Timing

By Abrahim Harb

This is an excerpt from the play, and it is the second scene in the play.

A woman (Amy) manages to temporarily withhold a life changing announcement from Jeremy, her longtime live-in boyfriend. This short play gives a modern spin on the "I Love Lucy" shtick that Lucille Ball mastered, bringing it to a new audience. Stepping from the shoes of a writer into the shoes of motherhood, is the least of Amy's worries as her best friend Linda pushes her to the brink of blurting it out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

AMY
He is going to find out now…crap….

LINDA
I think that is the point…FOR HIM TO KNOW!

AMY
You know what I meant. I wanted to tell him after the movie. Someone could slip up now. It will put him in a great mood after a stressful week on set. I don’t want stress on stress. That just makes for a nasty sandwich, with no cheese on it.
[Linda chuckles at Amy]
LINDA
Yuck! …You do remember he wanted to see a bad movie.

AMY
Yeah…but I also know that he likes that movie too. I really need to get back to this short story. I got this epiphany this morning and figured I should really get around to finishing it.

LINDA
….I read part of it didn’t I?
[Aside]
LINDA
You may think that she has it all together. But she doesn’t. She keeps procrastinating; she wants to tell him when the time is RIGHT. Just tell him. FUCK IT! Shit—I mean shiz—my mother just rolled over in her grave.
[While making the sign of the cross]
May her soul rest in peace….
JUST TELL HIM OR I WILL….…by the way. If you haven’t noticed by now, SHE…IS …PREGNANT…..and YES…IT IS JEREMY’S...

I can remember the day she said she loved him, the day she found out pregnancy might be nearly impossible. And now she has one in the oven.