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Grandmother Eschenberg’s Baptism Dress A Play to be Read by Payton S.
Characters: Narrator The Mother-to-Be (Janie) Saleswoman at the Dress Shop The Father-to-Be (Claud) Friends at the Baby Shower: Woman # 1 (Diane) Woman # 2 (Melissa) Stranger Nurse Janie Belle The Minister at the Baptism The Dress
Scene 1, Fancy Dress Shop Narrator: This is a story about a special baptismal dress. The first voice you hear will be the dress, thinking to itself. Dress: How long until these things that made me are going to take me out of this dark place? This is going to take days! I guess I’ll just go to sleep. Mother-to-Be: How much is this dress? Saleswoman (in a scratchy voice): $54.50 Mother-to-Be: I’ll buy it. Dress (thinking to herself): I am so excited after all this time! ********************************************************
Scene 2 Narrator: after a bumpy ride from the store home, the dress was carried into a house and put down on a table. She took a nap and when she woke up she heard a door slam, followed by two voices talking. Finally, she was taken out of the box. Dress: Man, it is a bright as the sun in this place! Father-to-Be: Oh, what a beautiful dress! How much was it? Was iut a good deal? Mother-to-Be: Well… it was about $54.50. Father to be (loudly): $54.50??????!!!!!! MOTHER-TO-BE: Yes, but isn’t it pretty? FATHER-TO-BE: Yes, but do you think it is worth that much? MOTHER-TO-BE: Well, yes, because it is going to be for our baby. FATHER-TO-BE: (sighing): Well, that is right. It was a pretty good deal, and it is for her. I am sorry. It’s OK. Talking about babies when the baby shower ? MOTHER-TO-BE: how about next week on Wednesday ? FATHER-TO-BE: Don’t you have a doctor’s appointment on Wednesday ? MOTHER-TO-BE: Let me go check the calendar. (while wobbling into the kitchen ) MOTHER-TO-BE: You’re right, how about on Thursday ? FATHER-TO-BE: Well I have to stay at work late on Thursday. MOTHER-TO-BE: Saturday would be a good day wouldn’t it? FATHER-TO-BE: Perfect! Saturday it is! Narrator: (A few days passed. It was now Friday and she was getting ready for the baby shower, which was tomorrow. ) On Friday, as she was getting all the decorations put up, her husband walked in. FATHER-TO-BE: Are you almost done? MOTHER-TO-BE: Well, almost. I just have to blow up the balloons and put the banner up. How about you put up the banner, since I am already blowing up the balloons? FATHER-TO-BE: Sure, I can. So, what kind of balloons are they? MOTHER-TO-BE: Well, they’re the expensive kind from Baby Express. FATHER-TO-BE: What!!! MOTHER-TO-BE: Just kidding. They are the kind from Wal-Mart that have pictures of baby things on them. FATHER-TO-BE: Wal-Mart? MOTHER-TO-BE: Wal-Mart is that new place by Super S. Haven’t you been there yet? FATHER-TO-BE: No, I haven’t been to Wal-Mart. I haven’t even seen it before. MOTHER-TO-BE: Well, I went there yesterday afternoon. They were $2.50 for one whole pack. FATHER-TO-BE: Well, that’s not a lot of money! After the baby shower, I’m going to have to start working full time, so you don’t have to work full time or even half-time. MOTHER-TO-BE: You can’t stay at work too, too late, though. FATHER-TO-BE: OK, I won’t. I’ll probably get home at 9:00 or 10:00 and go to work at 7:00 or 8:00. It depends when. OK, I’m done putting up the banner. And you’re done blowing up the balloons. MOTHER-TO-BE: I’m going to put the dress up in the closet and then I’ll go to bed. Dress: Whoa! Those people are pretty busy. Well, better get some rest, so, goodnight… ********* Next morning: Dress: (Yawn) Well, it’s pretty dark in here. Maybe I woke up too early. No—Oh, yeah. I was put in a closet last night. Hey, Oh, I just remembered that today they’re having some sort of party for the baby. Narrator: This is how the day was. FATHER-TO-BE: Honey, wake up! Today we’re having the baby shower. Dress: Sorry to interrupt a good moment, but I jus remembered that the party, for a baby, just before it is born, is called a baby shower. Huh, I wonder if it’s supposed to rain, or if they’re supposed to that a shower with babies? I personally think that’s a weird name for it. Well, back to the day… MOTHER-TO-BE: Good morning to you, sweetie. So, are you going to skip work today and come to the baby shower? FATHER-TO-BE: Yes, I’m going to call my office and tell them that I’m going to your--- I mean our baby shower. MOTHER-TO-BE: OK. MOTHER-TO-BE: Oh, our first guest has just arrived. Hurry up and go call your office! FATHER-TO-BE: OK. Dress: Sorry to interrupt again, but don’t you think that the first guest arrived really early? Well, let’s find out…. W1: Oh, Hi! I can a little early to help you get ready for the party, like helping you get the food set up. MOTHER-TO-BE: Well, I could use some help around here. My husband is calling his office right now, so he can go to the baby shower instead of going to work. Most of the people at my office know, because they’re all invited to the baby shower. W1: So, what kind of food do you think we should set up? MOTHER-TO-BE: We could set up some salad, fruit punch, chips, sandwiches, cookies and anything else we can find over here. (Ding dong) Diane: I’ll answer that. Hello, Marcie, what brings you here so early. Marcie: Well, I left a little early so I wouldn’t be late, because the drive is a long, long drive. Diane: Will you help us get the food and drinks set up before the rest of the guests get here? Marcie: Sure! MOTHER-TO-BE: Well, while you two are doing that, I’m going to get dressed. Both guests: OK, sure. Dress: Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, sorry to interrupt again, but I’m kind of wondering what she’s going to wear, aren’t you? Back to the story… MOTHER-TO-BE: Honey, what do you think I should wear? FATHER-TO-BE: Well, why don’t you wear that beautiful black dress that has sequins and beads on it, because I personally thing you look marvelous in that dress. MOTHER-TO-BE: OK. And I will wear my sparkly, shiny black shoes. FATHER-TO-BE: Well, that will look beautiful. MOTHER-TO-BE: Let me find them….Found them! (sound of mother getting dressed: whoosh whoosh, clap
clap) (Ding dong) MOTHER-TO-BE: I’ll get it. Hi, Melissa. Let me go get the dress out. Dress: Excuse me, but I just have to say…Finally! Ok, sorry…. Melissa: What in the world was that loud noise? Who screamed? (she’s heard the dress) MOTHER-TO-BE: Nobody did. (Ding dong) MOTHER-TO-BE: Hi. Come in. Oh, thank you guys for the presents. (Ding dong, creak) MOTHER-TO-BE: Hi. Come in and get comfortable. (Narrator: after a few more ding dongs, …I mean, a lot more…everybody was there. Then, all of a sudden…) (knocking sound) W1: Who’s knocking on the door if everybody’s here? Marcie: Oh, no, it might be a kidnapper!!! FATHER-TO-BE: Sigh. I’ll go find out for myself. Hi, can I help you? Stranger: I was wondering if you could tell me where Wal-Mart is? FATHER-TO-BE: I haven’t been there yet, but my wife knows where it is. Stranger: OK. MOTHER-TO-BE: Well, you turn to your right just around that corner, then you go downtown and go to the intersection and turn to your left, then go towards Pizza Hut and keep on going and turn to your right and you’re at Wal-Mart. Stranger: Thank you, M’am. MOTHER-TO-BE: You’re welcome. ‘Bye! (Narrator: a few hours passed) (several guests) Bye! I have to go home. Bye, bye bye…. Narrator: soon everybody left except Marcie, who was helping clean up. Marcie: Hey, let’s go outside for a little break. MOTHER-TO-BE: OK. Narrator: So the parents-to-be and Marcie went outside. Then it started to sprinkle. Marcie: Oh, my gosh, it’s raining! FATHER-TO-BE: Now that’s what I call a baby shower! (Narrator: they went back inside to clean up the rest of the stuff. When they looked in the living room, it was a huge mess, so they started to clean up.) FATHER-TO-BE: So, Janie, why don’t you go take a nap, while we clean up the mess? That way, you don’t have to lean down so much. MOTHER-TO-BE: Well, let me at least let me bring the tray of snacks into the kitchen. Marcie: Ok, but then you have to go rest. MOTHER-TO-BE: Sure thing. Bye! See you all when I wake up. Dress: Sorry to interrupt again, but if you want to know what her dream was about, well, here it is: MOTHER-TO-BE: Good morning, Claud. Our baby has been awake for the past 3 hours. Could you tell? FATHER-TO-BE: Yes, I could tell. Dress: I can’t tell you the whole thing, because, well, it would take up too much time. Back to the story. Oh, and to tell you, while I was waiting in the closet, I made up a name for me…and… it is called….Bevis! Like on the TV show. Just kidding! My name is now going to be….Jenny, the Wedding Dress—no, the Baptism Dress. Yeah, that’s right. OK, now, back to the story… MOTHER-TO-BE: Hey, are you all done yet? (Father-to-be and Marcie): yep, we sure are! MOTHER-TO-BE: Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t we hang up the baptism dress until the baby is baptized? FATHER-TO-BE: That’s a good idea…. (Narrator): A few months passed. It was now 1904. The baby was being born. MOTHER-TO-BE: Aaaaghhh. FATHER-TO-BE: OK. It’s over with, Janie. MOTHER-TO-BE: OK. So, is it a girl or a boy? Dress: Sorry to interrupt again but just to tell you, they took me to the hospital, too. Weird, huh? OK, back to the story…. FATHER-TO-BE: Let me go find out or I could just ask them to bring it here to find out for yourself. MOTHER-TO-BE: OK, that will do just fine. FATHER-TO-BE: Ok, I’ll go call them…. MOTHER-TO-BE: I hope it’s a girl. FATHER-TO-BE: As long as you want to have a girl, so do I. But I would also be happy if it turned out to be a boy. Would you? MOTHER-TO-BE: Yes, but not as happy as if I had a girl. FATHER-TO-BE: OK. Well, here it is. So can you tell if it’s a girl or a boy? MOTHER-TO-BE: I don’t know, but I want to know, but I don’t want to make it cry. FATHER-TO-BE: Well, look at its face and see if you can tell. MOTHER-TO-BE: OK, I will. Oh, I think it’s a girl. Can’t you see? Look, she has your nose, my eyes, your cheeks and my mouth. Can’t you tell it’s a girl now? FATHER-TO-BE: Yes, I can tell. So, what do you want to call her? MOTHER-TO-BE: I don’t know. FATHER-TO-BE: Hey, I have an idea! Why don’t we name her Janie Belle, because she looks like you so much. MOTHER-TO-BE: Ah, that’s perfect, and it sounds beautiful. Nurse: Ok, are you all ready to name her? MOTHER-TO-BE: Yes, we already have a name for her. It’s going to be Janie Bell Eschenburg. Nurse: I think that’s a pretty name. FATHER-TO-BE: Thanks! Nurse: So are you two packed up, because your ride is ready. MOTHER-TO-BE: Wow, already? Nurse: Yes, the car is already warmed up and you all have a seat for the baby, so she can go home with you. FATHER-TO-BE: Thank you for getting it all ready for us. Nurse: You’re welcome. (Dress: When they got home, the baby, or should I say, Janie Bell, was asleep and so was Janie, her mother….) Narrator: Two years passed; it was 1906. Mother: Ok, get Janie Bell in some cute clothes, Claud. FATHER-TO-BE: Ok, I will. So do you want her to wear pink, or what? MOTHER-TO-BE: Just something warm because we are going to go to church and she is going to change into the dress, OK? FATHER-TO-BE: Ok. (Narrator: They got into the car. {sound effects of car driving} VVRROOM, ERRK. FATHER-TO-BE: Ok, we’re here. Aren’t you glad we live right beside the church? MOTHER-TO-BE: Yes, I am. Did you bring the dress? FATHER-TO-BE: No! I thought you brought it! I’ll go get it real fast. MOTHER-TO-BE: Ok. FATHER-TO-BE: Bye, Janie Bell. Janie Belle: Bye, bye, daddy! MOTHER-TO-BE: Hi, Marcie! Marcie: Hi! So, how old is she? MOTHER-TO-BE: She’s now two. She needs to change, Claud. Thank you for getting the dress. FATHER-TO-BE: You’re welcome. (Dress: Here comes the bride…Oh, sorry, wrong song!) Minister: Will you all always love Janie Bell? Parents together: Yes, we will. (Dress: and they just kept talking and talking--- then guess what? They poured water on a BABY! AND ME. I personally don’t like that part. After that, they had a party. Narrator/Payton: Years passed by and by and Janie Bell grew older and older and she had children who had children who had children who had children who had me. My aunt told me stories about her like this one: One day, while Jane was driving, Janie Belle wanted to see how the wind was blowing outside and stuck her hand out the window and splat! Bug guts got everywhere! Then, one time, right after my dad (who is my aunt Jane’s twin) finished paving the driveway, Janie Bell (his grandmother) drove up on to the fresh pavement and my dad had to start all over! One time, at her work, she was riding a chair that had wheels and she was having a lot of fun and she got carried away and it rolled into the elevator and up to the next floor. There are so many more funny stories that I could tell. Her baptismal dress is still hanging up in my sister’s room and it will stay there as long as it can. I will hope that my children will still have the dress hanging where they can see it. |
