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Way Down In My Heart 

Setting: A living room.  As the scene opens, Paula is frantically looking around the room for something.  A doorbell is heard. Paula answers the door to find Karen and Jan standing there. 

Paula:              (pulling them frantically into the room) Thank goodness you’re here! Reinforcements! 

Jan:                 What’s up with you? 

Karen:             Are you ready to go? 

Paula:              Not yet. 

Jan:                 (looking at her watch) You’d better hurry or we’re gonna be late. 

Paula:              Then you’ve got to help me look. 

Karen:             For what? 

Paula:              My joy.  I can’t seem to find it anywhere. 

Jan:                 Did you look in your closet?  Maybe it’s in your new Donna Karen coat. 

Paula:              No, I looked there already.  It’s not there. 

Karen:             Told you you should have gotten the Ralph Lauren.  

Paula:              Hey, wait a minute, it might be in my other dress pocket.  I got a coupon for a free Diet Coke the other day.  (she goes to retrieve the coupon & comes back) 

Jan:                 Was it there? 

Paula:              No.  I found the coupon but not the joy.  It’s got to be around here somewhere though. 

Karen:             When did you have it last? 

Paula:              (thinking) Hmmm...I don’t remember. 

Jan:                 Did you have it at work? 

Paula:              (gives her a glaring look) Are you kidding? I’ve never had joy at work! 

Karen:             How about at church then?  I know you’ve had joy at church. 

Paula:              Come to think of it, I did have it last week. 

Jan:                 Okay then, it’s got to be there.  

Paula:              I’ll call the pastor and see if he found it.  (picks up a telephone and dials) Hi Pastor Frank, this is Paula.  I was just wondering if you’d seen my joy lying around at church this week.  I seem to have misplaced it. 

                        (listens for moment, then responds)  When did I have it last?  Well, I think it was after the choir sang.  (listens, then responds)  Yes, the choir sang beautifully. (listens, then responds)  Yes, Susan does a great job with them.  (listens, the responds) Yes, I thought the harmonies were excellent.  Actually pastor, I was referring to the moment when Ryan Tucker and Melanie Dupree took off their choir robes to reveal they each were wearing a “one of a kind” aqua knit dress with bright yellow flowers. Now that was joyous thing!  

(Karen, listening to the phone conversation slaps Paula on the arm) 

Paula:              Oww!  (gives Karen a grimacing look) Never mind pastor.  Whatever joy I might have found is gone again.  Thanks anyway. (hangs up the phone)  

Karen:             I can’t believe you said that! 

Paula:              Admit it, you were thinking the same thing. 

Karen:             (laughing) Okay, yes that was pretty funny but I would have never said anything about it. 

Jan:                 You told me all about it. 

Karen:             I meant I wouldn’t have said anything to Pastor Frank! 

Paula:              Okay, okay ladies we’re wasting time.  Anybody have any other ideas? 

Jan:                 (thinks for a second) Wait a minute, Paula, I think I know where it is.  I know where your joy is! 

Paula:              Where? 

Jan:                 It’s at your mother-in-law’s.  That woman can suck the joy out of anything! 

All three women laugh 

Paula:              Hold on, I know exactly where it is!  How could I have forgotten?  

Karen:             Where? 

Paula:              The refrigerator.