snow tomorrow
Tom: Quiet for a moment. Yeah. Snow.
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
© Christin J. Kuck - 1999. All rights reserved. This script may not be altered without permission from the copyright holder. This script may be freely copied and distributed, providing it is done so in its entirety. This copyright notice and the performance license information must be reproduced on all copies of the script.
PERFORMANCE LICENSE
No performance is permitted unless a copy of the script is licensed to at least one member of the cast OR licensed to the drama group, theatre company or organization performing the sketch. License can be obtained by forwarding a check made out to Christin Kuck in the amount of $5.00 US to 13341 86th Avenue, Seminole, FL 33776. An original licensed hard copy will be mailed upon receipt of check. Christin Kuck can be reached by email at anonadrama@hotmail.com