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Monologue Mania Day # 1834-1835-1836-1837-1838-1839-1840 by Janet S. Tiger (c) for March 4-March 10, 2019

Catching up - today's is 7 pages, so will count for 7 days March 4 - March 10, 2019 ....I will catch up, all I need is a little time......

God’s Coffee Shop © 2014

A play in one act

by Janet S. Tiger

Winner – That24HrThing! 2014 Fringe Festival

Setting - Coffee Shop

Characters - Anna Del Dios 30s

Jeffrey 60s

Mrs. Donnehy 50s

(As people are being seated, a woman enters and begins to get the coffee ready, cleaning tables, putting out napkins, the prep of a coffee shop. This is ANNA Deldios and she is in her early thirties, and she is working quickly, but there is something, perhaps a bit of sadness about her that comes through as she lingers over some of the details.

At lights down, the phone rings and she answers)

ANNA – God’s Coffee Shop, where the coffee is always heavenly……we will be open in five minutes ….I know you just want to be sure, Mrs. Donnehy. …….Yes, I have a bear claw today……..(getting short) Thank you for calling….see you later…..

(She hangs up and shakes her head, starts to prepare a cup. She opens curtains, and takes a deep breath.)

ANNA - Let there be light!

(Jeffrey enters, he is in his 60s, a bit disheveled but still alert and happy to see Anna.)

JEFFREY - Good morning beautiful......

ANNA - Hello, Mr. Jeffrey, how are you today?

JEFFREY - How am I? Same as always....I'm a writer, so I feel like crap!

ANNA - (Laughs, she's heard this before) It can't be so bad!

JEFFREY - It's worse! If they don't hire me, I starve. And if they hire me, then there's no money until I finish. And I can't think of anything to write, so there's no finish, so no money whether I'm hired or not! I can't win! So, to answer your question.....How am I? Awful. How about some of that heavenly coffee?

ANNA - All ready, my friend, black, double strong, no sugar.

JEFFREY - Perfect....and how are you my lovely? I can tell something is different...

ANNA - So now you're a detective writer?

JEFFREY - I've been coming here for over ten years, and you have a beautiful flower behind your right ear every day, usually one that smells good, too!

ANNA - The flower is beautiful today, no?

(She touches the flower)

Jeffrey - Yes, still beautiful, but today, it's behind your left ear......

(He leans over, almost touching the flower, drops his hand instead)

ANNA - For a man, you're very observant....

JEFFREY - That sounded like a compliment, I think....

(She turns away to clean a counter)

JEFFREY - Do I have to ask?

ANNA - Ask what?

JEFFREY - (Playful) Why the different ear? You have an ear infection? It's a signal to a spy that you have the secret information?......(Leans in) ....Or is there some deep, dark meaning to it?

(She is quiet, he realizes he is right)

JEFFREY - (Serious) What's wrong?

ANNA - (Hard to say) Today is the last day of God's Coffee Shop.......

JEFFREY - (Stunned) The last day? You mean, are they remodeling again? I thought that was over five years ago!

(She shakes her head 'no')

ANNA - I had to sell.....tomorrow, there will be a new owner, and a new name.....

(He is amazed, sits heavily)

JEFFREY - But you must have known.....obviously, I mean, but why not tell anyone?

ANNA - This was very hard to do, I didn't want a lot of fuss......

JEFFREY - But this won't be the same without you!

ANNA - Nothing is the same, ever.....except change. In life, there is always change......Especially when people give you a twenty for a two dollar cup of coffee!

JEFFREY - (Still stunned) But, this place is always the same! I mean, …I remember seeing the name…God’s Coffee Shop and I thought, I have to go here because with a name like that, ….

ANNA - /JEFFREY - (Together) ……the coffee has to be heavenly!

ANNA - I have used that on all my cards, it was a lovely gift, Mr. Jeffrey.

JEFFREY - So why are you leaving, why such a secret?

ANNA - (Tries to be funny) Because I am actually a spy and they are sending me home.....

(He looks at her)

ANNA - My mother is sick, and my other brothers and sisters have families, so.....it's my turn now. Funny, all the immigrants rushing to get in, and I am going home.

JEFFREY - I'm sorry.

ANNA - It happens. It’s life.

JEFFREY - I guess, with the name God’s Coffee Shop, I figured, this would be the last place my friends and I would be going….. You get old, the regulars drop away, but you’re not old!

(He is suddenly overcome with emotion, and turns away. She sees that he is upset, goes to him and touches his arm)

ANNA- This is why I didn’t want anyone to know, it’s hard to say goodbye.

(Jeffrey is torn, turns and takes her hand)

JEFFREY - I don’t know what’s come over me! The thought of never seeing you again….

ANNA- I’ll come back to visit…..

JEFFREY - No you won’t! No one ever comes back to visit! People say that and maybe once in ten years you see them again and there’s nothing to say! And you have that awkward moment where you wish they hadn’t come back! I don’t want you to lie about coming back! I want…..

(He takes her other hand)

JEFFREY - I want…..

(He is very flustered and she leans in to him, concerned)

ANNA - Do you want more coffee?

JEFFREY (Struggling)- I want….

ANNA – (Concerned) Do you want me to call a doctor?

JEFFREY - I want….to go with you! I want to marry you! I want to have your children!...Well, you know what I mean, I want you to have your children, my children, our children!

(Anna is torn between laughing and hurting his feelings)

ANNA- Oh, Mr. Jeffrey! I think you might be a little bit……..confused?

JEFFREY - I’m not confused! I’ve never been more clear in my whole life!

ANNA - But what about your other children?

JEFFREY - They’re all grown! I never see them! I never see my grandchildren! I’m not even sure they’re MY grandchildren! I want…….

ANNA - ….for me not to leave?

JEFFREY - That! That’s what I want! But if you leave, please take me with you!

(He leans in to kiss her just as we see a woman enter. This is Mrs. Donnehy, an older lady with a huge purse. She lights up when she sees Jeffrey. Anna pulls away and goes to get her coffee)

ANNA- (Bright and too cheerful, very relieved) Hello, Mrs. Donnehy! How are you today?

(She gets a coffee that has been ready since the phone call and hands it to Mrs. Donnehy while Jeffrey stands staring)

ANNA - Three sugars, cream and a straw…..and your favorite bear claw, just warm from the oven.

MRS. DONNEHY- Thank you, my dear, you are a sweetie!

(Sips it, smiling.)

MRS. DONNEHY – Perfect as always!

(She opens a large purse and gives a bill to Anna.)

MRS. DONNEHY- You keep the change, Anna.

ANNA- Thank you…..

(Jeffrey stares at Mrs. Donnehy and Anna)

JEFFREY - Do you know what’s going on?

MRS. DONNEHY- (Looks at them, pretends not to notice) Well, yes, I’m about to have my breakfast, same as I do every morning at 7:15, coffee, bear claw and….

JEFFREY - (Interrupts) I mean about Anna!

MRS. DONNEHY – (Concerned) Are you all right, dear?

ANNA - I’m fine, it’s my mother……

MRS. DONNEHY - I knew about her poor mother….are you going to take a vacation?

JEFFREY - (Upset) She’s leaving! This place will be no more!

MRS. DONNEHY – Oh, Jeffrey, I’m sorry for you, too…..

ANNA- Well, I did sell it to that Seattle chain, so it will still be a coffee shop…..

JEFFREY - (Cuts her off) But not God’s Coffee Shop! It will be ….Something Else’s Coffee Shop! And the delicious coffee from all over the world will be no more….No more beans from the jungles of the Amazon, no more spicy Guatamalen brew! No more exotic…

ANNA- (Interrupts) I’m sorry to tell you this, but….Mr. Jeffrey…..all of my coffee….is from Von’s…..

(He stops stunned, while Mrs. Donnehy stares)

MRS. DONNEHY- But it tastes so good!

JEFFREY – How could you possibly know? You have two pounds of sugar in there! I know! This was the best coffee I ever tasted!

ANNA - I took the Von’s coffee and sometimes I add a pinch of cinnamon, or mint, pumpkin or nutmeg……and then I would mix the coffees, or use different water……I’m sorry, but, coffee is coffee….

(Jeffrey sits as if he was punched)

JEFFREY - Did anyone know?

ANNA –I guess you could say, God knows.

(Mrs. Donnehy laughs with Anna as Jeffrey shakes his head)

ANNA - I am so sorry if this upset you…..

JEFFREY - Upset? My whole world is crumbling like the apple turnover! First you say you’re leaving, then I hear the coffee I loved..and trusted….is a fraud!

ANNA - (Starts to get angry) It was not a fraud! I served fresh coffee every day! I never kept the old for the next day! I wash out those pots and make sure everything I used is clean! Okay, maybe I misled people about where the coffee was from, but…..so what? You pay two dollars for a cup, which costs me ten cents, and the coffee costs me and the sugar and the electricity and maybe after all my expenses, I end up with fifty cents! And I put up with all of you people telling the same stories and fighting with each other over who was here first and you complain that I lied about the beans!

(She shakes a finger at Jeffrey)

You say you’re observant! And you notice which ear my flower is on, but you are blind in so many ways! This nice woman, who you sit with and talk to every day! She likes you, she wants to do more than have coffee with you! She likes your writing, and she is in front of you like the coffee – but you can’t see it because you are so……Goddamn BLIND!

(She storms out and they watch her, but she turns back and gives the flower to Mrs. Donnehy, who touches her ear and smiles)

MRS. DONNEHY – I guess I shouldn’t ask for a refill yet.

(Jeffrey looks at Mrs. Donnehy)

JEFFREY – What did she mean, you like my writing? Where would you read it?

(She pulls a book out of her purse)

MRS. DONNEHY - I’ve read everything you have ever written, Jeffrey. It’s all online, and it’s very good…..I do like it. Not the article about stray dogs and how people eat them sometimes, that was a little gross, but the one about the man with no eyes who is a security guard, I just loved that! I think you should get a Pulitzer Prize someday!

(He sits and takes a sip of coffee)

JEFFREY - That flower looks good on you.

MRS. DONNEHY - (Suddenly shy) Thank you.

(She puts her hand on his)

MRS. DONNEHY - And I would love if you came over for dinner sometime and we could talk about it more. And, maybe….I could get you some real coffee from Guatemala…..

(Jeffrey looks at her and squeezes her hand)

JEFFREY - You know, I woke up this morning and I was depressed. I come here to have my coffee and try to pick myself up so I can go back and stare at my computer. God knows I haven’t written a new chapter in two months. But today, I was seriously thinking about jumping off the roof here.

MRS. DONNEHY - (Horrified) Oh, no! Please tell me that was a joke!

JEFFREY - And then I learned about Anna, and something snapped. Ten years…..(anguished) I just hate change! Why does it have to be so....difficult?

MRS. DONNEHY- (Kind) What if it didn't have to be that way? Maybe, if you look at it as if....life is like coffee – every day we see it, and it looks the same, but, the truth is…every day, it’s a new cup, a new chance.....

JEFFREY - I like that……maybe my next chapter will be about….a coffee shop!

(He takes out a pad and starts to write. He looks up at Mrs. Donnehy and smiles at her, she smiles back. Lights start to dim. Mrs. Donnehy is staring at Jeffrey as he talks, and Anna comes back to clean up and prepare more coffee. She sees the two sitting together and smiles. Jeffrey lifts his cup to her and takes a sip of coffee)

JEFFREY - Von’s. Who would’ve known?

(He sits up, then pulls out a pad and pen, turns to Mrs. Donnehy and smiles.)

JEFFREY – (Excited) I think I have the title for the chapter about us......A New Blend!

(They lean over to kiss. The end.)

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