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For Giving Written By Sherry Brandon (This sketch takes place in a hospital room. Jeri Smits is preparing to go into surgery for a kidney transplant. Angie is the nurse preparing her for surgery. ) ANGIE: Ms. Smits, I’m Angie Miller and I’ll be preparing you for surgery today. JERI: Is Kate sick? ANGIE: She had an emergency come up…she’s OK. (Angie begins to do “prep” work like taking Jeri’s blood pressure, looking at her chart, making notes, etc.) Well isn’t she cute! JERI: (holding an angel doll) I haven’t a clue where this little angel came from. It was an anonymous gift from someone. I like to think that angels are watching over me now. It helps to calm me down a little. I don’t know if I’m ready for this. ANGIE: Just relax. I can get you a sedative if you need it to help you calm down. Everything will be all right. You have one of the best surgeons in the world. Dr. Gladney will take good care of you. JERI: I know. I’m more worried about me. I just don’t want my body to reject this kidney. ANGIE: They found a perfect match. The odds are that it will take just fine. JERI: It’s a miracle they found such a good match so quickly. ANGIE: Yes, it sounded to me like it was an answer to prayer. Did you have people praying for you? JERI: Well, just my aunt. She’s really the only family I have left. ANGIE: (picks up a picture of Jesus on the nightstand). I like your picture of Jesus. It’s rare to hear people mention “angels” or display Jesus like this anymore. JERI: Yes, it is…too rare. He is my comfort and my strength…something I really need--today especially. I entered into a relationship with Jesus just last year. He died for me and didn’t have to. That is something I don’t want to forget—just like this donor is giving their gift of love to me and doesn’t have to. ANGIE: You say you just have your aunt…no brothers or sisters? JERI: (hesitating, sadly) Well, I do have a sister….(quickly) but we parted on rather bad terms years ago (hangs her head). ANGIE: I’m sorry to hear that. JERI: Yeah…it was really a silly feud over our mother’s estate when she died. Linda claimed certain things were hers and I said they were mine…we both had our reasons. Finally it just went too far and we were at each other’s throats talking to one another through lawyers instead of actually trying to work it out between the two of us. ANGIE: Were you and your sister really close before your mother died? JERI: Yes, actually…very close. Best friends, even. We shared everything. Thinking back, it’s really hard to believe things happened the way they did. (thinking) Wow, it was over 10 years ago. Time sure does go by fast. It was my fault. I was the greedy one. Linda wanted our mother’s things as heirlooms to remember her by. I just wanted to see what kind of price they would bring…and she knew that…which is why she fought so hard to keep them. We did end up splitting everything. I’ll bet she still has everything she won in court, and I have almost nothing that I won. I didn’t get half the price I thought I would for anything. Doesn’t matter even if I had…it sure wasn’t worth losing my sister over. (begins to cry) I wish I could tell her that. Angie, if something happens to me in this surgery, could you please get a message to my sister…that I love her and that I’m sorry? ANGIE: Why don’t you tell her right now? JERI: I don’t have enough time, do I? I’d have to call and explain about the surgery and I know she would want to talk…at least I hope she will talk to me, after what happened. I hope she can forgive me after all this time. ANGIE: There is no time like the present, you know. You haven’t a thing to lose. You don’t have to call her…you can talk to her right now in person. She’s here in the hospital. JERI: (gasps) Here! Why? ANGIE: She’s your perfect match, Jeri. Your aunt told her about your needing a donor. She didn’t even hesitate. She came up and was tested right away. She’s going into surgery today, just before you do. I would assume she’s forgiven you. (smiling) JERI: Oh Linda! Yes…please! I would like to see her! ANGIE: Terrific… I’ll be right back. JERI: (to herself) After all these years and all I put her through…and she is here saving my life. She’s always been like that. I wish I could be an example like Linda. (to God) I thank You for this second chance at life, and especially for my sister. Lord, please forgive me of the unfounded bitterness I held all those years toward Linda. And help me to be a good Christian witness to her through my relationship with You. (Linda enters in a robe) JERI: Linda! (she stretches her arms toward Linda to hug her. Linda bends down and hugs her in her chair. Both are crying.) LINDA: (kneels down beside the chair) I’m so glad I got to see you before the surgery. I really wanted to say I’m sorry. JERI: You have nothing to be sorry for! It was all my fault! I can’t believe I acted that way. You were right about everything! How could I have been so greedy? LINDA: But too many years went by and I didn’t call. I shouldn’t have let my pride get in the way like that. JERI: If anyone was full of pride it was ME. And now here you are saving my life after everything I did. Can you forgive me? LINDA: I already have. But right now the only thing I want you to do is relax…no stress. I love you, Jeri. JERI: I love you, Linda. (a different nurse enters) KATE: Sorry I’m late. We are almost ready to go. JERI: Kate? You made it. Angie said you had an emergency. I hope everything is alright? KATE: Yes, thank you. It worked itself out. How are you doing? JERI: I’m OK, but I would like to see Angie before I go into surgery to tell her ‘thank you’ for her advice. She really helped open my eyes. KATE: I’m sorry, but I don’t know Angie. Is she a patient? JERI: No, she was my nurse this morning before you arrived. KATE: I’m sorry, Jeri, but we don’t have a nurse on staff by the name of Angie. Are you sure she was a nurse? JERI: (confused) Yes, she took my vitals and everything. She went and brought Linda down here in fact. LINDA: No, actually I was looking for the nurses’ station and just took a wrong turn. The next thing I know, I see you. JERI: You never did see Angie? LINDA: No, I’m sorry. KATE: Jeri, do you need anything before surgery? JERI: (still confused) Yes, that sedative might be nice now…thank you. KATE: (laughing) No problem. I’ll be right back. (exits) LINDA: Oh, this is really cute. (strokes the angel doll Jeri holds) JERI: Yes, it just appeared in my room this morning. I don’t know who left it. LINDA: There was no note or tag? JERI: No note and I didn’t see a tag…(she begins to search around the doll) …wait a minute, what’s this? (finds a tag under the doll’s dress….reading) Your surgery is blessed. Remember that Jesus loves you. God Bless. Love, Angie! It’s from Angie! LINDA: Ah ha…the proof. She does exist! JERI: Well, no. (holds the angel up) Perhaps not. (fade) (back to the scripts page)