Post by Eli Goode on Aug 29, 2021 19:46:54 GMT -5
“I learned that COURAGE was not the absence of fear, but the TRIUMPH over it. The BRAVE man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who CONQUERS THAT FEAR.” - Nelson Mandela
“COURAGE is grace under pressure.” - Ernest Hemingway
“COURAGE is FEAR holding on a minute longer.” - Gen. George S. Patton
The Parker Household
August 23, 2021
Memphis, TN
5:30 pm
Off-Camera
Eli Goode has not seen his family together in a long time. When Eli left for High Stakes Wrestling in 2017, he burned a lot of the bridges at home. He wanted to be his own man, and he did not want his family by his side. There was a moment he visited them, but that was just a fleeting moment. His dad visiting him was Eli’s way of trying to open back up to them. He knows that this is the chance to mend the bridges. Maybe this is the time to finally meet his niece and nephew. The last time he saw his niece, she was a baby. He wonders if she will remember him.
He drives down the road and looks at the suburban homes. He tries to compose himself, but he stills feels the fear of meeting his sister. She was his closest friend, and he has not spoken to her in a long time. Eli replaced his family with Jack and his family. Eli knows that it hurts his real family, and he hopes that they can forgive him.
After a few hours of driving, he finally reaches his childhood home. He drives into the driveway and parks the car. He slightly exits and looks at it. It has not changed a day, and he still remembers playing on the porch. He closes the door behind him and locks the doors. He slowly approaches the house as he sees his dad, Rickie, walk out of the house. His dad smiles, and Eli returns the smile. They reach each other and embrace. Eli pats his dad on the back and sighs. They release the hug.
“Well, this may turn into an awkward reunion.”
“Maybe, but at least you’re trying. C’mon.”
Eli and his dad walk towards the house, side-by-side. He slips his hands into his pockets.
“Is Lace here?”
“She is, but she may need some time before she’s ready to talk to you. Until then, you’re mother’s been talking up how she’s going to make your favorite for dinner.”
“Things just never change do they?”
“Never.”
The two smile as they reach the front door. Eli’s dad opens the door and holds it for Eli. Eli enters the house and sees the living room that he grew up in. It is a small living room that easily leads to the kitchen. There are pictures of Eli, his sister Lacy, and of both of them standing next to each other resting in the room. Eli takes a few steps in and sees a little girl and baby boy playing with some toys. He walks up to them and smiles. He crouches down. He clears his throat.
“Hey, Lillian, do you remember me?”
The little girl turns around and smiles.
“E-yi!”
Lillian runs up to Eli and gives him a big hug. He smiles and looks up at his dad.
“Your mom and I show her pictures of you. Just in case you ever came back, she’d have an idea of what you looked like.”
Eli chuckles and gives her a big hug. A few footsteps are heard, and Eli’s mom, Lisa, enters the living room. Eli looks up and smiles at her. Lillian releases Eli and goes back to playing with her toys. Eli stands up and looks at his mom.
“Hey, mom…”
She smiles and walks up to him. She hugs him and chuckles.
“Boy, you haven’t grown an inch since I last saw you.”
Eli chuckles and releases the hug.
“What can I say? I get my height from your side of the family.”
The two laugh as Lisa looks over at the baby boy. She taps the baby boy’s shoulder. The boy is old enough to walk and speak in gibberish. He turns and looks at Lisa.
“Ryder, this is your Uncle Eli. Eli, this is Ryder.”
Eli crouches down again and smiles.
“Hey buddy, how’re you doing.”
Ryder covers his smile with his hands and runs up to Eli. Eli picks him up for a hug. He looks a Ryder and smiles a bit.
“Look at that, you’ve got your mom’s eyes. Let’s hope you don’t have her attitude.”
He chuckles to himself as he hears more footsteps. He looks over and sees his sister, Lacy, standing in the kitchen. He places Ryder gently back on the floor. He starts crying a bit, and Lacy walks over to him. She picks him up and glares at Eli.
“Great, now you’ve got him crying.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t…”
“Yeah, well, sorry doesn’t cut it, Eli. Not anymore.”
She walks away with Ryder. Eli’s joy deflates as he looks at the floor. Rickie pats him on the back.
“Don’t worry son. Just give her some time. She’ll turn back around.”
“That’s the thing, dad. I don’t think she will. You know when she’s set in her ways she never changes her mind, and I don’t blame her. I mean, I cut you all off. I turned my back on all of you. I… I invested in another family, and now, it looks like I’m trying to use all of you. I…”
“You’re not trying to use us. We’d know if we’re getting used. That’s not what you’re doing. You’re trying to heal old wounds. Wounds that cut your sister deep. Again, give her time. There’s no need to worry about it.”
Rickie and Lisa leave the living room towards the kitchen. Eli sits in the living room with Lillian. He sighs.
“I hope you’re right dad. I hope you’re right.”
Lillian walks up to him.
“Who’re you talkin’ to?”
Eli looks up and smiles.
“Just myself is all. Just myself.”
Eli looks around the room and rubs his legs. He takes in a deep breath and stands up. He walks around the room and looks at one of the pictures of him and Lacy. He lifts it and stares at it. He remembers the time the picture was taken. They were on vacation to a park. They stood near a river, and Lisa took a picture of them together. He taps the picture frame with his thumb. He hears footsteps and turns around. He sees Lacy enter the room. She focuses her attention on Lillian.
“Lillian, it’s time for dinner. C’mon.”
“Lace…”
She ignores him as Lillian stands up and walks over to her. The two walk into the dining room. Eli sighs and places his hands on his hips.
“Great, this is just great. Come home to see the family, you said. What could go wrong, you said. This is so stupid.”
He takes in a deep breath and walks out of the house. He pulls up a chair and sits on the porch. He watches as cars pass by. He tries to think of the right words to say to his sister, but nothing is coming to him. For years, he has ignored her, but the moment he meets her face-to-face, everything escapes him.
After a few minutes, Lacy walks out to the porch and glares at him.
“Great, you’re still here.”
“I said I wasn’t…”
“Eli, to be frank, I don’t care what you said. I just came out here to tell you that dinner was ready.”
She starts to go back inside, but Eli stops her.
“Wait, Lace, can you stop for just a minute? Can’t we at least talk?”
She turns around to look at him.
“What do you want to talk about, Eli? How you missed three of Lillian’s birthdays? How you missed Ryder’s birth? How you couldn’t stop being an asshole to your own family? How you shoved your real family to the side to make room for your fake family?”
“That’s all fair…”
“You’re damn right it’s fair. Eli, you’ve ignored us for four years. Four fucking years! You made us a footnote in your life, and you expect me to forgive you the moment you come back? The only reason mom and dad forgave you is because of how you’ve been doing on LevelUp. That’s the only reason. You hurt them, Eli. You made them feel worthless. Do you even fucking understand what it was like for them to go to work, and then being asked why their son is going around acting like Jack Michaels is more of a father figure than his dad? Do you realize how fucked up that is?”
“Lacy, I…”
“Don’t even try to say anything.”
She walks back in and slams the door shut. Eli stands alone outside. The wind slightly blows on his face. Tears slowly start to form in his eyes, but he prevents them from rolling down his face. He takes in a deep breath and enters the house.
He walks into the dining room where plates are set up for everyone. Eli sits down and starts placing food on his plate. There is a deafening silence as the family eats together. Lillian and Ryder are the only ones making any noise, but even for them, it is faint. Eli taps his thumb against the table and stares at Lacy. She ignores him and continues eating. He takes a sip from his tea and stands up.
“Ok, so, it’s obvious that I’m not wanted here anymore, so I’m just going to go.”
Rickie and Lisa look up at him.
“C’mon Eli, you are wanted here. Your mom and I are glad to have you, and we want you to stay.”
“Dad, you and mom may want me to stay here, but she doesn’t.”
He points at Lacy.
“I’m not going to force her to see someone she doesn’t want to.”
He walks out of the dining room as Lacy chuckles to herself.
“Just like last time, leave and never come back. You haven’t changed at all.”
Eli stops and has finally had enough of it. He turns around and looks back at her. He takes in a deep breath and turns to his mom.
“Mom… Dad… If you could kindly take Lillian and Ryder into another room please?”
Lisa and Rickie take Lillian and Ryder into the living room and closes the door behind them. Eli glares at his sister.
“Lacy, I’m truly sorry for everything I did in the past, but I’m getting tired of hearing your ‘woe is me’ bullshit.”
“My ‘woe is me?’ Eli, have you ever looked in a mirror? That’s all you do. Ever since your ‘real’ father figure left you, you’ve been stuck in a rut. Don’t say it isn’t true? Mom and dad tell me everything. They make sure that they know everything that is happening to their favorite child.”
“Oh, and the real culprit is revealed. Are you still hung up on that? Lacy, get over it. Sure, mom treated me like the favorite, but that doesn’t mean that it’s true.”
“But you know it is. That’s the only reason she is so willing to forgive you for the past FOUR YEARS!!! That’s how long it’s been since you acknowledged us. Four years! You’ve treated us like second-class citizens. We were nothing to you, Eli. All we were were puppets to your grand show. Now, all we are is baggage that you want off of your shoulders.”
“Of course I want it off of my shoulders. I’ve felt horrible ever since it happened.”
“No, you haven’t. If you felt horrible, you would’ve apologized YEARS AGO!!”
“Well, WE’RE NOT ALL PERFECT, LACY! WE’RE NOT ALL MARRIED WITH TWO BEAUTIFUL KIDS! NOT ALL OF US HAVE HAD THE ABILITY TO LIVE A GOOD LIFE! A LIFE… a life where we can be who we are. A life that isn’t bogged down by having to act tough.”
The tears finally roll down Eli’s face. He tries to keep his composure, but his emotions take over him.
“Every day, I have to look on Twitter and see who hates me today. It’s either JC, Matt Knox, or someone that I pissed off in the past. I’ve tried to show that I’ve changed. I’ve tried to show the world I’m not the same asshole they saw when I made my comeback those four years ago, but… but when people see you one way, they never change their perspective. That’s all I want to do… I just want to say I’m sorry for… for fucking up their lives. For being such a dick to them… But, but I can never truly get their forgiveness until… Until I get yours.”
Silence takes over the room. Eli wipes the tears from his eyes and looks away from Lacy. She stares down at her plate. She taps her thumbs against the table. She takes in a deep breath.
“Hakuna Matata… what a wonderful phrase.”
Eli looks over to her and slightly smiles.
“Hakuna Matata… ain’t no passin’ craze.”
Lacy, finally, returns a smile to him. She stands up from her chair and walks over to him. The two embrace in a hug. Eli starts to cry again. Lacy lets go of the hug and slightly pushes Eli away.
“Ok, you’re crying again. Stop crying.”
Eli laughs as he wipes away his tears.
“I can’t help it. I’m a man in touch with his emotions.”
Lacy smiles and looks at him.
“Eli, you hurt me when you left us. You hurt all of us, but they won’t admit it. You forgot about us. You threw us away as if we were nothing. It hurt us all, and my children never got to know you. They never got to speak with their uncle.”
“I wanna change that. I want to be here for them.”
“I know, but you can’t be here all the time.”
“LevelUp takes a week break between shows. That’ll be the week I come to visit you all. I promise I’ll never forget where I came from. You’re the ones that encouraged me to do this in the first place. Without you all, I’d still be Eli Parker of Memphis. Probably flipping burgers at McDonald’s.”
Lacy shakes her head and gently punches Eli in the arm.
“Nah, you would’ve found a way out of here eventually. You’re tough. Alright, you’ll visit us on your off weeks, and you’re going to make sure that Lillian and Ryder know who their uncle is, and not the man we see on TV.”
“Yep, that’s my plan.”
Lacy hugs Eli again. The two release the hug and go into the living room. Lisa, Rickie, Lillian, and Ryder all stare at the siblings.
“So, is the shouting finished?”
“Yeah, and we made a plan to where I’ll be visiting on the off weeks. I want to see my niece and nephew grow up, and I want them to know their uncle. How does that sound Lillian?”
“Ok.”
Eli smiles. He walks over and hugs her. He lifts her and holds her in his arm.
“Let’s go outside for a bit. Get some fresh air in our lungs.”
Eli walks out with Lillian. Lacy follows with Ryder, and Lisa and Rickie exit last. The house is left empty and quiet with slight echoes from outside of cheering and laughter.
-----
“So it’s finally time for me to face my fears. It’s finally time for me to look at myself in the mirror and acknowledge everything that I’ve done wrong. You see, I’m a flawed human being. I’ve never been one to deny that. I’ve always looked down at people, and I’ve always said that I can be better than most. Now, I know that that sounds arrogant. I’ll be the first to admit that I have been arrogant. I’ve been jaded. I haven’t truly looked inside of myself and known what I wanted for myself. After meeting with my family, I know exactly what I want. I know what I need to achieve. I want to be the Final Boss Champion. I want to be able to prove myself in LevelUp. I want to main event Final Fantasy. There are multiple ways for me to do this, but there is a path in front of me right now that I can’t let go of. I have to win the Courage Championship. I have to win the Platformer Match. I need to prove myself, and I have to do it against more than just one person.
First, we have a familiar face to me: Larry Tact. I’ve met this man in multiple matches, and each one of those matches is used trying to get a shot at a title. Now, we have a shot at a title. A title that doesn’t describe him. You see, Larry is not a man of Courage. He is a cowardly man. He is someone that doesn’t know what it takes to be courageous. Maybe a few months ago, I would’ve said he was courageous because I was trying to make him feel good, but I’m done with that. I know what type of man he is, and he isn’t someone that is willing to take risks. He’s not someone that could take a chance on attaining the win. I’m going to make sure that he never even touches the title. The belt will never be his, and I’m tired of him having victories over me. It’s finally my turn to win.
Jenny is someone that I’ve met. I’ve seen her in the ring, and I know that she is a great competitor. We have similar finishers too. It’ll honestly be who hits their ‘cutter’ first between us. I know that the crowd hates her, but I understand what great in-ring work is. I understand what it’s like to hear the crowd boo you, but you know that you’re the best in the ring. I understand all of that, but that’s not going to be what helps Jenny win. What’ll help her is making sure I can get the belt. Jenny, I know you’ve been trying your hardest to get a championship, but you’re going to have to try a little harder. This isn’t your time Jenny, but I can’t wait to see you reach that opportunity at carrying a championship in this company.
Now, we start with some new talent. First, we have The Delivery Girl. A girl who is always in a rush to finish a match. Trust me, I understand your feelings. I was the exact same way when I was your age. I wanted to do everything I could to get a match to end as soon as possible, but that’s now how this business works. The best thing you can learn is to take your time. If you’re always in a rush, people will know to take their time with you. They’ll know to slow down the match to annoy you and to make you slip up. You don’t want people to know what to do against you. The best thing to do is to know how to take your time. Time is on your side, and I know I need to say something opposing you, but I refuse to do that. I refuse to hurt someone when they need to learn. You need to learn how to pace yourself, and that’s what I’m going to teach you. I’m going to teach you how to pace yourself. You won’t win this match, but you’ll have valuable knowledge that will help you get a championship in the future. I can promise you that.
Then we have ‘The Queen of Strong Style’ Amber Payne. After doing my research, this is going to be your first match in LevelUp. You, somehow, were able to pass by so many other contenders for this belt. It could be because of your accomplishments in other companies, but you haven’t proven yourself in LevelUp. You haven’t done anything here. The Developer may see value in putting you in this match, but I don’t. I don’t care how many fans you may draw in. I don’t care how many names you’ll lead into this company. What I care about is you proving yourself, and you haven’t done that. I don’t care how great of a competitor you were in the other companies because in this company, you’re nothing. Until you prove yourself, you’re someone that was handed a title match and didn’t earn it.
Erika Crawford, you’ve been in a lot of Multiplayer matches with multiple different partners. Hell, you were even in the Multiplayer Tournament qualifier. You seem to want to win the Multiplayer Gloves with someone, but you don’t know who you want to be your partner. In the meantime, you’re fighting for the Courage championship. You’re hoping to get a singles title run. I don’t blame you. Sometimes, you have to get out of people’s shadows to prove who you are. Sometimes, the only way to get respect is to fight on your own. Erika, I do respect you. I’ve seen the grit that you bring to matches, and I someday believe you’ll be able to win a belt. However, that time is not now. No, I’m going to be cheering for you when you get that other title shot, but this isn’t your time. Erika, this is nothing personal. This is just business.
And speaking of the Multiplayer Championship, Ahmya, one half of the Multiplayer Champions, is gracing us to be in this match. Ahmya, I have a lot of respect for you. Your ability to team with Bert is fascinating to me. Trust me, I still remember how he treated me when I started, and it was all warranted. However, it still leaves a chip on my shoulder. Ahmya, you’re an amazing competitor. I’ll never deny that, but you already have one championship. You don’t need another. I think you should be more worried about Al Fresco and the Time Jumpers. One of those teams may be your future opponents, and I’d hate for you to be distracted. I’d hate for you to lose your Multiplayer Championship because you were ignoring scouting them and more worried about this match. I respect you, Ahmya, but I think you need to focus on making sure you and Bert keep the championships you already have. Look what happened when Bert tried to win the Final Boss Championship. He failed. I’d hate to see that happen to his partner.
And my final opponent, Ms. Diamond Steele. You had an amazing debut against Lord Raab. In fact, I’ve never seen someone treat Raab the way you did. You made him pass out to an Ankle Lock. Haha, that’s amazing really. I mean, brava. However, that was just your debut match. Lord Raab is not someone on my level. Diamond, I really do like you, but you’re not going to get the win in this match. No, I’m going to make sure that the Ankle Lock never gets applied to me. Diamond, you’re one of the new wrestlers that I admire. You’re someone that I can see definitely carrying the Wisdom Championship. I’d love to see you take the belt off of Sidroy, if he keeps the title after Devil May Cry. You’re not winning the Courage Championship. This isn’t a belt made for you. This is a belt made for someone like me.
You all must be thinking: ‘What do you mean, Eli? A belt made for you?’ This is what I mean. I’ve had to overcome so much fear lately. The fear of giving up. The fear of making amends. The fear of finally achieving my goals. All of that fear has been taking over me. However, I have the Courage to overcome those fears. I have the Courage to look fear in the eye, and say, ‘Move your ass over.’ For years, I’ve had to hide in the shadows for too long that it is finally my time to shine, and when I win at Devil May Cry, I’m going to be taking that belt to Tri-Force Heroes and win the TriForce Championship. When I win that belt, I will be facing the Final Boss Champion at Final Fantasy. I know it’s hard to imagine all of that, but I have a wide imagination.
All of my opponents have what it takes to win this belt, but they don’t have enough Courage to actually win. I can’t wait to win the belt. I think green looks good on me. It’s a plus that green's my favorite color too. At Devil May Cry, I’m going to be walking out as the Courage Champion because I’m Simply… That Damn Goode.”
“COURAGE is grace under pressure.” - Ernest Hemingway
“COURAGE is FEAR holding on a minute longer.” - Gen. George S. Patton
The Parker Household
August 23, 2021
Memphis, TN
5:30 pm
Off-Camera
Eli Goode has not seen his family together in a long time. When Eli left for High Stakes Wrestling in 2017, he burned a lot of the bridges at home. He wanted to be his own man, and he did not want his family by his side. There was a moment he visited them, but that was just a fleeting moment. His dad visiting him was Eli’s way of trying to open back up to them. He knows that this is the chance to mend the bridges. Maybe this is the time to finally meet his niece and nephew. The last time he saw his niece, she was a baby. He wonders if she will remember him.
He drives down the road and looks at the suburban homes. He tries to compose himself, but he stills feels the fear of meeting his sister. She was his closest friend, and he has not spoken to her in a long time. Eli replaced his family with Jack and his family. Eli knows that it hurts his real family, and he hopes that they can forgive him.
After a few hours of driving, he finally reaches his childhood home. He drives into the driveway and parks the car. He slightly exits and looks at it. It has not changed a day, and he still remembers playing on the porch. He closes the door behind him and locks the doors. He slowly approaches the house as he sees his dad, Rickie, walk out of the house. His dad smiles, and Eli returns the smile. They reach each other and embrace. Eli pats his dad on the back and sighs. They release the hug.
“Well, this may turn into an awkward reunion.”
“Maybe, but at least you’re trying. C’mon.”
Eli and his dad walk towards the house, side-by-side. He slips his hands into his pockets.
“Is Lace here?”
“She is, but she may need some time before she’s ready to talk to you. Until then, you’re mother’s been talking up how she’s going to make your favorite for dinner.”
“Things just never change do they?”
“Never.”
The two smile as they reach the front door. Eli’s dad opens the door and holds it for Eli. Eli enters the house and sees the living room that he grew up in. It is a small living room that easily leads to the kitchen. There are pictures of Eli, his sister Lacy, and of both of them standing next to each other resting in the room. Eli takes a few steps in and sees a little girl and baby boy playing with some toys. He walks up to them and smiles. He crouches down. He clears his throat.
“Hey, Lillian, do you remember me?”
The little girl turns around and smiles.
“E-yi!”
Lillian runs up to Eli and gives him a big hug. He smiles and looks up at his dad.
“Your mom and I show her pictures of you. Just in case you ever came back, she’d have an idea of what you looked like.”
Eli chuckles and gives her a big hug. A few footsteps are heard, and Eli’s mom, Lisa, enters the living room. Eli looks up and smiles at her. Lillian releases Eli and goes back to playing with her toys. Eli stands up and looks at his mom.
“Hey, mom…”
She smiles and walks up to him. She hugs him and chuckles.
“Boy, you haven’t grown an inch since I last saw you.”
Eli chuckles and releases the hug.
“What can I say? I get my height from your side of the family.”
The two laugh as Lisa looks over at the baby boy. She taps the baby boy’s shoulder. The boy is old enough to walk and speak in gibberish. He turns and looks at Lisa.
“Ryder, this is your Uncle Eli. Eli, this is Ryder.”
Eli crouches down again and smiles.
“Hey buddy, how’re you doing.”
Ryder covers his smile with his hands and runs up to Eli. Eli picks him up for a hug. He looks a Ryder and smiles a bit.
“Look at that, you’ve got your mom’s eyes. Let’s hope you don’t have her attitude.”
He chuckles to himself as he hears more footsteps. He looks over and sees his sister, Lacy, standing in the kitchen. He places Ryder gently back on the floor. He starts crying a bit, and Lacy walks over to him. She picks him up and glares at Eli.
“Great, now you’ve got him crying.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t…”
“Yeah, well, sorry doesn’t cut it, Eli. Not anymore.”
She walks away with Ryder. Eli’s joy deflates as he looks at the floor. Rickie pats him on the back.
“Don’t worry son. Just give her some time. She’ll turn back around.”
“That’s the thing, dad. I don’t think she will. You know when she’s set in her ways she never changes her mind, and I don’t blame her. I mean, I cut you all off. I turned my back on all of you. I… I invested in another family, and now, it looks like I’m trying to use all of you. I…”
“You’re not trying to use us. We’d know if we’re getting used. That’s not what you’re doing. You’re trying to heal old wounds. Wounds that cut your sister deep. Again, give her time. There’s no need to worry about it.”
Rickie and Lisa leave the living room towards the kitchen. Eli sits in the living room with Lillian. He sighs.
“I hope you’re right dad. I hope you’re right.”
Lillian walks up to him.
“Who’re you talkin’ to?”
Eli looks up and smiles.
“Just myself is all. Just myself.”
Eli looks around the room and rubs his legs. He takes in a deep breath and stands up. He walks around the room and looks at one of the pictures of him and Lacy. He lifts it and stares at it. He remembers the time the picture was taken. They were on vacation to a park. They stood near a river, and Lisa took a picture of them together. He taps the picture frame with his thumb. He hears footsteps and turns around. He sees Lacy enter the room. She focuses her attention on Lillian.
“Lillian, it’s time for dinner. C’mon.”
“Lace…”
She ignores him as Lillian stands up and walks over to her. The two walk into the dining room. Eli sighs and places his hands on his hips.
“Great, this is just great. Come home to see the family, you said. What could go wrong, you said. This is so stupid.”
He takes in a deep breath and walks out of the house. He pulls up a chair and sits on the porch. He watches as cars pass by. He tries to think of the right words to say to his sister, but nothing is coming to him. For years, he has ignored her, but the moment he meets her face-to-face, everything escapes him.
After a few minutes, Lacy walks out to the porch and glares at him.
“Great, you’re still here.”
“I said I wasn’t…”
“Eli, to be frank, I don’t care what you said. I just came out here to tell you that dinner was ready.”
She starts to go back inside, but Eli stops her.
“Wait, Lace, can you stop for just a minute? Can’t we at least talk?”
She turns around to look at him.
“What do you want to talk about, Eli? How you missed three of Lillian’s birthdays? How you missed Ryder’s birth? How you couldn’t stop being an asshole to your own family? How you shoved your real family to the side to make room for your fake family?”
“That’s all fair…”
“You’re damn right it’s fair. Eli, you’ve ignored us for four years. Four fucking years! You made us a footnote in your life, and you expect me to forgive you the moment you come back? The only reason mom and dad forgave you is because of how you’ve been doing on LevelUp. That’s the only reason. You hurt them, Eli. You made them feel worthless. Do you even fucking understand what it was like for them to go to work, and then being asked why their son is going around acting like Jack Michaels is more of a father figure than his dad? Do you realize how fucked up that is?”
“Lacy, I…”
“Don’t even try to say anything.”
She walks back in and slams the door shut. Eli stands alone outside. The wind slightly blows on his face. Tears slowly start to form in his eyes, but he prevents them from rolling down his face. He takes in a deep breath and enters the house.
He walks into the dining room where plates are set up for everyone. Eli sits down and starts placing food on his plate. There is a deafening silence as the family eats together. Lillian and Ryder are the only ones making any noise, but even for them, it is faint. Eli taps his thumb against the table and stares at Lacy. She ignores him and continues eating. He takes a sip from his tea and stands up.
“Ok, so, it’s obvious that I’m not wanted here anymore, so I’m just going to go.”
Rickie and Lisa look up at him.
“C’mon Eli, you are wanted here. Your mom and I are glad to have you, and we want you to stay.”
“Dad, you and mom may want me to stay here, but she doesn’t.”
He points at Lacy.
“I’m not going to force her to see someone she doesn’t want to.”
He walks out of the dining room as Lacy chuckles to herself.
“Just like last time, leave and never come back. You haven’t changed at all.”
Eli stops and has finally had enough of it. He turns around and looks back at her. He takes in a deep breath and turns to his mom.
“Mom… Dad… If you could kindly take Lillian and Ryder into another room please?”
Lisa and Rickie take Lillian and Ryder into the living room and closes the door behind them. Eli glares at his sister.
“Lacy, I’m truly sorry for everything I did in the past, but I’m getting tired of hearing your ‘woe is me’ bullshit.”
“My ‘woe is me?’ Eli, have you ever looked in a mirror? That’s all you do. Ever since your ‘real’ father figure left you, you’ve been stuck in a rut. Don’t say it isn’t true? Mom and dad tell me everything. They make sure that they know everything that is happening to their favorite child.”
“Oh, and the real culprit is revealed. Are you still hung up on that? Lacy, get over it. Sure, mom treated me like the favorite, but that doesn’t mean that it’s true.”
“But you know it is. That’s the only reason she is so willing to forgive you for the past FOUR YEARS!!! That’s how long it’s been since you acknowledged us. Four years! You’ve treated us like second-class citizens. We were nothing to you, Eli. All we were were puppets to your grand show. Now, all we are is baggage that you want off of your shoulders.”
“Of course I want it off of my shoulders. I’ve felt horrible ever since it happened.”
“No, you haven’t. If you felt horrible, you would’ve apologized YEARS AGO!!”
“Well, WE’RE NOT ALL PERFECT, LACY! WE’RE NOT ALL MARRIED WITH TWO BEAUTIFUL KIDS! NOT ALL OF US HAVE HAD THE ABILITY TO LIVE A GOOD LIFE! A LIFE… a life where we can be who we are. A life that isn’t bogged down by having to act tough.”
The tears finally roll down Eli’s face. He tries to keep his composure, but his emotions take over him.
“Every day, I have to look on Twitter and see who hates me today. It’s either JC, Matt Knox, or someone that I pissed off in the past. I’ve tried to show that I’ve changed. I’ve tried to show the world I’m not the same asshole they saw when I made my comeback those four years ago, but… but when people see you one way, they never change their perspective. That’s all I want to do… I just want to say I’m sorry for… for fucking up their lives. For being such a dick to them… But, but I can never truly get their forgiveness until… Until I get yours.”
Silence takes over the room. Eli wipes the tears from his eyes and looks away from Lacy. She stares down at her plate. She taps her thumbs against the table. She takes in a deep breath.
“Hakuna Matata… what a wonderful phrase.”
Eli looks over to her and slightly smiles.
“Hakuna Matata… ain’t no passin’ craze.”
Lacy, finally, returns a smile to him. She stands up from her chair and walks over to him. The two embrace in a hug. Eli starts to cry again. Lacy lets go of the hug and slightly pushes Eli away.
“Ok, you’re crying again. Stop crying.”
Eli laughs as he wipes away his tears.
“I can’t help it. I’m a man in touch with his emotions.”
Lacy smiles and looks at him.
“Eli, you hurt me when you left us. You hurt all of us, but they won’t admit it. You forgot about us. You threw us away as if we were nothing. It hurt us all, and my children never got to know you. They never got to speak with their uncle.”
“I wanna change that. I want to be here for them.”
“I know, but you can’t be here all the time.”
“LevelUp takes a week break between shows. That’ll be the week I come to visit you all. I promise I’ll never forget where I came from. You’re the ones that encouraged me to do this in the first place. Without you all, I’d still be Eli Parker of Memphis. Probably flipping burgers at McDonald’s.”
Lacy shakes her head and gently punches Eli in the arm.
“Nah, you would’ve found a way out of here eventually. You’re tough. Alright, you’ll visit us on your off weeks, and you’re going to make sure that Lillian and Ryder know who their uncle is, and not the man we see on TV.”
“Yep, that’s my plan.”
Lacy hugs Eli again. The two release the hug and go into the living room. Lisa, Rickie, Lillian, and Ryder all stare at the siblings.
“So, is the shouting finished?”
“Yeah, and we made a plan to where I’ll be visiting on the off weeks. I want to see my niece and nephew grow up, and I want them to know their uncle. How does that sound Lillian?”
“Ok.”
Eli smiles. He walks over and hugs her. He lifts her and holds her in his arm.
“Let’s go outside for a bit. Get some fresh air in our lungs.”
Eli walks out with Lillian. Lacy follows with Ryder, and Lisa and Rickie exit last. The house is left empty and quiet with slight echoes from outside of cheering and laughter.
-----
“So it’s finally time for me to face my fears. It’s finally time for me to look at myself in the mirror and acknowledge everything that I’ve done wrong. You see, I’m a flawed human being. I’ve never been one to deny that. I’ve always looked down at people, and I’ve always said that I can be better than most. Now, I know that that sounds arrogant. I’ll be the first to admit that I have been arrogant. I’ve been jaded. I haven’t truly looked inside of myself and known what I wanted for myself. After meeting with my family, I know exactly what I want. I know what I need to achieve. I want to be the Final Boss Champion. I want to be able to prove myself in LevelUp. I want to main event Final Fantasy. There are multiple ways for me to do this, but there is a path in front of me right now that I can’t let go of. I have to win the Courage Championship. I have to win the Platformer Match. I need to prove myself, and I have to do it against more than just one person.
First, we have a familiar face to me: Larry Tact. I’ve met this man in multiple matches, and each one of those matches is used trying to get a shot at a title. Now, we have a shot at a title. A title that doesn’t describe him. You see, Larry is not a man of Courage. He is a cowardly man. He is someone that doesn’t know what it takes to be courageous. Maybe a few months ago, I would’ve said he was courageous because I was trying to make him feel good, but I’m done with that. I know what type of man he is, and he isn’t someone that is willing to take risks. He’s not someone that could take a chance on attaining the win. I’m going to make sure that he never even touches the title. The belt will never be his, and I’m tired of him having victories over me. It’s finally my turn to win.
Jenny is someone that I’ve met. I’ve seen her in the ring, and I know that she is a great competitor. We have similar finishers too. It’ll honestly be who hits their ‘cutter’ first between us. I know that the crowd hates her, but I understand what great in-ring work is. I understand what it’s like to hear the crowd boo you, but you know that you’re the best in the ring. I understand all of that, but that’s not going to be what helps Jenny win. What’ll help her is making sure I can get the belt. Jenny, I know you’ve been trying your hardest to get a championship, but you’re going to have to try a little harder. This isn’t your time Jenny, but I can’t wait to see you reach that opportunity at carrying a championship in this company.
Now, we start with some new talent. First, we have The Delivery Girl. A girl who is always in a rush to finish a match. Trust me, I understand your feelings. I was the exact same way when I was your age. I wanted to do everything I could to get a match to end as soon as possible, but that’s now how this business works. The best thing you can learn is to take your time. If you’re always in a rush, people will know to take their time with you. They’ll know to slow down the match to annoy you and to make you slip up. You don’t want people to know what to do against you. The best thing to do is to know how to take your time. Time is on your side, and I know I need to say something opposing you, but I refuse to do that. I refuse to hurt someone when they need to learn. You need to learn how to pace yourself, and that’s what I’m going to teach you. I’m going to teach you how to pace yourself. You won’t win this match, but you’ll have valuable knowledge that will help you get a championship in the future. I can promise you that.
Then we have ‘The Queen of Strong Style’ Amber Payne. After doing my research, this is going to be your first match in LevelUp. You, somehow, were able to pass by so many other contenders for this belt. It could be because of your accomplishments in other companies, but you haven’t proven yourself in LevelUp. You haven’t done anything here. The Developer may see value in putting you in this match, but I don’t. I don’t care how many fans you may draw in. I don’t care how many names you’ll lead into this company. What I care about is you proving yourself, and you haven’t done that. I don’t care how great of a competitor you were in the other companies because in this company, you’re nothing. Until you prove yourself, you’re someone that was handed a title match and didn’t earn it.
Erika Crawford, you’ve been in a lot of Multiplayer matches with multiple different partners. Hell, you were even in the Multiplayer Tournament qualifier. You seem to want to win the Multiplayer Gloves with someone, but you don’t know who you want to be your partner. In the meantime, you’re fighting for the Courage championship. You’re hoping to get a singles title run. I don’t blame you. Sometimes, you have to get out of people’s shadows to prove who you are. Sometimes, the only way to get respect is to fight on your own. Erika, I do respect you. I’ve seen the grit that you bring to matches, and I someday believe you’ll be able to win a belt. However, that time is not now. No, I’m going to be cheering for you when you get that other title shot, but this isn’t your time. Erika, this is nothing personal. This is just business.
And speaking of the Multiplayer Championship, Ahmya, one half of the Multiplayer Champions, is gracing us to be in this match. Ahmya, I have a lot of respect for you. Your ability to team with Bert is fascinating to me. Trust me, I still remember how he treated me when I started, and it was all warranted. However, it still leaves a chip on my shoulder. Ahmya, you’re an amazing competitor. I’ll never deny that, but you already have one championship. You don’t need another. I think you should be more worried about Al Fresco and the Time Jumpers. One of those teams may be your future opponents, and I’d hate for you to be distracted. I’d hate for you to lose your Multiplayer Championship because you were ignoring scouting them and more worried about this match. I respect you, Ahmya, but I think you need to focus on making sure you and Bert keep the championships you already have. Look what happened when Bert tried to win the Final Boss Championship. He failed. I’d hate to see that happen to his partner.
And my final opponent, Ms. Diamond Steele. You had an amazing debut against Lord Raab. In fact, I’ve never seen someone treat Raab the way you did. You made him pass out to an Ankle Lock. Haha, that’s amazing really. I mean, brava. However, that was just your debut match. Lord Raab is not someone on my level. Diamond, I really do like you, but you’re not going to get the win in this match. No, I’m going to make sure that the Ankle Lock never gets applied to me. Diamond, you’re one of the new wrestlers that I admire. You’re someone that I can see definitely carrying the Wisdom Championship. I’d love to see you take the belt off of Sidroy, if he keeps the title after Devil May Cry. You’re not winning the Courage Championship. This isn’t a belt made for you. This is a belt made for someone like me.
You all must be thinking: ‘What do you mean, Eli? A belt made for you?’ This is what I mean. I’ve had to overcome so much fear lately. The fear of giving up. The fear of making amends. The fear of finally achieving my goals. All of that fear has been taking over me. However, I have the Courage to overcome those fears. I have the Courage to look fear in the eye, and say, ‘Move your ass over.’ For years, I’ve had to hide in the shadows for too long that it is finally my time to shine, and when I win at Devil May Cry, I’m going to be taking that belt to Tri-Force Heroes and win the TriForce Championship. When I win that belt, I will be facing the Final Boss Champion at Final Fantasy. I know it’s hard to imagine all of that, but I have a wide imagination.
All of my opponents have what it takes to win this belt, but they don’t have enough Courage to actually win. I can’t wait to win the belt. I think green looks good on me. It’s a plus that green's my favorite color too. At Devil May Cry, I’m going to be walking out as the Courage Champion because I’m Simply… That Damn Goode.”
