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FISHBOWL 4'?m2f Constant repentance: confession, conscience

AMY -- (enters, crosses past podium)

LIZ -- (follows moments later, yawning) Good morning, Amy.

AMY -- (turns) You mean, "Good afternoon", don't you, Sis?

LIZ -- (holds head) Did I sleep that long?

AMY -- That must have been SOME party last night.

LIZ -- (holding head) Could you keep your voice down? I have 
a throbbing headache.

AMY -- Why do you do this to yourself, Sis?

LIZ -- I didn't do it to myself. Every time I took a sip out of my 
glass, Brandon kept filling it up again.

AMY -- (snaps fingers) Oh, that reminds me.... (removes small 
fishbowl from under podium) I have to clean Amy's fish bowl.

LIZ -- I thought your gold fish died.

AMY -- She did. But I bought another one.

LIZ -- What is your fascination with a thirty-five-cent gold 
fish?

AMY -- She's not a fascination. She's a reminder.

LIZ -- And why do you always name every gold fish AMY?

AMY -- Because she is me.

LIZ -- (holding head) I'm sure that makes a lot of sense to you.
Oh, this head!

AMY -- Amy, here, is a constant reminder of my need to keep my 
own fish bowl clean.

LIZ -- I'm sure you're going to start making sense real soon.

AMY -- I'm talking about repentance.

LIZ -- You're not going to start ragging on me about my 
back-sliding again, are you?

AMY -- You asked me about my gold fish.

LIZ -- Alright, I'm listening. But as soon as this turns into a 
lecture, I'm going back to my room. Actually, now that I think 
about it, that's not a bad idea anyway.

AMY -- (turns away) Well, I'll see you later.

LIZ -- Wait a minute. Aren't you going to tell me about the gold 
fish?

AMY -- I thought you were going to go lay down again.

LIZ -- No way I can get back to sleep with this headache. Tell 
me about how a gold fish has anything to do with repentance.

AMY -- (turns back) Well, I try to confess my sins and repent 
constantly during the day. But sometimes I get so busy or so 
defensive about my sins that I forget to repent. So, when I get 
home, I have Amy here to remind me that it's time to clean my 
fish bowl.

LIZ -- I'm waiting.

AMY -- Waiting? Waiting for what?

LIZ -- I'm waiting for you to start making sense.

AMY -- Okay. Let me put it in terms that a back-slider will 
understand. (holds up bowl, points to it) Sin is like the junk 
floating in Amy's water. If I don't clean the junk out of my 
water regularly, I'll have to swim around it. And, if I go a 
long time without repenting, the junk will be so thick that I 
won't even be able to see where I'm going anymore. Pretty soon, 
the junk is so thick that it seems impossible to clean up. That 
leaves me with only three options. And those three options are 
the ones you've chosen for your life.

LIZ -- (sigh) Alright, get it over with.

AMY -- Option number one: blame someone else... like Brandon... 
for my sins...

LIZ -- ...Touche'. You got me there.

AMY -- Option number two: deny that my fish bowl is dirty. 
The problem with denial is that it only works until your water 
gets so filthy that even a blind person can see the junk.

LIZ -- Is this turning into a lecture?

AMY -- Option number three and most clever of all: tell 
everybody that dirty water is an acceptable life style. Say 
things like "Some people are born to live in dirty water." or "I 
can't help it. It's in my chromosomes." Who can argue with that? 
And the only casualties are your dignity and your relationship 
with the only person in the universe who loves you 
unconditionally.

LIZ -- (turns) I think I'll go take some more aspirins. (exits)

AMY -- You do that. And I'll clean my fish bowl. (turns exits 
opposite, talking softly to fish)

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