By Murray Shadbolt
Abby has an important, life-or-death message for someone but can't seem to catch them. She has been running after them for ages and is now exhausted. Turns out she has wasted her energy on other things.
Abby
Bex: Quietly having a coffee and reading. She has secretly been told to pass on the message of encouragement to Abby and help fix her focus. She does this using a form of reverse psychology.
Abby and Bex do not know each other well but are generally friendly towards each other. Both are working for God in a plan too big for them to see.
(Bex is sitting at a table reading and having coffee/cake as at outdoor cafe. Abby jogsg in exhausted, looks as if to run past the table but is too tired and drops down into the spare seat. Bex doesn't seem to mind the intrusion and continues reading as if she had been expecting Abby to join her.)
Abby: (out of breath and talking more to herself than Bex) That's it... I give up... I can't go any further.
Bex: (to Abby) Hi.
Abby: (getting her breath back) I gave it my best shot, but there just wasn't the opportunity.
Bex: Do you need a drink? I'm sure the staff could get you a glass of water.
Abby: (to Bex) What? Oh, no thanks, I'll be fine. Sorry about this. I just had to stop. Couldn't go any further.
Bex: (looking around for others) Are you in a race or something?
Abby: Not exactly. I was just trying to warn someone. I just couldn't catch up to them to tell them about it.
Bex: Oh, well. I'm sure its not that important. Or maybe someone else will tell them, right?
Abby: Actually, it's about the most important news you can possible get. But I'm not the only one who knows it. Maybe someone else will warn them.
Bex: It's not as if they are going to die if you personally don't warn them, right?
Abby: Well, sort of. It's life saving stuff and I had the feeling that I was the one that had to warn them. That they wouldn't listen to anyone else.
Bex: Oh! Then I guess it is up to you.
(Abby nods in agreement and tries to get up but her legs are still too weak and she sits back down again.)
Bex: Sure you don't want something?
Abby: I don't get it. I shouldn't be this tired. It's not like I'm unfit. I go for a run every day first thing in the morning.
Bex: Where abouts?
Abby: Down past the shops. (excited) Actually, there have been some good sales on lately. My wardrobe seriously needs updating.
Bex: So it wasn't so much running as window-shopping.
Abby: Um... ; yeah. I guess I have been a bit distracted. And then it's been cold recently, easier just to stay in bed really. And I've got exams coming up and that takes a lot of time studying, plus the housework. Not that it needed doing, but I needed a break from study. And my friends insisted I go out on the town with them. There was no way of getting out of it. I saw the person I was trying to warn in town, they were coming out of a shop a couple down from me but I was with my friends. I couldn't just leave them to go chasing this person.
Bex: Sorry, I thought it was life saving stuff?
Abby: Yeah, but I was with friends, I wasn't ready to... (lost for words)
Bex: ... save someone's life?
Abby: I haven't really been trying, have I?
Bex: (trying to be helpful) Perhaps you have just been putting your energy into too many things. What is the most important thing right now?
Abby: Passing this message on.
Bex: And if you didn't stop to go shopping, or use any other excuse to stop you, do you think you might catch up with this person?
Abby: Probably. (thinks about it a bit more) Almost definitely.
Bex: So the question is, why haven't you. Maybe you don't really want to? Maybe you think if you told them they'd ignore you. Tell you to get lost.
Abby: They can if they want to, that's their choice. But that's no reason not to tell them in the first place. (Gets up and tests the muscles to see if she is up to carrying on) Thanks for the talk, it's been helpful, I guess I just needed to talk this out, realise my priorities had got muddled. If you will excuse me, I've got a message to deliver.
(Abby runs off.)
Bex: (to herself and the audience rather than to the exiting Abby) You are most welcome. I'm just doing what God asked me to do.
(Bex packs up and heads off stage.)
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© Copyright Murray Shadbolt, all rights reserved.
This script may be performed free of charge, provided no entrance fee is charged. In return for free performance, the author would appreciate being notified when the script is used. He may be contacted at: muzzamie@hotmail.com