Post by thegoldenidol on Nov 16, 2021 19:47:54 GMT -6
"Take me to Church, essa…"
I have a moment of freedom rush over me as I enter through the curtains to the back and it is quickly ripped away as those cuffs are strapped to my wrists again by a shit eating grin wearing gringo who's a little too pleased with himself. Dukes walks up a smile matching that of his little lap dog.
"You looked great out there Lazzo, congrats on the win…"
"GO fuck yourself, puta, I just want mi mija and mi Familia back!"
Mr. Shit grin punches me in the stomach and Dukes points a stern finger at him to back him away.
"Now, now, so much hostility here, we were just making strides in the right direction. No need to harm our rising star here… Lazzo, I told you that as long as you play ball with us, your family will be safe, I gave you my word… And if I'm anything, I'm a man of my word."
I cough a bit before standing back up, my eyes stare at shit Eater and then back to Dukes.
"I'll play ball, jefe, but I feel I have earned a moment with my familia…"
I watch the gears moving in Dukes's mind for a second, but he waves it off like he's swatting at a pesky fly.
"In due time, Lazzo, but for now you have to stay focused on the task at hand… And that task is taking you to Vietnam..."
Before I can say a word, the shit Eater shoves me the opposite direction of Dukes and Dukes simply waves me off.
"Puta…"
__________
I arrive in Ho Chi Minh City and realize it is more of a bustling city than I originally had in mind. I'm shoved into the back of a black limo, followed in by the shit Eater.
"Take it easy, puta, I'm getting in."
I sit down across from the shit Eater, my hands cuffed in front of me and I can see the shit Eater staring right through me.
"Do you have a problem, gringo?"
The shit Eater's grin returns.
"No problem… ESSA."
The shit Eater laughs at himself and I slowly shake my head.
"I don't want any problem… I'm doing what is asked of me…"
"You are, Lazzo, you really are, but I don't think you get what is really expected of you… Do you?"
I'm a fighter, stupido…
"Of course I do and I'm following his orders without question… I just…"
"You just what?"
"I need to light a candle…"
The greasy white idioto doesn't understand a word that just came out of my mouth, no matter how clearly I spoke.
"A candle? Why in the blue hell do you need to light a candle?"
I lower my head, the emotion showing true.
"For mi familia…"
"They ain't dead, why do you need to light a candle for?"
Stupido…
"You don't light a candle just for the dead… You do it for prayer… I'm battling for Senor Dukes and I just… I just want to make sure mi familia is looked after…"
The shit Eater looks around the limo and then he pulls out his phone.
"I don't think Mr. Dukes wants you going anywhere besides the show…"
"I'm wearing shackles here, man… I'm in a foreign country, where do you think I'm going to go? I just want to light a candle and ask for mi Familia to be looked after… I won't even speak of my situation to the Padre…"
The shit Eater rubs the stubble on his chin and he looks at his watch.
"I'll give you 15 minutes…"
The shit Eater taps on the reflective glass of the limo and a Vietnam man driving the car (dressed like Kato from The Green Hornet) looks over his shoulder.
"Take us to church…"
________
Inside the St. Francis Xavier Church, I see candles lit along the far wall and I make a straight shot to them. I take up a wooden stick and I light it off of another candle.
"Madre, mija, and even Sal… I want you to be looked after as I take this next path along my journey, because I'm not sure what is to come… I have to do battle here in Vietnam against Church again and LA Blackwater… Church wasn't an easy combatant to win against and LA is the champion for a reason… I don't know what Dukes has in mind, but I HAVE to do what is asked of me for your sake…"
"I do not speak Spanish my son, but I am here if you'd like to talk…"
An older Vietnamese man dressed in blue catholic robes approaches from behind me, I simply nod with a smile to put him at ease.
"I'm good, Padre, but I speak the gringo tongue as well... I'm just hear to pray for mi familia."
"Something ails them?"
I understand how this exchange is suppose to go, but I cannot rope this priest into this fucked up world of ours…
"Nothing too serious, Padre, just the normal weekly prayer for my loved ones…"
The father nods and gives a heart felt smile, which I return.
"Bless you and your family, I will pray for them as well… I do ask, If you feel so inclined we have a collection plate set up by the doors, my son."
The father nods and I nod as well before I return to the candles.
"The father means well, but he can never know about you, mija… madre…"
"Heh, don't forget your uncle Salvador…"
I turn around to find a man sitting with a black hoody that hangs low enough to hide most of his face, but what can be seen, he looks like a man who's been through plenty in his life.
"What do you know about my Uncle, hmm?"
The man clings to a crucifix hanging from his neck.
"This isn't about your uncle though, Lázaro, this is about Dukes who has you under his thumb now… I respect your tenacity, but you're leaving yourself wide open for your enemies, amigo…"
Amigo? I don't even know this guy and he's acting like he knows ALL about me.
"I see you, Lázaro… The father, fighting for the grand prize for his family and for the love of his daughter… Against the evil corporation..."
"Listen here, you don't know me as well as you think you do, essa…"
"Lázaro, nothing I said was false, was it?"
Puta… I slowly shake my head no.
"See? You're a valiant warrior and I respect your journey… But it'll be your biggest challenge this week against both Church and Blackwater…"
"That may be, but I've heard a great deal about The Lost Boy and his unmatched venture in the world of professional wrestling."
I watch as the man before me slowly pulls his hood back, revealing the face of a man with years behind his eyes.
"The Lost Boy in the flesh, my friend…"
Mios dios, how could I be so foolish not to know this man the moment he spoke?
"My apologies, Howard, I meant no disrespect."
"No big deal, Lázaro, but I'm here for a reason… We have to talk about Church and Blackwater… Two men who have proven to be World championship caliber competitors..."
This gringo has a point…
"I've bested Church in one of the toughest battles in my career along this road to El Dorado…"
"You fought well, but don't forget it was Blackwater who ripped that World title off of, Church's waist not too long ago."
Truth spoken clearly, but if Blackwater was battling Church not long ago…
"Don't go where I think you're going to go with that thought, Lázaro… These two men have history together and I believe that will end up giving them the edge here."
"You haven't seen the things I've seen in my time, Howard… Church and Blackwater are like two perros fighting over the same food scraps… Dukes dangled that title between them and it'll be the same thing that'll rip them apart. I know where my road is taking me, amigo and I will not let those two keep me from it… Mi mija…"
"Your daughter?"
I slowly nod.
"My Izz, she will be whisked away from Dukes and I will do it for mi familia…"
"I respect that, Lázaro, I just want you to remember to keep your head on right out there against those two, okay?"
"Howard, as long as I have air in my lungs, I WILL NOT GIVE UP on this journey…"
I watch as Howard nods in agreement.
"First those clowns and then you can take on Dukes for the sake of your family."
"Thank you, Howard, I appreciate your words."
"Words won't win this match, Lázaro, it'll take us working together in perfect cohesion, that'll guarantee victory… I'm ready, are you?"
I clinch my fist and nod toward Howard.
"luchar por la victoria, mi amigo…"
We nod together in unison.
I have a moment of freedom rush over me as I enter through the curtains to the back and it is quickly ripped away as those cuffs are strapped to my wrists again by a shit eating grin wearing gringo who's a little too pleased with himself. Dukes walks up a smile matching that of his little lap dog.
"You looked great out there Lazzo, congrats on the win…"
"GO fuck yourself, puta, I just want mi mija and mi Familia back!"
Mr. Shit grin punches me in the stomach and Dukes points a stern finger at him to back him away.
"Now, now, so much hostility here, we were just making strides in the right direction. No need to harm our rising star here… Lazzo, I told you that as long as you play ball with us, your family will be safe, I gave you my word… And if I'm anything, I'm a man of my word."
I cough a bit before standing back up, my eyes stare at shit Eater and then back to Dukes.
"I'll play ball, jefe, but I feel I have earned a moment with my familia…"
I watch the gears moving in Dukes's mind for a second, but he waves it off like he's swatting at a pesky fly.
"In due time, Lazzo, but for now you have to stay focused on the task at hand… And that task is taking you to Vietnam..."
Before I can say a word, the shit Eater shoves me the opposite direction of Dukes and Dukes simply waves me off.
"Puta…"
__________
I arrive in Ho Chi Minh City and realize it is more of a bustling city than I originally had in mind. I'm shoved into the back of a black limo, followed in by the shit Eater.
"Take it easy, puta, I'm getting in."
I sit down across from the shit Eater, my hands cuffed in front of me and I can see the shit Eater staring right through me.
"Do you have a problem, gringo?"
The shit Eater's grin returns.
"No problem… ESSA."
The shit Eater laughs at himself and I slowly shake my head.
"I don't want any problem… I'm doing what is asked of me…"
"You are, Lazzo, you really are, but I don't think you get what is really expected of you… Do you?"
I'm a fighter, stupido…
"Of course I do and I'm following his orders without question… I just…"
"You just what?"
"I need to light a candle…"
The greasy white idioto doesn't understand a word that just came out of my mouth, no matter how clearly I spoke.
"A candle? Why in the blue hell do you need to light a candle?"
I lower my head, the emotion showing true.
"For mi familia…"
"They ain't dead, why do you need to light a candle for?"
Stupido…
"You don't light a candle just for the dead… You do it for prayer… I'm battling for Senor Dukes and I just… I just want to make sure mi familia is looked after…"
The shit Eater looks around the limo and then he pulls out his phone.
"I don't think Mr. Dukes wants you going anywhere besides the show…"
"I'm wearing shackles here, man… I'm in a foreign country, where do you think I'm going to go? I just want to light a candle and ask for mi Familia to be looked after… I won't even speak of my situation to the Padre…"
The shit Eater rubs the stubble on his chin and he looks at his watch.
"I'll give you 15 minutes…"
The shit Eater taps on the reflective glass of the limo and a Vietnam man driving the car (dressed like Kato from The Green Hornet) looks over his shoulder.
"Take us to church…"
________
Inside the St. Francis Xavier Church, I see candles lit along the far wall and I make a straight shot to them. I take up a wooden stick and I light it off of another candle.
"Madre, mija, and even Sal… I want you to be looked after as I take this next path along my journey, because I'm not sure what is to come… I have to do battle here in Vietnam against Church again and LA Blackwater… Church wasn't an easy combatant to win against and LA is the champion for a reason… I don't know what Dukes has in mind, but I HAVE to do what is asked of me for your sake…"
"I do not speak Spanish my son, but I am here if you'd like to talk…"
An older Vietnamese man dressed in blue catholic robes approaches from behind me, I simply nod with a smile to put him at ease.
"I'm good, Padre, but I speak the gringo tongue as well... I'm just hear to pray for mi familia."
"Something ails them?"
I understand how this exchange is suppose to go, but I cannot rope this priest into this fucked up world of ours…
"Nothing too serious, Padre, just the normal weekly prayer for my loved ones…"
The father nods and gives a heart felt smile, which I return.
"Bless you and your family, I will pray for them as well… I do ask, If you feel so inclined we have a collection plate set up by the doors, my son."
The father nods and I nod as well before I return to the candles.
"The father means well, but he can never know about you, mija… madre…"
"Heh, don't forget your uncle Salvador…"
I turn around to find a man sitting with a black hoody that hangs low enough to hide most of his face, but what can be seen, he looks like a man who's been through plenty in his life.
"What do you know about my Uncle, hmm?"
The man clings to a crucifix hanging from his neck.
"This isn't about your uncle though, Lázaro, this is about Dukes who has you under his thumb now… I respect your tenacity, but you're leaving yourself wide open for your enemies, amigo…"
Amigo? I don't even know this guy and he's acting like he knows ALL about me.
"I see you, Lázaro… The father, fighting for the grand prize for his family and for the love of his daughter… Against the evil corporation..."
"Listen here, you don't know me as well as you think you do, essa…"
"Lázaro, nothing I said was false, was it?"
Puta… I slowly shake my head no.
"See? You're a valiant warrior and I respect your journey… But it'll be your biggest challenge this week against both Church and Blackwater…"
"That may be, but I've heard a great deal about The Lost Boy and his unmatched venture in the world of professional wrestling."
I watch as the man before me slowly pulls his hood back, revealing the face of a man with years behind his eyes.
"The Lost Boy in the flesh, my friend…"
Mios dios, how could I be so foolish not to know this man the moment he spoke?
"My apologies, Howard, I meant no disrespect."
"No big deal, Lázaro, but I'm here for a reason… We have to talk about Church and Blackwater… Two men who have proven to be World championship caliber competitors..."
This gringo has a point…
"I've bested Church in one of the toughest battles in my career along this road to El Dorado…"
"You fought well, but don't forget it was Blackwater who ripped that World title off of, Church's waist not too long ago."
Truth spoken clearly, but if Blackwater was battling Church not long ago…
"Don't go where I think you're going to go with that thought, Lázaro… These two men have history together and I believe that will end up giving them the edge here."
"You haven't seen the things I've seen in my time, Howard… Church and Blackwater are like two perros fighting over the same food scraps… Dukes dangled that title between them and it'll be the same thing that'll rip them apart. I know where my road is taking me, amigo and I will not let those two keep me from it… Mi mija…"
"Your daughter?"
I slowly nod.
"My Izz, she will be whisked away from Dukes and I will do it for mi familia…"
"I respect that, Lázaro, I just want you to remember to keep your head on right out there against those two, okay?"
"Howard, as long as I have air in my lungs, I WILL NOT GIVE UP on this journey…"
I watch as Howard nods in agreement.
"First those clowns and then you can take on Dukes for the sake of your family."
"Thank you, Howard, I appreciate your words."
"Words won't win this match, Lázaro, it'll take us working together in perfect cohesion, that'll guarantee victory… I'm ready, are you?"
I clinch my fist and nod toward Howard.
"luchar por la victoria, mi amigo…"
We nod together in unison.