(man enters, visibly upset, paces back and forth, goes to front, rubs back of head, paces, laughs in anger or confusion, paces)
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
(pausing his pacing to stare out window, shaking head) I don't know what to do. I know what I want -- then again, who's to say what's the right thing. Nobody knows. (paces)
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
(enters slowly, majestically, in a bridal march -- with eyes only for the would-be husband, she marches to wedding music in her head, her eyes filled with love for her would-be husband -- she speaks only when she is halfway up the aisle, continuing march)
There he is, my Chosen One. I have chosen him, but I will not force myself upon him. I love him. I adore him. He knows of my love, but does he love me enough to accept me freely?
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
(paces more angrily now, as if he has heard her, but he does not look at her) Freely? Freely, huh? What about all these conditions, huh? You call that freedom? You call that a free choice?
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
(reaches front, fully faces audience, they are at opposite sides) DO YOU LOVE ME?
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
(abruptly stops pacing, they are far apart from each other) GOOD NIGHT! (does not look at her, keeps his back to her) You know I love you. You know it!
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
He is at the threshold, right now. What he decides at this moment will affect the rest of his life. Will he be happy, with me? Or will he spend his life in misery?
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
She wants me to be a WIMP. She wants me to give up my power of choice! To stop being a man! Good night! What about unconditional love? Huh? What about unconditional love?
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
I love him unconditionally. He is a slob. I love him. He has a temper. I love him. He does this thing when he's concentrating -- he puts his finger (mimes it) up into his hair and twirls his hair like a little girl --
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
OH GOOD NIGHT! That's just a habit from when I was a kid!
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
(brimming with love) And yet . . . still . . . I love him. Can you believe it?
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
(whirls on her) Yeah, but I have to change, don't I? You want me to make all these changes if we're going to get married! Is THAT fair? Is THAT right for you to make me change?
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
(turns to him, smiles with love and affection) If we are to marry, it is to be a good marriage, based in love. I will give myself fully to you, and you to me. I will concentrate fully upon you and open your world up, and you will give concentrate fully upon me, and the world will fade
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
(pacing, more slowly, speaking more to himself) Yeah, but all my girlfriends. She wants me to stop seeing them. Is that right? I mean, they care about me, too. They don't care that I'm getting married, do they? They're not going to put all these conditions on me, are they?
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
(turns to audience) Does he love me, that is the true issue. Will he forsake all others . . . for me? He cannot love them and me, and he will have to choose, now...
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
Of course I love her! Would I even consider any of this stuff if I didn't love her? Yeah, yeah, of course I love her, and I WILL stop seeing my girlfriends, but it doesn't seem fair -- I mean, fair to them, that is, to deprive all of them of ME!
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
(to audience, with a little sadness) Does he really love me? My love is free, there are no conditions, he knows I will love him forever and forever. But does he truly love me?
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
(whirls upon her) Okay, okay, I love you. I choose YOU, over them. Okay? Are you satisfied? But what about my poker nights with the boys every Friday night, huh?
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
(turns to him, brimming with love and tenderness) I will not make you give up your Friday nights for me, but I promise you: YOU WILL GIVE UP YOUR FRIDAY NIGHTS FOR ME, because you love me, and at the end of the week we will sit together, we will spend sweet time together, we will hold hands and smile into each other's eyes, and we will think of the things we've been through together all week, and we'll plan our glorious future together, and we'll get to know each other even better, we'll rest in each other's arms in this sweet time, and we'll forget the world, together, you and I...
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
(reluctantly, rubbing the back of his neck) Okay, that doesn't sound bad -- maybe a little touchey-feely . . . but you seem to know more about these things than I do. I guess the boys can find someone else . . . but this other thing, I mean, this one might be going too far. (looks at her) What about this . . . talking . . . are we really going to have to . . . TALK...?
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
(takes a step toward him) If we marry, it is going to be a wonderful marriage, and we're going to communicate, about everything. We're going to be spending lots of time together, and we're going to need to talk.
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
(looking sour) Well . . . I don't really . . . (sighs) I guess it just doesn't make sense to me, all this gabbing, gabbing and yammering . . . but you seem to know better than I do about these things. Okay, I'll talk, I'll talk...
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
I love you. My love for you is real, it is right now. I will marry you, right now, no conditions. But if I'm going to marry you, it's going to be a good marriage. We will NOT have a mediocre marriage. We will NOT have a passionless marriage. (turns to audience) The real question hinges on whether or not HE . . . loves . . . ME.
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
(exasperated) Look. I love you. (takes a step toward her) But you know, I'm not perfect.
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
(takes a step toward him) I KNOW you're not perfect. I accept you, right now, as you are.
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
(sighs, smiles) All that stuff -- poker night and girl friends -- that doesn't mean anything to me. (takes a step toward her) I know it's you that I want. I want to be a good husband.
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
(takes a step toward him) And you don't mind talking to me?
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
(takes a step toward her, almost together) I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but I DO want to get to know you better. I want to know everything about you.
BRIDE-IN-WAITING:
(takes a step toward him, almost together, she reaches out her hands) Do you love me?
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
(looks away for a second, smiles, and takes a step toward her, taking her hands) I love you.
(they embrace, and begin to exit)
WOULD-BE HUSBAND:
(whistles Newlywed music, happily)
__________________________________________
Completely free Christian scripts, sketches, mimes.
Always a parable. Storytelling making the difference.
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