IN PLAIN SIGHT

Mrs. Smith

Mr. Smith

The Smith house. Afternoon.

MRS SMITH

(Enters room)

Oh dear, I seem to have lost my eyeglasses. Misplaced them. I just can’t find them. Again.

MR SMITH

Not again! Did you check in the drawer next o the icebox? That’s where you usually find them.

MRS SMITH

I haven ‘been to the icebox all day. There’s no reason for them to be in there. The icebox is empty anyway. Pretty much empty.

MR SMITH

Did you check in the drawer of the nightstand in your bedroom? Where you keep your tissues and nose spray?

MRS SMITH

I haven’t used the nose spray in quite a while. They wouldn’t be there. Haven’t used that drawer in quite a while.

MR SMITH

Maybe you left them by the TV. On the table with the TV listings. Maybe you were checking to see what time your program was on.

MRS SMITH

No, my program was cancelled. It is no longer on television. A shame. It always made me laugh.

MR SMITH

True, I have not heard you laugh in a long time.

MRS SMITH

Who has time to laugh when your eyeglasses are missing? Certainly not me. I guess I’ll just have to buy another pair.

MR SMITH

What? Another pair? No, you, we, will keep looking until l we find them. Those thick eyeglasses cost a lot of money. It seems that, recently, you have been losing them more and more. If we can’t find them this time, no more eyeglasses!

MRS SMITH

No more eyeglasses? But I can’t see without them. I can’t drive the car. I can’t watch the TV, I can’t even see in the icebox without them.

MR SMITH

I have to work two jobs to pay for those expensive eyeglasses. Had so get a second job. You should have put a chain on them, so you wouldn’t lose them.

MRS SMITH

Many people work two jobs these days. You never told me what your second job was. It’s not another night watchman job, is it?

MR SMITH

No. My second job is a day job. I work mornings and rest in the afternoon. Then go to work at night. As a night watchman.

(Pats chest pocket)

Armed.

MRS SMITH

I never see you. You are gone all day and all night. Working. Now where could my eyeglasses be?

MR SMITH

Try to remember where you were last night. Retrace your steps.

MRS SMITH

Well, I, I was home, when I, uh, went out for a bit.

MR SMITH

Out? At night? Where could you possibly have gone? At night?

MRS SMITH

(Surprised)

No where special. Just about. I wasn’t out for long.

(Changing subject)

What is your new job? Where is it?

MR SMITH

At the motel, Over by the highway. I clean the motel rooms. Tidy them up from the night before.

MRS SMITH

(Caught off guard)

Oh! What a nice job. I hear the motel is very nice. That’s nice.

MR SMITH

Yes, I clean, and straighten up. If someone leaves something behind, I take it to the front desk. If they forget something. Sometimes I forget to take things to the front desk, though.

MRS SMITH

(Nervous)

That’s nice. Some people can be so forgetful. Now where could those eyeglasses be? I can’t see a thing.

MR SMITH

(Pulls eyeglasses from pocket)

Yes, some people can be so forgetful.

(Holds up eyeglasses)

It’s amazing what people e can leave behind. On the table by the bed. In the motel room.

MRS SMITH

(Shaking with fear)

Yes. I can imagine…where are those eyeglasses? I must have left them here somewhere…

MR SMITH

Well! Look what I found! Under the chair! Your eyeglasses!

MRS SMITH

(Surprised)

Oh! Well, I must have dropped them.

MR SMITH

I guess they were here the whole time.

(Hands glasses to wife)

Here, dear. You mustn’t be so forgetful. Put on your eyeglasses.

(They look at each other)

You mustn’t go out at night again. You never know what could happen to you.

(Pats coat pocket)

You never know.

Curtain