Post by Madman on Dec 15, 2013 18:53:23 GMT -5
"So much for the Crisis warm up that I was hoping for."
"Mark Mania and Xianlong showed up with some rather lackluster performances. I would have been better off wrestling one on one with Mr. Tiddles!"
"I'm a bit disappointed. I knew nothing about Xianlong, but Mark Mania's name carried weight and he tapped out quicker than a vegetarian at an all you can eat barbecue joint. Pathetic! Here I was hoping for some grand opponent, someone that I could proudly boast about beating, instead I got a shell of a man that he used to be. It's sad when guys don't realize that they've had enough! You can only drag yourself out there for so long before everything you've worked for, all of the blood, sweat, and tears that you've shed in the ring loses it's value. I hate to say it, but Mark Mania is dead..."
"It's not a notation on the résumé that I had ever thought I'd be adding...putting the final nail to the coffin of Mark Mania's career."
"But I did learn something in that match. You have to live one day at a time. Before you know it your career can be nothing but a mere shadow of what it once was."
"Well thanks for that Mark because I'm living in the present. Crisis is weeks away. My only concern is this tag team match I'm being thrown into..."
_________________________________
"Thanks for coming with me babe, I'm exhausted..."
I could barely keep my eyes open from the continuous cross country traveling. It was finally taking a toll on my body, New York to Seattle, back to New York, back to Seattle. I wonder how many hours were lost as I traveled from time zone to time zone. My eyes wandered out the passenger side window as I slumped down in my seat. Maria was focused on the road in front of her as she navigated through the congested mid day traffic. Her hands were positioned a textbook ten and two on the steering wheel. "Are you going to say anything to him", she prodded, hoping that I would try to talk some sense into my little brother about his gambling habits and the dangerous road it was leading him down.
Truth be told I was all out of ideas. I had tried to be proactive in his life, gave him a job, a purpose. I've tried to be stern with worldly brotherly advice. I've even tried to physically remove him from the temptations by paying for a trip to Japan. At this point I was all out of ideas. "I don't know what else I could do Maria."
Her head whipped around and she glared at me with her piercing green eyes. "Well you can't just give up on him", she explained, "he's family".
Family. Anyone who really knows me would know that there's nothing I hold more dear to my heart than my family. Sure they could be dysfunctional at times. Sure there's moments that you just want to pull your hair out, but no matter what, I'll always be there for my family. Only problem was that I didn't know how to be there for Nick. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me", I mumbled while burying my head into my left palm.
"You don't have to say it like that." The car came to a halt as we approached a red light controlling the intersection. "You know it's almost like a sickness. He's like a drug addict, or someone suffering from alcoholism. He can't control himself."
Her argument actually held some weight and forced the realization that no matter what I do, it won't work until he's ready to help himself. "You would think a couple of goons cutting your brake lines would snap you into reality. I'm just not sure Nick's going to be receptive to even this. I can see it now, he'll be in denial about the whole thing a swear it was a freak accident."
"Well of course he will." The light changed back to green and the car began to roll forward. "You've got to figure out how to change his mind before you no longer have a brother."
"Just what I need, with with all that I have on my plate. I'm mere weeks away from competing to become the first PURE Heavyweight Champion, I have a tag match with a man I know nothing about against two of the toughest in the business this week, and I still have to watch over my shoulder everywhere I go because Young Mannie is creeping around with a personal vendetta. Sure why not add another helping of stress to the plate!" My head swayed from side to side as I ran my hand through my wavy light brown hair. My head was pounding and I'd do anything for just a moments peace.
Well that just wasn't in the cards because we were pulling into the parking garage for Stonybrook Hospital and I was going to have to do something. Maria pulled into the first available spot and and punched the car into park. After unbuckling herself she turned her whole body towards me, flipping her fiery red hair over her shoulder on the process. "So what's it going to be", she asked.
"I don't know. Honestly, I haven't got the slightest idea of what I'm going to do. I'll deal with it when we get up there." I quickly hopped out of the car and started a brisk walk towards the entrance of the hospital. The cold winters air added a pep to my step.
Maria scampered to me, brushing her thin body up against mine. She reached down and grabbed ahold of my hand before tilting her head against my shoulder. "Well I'll back whatever you do decide."
I made it up to floor my brother was being treated on and navigated my way through the halls to his room. Maria had decided to give me a few minutes alone while she browsed the gift shop for some get well soon knickknacks. I stopped at the door and stared at the makeshift nameplate made out of paper that states, "Madison, N". The time has come and I still had no solution for helping my brother.
I reached down to the doorknob and before I could turn it and push it in there was a force on the other side pulling. I quickly released the brass knob and stood squarely in the way of the young nurse trying to exit his room. My unexpected presence startled her, causing her to jump backwards.
"Oh my gosh", she gasped for air as she placed a hand on her chest. "Mr. Madison you nearly scared me to death!"
"Sorry mam..."
She chuckled at my politeness. She couldn't be a day over twenty three. Fresh out of nursing school, her scrubs were a pearl white that matched her pristine Crocs. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me mam." She flirtatiously reached out and grabbed me by my arm.
I wittily replied, "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me Mr. Madison?"
She laughed again, this time accompanied by the twirling of her blonde hair with her finger. "You're too much..." She noticed that I was peering over her, trying to get a glimpse of my brother. As if a switch was flicked, she quickly turned completely professional. "He's fine, I believe the doctor is working on his discharge papers as we speak. Go in there and be with him."
We exchanged smiles before I walked in passed her. I stopped before fully entering the room. His bed was on the window side. The other bed in the room was made neatly but was currently unoccupied. The curtain separating the two beds was pushed up against the wall. I watched as he sat on the edge of the bed, gazing out the window with his bare back towards me. He knew I was there, he had to have heard me talking with the nurse, he was just refusing to acknowledge me.
Nick's breathing was labored and held his right side. I could tell he wanted to rip the layers of ace bandages that was wrapped around his ribs. Better judgement prevailed and he placed both hands down on the bed to push himself up. "Are you just going to stand there and watch me struggle", he groaned while making it to his feet.
"Yeah I am! I want you to fathom just how lucky you are to be able to push yourself off that bed!" The last thing I wanted was for this to turn into a lecture. I knew he wouldn't respond well to that but he was already dictating the situation.
"Spare me the pep talk Chris", he grumbled with a painful step in my direction. His constant discomfort was the source of his agitation.
"When does it end", I blurted out while throwing my arms out wide. "What's it going to take in order for you to finally open your fucking eyes?"
He rolled his eyes, reminiscent of a teenager being scalded. "What do you want to hear from me? I fucked up again...you were right and I was wrong. Does that make you happy? Does that feed your ego of having to be right all the damn time?"
The commotion was starting to draw the attention of nurses and doctors walking by. They would stop at the doorway for a moment just to try and figure out what was going on before moving along their way. "It's not about me being right or you being wrong. It's about your well being. You think I want to stand by while my little brother willing destroys his life?" I could sense that he didn't know what to say as he lowered his head. "I've done everything I could to help keep you straight and narrow. When you got hurt and couldn't wrestle anymore who put you up? Who helped you get clean when you started to get hooked on those pain meds? Who gave you a job and fifty percent of a gym? Who has cleared up your debt over and over again!" At this point I caught myself progressively getting fired up. My fists were clenched by my waist and my teeth were grinding with every breath.
There was nothing left to be said, he glanced at me with those guilty eyes of his and couldn't muster up a single sound. It took every ounce of strength he had left in his body to keep from just completely breaking down. "I don't know how stop", he finally cried out.
He collapsed from frustration back down on the bed. Maria had snuck in with a blue gift bag in hand just as I sat beside him. She leaned up against the door frame and kept off our radar. "One day at a time..." I reassuringly patted him softly on his upper back, between his shoulder blades. "We take this one day at a time..."
"I just can't burden you with this. You've got your own life to keep control of..."
I cut him off before he can continue his woes. "Enough!" I shouted loud enough to cause him to stiffen upright. "When are you going to get it? Your problems are my problems. I'm in this with you and we are going to take things one day at a time and we are going to get through all of this."
"I don't think anyone realizes just how fragile our existence in this profession is. For decades men and women have laced up their boots and marched down to that ring and left it all inside that squared circle. Some have made their short life span into something memorable, while others, not always due to a lack of talent, could never get their career going. I've never been one to take what I have for granted, I'm truly blessed to be able do what live for, week after week. Aubrey J. Parker doesn't appreciate the gift she has."
"You'll never hear me bash her abilities. There's no doubt that she's one of the best in the world. I've witnessed her go toe to toe with Terry Marvin and Sally Talfourd. In the opening week of PURE wrestling she was better than me! It's her respect for the business that I question. You just don't get the impression that she truly appreciates what she has. She had ridden Even Envi's coattails until the timing was convenient for her to step into the spotlight. She doesn't know what it's like to grind out a career, traveling from high school gym to bingo hall to empty warehouses, barely making enough money to pay for the gas to get you to those shows! There are plenty of guys in the wrestling world today who have lived that grind and just haven't caught a break. Some who may be more talented but just hasn't been discovered yet."
"It's that grind that really helps one recognize just how lucky we are. Aubrey doesn't get it!"
"She continues to walk the halls of PURE Wrestling with her head held high as if the nameplate for that heavyweight championship has already been engraved with her name on it. Part of me can't blame her. She's beaten me, she's beaten Bailey, the only wildcard for her is a guy who looks like he should be chugging a big gulp at home, screaming at the television instead of competing in the ring. But it's that arrogance that will be her downfall. All it takes is a simple count to three."
"Well Aubrey, it's time for someone grab you by your ankles and yank you down from cloud nine. I've felt your little kneebar. I've been working countless hours on counters, can you say the same? Do you know what it's like to be choked out, unwillingly of course...I promise that Monday reality will set in and you'll be left comatose with common sense."
"Then there's the other opponent in this strange bedfellows tag match, The Promise, Anthony Bailey. A guy whose the polar opposite of AJP. There's nothing but respect shown when his name gets tossed around. This is a guy who's a former APW Heavyweight Champion, a former APW Tapout Champion, and a former two time APW Tag Team Champion. This guy knows how to get it done, winning two of his title reigns by way of tournament. If this guy isn't on your radar as a sleeper to be the first PURE Wrestling heavyweight champion then you need to wake up!"
"For him all the cards have lined up nice. He lost the first qualifier match to who? His tag partner for this week AJP. Since then he's been on a tear, living up to his moniker, the promise. Even though he lost last week, he reserves enough energy to win the battle royal, earning his spot in the match. Now, the week before Crisis and he gets a tag team match, his specialty as one half of one of the greatest tag teams in wrestling today, as a precursor to the big bout? I'd say god is shinning a little light on Bailey."
"He's got the best chance to gain a head of steam going into Crisis. But those are the kind of moments I live for. I've never faced Bailey. Never had the privilege. I faced some big names while I was in APW, Bailey wasn't one of them because we were on two different shows. A match like this is exactly why I came back from overseas to compete here in the states. I wanted to prove that I could still do it, week by week rolls by and I'm doing exactly that! Proving that Chris Madison is still a factor in the wrestling world. Beating you and Aubrey, and then going on to be the first PURE Heavyweight Champion would do just that, vindicate all the hard work that continuously pour into my legacy!"
"Nothing personal Bailey, you just happen to be in my way. If I was a spectator you'd be the horse I'd pull for. That's just not in the cards. This week the tag team specialist is going to lose at his own game, not because of any if his own faults, but because of our desire to simply shut AJP's big mouth!"
"Let me not forget the three hundred and seventeen pound gorilla in the room, my partner, 'Average' Joe Martinez."
"This guy has been on a tear since joining the ranks of Seattle's premier wrestling promotion. He's partially responsible for the only blemish on AJP's record. That itself has got to open some eyes! But you have to wonder if there is any substance to this run or is it just a Cinderella story that's bound to strike midnight. No one knows because prior to PURE you were relatively unknown. Well regardless, if you're a diamond in the rough or just a flash in the pan, we're not losing this week! We're putting AJP and Anthony Bailey down. We're going to give the fans a glimpse of what to expect at Crisis. This week we're partners, next week is a whole different story!"
"One day at a time, from partners to opponents, all while having the same goals and aspirations. This week I'll help you, that's nothing you have to worry about. We'll deal with the other half of the equation on Tuesday."
"One day at a time..."
"Mark Mania and Xianlong showed up with some rather lackluster performances. I would have been better off wrestling one on one with Mr. Tiddles!"
"I'm a bit disappointed. I knew nothing about Xianlong, but Mark Mania's name carried weight and he tapped out quicker than a vegetarian at an all you can eat barbecue joint. Pathetic! Here I was hoping for some grand opponent, someone that I could proudly boast about beating, instead I got a shell of a man that he used to be. It's sad when guys don't realize that they've had enough! You can only drag yourself out there for so long before everything you've worked for, all of the blood, sweat, and tears that you've shed in the ring loses it's value. I hate to say it, but Mark Mania is dead..."
"It's not a notation on the résumé that I had ever thought I'd be adding...putting the final nail to the coffin of Mark Mania's career."
"But I did learn something in that match. You have to live one day at a time. Before you know it your career can be nothing but a mere shadow of what it once was."
"Well thanks for that Mark because I'm living in the present. Crisis is weeks away. My only concern is this tag team match I'm being thrown into..."
_________________________________
Wednesday.December 11th.2013
Long Island.New York
12:00 PM EST
I could barely keep my eyes open from the continuous cross country traveling. It was finally taking a toll on my body, New York to Seattle, back to New York, back to Seattle. I wonder how many hours were lost as I traveled from time zone to time zone. My eyes wandered out the passenger side window as I slumped down in my seat. Maria was focused on the road in front of her as she navigated through the congested mid day traffic. Her hands were positioned a textbook ten and two on the steering wheel. "Are you going to say anything to him", she prodded, hoping that I would try to talk some sense into my little brother about his gambling habits and the dangerous road it was leading him down.
Truth be told I was all out of ideas. I had tried to be proactive in his life, gave him a job, a purpose. I've tried to be stern with worldly brotherly advice. I've even tried to physically remove him from the temptations by paying for a trip to Japan. At this point I was all out of ideas. "I don't know what else I could do Maria."
Her head whipped around and she glared at me with her piercing green eyes. "Well you can't just give up on him", she explained, "he's family".
Family. Anyone who really knows me would know that there's nothing I hold more dear to my heart than my family. Sure they could be dysfunctional at times. Sure there's moments that you just want to pull your hair out, but no matter what, I'll always be there for my family. Only problem was that I didn't know how to be there for Nick. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me", I mumbled while burying my head into my left palm.
"You don't have to say it like that." The car came to a halt as we approached a red light controlling the intersection. "You know it's almost like a sickness. He's like a drug addict, or someone suffering from alcoholism. He can't control himself."
Her argument actually held some weight and forced the realization that no matter what I do, it won't work until he's ready to help himself. "You would think a couple of goons cutting your brake lines would snap you into reality. I'm just not sure Nick's going to be receptive to even this. I can see it now, he'll be in denial about the whole thing a swear it was a freak accident."
"Well of course he will." The light changed back to green and the car began to roll forward. "You've got to figure out how to change his mind before you no longer have a brother."
"Just what I need, with with all that I have on my plate. I'm mere weeks away from competing to become the first PURE Heavyweight Champion, I have a tag match with a man I know nothing about against two of the toughest in the business this week, and I still have to watch over my shoulder everywhere I go because Young Mannie is creeping around with a personal vendetta. Sure why not add another helping of stress to the plate!" My head swayed from side to side as I ran my hand through my wavy light brown hair. My head was pounding and I'd do anything for just a moments peace.
Well that just wasn't in the cards because we were pulling into the parking garage for Stonybrook Hospital and I was going to have to do something. Maria pulled into the first available spot and and punched the car into park. After unbuckling herself she turned her whole body towards me, flipping her fiery red hair over her shoulder on the process. "So what's it going to be", she asked.
"I don't know. Honestly, I haven't got the slightest idea of what I'm going to do. I'll deal with it when we get up there." I quickly hopped out of the car and started a brisk walk towards the entrance of the hospital. The cold winters air added a pep to my step.
Maria scampered to me, brushing her thin body up against mine. She reached down and grabbed ahold of my hand before tilting her head against my shoulder. "Well I'll back whatever you do decide."
Wednesday.December 11th.2013
Stonybrook Hospital.Long Island.New York
12:46 PM EST
I made it up to floor my brother was being treated on and navigated my way through the halls to his room. Maria had decided to give me a few minutes alone while she browsed the gift shop for some get well soon knickknacks. I stopped at the door and stared at the makeshift nameplate made out of paper that states, "Madison, N". The time has come and I still had no solution for helping my brother.
I reached down to the doorknob and before I could turn it and push it in there was a force on the other side pulling. I quickly released the brass knob and stood squarely in the way of the young nurse trying to exit his room. My unexpected presence startled her, causing her to jump backwards.
"Oh my gosh", she gasped for air as she placed a hand on her chest. "Mr. Madison you nearly scared me to death!"
"Sorry mam..."
She chuckled at my politeness. She couldn't be a day over twenty three. Fresh out of nursing school, her scrubs were a pearl white that matched her pristine Crocs. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me mam." She flirtatiously reached out and grabbed me by my arm.
I wittily replied, "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me Mr. Madison?"
She laughed again, this time accompanied by the twirling of her blonde hair with her finger. "You're too much..." She noticed that I was peering over her, trying to get a glimpse of my brother. As if a switch was flicked, she quickly turned completely professional. "He's fine, I believe the doctor is working on his discharge papers as we speak. Go in there and be with him."
We exchanged smiles before I walked in passed her. I stopped before fully entering the room. His bed was on the window side. The other bed in the room was made neatly but was currently unoccupied. The curtain separating the two beds was pushed up against the wall. I watched as he sat on the edge of the bed, gazing out the window with his bare back towards me. He knew I was there, he had to have heard me talking with the nurse, he was just refusing to acknowledge me.
Nick's breathing was labored and held his right side. I could tell he wanted to rip the layers of ace bandages that was wrapped around his ribs. Better judgement prevailed and he placed both hands down on the bed to push himself up. "Are you just going to stand there and watch me struggle", he groaned while making it to his feet.
"Yeah I am! I want you to fathom just how lucky you are to be able to push yourself off that bed!" The last thing I wanted was for this to turn into a lecture. I knew he wouldn't respond well to that but he was already dictating the situation.
"Spare me the pep talk Chris", he grumbled with a painful step in my direction. His constant discomfort was the source of his agitation.
"When does it end", I blurted out while throwing my arms out wide. "What's it going to take in order for you to finally open your fucking eyes?"
He rolled his eyes, reminiscent of a teenager being scalded. "What do you want to hear from me? I fucked up again...you were right and I was wrong. Does that make you happy? Does that feed your ego of having to be right all the damn time?"
The commotion was starting to draw the attention of nurses and doctors walking by. They would stop at the doorway for a moment just to try and figure out what was going on before moving along their way. "It's not about me being right or you being wrong. It's about your well being. You think I want to stand by while my little brother willing destroys his life?" I could sense that he didn't know what to say as he lowered his head. "I've done everything I could to help keep you straight and narrow. When you got hurt and couldn't wrestle anymore who put you up? Who helped you get clean when you started to get hooked on those pain meds? Who gave you a job and fifty percent of a gym? Who has cleared up your debt over and over again!" At this point I caught myself progressively getting fired up. My fists were clenched by my waist and my teeth were grinding with every breath.
There was nothing left to be said, he glanced at me with those guilty eyes of his and couldn't muster up a single sound. It took every ounce of strength he had left in his body to keep from just completely breaking down. "I don't know how stop", he finally cried out.
He collapsed from frustration back down on the bed. Maria had snuck in with a blue gift bag in hand just as I sat beside him. She leaned up against the door frame and kept off our radar. "One day at a time..." I reassuringly patted him softly on his upper back, between his shoulder blades. "We take this one day at a time..."
"I just can't burden you with this. You've got your own life to keep control of..."
I cut him off before he can continue his woes. "Enough!" I shouted loud enough to cause him to stiffen upright. "When are you going to get it? Your problems are my problems. I'm in this with you and we are going to take things one day at a time and we are going to get through all of this."
_________________________________
"I don't think anyone realizes just how fragile our existence in this profession is. For decades men and women have laced up their boots and marched down to that ring and left it all inside that squared circle. Some have made their short life span into something memorable, while others, not always due to a lack of talent, could never get their career going. I've never been one to take what I have for granted, I'm truly blessed to be able do what live for, week after week. Aubrey J. Parker doesn't appreciate the gift she has."
"You'll never hear me bash her abilities. There's no doubt that she's one of the best in the world. I've witnessed her go toe to toe with Terry Marvin and Sally Talfourd. In the opening week of PURE wrestling she was better than me! It's her respect for the business that I question. You just don't get the impression that she truly appreciates what she has. She had ridden Even Envi's coattails until the timing was convenient for her to step into the spotlight. She doesn't know what it's like to grind out a career, traveling from high school gym to bingo hall to empty warehouses, barely making enough money to pay for the gas to get you to those shows! There are plenty of guys in the wrestling world today who have lived that grind and just haven't caught a break. Some who may be more talented but just hasn't been discovered yet."
"It's that grind that really helps one recognize just how lucky we are. Aubrey doesn't get it!"
"She continues to walk the halls of PURE Wrestling with her head held high as if the nameplate for that heavyweight championship has already been engraved with her name on it. Part of me can't blame her. She's beaten me, she's beaten Bailey, the only wildcard for her is a guy who looks like he should be chugging a big gulp at home, screaming at the television instead of competing in the ring. But it's that arrogance that will be her downfall. All it takes is a simple count to three."
"Well Aubrey, it's time for someone grab you by your ankles and yank you down from cloud nine. I've felt your little kneebar. I've been working countless hours on counters, can you say the same? Do you know what it's like to be choked out, unwillingly of course...I promise that Monday reality will set in and you'll be left comatose with common sense."
"Then there's the other opponent in this strange bedfellows tag match, The Promise, Anthony Bailey. A guy whose the polar opposite of AJP. There's nothing but respect shown when his name gets tossed around. This is a guy who's a former APW Heavyweight Champion, a former APW Tapout Champion, and a former two time APW Tag Team Champion. This guy knows how to get it done, winning two of his title reigns by way of tournament. If this guy isn't on your radar as a sleeper to be the first PURE Wrestling heavyweight champion then you need to wake up!"
"For him all the cards have lined up nice. He lost the first qualifier match to who? His tag partner for this week AJP. Since then he's been on a tear, living up to his moniker, the promise. Even though he lost last week, he reserves enough energy to win the battle royal, earning his spot in the match. Now, the week before Crisis and he gets a tag team match, his specialty as one half of one of the greatest tag teams in wrestling today, as a precursor to the big bout? I'd say god is shinning a little light on Bailey."
"He's got the best chance to gain a head of steam going into Crisis. But those are the kind of moments I live for. I've never faced Bailey. Never had the privilege. I faced some big names while I was in APW, Bailey wasn't one of them because we were on two different shows. A match like this is exactly why I came back from overseas to compete here in the states. I wanted to prove that I could still do it, week by week rolls by and I'm doing exactly that! Proving that Chris Madison is still a factor in the wrestling world. Beating you and Aubrey, and then going on to be the first PURE Heavyweight Champion would do just that, vindicate all the hard work that continuously pour into my legacy!"
"Nothing personal Bailey, you just happen to be in my way. If I was a spectator you'd be the horse I'd pull for. That's just not in the cards. This week the tag team specialist is going to lose at his own game, not because of any if his own faults, but because of our desire to simply shut AJP's big mouth!"
"Let me not forget the three hundred and seventeen pound gorilla in the room, my partner, 'Average' Joe Martinez."
"This guy has been on a tear since joining the ranks of Seattle's premier wrestling promotion. He's partially responsible for the only blemish on AJP's record. That itself has got to open some eyes! But you have to wonder if there is any substance to this run or is it just a Cinderella story that's bound to strike midnight. No one knows because prior to PURE you were relatively unknown. Well regardless, if you're a diamond in the rough or just a flash in the pan, we're not losing this week! We're putting AJP and Anthony Bailey down. We're going to give the fans a glimpse of what to expect at Crisis. This week we're partners, next week is a whole different story!"
"One day at a time, from partners to opponents, all while having the same goals and aspirations. This week I'll help you, that's nothing you have to worry about. We'll deal with the other half of the equation on Tuesday."
"One day at a time..."
