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Warfare Written By Sherry Brandon (Two men, Stu Gibson and Rich Brown are in prison . Brown is in the TV room writing a letter. Gibson enters.) GIBSON: They ran out of M&M’s at the prison commissary again. BROWN: I guess Jack must have gotten money from his mom this week. You gotta be quicker than that. GIBSON: (goes over to TV) This thing still works, doesn't it? BROWN: Yeah, but there's nothin' good on since they decided to pull that “Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire” show. GIBSON: But there’s still Regis. BROWN: But I kinda wanted to see how many other folks out there were willing to meet for 30 whole seconds before tying the knot….BUT the network pulled it. I guess that was their “final answer”. GIBSON: (after fiddling with the TV and a short silence) Brown, you ever pray? Like, at night about the future…or whatever? BROWN: (not looking up) Nope. I gave up all that "religion stuff". GIBSON: Gave it up? What do you mean? BROWN: Just what I said, I gave it up…when God gave up on me. GIBSON: When God gave up on you? BROWN: (looking up) Gibson, you got some of those M&M’s in your ears? I don't stutter. GIBSON: God doesn't give up on people. BROWN: Oh, great! Just what I need….for you to go and get all "preachy" on me. Go find yourself a new inmate if you're gonna do that, and leave me alone. (Gibson just looks at him in amazement) BROWN: (after a second, Brown side-glances at Gibson feeling his stare and finally puts down his letter) OK, what do you want from me, Gibson…my life story, a serenade…what? GIBSON: I'd just like to know what made you so bitter, Brown. That's all. BROWN: (calmer) All right Gibson, I'll humor ya. Truth is, I used to consider myself a pretty religious fellow…grew up in church—the whole bit. I always wanted to take after my brother Gary in everything…sports, schoolwork, even church. (smiles…remembering) He called me 'kid' all the time. He was going to be a youth pastor. I never figured out if it was because he really liked kids or if it was because he wanted to keep an eye on me. One day he was doing some work in the front yard when some punks drove by and shot him—BAM…for no reason at all. In one instant my brother was dead. Police thought it was gang related, even though my brother never had anything to do with them…we just didn’t live in a great part of town. They never caught the guys who did it…didn’t really try in my opinion. Which is why I’m here. They told me I can’t take revenge upon myself. As you can imagine, it liked to have killed my mother to watch me get convicted for avenging my own brother. GIBSON: “Vengeance is mine saith the Lord.” (Brown gives him a look) GIBSON: (trying to sort it out) So you're angry because you think God took your brother even though your family was raised in the church and your brother wanted to be a youth pastor? BROWN: Well thank you Dr. Gibson for that psychoanalysis. You can send the bill to my address at 300 Iron Bars, Brownsville! (folds up his letter and stands) GIBSON: Is that a letter to your mother? BROWN: No. It's to my fiancee'. GIBSON: How did she take the news that you were being sent to prison? BROWN: Not very well…which is why I'm breaking off the engagement (referring to letter). GIBSON: (disgusted) In a letter? BROWN: Yeah…what's it to ya? GIBSON: Don't you think she deserves more? BROWN: Trust me…this way will be a lot easier on her. I can’t expect her to wait around for me forever. And she’s not the type who would break it off herself. (pause) I just can’t do it in person…I can’t stand to see her cry. GIBSON: You really love her, don't you Rich? BROWN: (quietly, looking at the letter) Stu, I love Amy with all of my heart. (Derek Smith enters) SMITH: Hey, have either of you guys seen Jack? BROWN: No, Sorry. But you might look for a trail of M&M’s. GIBSON: (standing) I haven't seen you around before, have I? SMITH: No. I just got transferred to this unit this morning. Derek Smith. (extends hand to Gibson) BROWN: (sets down the letter and intercepts Smith's handshake) Rich Brown. And this is Preacher Gibson! New recruit for ya, pastor! GIBSON: (shakes hands and gives Brown a 'look') Stu Gibson. Good to meet you. BROWN: New to the unit, eh? I hope they warned you about this unit before they sent you over. SMITH: (confused) Warned me? BROWN: Yeah, it can get fairly rough in here sometimes. For some reason they stuck all of the oversized egos in this unit. GIBSON: (trying to be nice in spite of Brown) You’ll do fine. Just keep to yourself around the troublemakers. (starting to walk him away from Brown) BROWN: Hey Smith, you know what ‘solitary confinement’ is? GIBSON: OK Brown...that’s good enough! SMITH: Well, I need to find Jack so I can let him know I’m here…he’s my cousin. See you guys later. (Smith exits) BROWN: I guess you wouldn’t believe me if I told you I had a terrific bedside manner. GIBSON: You’re right...I wouldn’t. (pause) You know Rich, God doesn’t take people away... BROWN: (throws head back, interrupting) Ohhhhh....I thought we were done with this! GIBSON: Rich, it’s the attack of the enemy…like in the war against gang violence. But in this war, we’re fighting a different enemy. I think it’s Ephesians 12 and 6 that says “It’s not flesh and blood we war against, but against the powers of darkness.” BROWN: Yeah, I think I do remember hearing that one. GIBSON: And like in battle...instead of guns, our defense is prayer--and faith in God. Actually, we're part of the 'army of the Lord'. You know… BROWN: Gibson, if you break out into a chorus of "Onward Christian Soldiers", I'll beat you myself! GIBSON: OK…I won't. But I will say that when you believe in Jesus Christ and give your life to him, you are a new creature. When you have faith when you pray, you get results. You can't ever give it up! That's just what the enemy wants…don't give it to him. BROWN: So how is it that you're such an expert on this stuff, Gibson? GIBSON: A few years ago after giving my life to Christ, I had a miracle through prayer in my family’s life. I promised myself and God that I would never forget what he did. BROWN: (pause) What was it? GIBSON: My sister went swimming with some friends in a lake a few years ago. There was a long peer out toward the middle of the lake where we all used to dive all the time. Well, one day, someone had put a large crawfish trapping cage at the foot of the peer. She didn't see it and she dived right in. They said she was paralyzed and would never walk again. My Mom wrote and told me the news. I couldn't accept that my sister would never walk again…I wouldn't. I remembered the pastor in the chapel here talking about prayer and faith in God that next Sunday, and I knew God could heal my sister…I knew he could. Everyone told me not to get my hopes up…that I was just setting myself up for disappointment. I didn't give up though. Me and God had some pretty long talks over the next couple of weeks. I'll never forget that morning…when I got the letter from my sister herself. She said she woke up and there was this huge hornet just sittin' on her chest. She’s never been fond of hornets--scared the daylights out of her! Next thing she knew she said she was up out of that bed just swattin' and waving her arms, yellin'. Our folks came in to see what was going on and they just stared in amazement. She said then she realized…she was standing…and running…and jumping--like nothing ever happened! My mom caught that hornet and she's kept it in a jar ever since…I guess it's kind of like a reminder of 'thanks' for her. But I don't need to look at a jar every day to remind me of the miracle God did for my sister. She’ll never forget it either. Every time she takes a step, or ties her shoe, (laughing) or scratches her big toe…she’ll remember. BROWN: So how did you get in here, anyway? GIBSON: Well, my Dad’s always been an alcoholic, ever since I can remember. As my sister and I got older, he just got worse. One day he was really drunk and angry about whatever, but he just went off on my Mom. It wasn’t even her fault. (pause thinking back) He wouldn’t stop. I thought he was gonna kill her for sure, so I put him through the wall. They got me for assault and battery…and he got nothing. (disgusted) My Mom was in the hospital longer than he was. But that was before I found Jesus. I hope that someday I get the chance to witness to my folks…especially my Dad. At least he’s going to AA meetings now. (fighting heard from offstage; Smith enters) BROWN: Smith, what’s going on? SMITH: Man ...some guy was just trying to buy a bag of chips at the commissary, and it happened to be the last one. Sal just grabbed him and started beating him up…claimed those chips were his. Now it looks like the whole unit is in on the fight…like one group against the other. I don’t know how it happened, but one of the inmates got a hold of one of the guard’s pistols and is threatening the others with it. BROWN: Sal…the biggest ego of them all! I can’t believe this…it’s like there are gangs in prison as well. This has got to stop! (starts to leave) GIBSON: (stops Brown) Hey, Rich, what are you doing? It’s too dangerous. You aren’t going to bring your brother back by getting shot in a violent raid yourself! BROWN: Get outta my way. I mean it, Gibson!! (shoves Gibson out of the way and exits offstage) (shot heard offstage— Smith exits) GIBSON: Oh Lord, be with him—please! (Smith heard offstage yelling. Smith enters) SMITH: The guards got him! Rich tackled the gunman--but he was shot. We’re getting him to medical. I think it was his shoulder...I think he’ll be OK. GIBSON: They need to keep him conscious...was he? SMITH: Yeah……he was praying. (fade) (back to the scripts page)