Act I

The Tales of BART & ANDY

tick... tick... tick...

Or

Waiting on a Promise

By

Paul Dallgas-Frey

1.

The PLAYERS

BART & ANDY

The Apostles Bartholomew and Andrew. They are best friends. We are imagining that Andy is quiet and thoughtful. Bart is not! He thinks by talking!

The TEACHER

She knows everything! (Of course!)

The SETTING

The UPPER ROOM. The room where Jesus shared his last Passover meal with his disciples. It is mostly empty. We see a long, bare table in the middle of the room. There is a basket of bread in the corner.

Andrew is sitting at the empty table, his head in his hands ("head in his hands" sounds a bit creepy, like the headless horseman or something! But you know, his elbows are on the table, and he is cradling his chin... that kind of thing!). He is quiet and sad - Jesus is gone.

The PLAY Begins

Teacher   Today we are pleased to present a play about the coming of the Holy Spirit.

To do that, we are going to pretend we are back in the day when Jesus was here. We are in the upper room, the same room where Jesus had the Last Supper.

And look, there is Andrew, one of the 12 Apostles! But why does he look so sad? And where is Jesus?

[just then, Bart enters, he is all down and out ]

Oh! It's Bartholomew, another one of the Apostles!

Bart    Hey, Andy.

Andy  [all glum]  Hey, Bart.

[Bart sits next to Andy and rests his head in his hands like Andy. They sigh.]

[LONG silence.]

Bart    What are we doing?

[silence]

Andy  Waiting.

[silence]

Bart    Oh.

[silence]

Bart    I hate waiting.

[long, long silence]

Bart    Hey, Andy...

Andy  What, Bart?

Bart    What are we waiting for?

Andy  Peter.

Bart    Oh.

Andy  He said we should meet here. But no one is here.

[Bart starts pinching and poking himself, as if to see if he is real]

Andy  What are you doing?!

Bart    You said no one is here. I thought maybe I was a ghost!

[Andy pokes Bart a good one!]

Bart    Ouch!!! What was that for?!!!

Andy  I was seeing if you were a ghost too!

Bart    Well, I'm not! [pops Andy on the top of the head] Could a ghost do that?!

Andy  [rubbing his head] Ouch!

[they both sigh and returns to silent waiting]

Bart    I hate waiting.

[silence]

Bart    Hey, Andy...

Andy  What, Bart?

Bart    That was awful wasn't it...

Andy  What are you talking about?

Bart    The day they nailed Jesus to the cross... that was the worst day of my life.

Andy  Why did you think of that?

Bart    Ghosts.

Andy  Ghosts?!

Bart    We thought Jesus was a ghost!

Andy   Huh?

Bart    Remember, they nailed Jesus to a cross and we thought he was dead...

Andy  He WAS dead! I have never felt so bad in my whole life.

Bart    Me either.

But then he was alive again! I could hardly believe it! And he was right here... in this room! We thought he was dead, we thought he was gone, and we were all alone... and then all of a sudden there he was - standing right there! [points to a spot in the room] I couldn't believe my eyes! Peter said he was alive, but I didn't believe it. But then, there he was!

And you thought he was a ghost!

Andy  You're the one who thought he was a ghost!

Bart    Un uh!

Andy  Uh huh!

Bart    No way!

Andy  Way! Remember? Jesus let you poke him so you'd know he was really real!

Bart    [Laughs] Oh yeah, you're right, Andy, he did, didn't he! And then he poked me back 'cuz I poked him him too hard... remember how hard we all laughed!

Andy  Yeah... that was really great.

[pause]

Bart    And now he's gone again.

Andy  [sighs] yeah.

[long silence]

Bart    Hey Andy...

Andy  What, Bart?

Bart    That was pretty amazing, wasn't it!

Andy  What are you talking about now?!

Bart    The way he left! The way he just lifted up into the clouds like that!

Andy  Yeah, Bart - you just stood there with your mouth open!

Bart    You did too!

Andy  He said the way we saw him go up into heaven is the way he is going to come back some day... riding in the clouds!

Bart    Yeah... Some day.

Andy  But before he went away, he promised he would send the Holy Spirit – Remember? He said he would send the Holy Spirit, and he would give us power to be his witnesses to all the world.

Bart    Hey, Andy - what did that all mean, anyway?

[pause]

Andy  You got me, Bart. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[silence]

Bart    I guess so.

[silence]

Bart    [sigh] I hate waiting.

[long silence]

Andy  I miss him so much.

Bart    Me too. I was never afraid when he was here. Now I am afraid to even walk out the door... what if what happened to Jesus happens to us?

I feel all scared and alone.

Andy  I do too.

Bart    ...and we were never hungry when Jesus was here either! We always had a lot of fish!

Andy  And bread!

Bart    That's for sure! Remember that one time?

Andy  That one time?!

Bart    Yeah, Andy! It was really hot and we were really hungry, and there were all those people? And there was that one kid, and he had, like, a loaf of bread and two little fish -  and Jesus said it would be enough?! Remember that? It was crazy!

Andy  Sure seemed like it!

Bart    But then Jesus blessed it - said it belonged to God - and thanked God for what he had – and somehow – there was enough for everyone! He just started sharing it and there was enough for everyone!

Andy  More than enough!

Bart    I'll say! Remember how long it took us to eat 12 baskets full of leftover bread? I remember Jesus just laughed when we complained we were too full!

Andy  We laughed a lot when Jesus was here.

Bart    Yeah, we did.

Andy  Every day was a good day with Jesus – even the bad ones.

[pause]

Bart    Hey, Andy...

Andy  What, Bart?

Bart    I am pretty sure I was his favorite!

Andy  Dream on! You know he liked me best!

Bart    Not hardly!

Andy  You know he did! Well... I think maybe he made each one of us feel that way.

Bart    Yeah... Whenever I had a problem he always had time to listen to me. And I always felt better. I don't know.... It was the way he looked at me, like he knew just what I was feeling. And then he'd put his arm around my shoulder and I just knew everything was going to be okay.

Andy  Yeah... I know what you mean. Didn't you just feel like nothing was impossible with Jesus around?

Bart    Yeah.

Andy  Like he was filled with sunlight!

Bart    And... JOY!

Andy  And LIFE!

Bart    And now he is gone. [head in hands on the table again. Andy joins him]

Bart    Hey, Andy...

Andy  What, Bart?

Bart    What are we going to do now?

Andy  I don't know, Bart.

Bart    I wish he didn't have to go.

Andy  Yeah... I wish he could always be with us...

[silence]

Bart    [looking around the room, as a new thought has come to mind] Hey, Andy...remember that one time we were in this room?

Andy  Oh yeah, Bart, that ONE time [rolls his eyes again]

Bart    No... remember... the Passover, the last supper we had with Jesus, remember that?

Andy  Of course I remember that!

Bart    But remember what Jesus said?

Andy  He said a lot of things!

Bart    Yeah.... It was like puzzles and riddles – I didn't really know what he was talking about half the time. But remember, he said, "In a little while you won't see me."

Andy  Yeah... I remember that.

Bart    Well, that's just what happened. He's gone - just like he said.

Andy  You're right, Bart – Everything happened just like he said it would.

Bart    Yeah, it did... [thinking] But remember... Jesus promised he would send the Holy Spirit that night too - just like he did when he went up into heaven. He said he was going away, but he said he would send a Helper.

Andy  [remembering] That's right... I remember... Jesus said he had to go away, like he had to leave us - so he could send us His Spirit. He said that when the Spirit comes he will show us the way, and help us to know everything we need to know.

Bart    Yeah, that's right! Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come - and  Jesus' promises always come true!

Andy  Yes, they do.

[pause]

Bart    Hey, Andy, what do you think Jesus meant?

Andy  I have no idea, Bart. I guess we just have to wait.

[silence]

Bart    I hate waiting.

[longer silence]

Bart    Hey, Andy...

Andy  What, Bart?

Bart    I wonder what will he be like?

Andy  Who?

Bart    The Holy Spirit! You can't see a spirit, right??

Andy  No, Bart, I don't think so.

Bart    Maybe I could Google it!

Andy  Google it?! What's that?!

Bart    You know – my friend Google - the Netmaker. He knows everything!

Andy  Oh yeah... except half of what he knows isn't true!

[Just then there is a gust of wind, and the sound

of trees rattling outside the window]

Bart    [frightened] What was that?!!!

Andy  It was just the wind, you goof!

Bart    Hey, Andy... do remember what Jesus said that one time ...

Andy  Oh, yeah, Bart, that one time again...

Bart    No, remember... we were sitting under that tree, and the leaves were blowing around, and Jesus said the Spirit is like the wind. You can hear the sound of it, but you can't see where it comes from or where it goes.

You know the wind is there – but you can't see it. Maybe when the Spirit comes it will be like that.

Andy  [thinking] Hmmmm... Maybe.

[Return again to original poses. Silence]

Bart    Hey Andy...

Andy  What, Bart?

Bart    I'm hungry.

Andy  You're always hungry. There's a basket of bread over there in the corner.

Bart    Where did THAT come from?!

Andy  I don't know. But there always seems to be some when we need it.

Bart    Who brings it? [fetching the basket of bread and returning to the table]

Andy  I don't know.

Bart    You've never seen him?

Andy  Nope. All I ever see is the basket of bread.

Bart    Huh. [munches into bread]

[silence while Bart stuffs his face]

Bart    Hey, Andy! Maybe the Spirit will be a little like that.

Andy  Like what?! A loaf of bread???

Bart    No! We'll know the Spirit is helping us – but we won't be able to see him!

Maybe the Spirit will be a little like that.

Andy  Maybe.

Bart    I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Andy  I guess so.

[they both sit with their heads in their hands

like at the beginning. Long silence]

Bart    Hey, Andy...

Andy  What, Bart?

Bart    I miss Jesus.

Andy  Me too.

Bart    I hope the Spirit comes soon.

Andy  Me too.

[Long silence]

Bart    Waiting is hard.

Epilogue

[the teacher enters again]

Teacher  Have you ever had to wait for something? Like maybe, your birthday? Or how about waiting for Christmas? It's hard to wait, isn't it?!

But I'm not sure Bart and Andy even knew what they were waiting for! Jesus promised he'd send the Holy Spirit... but I don't think they really knew what he meant.

But Jesus was gone, and they felt afraid and all alone. They were like sheep and their shepherd was gone! They didn't know what to do, and they were too afraid to do anything anyway.

But Jesus promised he would send a Helper.

Next time we are going to find out what happened!

So, guess what?

We are going to have to wait!