Accidents Happen

By Jack Hall

CHARACTERS

Don and Clara - A "wise" married couple

Darren - An unfaithful husband

Linda - A scorned wife

Don and Clara enter.

DON: How is she?

CLARA: I think she's ready to talk. How is Darren?

DON: He's been ready.

CLARA: I'm sorry she's being so difficult about this. It's those awful church friends of hers, filling her head with bad ideas.

DON: It's a hard situation the first time. It was for us, remember?

CLARA: Thank God you helped me to see that it was perfectly normal.

DON: Well let's bring them in and do this.

Don and Clara exit. Don enters with Darren. Clara enters with Linda. They all sit down, with Don and Clara in the middle.

DON: Darren, Linda, we've been friends with you guys for five years. We know it's tough what you're going through, but believe us when we tell you, you can get through it. We did.

CLARA: Yes, we did.

DON: Darren, accidents happen. You can't beat yourself up over this one. It's not your fault.

DARREN: Thank you.

CLARA: Did you hear that, Linda? It's not his fault. Accidents do happen.

DON: I've spoken with Darren a lot about this. He loves you, Linda. And you can't turn your back on him just because he accidentally slept with a man.

CLARA: Did you hear that, Linda? It was an accident. I know you heard Darren say it, but now you're hearing it from us.

DON: I know, it's hard to understand, but believe me, these things happen.

CLARA: We know from experience.

DON: One minute you're in a bar, grabbing a drink before heading home. The next minute you've rented a hotel room with some handsome fella who chatted you up and bought you a few boilermakers.

CLARA: I know it sounds awful, but it could have been a whole lot worse. What if he made out with the guy, then drove home drunk? Someone could have really gotten hurt.

DON: Thank goodness he had the good sense to get a hotel room and sleep it off.

CLARA: Believe me, Linda, this is no big deal. Don and I went through the same thing two years ago when he went to that conference in Portland. It happens. You walk in the wrong place, and well, accidents happen.

DON: I had no idea that was a gay bar. I don't look at other women when we go out, so I didn't even notice it was all guys.

DARREN: I don't look at other women either.

CLARA: Did you hear what Darren said, Linda? He doesn't look at other women. You know what that means?

DON: He only has eyes for you.

CLARA: Exactly.

DON: We know you have had a lot of angry feelings, Linda. But you have to let them go. After all, we're only human. And I'm sure you've done things on accident to hurt Darren. Like the time Clara accidentally gave me an STD.

CLARA: Gosh, that was so embarrassing.

DON: Honey, don't beat yourself up again. You learned your lesson.

CLARA: I never even knew I could get an STD from eating at KFC restaurant. Not until Don sent me that email. DON: Thank goodness Don was level-headed enough to help me forgive myself.

DON: And that's exactly what Darren needs, a strong, wise, supporting wife to help him forgive himself. But that can't happen unless you forgive him first.

CLARA: Look, we know your church friends have you all in a wad about "immorality" and "sin" and all that stuff. But let's not forget, Jesus taught us to forgive one another.

DON: And yes, the Bible does speak against this kind of thing. But is it more Christian to condemn the sinner, or to forgive and forget?

CLARA: That's the God I know.

DON: That's the God I know too.

CLARA: Linda, look at Darren. Look at that broken, hurting man. He needs the love of Jesus. Will you be Jesus to him?

Darren stands up. He walks to center.

DARREN: Linda, everything they told you is true. This whole thing was a total accident. I love you very much, and if you can forgive me, I promise I will try my hardest not to let this happen again. Can you do that?

Linda stands up, a loving look in her eyes.

LINDA: Darren?

Linda kicks Darren in the balls - REAL HARD - and walks away. Clara and Don rusn to Darren's side as he moans and cries in anguish.

CLARA: Well, I guess there's just no reaching some people.

Black out.

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