Thunder
May 27th, 2020
Starring: Anchor (male, early 50’s), Weatherman (male, 60’s)
Anchor and Weatherman are playing indoor racquetball. They are not very good, and they know it. Every few line exchanges, someone will slam the ball, and hear it echo.
WEATHERMAN
So you turned them down?
ANCHOR
I’m leaning towards it—
WEATHERMAN
It’s a good station.
ANCHOR
It’s a great station. I just don’t know if I want to go.
WEATHERMAN
It’s a big move. But you’re still young. Enough.
And now you’re...romantically untethered…
ANCHOR
That’s a way of saying it—
WEATHERMAN
You’d be in a bigger market—
ANCHOR
By a hair—
WEATHERMAN
What’d they offer?
ANCHOR
More. Not like “no brainer more,” but it’s competitive.
…
I’m gonna use a sports analogy.
You ever see these older veteran athletes who have been on one team their whole life, and they know the best years are behind them, but they still want to play a couple more years, but they don’t know if it’s worth the pomp and circumstance and drama to move teams for slightly more money just to have people burn their jerseys and boo them when they come back to play?
Like a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady kind of thing?
WEATHERMAN
That’s baseball?
ANCHOR
Football.
WEATHERMAN
Right whoops—
ANCHOR
The sport doesn’t matter, it’s more of the situation—
WEATHERMAN
Right, right.
...
Well I don’t know, legacy’s a real thing.
Really up to you, in the end.
I’d hate to see you go, but you know I want the best for ya—
ANCHOR
Well thank you—
Weatherman hits a good ball, hard. The sound reverberates loudly.
BOOM! THERE’S SOME OF THAT THUNDER!
WEATHERMAN
Yeah baby
Always finds a way to find me.
ANCHOR
Might as well call it there, yeah?
They stop playing, wiping sweat.
You got dinner plans or—?
WEATHERMAN
Yeah my daughter’s home for break so—
ANCHOR
That’s nice.
WEATHERMAN
We can grab a drink later this week—
ANCHOR
Yeah. We’ll figure something out.
Weatherman checks his watch.
WEATHERMAN
I should probably run before traffic hits...supposed to storm soon.
ANCHOR
No kidding.
Well enjoy dinner—
WEATHERMAN
Thanks
See you tomorrow.
Weatherman exits. Anchor picks up the ball and hits it back to himself. It takes a big bounce over his head and rolls out of reach. A big thunderclap follows.