The Saturday Afternoon Game
It is a dreary, wind rainy day in an Orlando, Florida neighborhood. October
2007, a Saturday. We have here Kevin, 37, an attractive warehouse worker
getting together with his equally attractive 36 year-old friend, Bartholomew,
who is a Spanish teacher at a nearby Orlando high school. Both are married.
This is Kevin's house. There is beer, Coca-Cola, potato chips, and cheese
doodles on the dining room table.
Kevin: Did you get all those tests graded?
Bartholomew: Yes, it went faster than I anticipated. The whole class passed.
Four 90's.
Kevin: That's good. That's a load off your mind.
Bartholomew: True. Everything else is set. I just have to look over the
lesson plans for next week. I'm lucky that the kids see some value still in
learning a foreign language.
Kevin: I'm always on the side of English Only, though. There are a lot of
hispanics at my job. I hear a lot of Spanish, but I force them to speak
English. Only once in a while do I have to use my Spanish.
Bartholomew: You should try speaking Spanish continually with them. It doesn't
hurt to communicate in a person's native language. It's a good skill.
Kevin: Let's not even go there. You're too high-school teacher about life.
I'm talking "English Only." Haven't you heard about the political
ramifications?
Bartholomew: OK. I agree. Let's not go there.
Kevin: Let's talk some real business. I've decided we're going to go to
Marty's Bar and Grill. Let's watch the game on a huge screen and drink
ourselves silly there.
Bartholomew: Your television is fine.
Kevin: I thought it'd be a good idea if we got out of the house. Meet some of
the guys. Drink some fresh tap beer. Eat there. You love those wings, for
starters.
Bartholomew: I love a lot of places, but I want to stay in here. Here. In
this living room with you, calm and cozy. Look, you got all the stuff all
ready. Why waste some more money when we can be comfortable here?
Kevin: I love you. There's no need to worry about holding on to a few snack
items. Let's go to a drinking, football-lovers' atmosphere. No big deal.
Bartholomew: I know it's no big deal. I've chosen to sit in here and watch the
game indoors. Am I hearing an issue coming from you?
Kevin: I didn't think you'd mind.
Bartholomew: What do you mean? Is there anybody waiting there already for us?
Kevin: Kind of. Yes. I told Steve that we'd be stopping by.
Bartholomew: Don't worry about that. Steve doesn't care where we go, one way
or the other.
Kevin: You're missing the spirit of the thing. The guys at the bar, the game
all bright on the screen, the cheering, the fun, and the food we can eat all
through. Marty always gives out free chips and pretzels.
Bartholomew: I'm not missing any spirit. I want to sit here with you, my
friend--who loves college football as much as I!--and watch the game in his
company. Here.
Kevin: See now, you're upsetting me and bothering me. Why are you objecting?
Bartholomew: There's a spirit of the thing with me, too. If I felt like going
to Marty's, I would have called and planned that with you. Let's catch the
beauty of the thing sitting here and watching everything together on your
wonderful television set. That's what friendship is all about.
Kevin: You're making a mountain out of a molehill. That's what friendship is
all about? You think you should lecture me about "freindship"?
Bartholomew: No, I'm just putting this new emerging issue in a context. By the
same token, I didn't expect you to be objecting to staying here.
Kevin: Texas A&M is favored to win.
Bartholomew: That's who I'm rooting for. Now that you've forced me to think
about where to sit and watch it, I might as well tell you that I have some
reading I'd like to do and I don't want to get too drunk so that I can't start
the book tonight. It's not urgent, but I need to keep my wits about me as well.
I don't want to spoil your plans. But that's what I have on the agenda.
Kevin: A book can wait. You're not taking anymore classes. I'm not thinking
that planning to read a book is important. We should go over there.
Bartholomew: You're right. I'm not questioning your motives. I'm always
interested in your plans.
Kevin: Money's not a problem, either.
Bartholomew: We're contributing enough to the economy. Marty's made a fortune
with his business and he's going to continue to make a fortune.
Kevin: Let's add some fun to watching the game. We've watched many games
together, in your house and in mine. This is one of our favorite pasttimes,
aside from the other things we do together.
Bartholomew: I guess I have to say "yes" finally. This arguing can't keep
going on.
At this point, Cathy, Kevin's 32 year-old wife, has returned from the
supermarket with four bags of groceries. She is wearing jeans and a dark blue
blouse. She loves cologne and she has a new sweet-smelling brand on.
Cathy: Hey, guys, give me a hand. (Kevin hurries to get the last two bags,
which are still in the car.)
Kevin: What are you cooking a big dinner tonight?
Cathy: As a matter of fact, I am. Guess who's coming?
Kevin: Who?
Cathy: Remember my friend Lourdes from college? You met her before we got
married. She's an insurance agent in Burbank, California.
Kevin: You don't talk much about her anymore. Yes, I remember her. You two
were best friends.
Cathy: That's right. She's arriving on a two-thirty flight and she's coming
over for dinner at six tonight. I want you to be here.
Kevin: Oh, Jesus. Bart and I were just talking about going over to Marty's to
watch the game.
Cathy; Well, can it. Scrap it. You need to stay here. She'd love to see you
again. I'd like also to introduce you to her, Bart. Can you stay for dinner?
She is bringing her husband, Anthony, with her. It should be nice.
Bartholomew: Of course, I'd like to stay. We were just discussing the virtues
of staying here or leaving for another venue (with irony).
Cathy: Well, good. That settles that then. It's safer to sit here, if you ask
me. (with startling irony)
The End.
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Synopsis
There are myriad ways to look at the nature of true friendship. What do friends really think of one another? Are they right?
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