Waiting Room By Thomas Parish

BLACK SCREEN "There is no Greater Business than the Business of Life Itself" INT. WAITING ROOM - DAY The scene opens with that of an old fashioned room, cluttered with ancient books and odd trinkets, amongst the other pieces of clutter, two red leather backed chairs stand idle against a Victorian fire place and sat in each chair are two men who couldnt look further apart. On the left sits an aged figure, GOD, he swirls his glass of amber whiskey in his hand as he stubs out his cigar in the ashtray, whilst opposite him, sat on the right is TOM a far younger and less relaxed individual who has shrunk back into the comfort of his seat, his attire ruffled and his expression shows great confusion. GOD And here we go again... GOD takes another drink of his whiskey before placing it beside him. GOD I cant help but feel sorry for you every time we meet. TOM Wait, Where am I? What happened? GOD Well, what do you remember? TOM There, there was a bus, it came out of nowhere, I couldnt stop, I... GOD merely nods his head as TOM stutters over his words, as if he were trying to recount the events of a nightmare. TOM I, I died? GOD Yes, dont get hung up about it, its happened before.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

2.

TOM Are you God? GOD Call me what you like, Father, Lord, God, it doesnt make much difference really. TOM So... This is, Heaven? GOD No, not Heaven, this, its more like a waiting room. TOM So, what happens to me then? Do I go to Heaven or Hell or what? GOD Reincarnation actually. TOM Reincarnation? GOD Indeed, Reincarnation. TOM looks at the floor dejectedly, scuffing the rug with his shoe. GOD takes another drink from his glass, eying TOM peculiarly. TOM Oh, but, whats the point of that? GOD The Point? TOM Well, if Im just going to get reborn as a baby when I die, everything I do doesnt matter, my whole life, meaningless. GOD Your lives arent meaningless, just because you dont remember them doesnt mean they didnt happen. They enable you to grow, whether you are conscious of it or not.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: TOM Lives? How many times have I died? GOD Oh, far too many for it to be worth counting. TOM So theres a chance Ive interacted with one of my other lives then. GOD Almost a certainty.

3.

TOM looks around the room, at all the trinkets and books cluttering the room, and then his eyes fall on GOD, he looks the old man up and down with a raised eyebrow. TOM If this is the afterlife, wheres everybody else? How come its only me and you here? GOD There is no one else, it is only me and you here. TOM What? What about everyone on Earth, my family my friends? What happens when they die? GOD There is no one else, everyone on Earth? You are each one, each a fragment of your greater self. TOM What!? So Im everyone thats ever existed? GOD leans forward to look TOM deep in the eyes, his face stern with the utmost seriousness. GOD And will exist, you are humanity, every single essence of the word. You are every Murderer, Lover, Thief and Politician that ever lived, or will live. You are every life, every story, every accident that ever happened, (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

4.

GOD (contd) you have been a victim to all the pain given and felt all the love shared. You are the Seven Billion people alive on Earth and you are my Son. TOM Your Son? ...Why? Why do all this? GOD Life is a business, and as my Son, you will take over after me, that is what you become. TOM So, Im a God? GOD No, not yet, not till youve finished living, only then, when youve lived the lives of billions, when youve experienced all the pain and love humanity can give, will you know what it means to be omnipotent, only then will you become like me, only then will you set me free and take over the business. TOM But, when, when will I be ready? GOD Im afraid, not even I know that, but our time is up, the last grains of sand have fallen through, and your new life beckons closer. Goodbye my Son. The screen cuts to black and the echoing cries of a Woman screaming are cut with a new born baby crying. BLACK SCREEN GOD (O.S) And here we go again...