Baggage Drama

Summary

Characters

Props

• Large Trashcan
• One or more medium to large boxes
• Greeting card
• Old dirty rag
• A ream or so of paper any color
• Photograph
• Telephone

Setting

Script

Jean:

Honey? I'm home.

Robert:

I'm in the rec room.

Jean:

(Enters. Looks around the room in astonishment)

Robert:

Whaddya think? Not bad for one afternoon eh?

Jean:

(Opens mouth but no words)

Robert:

I cleaned out the panic boxes that we throw stuff in whenever company's coming. It was like an archealogical dig. The futher into the pile I dug, the earlier the dates were on the mail.

Jean:

(Tries to form words, but no sound)

Robert:

We'll have to pay for about three dump runs, but it'll be worth it to have all this junk outta here once and for all. Isn't it great?

Jean:

Well, uh...

Robert:

We can fit a ping pong table in here now. Or maybe a pool table. Pastor hasn't said anything about not playing pool has he?

Jean:

Honey, I wish you would have waited til I got home to...

Robert:

Waited?! I've been puttin' this off for six years! I finally got off my duff to get rid of this junk, and you're gonna complain?

Jean:

No Honey I appreciate it. I really do. It's just that sometimes you throw things away, that I want to keep. Like that time you tried to throw away the first gift that Suzy ever gave me for Mothers Day.

Robert:

What! Gimme a break! How was I s'posed to know? I mean it was a popsicle stick with pencil marks.

Jean:

She was only two and a half. To her it said:Happy Mothers Day. I love you very much. Love Suzy.

Robert:

Well I did appologize to both of you. Of course she was 14 at the time and didn't have the slightest idea what the fuss was over a popsicle stick with pencil marks.

Jean:

Well I kept it. When she's older she'll thank me for saving it for her.

Robert:

She's 24, and thinks you're crazy.

Jean:

(walks over to trash can) Ok mister smart guy. (Looks inside)

Robert:

What are you doing?

Jean:

(Reaching inside) Oh... nothing.

Robert:

What, are you checking my work?

Jean:

(Pulling out card) I knew I couldn't trust you! You know I keep my birthday cards. (Puts card in box)

Robert:

I don't believe you! That's from the car insurance company. It's even computer generated.

Jean:

I don't care it's still a birthday card. Aaugh! (Reaches in and pulls up a piece of cloth)What were you thinking?

Robert:

It's a dirty rag!

Jean:

It's Jacob's first spit-up cloth.(Puts it in the box)

Robert:

(Looking Heavenward)Help me Lord.

Jean:

Oh, you're one to talk mister throw everything away. What about that sweaty towel you've had since before we were married?

Robert:

Hey now that's a collectors item.

Jean:

Right.

Robert:

It is! That's the towel Wilt Chamberlin had on the bench when he scored 100 points!

Jean:

But it smells. At least you could let me wash it.

Robert:

What are you, nuts? That's Wilt the Stilt's Sweat on there!

Jean:

(sarcasticly)Oh heavens we don't want to lose any basketball sweat. (Reaches into can, and pulls out ream of paper)Honey, these are the programs from Freddies first T-ball season. That's just as important as some stilt guys sweat.

Robert:

That's Wilt the Stilt. I'm sorry, I just couldn't imagine why you'd keep a hundred of those things.

Jean:

I was going to send them to relatives...but I never got around to it.

Robert:

Well since you never sent them, why keep them?

Jean:

I still might.

Robert:

Honey, that was 18 years ago. Half those relatives are dead now. Look I saved two of them. I figured we could keep an extra in case something happened to the first.

Jean:

Oh c'mon, what if I just keep about fifty? (Drops half in the trashcan

Robert:

Five.

Jean:

Twenty Five? (Drops more in the can)

Robert:

Ten

Jean:

Fifteen, and that's all. You can even burn the rest. (Continues to search through trash can)

Robert:

C'mon Honey. You've got to learn to let go of the past. You just can't live for all this material stuff from history. I mean what if the Lord were to call us into some kind of ministry work in another country? How can He use us when we're carrying around all this extra baggage?

Jean:

(Casually looking through can) Oh I think the Lord could find a way to let us keep some of our momentos for posterity.

Robert:

(Looks to the audience throws up hands in defeat)

Jean:

(Snatches a few more sheets of paper while he isn't looking)Oh look! Here's that old picture of you and... (Stops suddenly. Looks at husband as if expecting anger)

Robert:

I don't even want to hear his name in my house, let alone see his face.

Jean:

But he's your sister's husband.

Robert:

That's her problem.

Jean:

But it was so long ago... You weren't even saved yet. In fact you were both drunk.

Robert:

Look, don't bring it all up again ok? I don't need to be reminded.

Jean:

No I guess not. You seem to be doing a good job of remembering all by yourself. I've held my piece about this for all these years out of respect for your feelings, but something you just said a few minutes ago really rings true.

Robert:

About living in the past? I've left him in the past.

Jean:

No not that. You asked how the Lord could use us when we're carrying around all this extra baggage.

Robert:

But I...

Jean:

You know you have to forgive him.

Robert:

But he won't have anything to do with me.

Jean:

That's his problem. It isn't your responsibility for him to forgive, just for you to. (Hugs him) You know I'm right. Tell you what. You work on getting rid of your excess baggage, ... and I'll try to geet rid of some of mine.

Robert:

Well I know that the Lord is going to have to clear the path for it. I'm going to need to work through this with prayer. He'll let me know when the time is right to make contact.

Jean:

I know you can do it with His help. I'm going to make us some tea. Then I'm going to get back in here and throw away some junk.

Robert:

Ok

Jean:

(Exits. Phone rings.) It's for you... It's your sister.

Robert:

(Pause) I'll take it in here. (Goes to trash can, pulls out photo, looks at it before going to phone) Hi Sis....(Pause) Not bad, we're all doing pretty good....(Pause)Hey uh... look could you put Jerry on the phone. (Freeze)