(BEEP TO INDICATE NEXT MESSAGE. THE STATION’S CORPORATE CONTACT GEORGE HAS JUST FOUND OUT THE STATION IS GOING TO BE SHUT DOWN DECMEBER 31ST BUT DOESN’T WANT TO BREAK THE NEWS TO JIM IN A VOICEMAIL. STILL, HIS VOICE NEEDS TO BE DEPRESSED ENOUGH FOR JIM TO FIGURE IT OUT)
34) GEORGE (THIS CAN BE PRE-RECORDED AND PLAYED IF NEEDED): Hey, Jim. It’s George. The meeting just let out about five minutes ago, and I need you to call me back as soon as you get this. Thanks.
(ANOTHER BEEP TO INDICATE MESSAGE HAS ENDED)
35) JIM: (SIGHS AND SLUMPS DOWN INTO HIS OFFICE CHAIR THEN RESTS HIS HEAD DOWN ON HIS DESK) Thirty-four years… (BALLS HIS HAND INTO A FIST AND HITS THE TOP OF THE DESK). This isn’t right! This isn’t the way it’s supposed to end!
(AMY ENTERS THE ROOM AS JIM SAYS THIS, AND AT FIRST SHE HESITATES LIKE SHE’S GOING TO LEAVE. JIM’S HEAD IS STILL ON THE DESK, BUT HE COULD HEAR AMY TRYING TO SNEAK BACK OUT. HE LOOKS UP AT HER.)
Just stay—the building should at least look nice for whoever buys it. (AMY GIVES HIM A CONFUSED LOOK) I just got a message from George in corporate—I know I have to call him back to find out the timeframe, but part of me already knows what he’s going to say. I just hope they’re going to give us time to finish up with the Christmas program this year. People always look forward to it…
36) AMY: I’m so sorry.
37) JIM: (LAUGHS AS HE STANDS UP FROM HIS CHAIR)) You’re sorry? I should be the one apologizing, Amy! This is all my fault that we’re in this mess.
38) AMY: I highly doubt you single-handedly caused the economy to downturn. (TAKES A FEW STEPS CLOSER TO HIM) Look, I know what you’re going through, and you shouldn’t be trying to face it alone. You need to come back to church. Everyone misses you, and we care about you.
39) JIM: (SHAKES HIS HEAD) I’m sorry, but I’m just not ready yet. When there’s not this much pain, maybe then I’ll come back. Right now I just can’t. I know that sounds weird, but it’s how I feel. Sometimes when I walk by Barbara’s old office here, I feel like she’s going to be there sitting in front of her computer and asking me where I hid all our purchase orders. It makes me feel good even though it makes me miss her, too. Yet one good-intentioned person can ask me how I’m doing, and I think I’m going to fall apart right in front of them. It’s embarrassing, especially after it being so long now. I can’t even believe it’s been a year already…
40) AMY: (SITS DOWN IN THE GUEST CHAIR ACROSS FROM JIM) For me, it was all of Charlie’s tools in the garage—I didn’t want to change anything for months, even though I knew it had to be done. Something I learned though is you can’t keep clinging to things and places like that if you want to heal—especially if you start putting them ahead of your relationship with God. It’s like waiting around saying you’re not going to take any medicine until you’re not sick anymore—it just doesn’t work that way. Regardless to what—
(JIM’S DESK PHONE RINGS)
41) JIM: (TO AMY) Sorry, I have to take this. (PICKS UP PHONE) Hello, this is Jim. Yeah, George, I got the message—it’s nothing against you, but I was working up the nerve to call back. Just tell me and get it over with, and I’ll handle telling everyone here. How long do we have? All right. I just need some time to process all of this, and I’ll call you back before I leave today. Is that fair? All right. Bye. (HANGS UP PHONE)
42) AMY: How long?
43) JIM: Until the end of the month. Can you keep this to yourself until I’m able to get everyone together?
44) AMY: (NODS) Sure. Is there anything else I can do?
45) JIM: (THINKS A MOMENT) I hate to do this to you, but Allison is likely busy. Would you care to get Whitney Jacobs and tell her to come out to the studio floor? She needs to know, too.
46) AMY: (SMILES AND STANDS UP TO LEAVE) No problem. I wanted to talk to her anyway. (HESITATES JUST AS SHE REACHES THE DOORWAY) Jim?
47) JIM: Yeah?
48) AMY: What I was going to say before the phone rang was that I don’t believe God is through with you yet. Don’t give up.
(AMY CROSSES THE STAGE. WHITNEY IS SEATED IN FRONT OF A DRESSER PUTTING ON HER MAKE-UP, BUT SHE HAS TO KEEP WIPING HER EYES. AMY KNOCKS ON HER DOOR, AND WHITNEY WHIPS AROUND AND GIVES HER A DIRTY LOOK AS SHE STEPS INSIDE THE ROOM)
49) WHITNEY: What do you want? This room is clean—at least clean enough for this dump. (TURNS HER BACK TO AMY AND GOES BACK TO FOCUSING ON HER MAKE-UP) I don’t see why I keep coming back to this place.
50) AMY: I do. (WHITNEY TURNS AROUND TO FACE HER AGAIN) This was where you got your start—and this is where your gift made you happiest. I remember when—
51) WHITNEY: (STANDS UP, ANGRY) Will you stop pretending like you know anything about me? I could care less if you know my parents or saw me sing here when I was kid. I’m not that person anymore, and I never will be again. Don’t you get that? I’m not some little girl who needs to be rescued. I could buy this place ten times over, and I’m doing you all a favor by being here. All I want is some appreciation instead of someone like you trying to drag me back down to where I was before. I earned this, and I deserve to be happy.
52) AMY: Whitney, God loves you, and He’s given you a very beautiful gift. You’re just going to make yourself miserable if you keep—
53) WHITNEY: (KEEPS WALKING FORWARD, BACKING AMY INTO A CORNER, TONE IS MOCKING AND SARCASTIC) Keep what? Singing? Becoming more successful? You know what, maybe I should just give all this money and fame and start cleaning offices like you. I’m sure your life is just so much happier because of it. Let me guess—you had your shot at something like this, but you failed at it. So now you go around judging other people for it. Well, you know what? I did things right—I never got into drugs, I stayed focus on my career, and I got married to a guy I at least believed that I loved—and things still fell apart anyway! Now get out! I don’t need you, and I don’t need God! Just leave me alone! (BY THIS POINT, TEARS ARE STREAMING DOWN HER FACE.)
54) AMY: (FOR A MOMENT, SHE’S A LITTLE WIDE-EYED AND STUNNED, BUT THEN SHE RECOVERS HERSELF. HER VOICE IS CALM.) No.
55) WHITNEY: (SURPRISED AND CAUGHT OFF-GUARD BY THIS) What?
56) AMY: (NOW WITH A LITTLE MORE BOLDNESS, AND SHE STEPS FORWARD AS WHITNEY TAKE AS STEP BACK) I said no, as in I’m not leaving this room until I’m through with what I want to say to you. I realize you’ve rarely heard the word in your life, but it does exist.
57) WHITNEY: (NOW FRUSTRATED AND AT A COMPLETE LOSS BECAUSE NO ONE IN HER LIFE AS EVER STOOD UP TO HER LIKE THIS. SHE SITS BACK DOWN AND SHAKES HER HEAD AT AMY IN DISBELIEF) What do you want from me? Why do you even care?
58) AMY: (CROUCHES DOWN TO WHERE SHE’S EYE-LEVEL WITH WHITNEY SITING) I care because I know having Jesus in my life brought me through the most horrible and painful event that’s ever happened to me, and coming out on the other side of it made me realize this world is filled with frightened and hurting people who need Him just as much as I did. Before that, I used to sit on the sidelines when I saw someone who needed help—believing God was going to send someone else along. I passed up on opportunities because at the time I thought it was too uncomfortable or awkward. When my husband died, it finally hit me—what if the people who led me to Jesus had thought the same way? People called Charlie a hero because he was willing to walk through fire to save other people’s lives. No matter how far gone you think you are or how hopeless it looks, Jesus was willing to do the same for you. That’s all I wanted to say—do with it what you will.
(AMY STANDS UP AND WALKS AWAY)
SUGGESTED SONG: “WHERE ARE YOU CHRISTMAS” BY FAITH HILL (CAN BE SUNG BY WHITNEY’S CHARACTER OR COMBINATION OF WHITNEY, AMY, AND ALLISON)
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