copyright © 2002 Paul Rust

"Saturday Morning"

Written by Paul Rust

DANIEL is pacing back and forth on stage right. A moment passes. SARAH enters from stage left and walks over to Daniel. Both are nervous.

DANIEL: Hey.

SARAH: Hey.

DANIEL: Guess who walked by in the parking lot earlier? (motions down stage)

SARAH: Who?

DANIEL: Dave.

SARAH: Oh. (silence) What’d he have to say?

DANIEL: There’s a party at his place tonight. Parents are out of town.

SARAH: Oh.

DANIEL: He said we could come by if we’d like to.

SARAH: Okay. Maybe.

Pause.

DANIEL: So… uh… what’d you find out in there? (motioning to stage left)

SARAH: (urgently) I’m pregnant.

For a moment, Daniel is frozen — only his hands are shaking. Abruptly, he gets down on one knee - in a motion that’s all too rushed and awkward.

DANIEL: Will you marry me, Sarah? I promise I’ll make you the happiest ---

SARAH: (interrupting) Daniel, don’t be stupid.

DANIEL: (quickly standing back up) Right, right. That was stupid of me.

SARAH: It’s just a bad idea.

DANIEL: No, you’re right. It is. I don’t know what I was thinking.

SARAH: My parents are going to be angry enough as it is. I don’t need to tell them that I’m engaged, too.

DANIEL: You’re right, Sarah. You’re exactly right.

SARAH: I mean, that’d drive them over the edge.

DANIEL: (suddenly annoyed) You’re right, Sarah. Okay? You’re right.

Pause.

SARAH: Look at it this way, Daniel. It’s not like this is a complete shock. I originally got the test because we suspected I was, so… at least we had time to figure things out.

DANIEL: Then we should carry out what we planned.

SARAH: Right. I think so.

DANIEL: I think so, too.

Pause.

SARAH: (walking stage left) We’ll tell my parents that I’m pregnant tonight. And we’ll tell your parents that I’m pregnant tomorrow morning.

DANIEL: We’ll tell them that we’re not giving the kid up for adoption.

SARAH: We’ll tell them that after we graduate from high school, we’ll commute everyday to a nearby community college, so we can still raise our child and be students at the same time.

DANIEL: I can’t remember. Will we be living together?

SARAH: No.

DANIEL: But we’re still dating?

SARAH: Correct.

DANIEL: And are in love?

SARAH: Very much so.

DANIEL: Sounds like a plan.

SARAH: A great plan.

Pause.

DANIEL: (walking towards center stage) It’s going to be tough, you know.

SARAH: (walking towards center stage) I know.

DANIEL: Juggling college and work and a baby… I heard that’s tough.

SARAH: I thought you meant my parents.

Daniel and Sarah meet center stage.

DANIEL: What?

SARAH: I thought you meant my parents. Telling my parents is going to be the toughest part.

DANIEL: Nah. That won’t be too tough. Your parents seem pretty cool. Your dad’s always listening to Billy Joel and stuff.

SARAH: No, Daniel. My dad’ll be pissed.

DANIEL: No, he won’t. He’ll understand.

SARAH: (sternly) Daniel, he won’t understand.

DANIEL: He’ll understand, Sarah.

SARAH: Daniel… when I was nine years old, my brother Jeff got a girl pregnant and my dad threw him out of the house for three months.

DANIEL: Oh.

SARAH: Yeah… (mocking Daniel) … "Oh."

Sarah walks downstage right. Daniel remains center stage.

DANIEL: Sarah…

SARAH: Yeah?

DANIEL: Do you… do you really…

SARAH: Do I really want to have this kid?

DANIEL: Yeah.

SARAH: Of course, I do, Daniel. (pause) Do you?

DANIEL: Yeah, of course. Of course, I do. Of course, of course.

Pause.

SARAH: I mean, obviously it’d be easier if we weren’t having a kid…

DANIEL: Obviously.

SARAH: But that’s not an option right now, so we have to make the best of it.

DANIEL: Yes. Make the best of it.

Pause.

SARAH: (matter-of-factly) Jesus Christ, I really don’t want a kid right now.

DANIEL: Me either.

Pause. Daniel begins walking downstage right by Sarah.

DANIEL: Have you… have you… have you ever thought about…?

SARAH: Yes.

DANIEL: Me, too.

Pause.

SARAH: More and more, it’s seeming like…

DANIEL: … a good idea.

SARAH: Exactly.

Pause.

DANIEL: Are you opposed to it? I mean, we never really talked about it. Are you opposed to it?

SARAH: I was.

DANIEL: Me, too.

SARAH: But more and more, I made exceptions.

DANIEL: I know what you mean.

SARAH: And eventually, I decided people should do what’s best for the child.

DANIEL: (taking Sarah’s hand) Yes, yes. Me, too. Me, too.

SARAH: And right now… for us… for the child… I don’t think it’d be best to have it.

DANIEL: (smiling) That’s exactly how I feel.

SARAH: (smiling) Yeah?

DANIEL: Yeah. (pause) So… do you want to do it?

SARAH: …Yes. You?

DANIEL: Yes.

The following lines progressively quicken in pace.

DANIEL: So, where do we go? A clinic?

SARAH: Yeah.

DANIEL: Where’s the nearest clinic?

SARAH: About two hours away.

DANIEL: You wanna’ go tomorrow?

SARAH: Tomorrow’s Sunday. I think they’ll be closed.

DANIEL: Are they closed on Saturdays?

SARAH: Yes. No. Maybe. I’m not for sure. Probably.

DANIEL: So we’ll go during the week.

SARAH: What about school?

DANIEL: Crap. When’s the next teacher in-service?

SARAH: In a couple weeks.

DANIEL: We’ll go then.

SARAH: Okay.

DANIEL: Fuck.

SARAH: What?

DANIEL: My dad’ll be at work.

SARAH: So?

DANIEL: I won’t be able to use his car.

SARAH: Shit.

DANIEL: Wait.

SARAH: What?

DANIEL: We can use my grandma’s car. She hardly ever drives it.

SARAH: Great.

DANIEL: Great. (breathing out) God, this is such a relief. I was so worried. I’m in no shape to raise a kid right now.

SARAH: Me either.

DANIEL: I can’t take of myself, let alone a little kid.

SARAH: I know.

DANIEL: I’m so fucked up.

SARAH: I know.

DANIEL: (smiling) Just last week, I was writing drafts of suicide letters.

Daniel and Sarah chuckle.

SARAH: Really?

DANIEL: Yeah.

SARAH: (smiling) Last month, I cried myself to sleep for five nights.

Daniel and Sarah’s chuckling subsides. They are still smiling, however.

DANIEL: This is the right decision.

SARAH: It is.

DANIEL: I love you.

SARAH: I love you, too.

Daniel and Sarah embrace. Abruptly, a WOMAN enters stage left (from where Sarah originally appeared).

WOMAN: Sarah? Sarah Davidson?

SARAH: (looking over her shoulder) Yes.

WOMAN: Can I speak to you for a moment?

SARAH: Uh, sure.

Daniel lets go of Sarah. She and Woman exit stage left. Daniel kicks at the pavement as he waits. Fifteen seconds pass. Sarah re-enters.

DANIEL: What’s up?

SARAH: They messed up.

DANIEL: What?

SARAH: They gave me the wrong results. (beat) I’m not pregnant.

DANIEL: You’re not?

SARAH: Nope.

DANIEL: (joyously) You’re not?!

SARAH: (joyously) Nope!

Daniel and Sarah embrace center stage. And hold.

Gradually, however, their grips loosen and their hands slip into one another’s. Even this, however, loses its’ tension and their hands drop to their own sides.

Slowly, they lift their faces and look forward into the audience — completely expressionless.

HOLD A BEAT, THEN BLACKOUT.

"Saturday Morning" IS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL AND MAY NOT BE DOWNLOADED, TRANSMITTED, PRINTED OR PERFORMED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR

"Saturday Morning" debuted September 20, 2002, performed by Paul Rust, Emily Yoshida, Michael Tabor.

[Paul Rust's web site]

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