Prayers

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And
Abraham
went early
in the morning
to the place
where he had
stood
before the
Lord.
[Genesis 19:27]
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[PATIENTLY GENTLE VOICE.]
"Good morning,
MY beloved."

(One eye slits open.)
"Huh."

[SMILE.]

(One eyed squint.)
"What."

"GOOD MORNING,
LITTLE ONE!"

(Eye closes.)
"Yeah."
(Turn over.)
(One pillow falls on the floor.)
(Cover goes askew.)
(Glasses fall off the bed.)
(Snore.)

[BIG SMILE!]

(Another eye slits open.)
"Yeah."
(Kick covers off.)
(Stretch out.)
(Go back to sleep)
(Gray scruffy cat walks
over another,
even more wrinkled pillow.)
(Loud, hungry meow into right ear.)
(Mutter.)
(Reach up to rub fingers
over scruffy fur.)
(Another even louder meow.)
(Mutter.)

BING!
BING!
BING!
(Alarm goes off.)

(Mutter.)
(Mumble.)
(Curse.)

"Wake up, child!"

(Mumble.)

"Wake up!"

(Mutter.)
(Sigh.)
(Curse again.)

[LOVING GAZE.]

"Oh......(Curse.)"
(Squint up at ceiling.)
What?
WHAT?
FORGET it!"

"Forget what, child."

(Really irritated look up at celing fan.)
"NO, LORD!
That's an AMERICAN expression!
REMEMBER?"

[PATIENT NOD.]

"What I mean is,
'FORGET about it!
I AIN'T in the MOOD
to........PRAY!"

[NOD.]
"Ah."

"Yeah.........I can't BELIEVE
these guys that get UP,
like......REAL EARLY in the
morning......just to PRAY!"

[PATIENT NOD OF A BESMITTEN
FATHER.]

"ECH!"

[MORE NODDING.]

[ANGELS AROUND THRONE
GIVE EACH OTHER A
DISBELIEVING GLANCE.]
[ONE ANGEL, NAMED HUMPHREY,
IS CURLED UP IN THE CORNER
NEXT TO THRONE.....SNORING.]
[ANOTHER ANGEL, PURSING
HIS LIPS IN A BIG FROWN,
NUDGES HUMPHREY WITH HIS BIG TOE.
HUMPREY MUMBLES A BIT,
PATS HIS SNORING BASSETT*
HOUND ON THE PLUMP RUMP,
and then GOES BACK TO SLEEP.]

"WHAT?
D'You want me to like...
SAY SOMETHIN'?"

[PATIENT NOD.]

"WHAT?"

"Speak, child."

"YEAH?
'BOUT WHAT?"

[PATIENTLY WAITING.]

(Eyes start to close again.)
(Another, even more
insistant meow.)
(Mumble.)

"CHILD!"

(Irritable squint.)
(Wave hand away.)

[PATIENT VOICE.]
"Time to wake up,
precious."

"Hey.......LORD?
Why don't Ya GIMME
some LOTTO NUMBERS?
Then......I WON'T have
ta' go to WORK, TODAY?"

[PATIENT SMILE.]

"SEE?
THERE!
I just SAID my MORNING
PRAYER!"

[PATIENT NOD.]
"I know, precious.
[CHUCKLE.]
I know."
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So Moses
cut two tables
of stone
like the first;
and
he rose
early in the morning
and went up
on Mount Sinai,
as the Lord
had
commanded him.
[Exodus 34:4]


____________________________
*Bob.

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