The Voice of God
By: Daniel Senser
Scene 1
Setting: A small cramped kitchen, with a small, square wooden table in center. It is night. The room is lit solely by a candle on the table.
At rise: DAVID, a deranged looking man in his mid-forties, is sitting at the wooden table, upon which is a loaf of bread and a glass of water. The man is voraciously pulling off pieces from the loaf, dipping the bread in the water, and eating it. Periodically as he eats, he lowers his head to the table, banging it against the surface and groaning.
DAVID
(Shouting): Leave!
(David shakes his head slightly and keeps eating. He slams his fist on the table. He slaps himself repeatedly. He shakes his head, continues eating. He chuckles to himself. He slams his fist on the table again. A moment later he slams his fist on table again. He continues to eat.)
(There is a knock on the door. At first, David ignores it. There is knocking again. David continues to ignore it. A woman’s voice is heard. This is Rita.)
RITA: David? It’s Rita, from across the hall. I just baked some cookies. Would you like one?
(David stops eating, puts his palms on the table, takes a deep breath.)
DAVID
I…I just ate, thank you.
RITA
Are you sure? They are still warm.
DAVID
No, thank you. If you’ll just…
(Pause.)
RITA
David, is everything OK?
DAVID
Yes. I’m fine. Just tired. I think I will go to sleep now.
RITA
It’s only seven thirty. Are you sure you’re OK?
DAVID
Really, I am fine. Please go away.
RITA
OK. I am just across the hall if you want to talk.
DAVID
That won’t be necessary, but thank you.
(David looks to his right with hatred. He reaches over his left shoulder, as if slapping something away.)
DAVID
Leave.
(Pause.)
DAVID
Like Hell she does!
(David covers his ears.)
DAVID
Stop. Stop. Please stop.
(David gets up and begins screaming violently.)
DAVID
I won’t have it anymore! Do you hear me! I won’t have it anymore!
(There is another knock on the door.)
RITA
David? David? Please open the door.
(David pauses, goes to door and opens it.)
RITA
I heard you yelling. What’s wrong?
(David opens his mouth to speak, but hesitates.)
RITA
Can I come in?
(David motions for Rita to come in.)
RITA
(Gesturing towards table) Want to sit?
(They sit down.)
DAVID
I’m sorry for yelling. It’s just…
RITA
It’s OK. I was just worried about you.
(David quickly looks to stage left, as if he’s heard something.)
RITA
I worry about you a lot, you know.
(Pause.)
DAVID
You needn’t worry. I am fine.
RITA
I have a hard time believing that.
(Pause.)
DAVID
No! I mean, no. I don’t think that is necessary.
RITA
Something’s eating at you, I can tell.
DAVID
Something is.
RITA
Are you hallucinating?
(Pause.)
DAVID
No, she didn’t!
RITA
What?
DAVID
Nothing. I’m sorry. I misspoke. I meant to say…
(Pause.)
RITA
You are hallucinating, aren’t you?
DAVID
They…won’t…leave me…alone!
(David breaks down. Rita gets up, puts her arm around David’s shoulder.)
RITA
I’m going to help you.
DAVID
No! Not the hospital! Anything but that!
RITA
No, no. That’s not what I had in mind at all. I would just like to talk to you.
DAVID
OK. Yes.
(Rita stands up.)
RITA
Good. (She walks over to chair, sits down.) Let’s talk.
DAVID
I…don’t know what to say.
RITA
Well, what do they say?
DAVID
They? The hallucinations? They say many things.
RITA
And you talk back?
DAVID
I try not to, but sometimes I can’t help it.
RITA
Yes. I see…
(Pause.)
RITA
A nun taught me a poem when I was a child. I say it to myself whenever I am afraid. Would you like to hear it?
DAVID
How does it go?
RITA
In Spanish, it goes: “Mi corazon sabe la veridad. Soy fuerte, soy uno. No hombre, no demonio, me puede hacer dano, mientras mi oracion llegue a Dios.” Translated, it means, “My heart knows the truth. I am strong, I am one. No man, no demon, can harm me, as long as my prayer reaches God.”
DAVID
It’s beautiful.
RITA
Do you pray?
(Pause.)
DAVID
I don’t believe in God.
RITA
How can that be? How can anyone expect to maintain their sanity in this world if they don’t believe in God? God loves you. He wants you to turn to Him. That is why you are having these visions. He is sending them to you as a message. You must pray to him.
(Pause.)
DAVID
I don’t even know how to pray.
RITA
It’s simple. You start by saying His name.
DAVID
God?
(Rita nods.)
DAVID
(Whispering): God…
RITA
Speak to Him. He is your greatest ally.
DAVID
God, I…
(Pause. David’s head is shaking.)
RITA
What do you want?
DAVID
(Breaking down in tears) I want the voices to stop! Please God! Make them stop!
(David weeps. Rita gets up and puts her arm around him.)
RITA
Yes. You must weep. Weep away your demons.
(David weeps for a long time. Finally, he looks up at Rita, then around the room.)
DAVID
They are gone! (He gets up, looks around) They aren’t there! I…I…You made them go away!
RITA
(Shakes head) No. God did, because you asked Him to. (Pause) Wait here. I will be back.
(Rita exits. As David sits waiting, he looks around fearfully. Re-enter Rita, holding a book.)
RITA
This is the Holy Bible. You can use it as a guide.
(David takes the book, leafs through it.)
RITA
If ever you have questions, come to me. I will do my best to answer them.
DAVID
Yes. Thank you!
RITA
Keep praying, David. God is always listening. Remember that. These voices you hear will lose their power when God’s voice prevails. I will pray for you as well.
DAVID
Will you come to me tomorrow night?
RITA
Yes. Now, I must go to bed. Goodnight, David.
DAVID
Goodnight.
(Rita exits. David opens the Bible, reads aloud.)
DAVID
“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth…”
END SCENE 1.
SCENE 2.
Setting: Same room, at night.
At Rise: David is seated at table, reading the Bible by candle light.
DAVID
(Reads): “Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew of the thigh.”
(David sighs ponderously.)
DAVID
(Praying) Lord, make me strong.
(Pause. There is a knock at the door. David gets up and answers it. It is Rita.)
DAVID
Hello Rita. Come in.
RITA
How are you?
DAVID
I’m fine.
(Rita enters. They sit down at the table.)
RITA
(Noticing Bible on table) Have you been reading?
DAVID
Yes. I’ve been reading it.
RITA
And the hallucinations?
DAVID
They are still there, but slowly fading away.
RITA
That’s terrific! I am proud of you! God is good. What part were you reading?
DAVID
I was reading about Jacob wrestling the angel.
RITA
What did you make of it?
DAVID
It made me think of my own struggles. And it made me realize that I am actually very blessed.
RITA
That’s good!
DAVID
You know, I have been wondering. You are so young, yet you are so wise. How is that possible?
RITA
I have been through a lot, David. My parents died in a car crash when I was six, and I was raised in an orphanage in Puerto Rico. It wasn’t easy, but I was fortunate enough to have some very good teachers who taught me all about the Word of God. I thought for a time of becoming a nun, but I had a child, and I wanted to keep him.
DAVID
Where is your son now?
RITA
He lives with my best friend, in Puerto Rico. I hope one day to see him again, when I am finished with nursing school. He is my angel.
DAVID
It must be nice having a son. It must be nice having someone to love, period.
RITA
Surely there must be someone in your life that you love.
DAVID
No, there isn’t. There was in the past, a long time ago. But I have no one left.
RITA
How did that happen?
DAVID
It was a mixture of things. Fear and pride played a major role. And, I suppose, my illness contributed to it.
RITA
Yes. I would imagine it would.
DAVID
I mostly just wanted to get out of life without hurting anyone.
RITA
And what about yourself? Do you want to keep yourself from hurting?
DAVID
Yes, I suppose so. Only, I’d rather it were me that got hurt than anyone else.
RITA
My guess is you’ve been hurt a great deal, particularly by those who were supposed to love you.
DAVID
No one was supposed to love me. I was hurt, yes, but only because I brought it about on my own. I was a fool. Fools get punished.
RITA
Perhaps. But they should also be forgiven. You know, when I was a little girl, I was taken advantage of by someone who was supposed to be caring for me. When I became old enough to understand what had happened, at first I was very angry, but then I realized that God had made it happen for a reason—to make me strong. I was able to forgive the man for his abuse, because God had ordained that I should be a strong woman. There is a deeper meaning behind everything, a lesson from everything. God has sent me to you for a reason. There is a lesson to be learned from our meeting.
DAVID
What is the lesson?
RITA
You must figure that out for yourself, just as I must for myself.
DAVID
I am not a good man.
RITA
Why do you say that?
DAVID
Look at me. I am completely alone. I’ve isolated myself from everyone I’ve ever cared about.
RITA
Not me. I knocked on your door and you let me in. You didn’t have to but you did.
DAVID
I am glad I did.
RITA
(Looking at her phone): I need to go to sleep. It has been a long day.
(She gets up)
RITA
Goodnight, David. I will pray for you tonight.
DAVID
Thank you. I will pray for you as well.
(Rita smiles.)
RITA
Goodnight.
(She leaves. David stares into space.)
End Scene.
Scene 3
Setting: Same.
At Rise: David is seated at table, reading Bible. It is very late.
(David looks up and rubs his eyes. A VOICE is heard.)
VOICE
David.
DAVID
What? Who’s there?
VOICE
It is I.
DAVID
God?
VOICE
You are on the right path, but there is something more that you must do.
DAVID
What is it? What must I do?
VOICE
Your heart knows the truth.
DAVID
Yes. I know.
(There is a knock on the door. David answers it. It is Rita.)
RITA
Hello! I have some wine here. Would you like a glass?
DAVID
Come in.
(Rita enters.)
RITA
Do you have a corkscrew?
DAVID
Yes, let me find one.
(David rummages around in a drawer, pulls out a knife and lunges at Rita, stabbing her in the abdomen. She screams and falls to ground, dead.)
DAVID
I am sorry. Lord, forgive me.
(He drops the knife, and takes out his phone, dials.)
DAVID
566 Lowburn Avenue. I have killed a woman. She was trying to help me, that is why I killed her.
FADE TO BLACK
END OF PLAY
