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The Breakfast Appointment Adapted By Sherry Brandon (There is a table set for two, center stage. A waiter shows a man to the table and he sits.) WAITER: Can I get you some coffee, sir? MAN: (confidently) No, I’ll wait for the lady to arrive…but thank you. (The waiter passes a waitress as he heads offstage.) WAITRESS: He’s back again, eh? WAITER: Yes. Same time every morning. I wonder if she will actually show up this time. WAITRESS: Has she ever? WAITER: Just once…their first breakfast together. But since then, no. (Waitress shakes her head and goes to clean another table. Waiter exits. Man looks behind him toward door where he entered as though looking for someone. Seeing no one, he pulls out a Bible and begins to read. Waitress pantomimes cleaning a table, picks up something that is apparently nasty and it shows in her expression. Then she mimes picking up her tip.) WAITRESS: A buck! Four trips to the kitchen for a buck! (Waiter comes back to the table. Waitress overhears in obvious way.) WAITER: Would you like to go ahead and order, sir? MAN: No, that’s alright. I’ll wait for the lady. She’ll be here. WAITER: Sir, forgive my nosiness, but she hasn’t shown up in a long time, not since your first breakfast together. MAN: Well, she promised that this was it. She says that she has been so busy with work the past few times or so, that she just couldn’t make it. And yesterday, she told me that she overslept. She promised to come today…that she would definitely be here this morning. I must trust her word. WAITER: Very well sir. (Waiter meets the waitress halfway again.) WAITRESS: He is so patient. I still can’t believe he comes here every morning to wait for her, and then her never to show up. I would just be livid! WAITER: Yes, he must truly love her to be so patient and forgiving of her thoughtlessness. (he looks at his watch) She’s probably at work by now. (Waiter and waitress go offstage. Man looks back toward door then continues to read his Bible for a second. He then looks back toward door and then glances at his watch. Looking disappointed and hurt, he sighs deeply, and closes his Bible. Slowly, he gets up from the table and hangs his head. Lights fade on him and come up stage R, where a woman dressed professionally appears to be in a hurry and is struggling to put on her coat with her purse on her arm.) WOMAN: Why can’t I ever be on time for a change? (loses her shoe) Ah! C’mon, I don’t need this right now! Not THIS morning! (steps back into shoe) OK, where are my keys? (searches through purse) Oh, one of these days I’m going to put the “clapper” on those suckers! Ah-ha! (pulls keys out of purse) There you are! What’s this? (pulls a sticky note off of her keys) Reminder: morning daily devotional. (it dawns on her) Oh! Man, I forgot again! (looks up) I’m sorry, Lord! I…I’ll make it up to you! Um…tomorrow! Tomorrow morning, I promise THIS time I’ll do it…for sure! Tomorrow…OK? (lights fade as she rushes across stage) (back to the scripts page)