Day Five Script

Act 1

Characters: Mr. Harper, Katherine Kent, Rob Henshaw, and Storm Weathers.

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(Theme music)

(It’s early morning on Day 7 of their trek. The sun is just rising and the wind is blowing (Mountain Wind [sfx]) as the Screen Message appears.)

Mt. Kilimanjaro Trek
Daybreak on Day 7
Arrival at the Summit (Finally!)
Elevation 19,341 ft.

(MR. HARPER and the Channel 9 News Team begin to arrive at the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. From the rear of the auditorium, wearing winter coats, hats, and gloves [goggles and trekking poles, optional], ROB, with the video camera enters first and proceeds down the right aisle toward the stage. Being at such a high altitude, everyone is short of breath and walks slower than normal.)

ROB: Hey, there it is! There’s the sign!! We made it!! We actually climbed one of the tallest mountains in the world!

(ROB reads the Uhuru Peak sign as he captures it on video.)

ROB: “CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE NOW AT UHURU PEAK. TANZANIA. AFRICA’S HIGHEST POINT.” Woo hoo!! (short pause) Man . . . I can SO see why people do this. This is better than the World Series, March Madness, and Super Bowl combined! And the view is absolutely spectacular! (as he pans around looking out at the horizon)

(Then KATHERINE, lagging behind a little, arrives and sees the sign.)

KATHERINE: Oh, please tell me there’s more up here than just a sign!

ROB: (he stops taping and lowers the camera) What were you expecting?

KATHERINE: Well . . . it’s obvious, isn’t it? A Welcome Center . . . a gift shop . . . restrooms? Doesn’t anybody think of these things besides me?

ROB: Apparently not.

(Then ROB finds a log book and pen in a small box at the base of the sign.)

ROB: There’s a log book. (as he opens it and quickly writes his name)

KATHERINE: Sorry . . . not interested.

ROB: Really? You surprise me, Katherine. I thought for sure you’d want everyone to know that Katherine Kent made it to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

KATHERINE: You’re right. What was I thinking. Must be the lack of oxygen.

ROB: Here you go. (as he hands KATHERINE the log book and pen)

(KATHERINE writes a message in the log book and finishes it with a flamboyant signature.)

ROB: Mind if I read it? (as he takes the log book from KATHERINE)

KATHERINE: No . . . go ahead . . . enjoy!

ROB: “Today, an exceptionally gifted, world-class, Emmy award-winning news professional did what few, if any, news anchors have ever done. She climbed the highest free-standing mountain in the world and did so with great poise . . . determination . . . and skill. Sorry you missed it . . . signed, Katherine Kent, the one and only.”

KATHERINE: (with a confident smile) What do you think? Pretty good, huh?

ROB: Well . . . to be honest, it sounds extremely arrogant and boastful. (as he closes the log book and puts it back in the box)

KATHERINE: Seriously? But, it’s not boasting, if it’s true!

ROB: No, it’s still boasting, all right. “ Let another man praise you and not your own mouth . . . .”

KATHERINE: Where’d you hear that?

ROB: It was in my Proverbs reading yesterday.

(Then STORM and MR. HARPER, also in winter gear, enter from the rear of the auditorium and proceed slowly down the right aisle toward the stage.)

KATHERINE: Proverbs, huh? Well . . . I like the first part, at least—“Let another man praise you . . . ”

ROB: Here they come. (as he raises the camera to his shoulder)

MR. HARPER: (to STORM) Polé, polé (pronounced “POlay”)

ROB: C’mon, Storm! You can do it! Remember . . . it’s for all those kids back in Ohio!

STORM: Right . . . (he takes a breath) . . . the kids.

(Then STORM and MR. HARPER arrive at the stage, and ROB continues to video.)

STORM: Wheeuw! I can’t believe I did it! I just climbed my first mountain. And you know what that makes me?

ROB: A mountain climber?

STORM: No! Exhausted!

(Everyone laughs, then ROB stops taping and lowers the camera from his shoulder.)

MR. HARPER: Well, I just want to congratulate you all for making it to the summit. Not everyone is able to do it, so it’s really an accomplishment.

KATHERINE: Hey . . . what’d you expect? We’re Channel 9.

STORM: That’s right! We’re gooood! (to MR. HARPER) You know, you were right. It is like Antartica up here.

ROB: You mean Ant-ARC-tica.

STORM: That’s what I said.

ROB: No . . . you said Ant-artica. You left out a c.

STORM: (as he gets in ROB’S face for a friendly squabble) Listen, buster, if anyone knows how to say “ANTARTICA,” it’s me. I’m the weatherman. You’re just the sports guy. So stay on your side of the court!

ROB: (friendly push back) Oh, yeah?!

KATHERINE: Cool it, guys! You’re embarrassing yourselves.

MR. HARPER: All right, well . . . we shouldn’t stay at this altitude too long . . . so, if you would, gather around the sign for a group photo. Then we’ll pray and start our descent. (as he pulls a small camera out of his coat pocket)

(They all gather around the sign, and then MR. HARPER snaps a photo.)

STORM: Now a funny one.

MR. HARPER: Okay . . . one more.

(They all make funny faces for another group shot.)

KATHERINE: Now, I’d like a couple by myself.

MR. HARPER: Uh . . . all right.

(Then MR. HARPER photos two poses of KATHERINE around the sign.)

ROB: (annoyed) Okay, Katherine. It’s time to go.

KATHERINE: One more.

(KATHERINE poses for one more shot.)

KATHERINE: (slightly frustrated) And I was just getting warmed up. (to MR. HARPER) You can send those to my agent. (as she gives him her business card)

MR. HARPER: (to KATHERINE) All right. (to the group) Okay, everyone . . . now, I’m going to pray for our journey down the mountain, but don’t close your eyes this time. It’s not every day that you get to see God’s handiwork from such an incredible vantage point. (then he prays) Dear God . . . what an awesome experience it has been to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and now to be standing at the top. Thank you for eyes that can see, legs that can walk, and air to breath. Forgive us when we take these things for granted. And now we pray for a safe journey down the mountain. In Jesus’s name, amen.

ROB: Amen!

MR. HARPER: Okay, we’ll be taking a much faster route going down than we did coming up. So, follow me.

(MR. HARPER leads the group up the left aisle toward the rear of the auditorium. ROB and STORM bring up the rear.)

STORM: (to ROB) Don’t you wish they had a giant slide from here to the bottom? That would be so slick! Get it? Slick?

(Theme music)

Act 2

Characters: Mr. Harper, Terrie Underwood, Katherine Kent, Rob Henshaw, Storm Weathers, and Jimmy

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(Theme music)

(It’s the last evening at Camp Kilimanjaro, and ROB and STORM are sitting at the closing campfire roasting marshmallows. Then TERRIE enters with a couple more folding chairs. NOTE: You can greatly enhance the evening campfire scene by placing lanterns with battery-powered candle lights on the floor and in various places—the more the better!) )

TERRIE: Good . . . so you found the marshmallows and skewers. (as she sets the additional chairs in place)

STORM: (with his mouth full of marshmallow) Did we ever! Thanks! I LOVE marshmallows!

ROB: (to STORM) Don’t talk with your mouth full. (to TERRIE) Hey . . . is there any “Bigfoot” news? We haven’t heard anything since we got back.

TERRIE: No . . . actually it’s been really quiet lately. Who knows . . . maybe Bigfoot, or whatever it was, has left the area.

STORM: What about the piece of fur?

TERRIE: Well, the police said it was probably from a piece of clothing left behind by one of our guests.

ROB: But they weren’t sure?

TERRIE: No. I don’t think they were.

(Then MR. HARPER enters from the Lodge Building.)

MR. HARPER: Good evening everyone. (then notices that KATHERINE is missing) Where’s Katherine?

(Then KATHERINE enters from the Women’s Quarters.)

KATHERINE: I’m here.

MR. HARPER: Oh, good.

ROB: (with sarcasm) Glad you could join us.

STORM: Marshmallow? (as he offers KATHERINE a roasted marshmallow)

KATHERINE: (with an attitude) Uh . . . no. I don’t think so.

MR. HARPER: Okay . . . well, here we are at our closing campfire. I can’t believe how fast our time has gone. But, before we get started, I’d just like to say how much we’ve enjoyed having you as our guests. It truly has been a delight to serve you.

TERRIE: Yes. We’ll be so sorry to see you leave in the morning.

STORM: Aw-shucks . . . now you’re making us blush.

ROB: And we want to thank YOU for giving us such a first class experience. I think we all agree that Camp Kilimanjaro gets five stars!

(KATHERINE, not so sure about five stars, holds up four fingers.)

TERRIE: Well, thank you.

MR. HARPER: Yes, we appreciate those kind words. We really do. Okay . . . well . . . this afternoon I asked each of you to come prepared to share something about your time here . . . something you learned . . . a favorite memory . . . anything, really. So . . . who would like to go first? (short pause) Katherine?

KATHERINE: All right . . . (as she stands up to share) Well, as it turned out, I didn’t have much time to think because of a crisis this afternoon.

MR. HARPER: (genuinely concerned) Oh, no.

KATHERINE: But don’t worry . . . everything’s fine now. You know . . . you never think it’s going to happen to you; and then you find, not just one, but TWO hangnails!

STORM: (teasing) Oh dear! Not a hangnail crisis!

KATHERINE: (noting his sarcasm) Well, of course, being a man, you wouldn’t understand how serious a hangnail can be for a woman’s delicate hands.

ROB: (sarcastic) And especially a celebrity woman like you.

KATHERINE: I know . . . my thoughts exactly. But, anyway . . . about my time here . . . it pleased me how I was able to handle every situation with confidence and poise. You see . . . I’ve never traveled internationally before, so, naturally, I didn’t know what to expect. I know that’s hard to believe, but it’s true. So . . . (short pause as she thinks) . . . I guess the one thing that I’ll take from this experience . . . is the discovery that I’m even more amazing than I thought. (then she sits down)

ROB: (as he rolls his eyes) Of course.

MR. HARPER: (not sure how to respond) Interesting. Okay . . . uh . . . who’d like to go next?

STORM: I’ll go. (as he stands holding a piece a paper) I wrote some things down, but then I thought it would be more interesting if I made it into a poem. So, for your listening pleasure, I would like to read, "My Trip to Africa," by America’s Weatherman, Storm Weathers. (To print a copy, see Resource DVD-ROM)

We decided to take a station break . . . and fly to Tanzania for charity’s sake.

I’d never been to Africa before . . . all I knew about were the animals galore.

But it’s more than just a safari destination . . . it’s a land of people, tribes, and nations.

I did some things I didn’t think I could do . . . like climb a mountain and eat warthog sausage goo. SORRY, BUT OATMEAL DIDN’T RHYME.

I even learned to speak some Swahili . . . like jambo and rafiki . . . and . . . jambo and rafiki.

The barometer rose as high pressure built in, and Rob was almost eaten when he went for a swim.

We found a footprint big as can be . . . and wondered if Bigfoot was running free . . . which would have helped our documentar-ee.

If I ever return to Africa someday . . . I want to be with my friends and stay at Camp K!

(STORM bows as everyone claps and compliments him.)

MR. HARPER: Thanks for sharing that. Okay . . . Rob?

ROB: All right, well I made a long list (as he unfolds a long piece of paper) but we’re sure to go into extra innings if I read the whole thing; so, instead, I’ll just share my top two. Of course, standing on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro was absolutely incredible . . . an experience of a lifetime, really. But . . . far more important is that my faith in God has been recharged by being at this camp. And . . . well . . . I can never thank you enough for that.

MR. HARPER: Wow . . . that really blesses me to hear that. God is so good. And if there’s anything else we can do to help you—anything at all—please let us know.

ROB: I will.

MR. HARPER: Well, thank you, everyone. (transition pause) Okay, well, that leads me into my last devotion. And like the others, this is one I hope you’ll really take to heart. The Bible verse is Proverbs 13:20 . . . "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed." I think that’s fairly easy to understand. Who you choose to hang around with will eventually affect your character. You’ve heard the phrase, “You are what you eat,” right? Well, what does it mean?

(STORM continues to eat marshmallows.)

ROB: (while looking at STORM) It means that if you want to be healthy, you'd better be careful about what you put into your body.

STORM: (to ROB, with a marshmallow in his mouth) Why are you looking at me?

MR. HARPER: That’s right. And the same principle applies to friends. If you want to be wise, walk with the wise. In other words . . . choose your friends carefully, because we tend to become like they are. A perfect example is an employee who used to work here. His name was Jimmy, and he was one of our best workers, wasn’t he, Terrie?

TERRIE: Yes, and such a nice young man.

MR. HARPER: That is, until he got in with the wrong crowd. Then, after some time passed, his attitude changed, and his work suffered. I talked to him about it many times, but he wouldn’t listen. So, eventually, I had to let him go. He started strong, but because of some unwise choices, I’m not sure he’s going to finish well. And God wants us to finish well.

(Then JIMMY steps out from behind a tree with Rob’s backpack slung over his shoulder.)

JIMMY: I do want to finish well, Mr Harper.

TERRIE: Jimmy?!

MR. HARPER: Jimmy! What are you doing here?! (as he stands up)

JIMMY: I’ve been standing behind a tree the whole time, listening to everyone. And, well . . . I figured it was my turn to share.

MR. HARPER: Really? What do you want to say?

JIMMY: Well . . . I just want to apologize for all the trouble I’ve caused, lately.

MR. HARPER: Lately? But, you haven’t worked here since last season.

JIMMY: No, you see . . . it’s about the footprint.

MR. HARPER: Footprint?

TERRIE: YOU were the Bigfoot? But, why?

JIMMY: Because I was angry when you fired me. And then my friends talked me into getting back at you by scaring all your guests away and ruining your business. I’m really sorry. Will you forgive me?

MR. HARPER: Of course we forgive you. But, why are you telling us this?

JIMMY: Because, I’ve been changed too. You see, I’m also the one who stole the backpack. (as he takes the backpack and hands it to ROB)

ROB: So that’s what happened to it.

JIMMY: Yeah . . . and it had a little book of Proverbs in it (as he pulls the Proverbs book out of his pocket)—which I ended up reading cover to cover. And it scared me when I read about the wicked and the foolish, because it was describing me! Mr. Harper . . . I don’t want to be that way anymore.

MR. HARPER: Have you talked to God about it?

JIMMY: Yes. I remembered what you used to say about becoming a child of God . . . and so I prayed and asked God to forgive me . . . and then I told Him I believed that Jesus paid the penalty for all the wrong things I’ve done.

MR. HARPER: So, you’re in God’s family now?

JIMMY: Yes, sir. I believe I am.

MR. HARPER: Wow! I’m speechless.

TERRIE: Oh, Jimmy! That’s wonderful!

(JIMMY starts to hand the Proverbs book to ROB, but ROB refuses.)

ROB: That’s okay. You keep it.

JIMMY: Thanks. (short pause) May I sit with you guys?

MR. HARPER: Absolutely! Sit in my chair.

(MR. HARPER gives JIMMY his chair.)

ROB: Well, I have to admit I’m kinda disappointed that the footprint was just a hoax. It would have made a great story.

STORM: And Channel 5 would have been SO jealous!

KATHERINE: Well . . . you all may have been fooled, but I certainly wasn’t. I knew it was a hoax all the time. Bigfoot is just a silly legend.

(Then a Bigfoot Howl [sfx] is heard. Everyone is startled, then they look at JIMMY. He gives a puzzled look before the lights go to black.)

(Theme music.)