The scene opens in the Ozone Park Cemetery, in Queens, New York. Once again at the grave of Becky Thompson-Schorg, Sara's mother. Sara stands there, in front of her mother's marker. She sees that the picture she asked Jane to place here is still there, be it worn and faded. It's been a month since that picture was taken, Sara with the RWA T.V. Title over her shoulder at Crushed Dreams, and since, Sara has been riding the emotional roller coaster. Right now she she sits at the bottom of a huge hill, while when the picture was taken, she felt like she was at the top.
Since losing the RWA T.V. Title, she's been unsuccessful in retrieving it from Lucretia Black. And the fact that she was unable to qualify for the Devil's Dance for the RWA title has been gnawing at her constantly. But neither of those compare to what happened earlier this day.
Sara stares at Becky's marker. Wondering if the encounter they had just a few short weeks ago really happened or not. She wonders if her mother is even truly aware of whats going on in the mortal realm. If she can really see what is happening in Sara's life, she must be livid.
But not because of anything Sara has done. But who has decided to bring himself back into her life. Sara thinks about her mother, and her attitude towards the man called AMP. Sara was too young to realize the circumstances of her being brought into this world at the time. It wasn't until the twilight of Becky's life that she even knew why she had to spend time with Andrew Pettis. She remembers being taken to the airport, twice a month, and put on a plane by her mother, and placed in the care of a stewardess. She would fly to Missouri, where Andrew would pick her up, and take her to his home in Sedalia. She had her own room, with her own toys, and t.v. there. And she would spend most of the time in that room, just watching t.v. alone. Twice a day Andrew would poke his head in, with some lunch or dinner from McDonalds. But other then that he made little attempts to talk to her. He would go into his own room downstairs, and lock the door. Sara remembers watching him at times, come out with random people, people she never knew, smoke billowing out behind them. They'd be laughing, and almost falling over high. Sara didn't understand it at the time, she just knew she wasn't allowed in there. She had gone in on one occasion, and a woman had offered her a "cigarette". Sara was only 4 at the time, and turned it away. When she did, the woman told her to breath in deep, and proceeded to blow smoke in her face. Sara coughed, and the woman laughed as AMP came in from the other room. Sara doesn't remember much of that day afterwards, just AMP screaming at the woman, and then telling Sara to go to her room and lie down. Now, as an adult, she realizes what happened all too well.
And now this guy, who let things like that happen to her when she was at her most vulnerable, wants back into her life. No doubt because of the fact that she's the newest big thing in RWA and SFT. She had always in the back of her mind wondered if this would happen. If the day would come where he tried to come back into her life. Her mother before she died asked her to be true to herself, and not let him into her head. But at 10 years old, it was a lot to ask. Sara had told her she would, although she didn't understand at the time. When she thought back on it, her mother told her lots of things just before she passed. She was too young to understand them then, but now with the passage of time, and maturity, it all makes sense. But no matter how much she had thought about it, she was not prepared for AMP to return.
She knees on the ground in front of the marker. And places her hand where she knows her mother's chest lies six feet below. She closes her eyes, and tries to find answers in the things she was told, years ago. But unfortunately, they do not come. She knows what she has to do. She has to go home. She has to talk to her dad, and let him know whats going on, because she knows she can not get through this alone.
What makes a life worth living? Is it material goals, that we can reach out and grab, and raise above our heads in triumph? No, it's not. But thats what the SFT Title is. It's not something to define your life with. And at times, I thought it was. But now, things have been put into perspective for me. My parents have all held titles, the real ones, and the biological one. But none of them are defined as a human being by those accomplishments. My father, AMP, held the SFW Title, my mother the XCW Title, and Will has held the SFT belt. But I don't think of them the way I do because of those championships. In the ring, they're all great, but as people, it's a different story.
And it's with this realization, that I understand now what place in a persons life the SFT Title belongs. At first, I thought it was the pinnacle. It was the greatest achievement I could ever hold. But now I realize, as great as it is, we can not let it define who we are. Will Schorg, and Becky Thompson didn't allow wrestling titles define who they were. Before they were wrestling greats, they were loving parents, and loving spouses. My father, Andrew Pettis, on the other hand, has chosen to be remembered for his wrestling greatness, and not for anything he's substantially contributed to anyone's life. The fact of the matter is, wrestling fans will remember who you are, but does being remembered by strangers really replace the love of a family, and friends?
Its with this that I plead to my Uncle, brother, and friend Nathan Gust. Don't let the darkness take you. Is it really worth our friendship, our bond that we have, this title? By all means, if you truly want it, go for it. I will stand in your way as you do so, as it is the same goal I have. But don't throw away all that you have to get it. If I had to choose between that belt, and having you as a friend Nathan, I'd gladly let that belt go, and never hold it. Thats what mom did. She realized that as long as she had us, she would never get that title. Not because she didn't want it. I'm pretty sure it was the one thing she wanted most in this entire world. But she wasn't going to give us up to get it. Will, he had his moments, where he let himself slip. But I don't begrudge him for it. But I know Nathan, that you don't need to fall into that same place. Will Schorg became Aj Nin Red Rum to get the SFT Title. But you don't need to become Genocide to get it. Do it as Nathan Gust, otherwise, it'll be tainted. Not by you, but by the tears I will shed for you. If you become Genocide, I fear I'll lose you as a friend. And that friendship can not be repaired by hallow title reigns. If you choose to go down that path Nate, I can't promise I'll still feel for you like I do now. I will always love you, but wither or not I can trust you will always be damaged.
I know I've said that the SFT means more to me then anything else. But I realize now that I was saying that out of youthful ignorance. But Andrew's return to my life has me rethinking my priorities. I stand at my mother's grave, and think about her legacy. Not her legacy as a wrestler. But as a human being. Which would she be more proud of? Being my mother, or being XCW Champion? Being Ricky and Chris' mother, or being SFT Intercontinental Champion? Being one of the greatest XCW ever saw, or being the head of somewhat odd, but for the most part, stable family? At the end of her life, she gave up being Ice, because she knew that while being Ice was her chance to be SFT Champion, she truly wanted to just be Becky. Ice, Genocide, Aj Nin Red Rum, those are the names of the characters that can consume our souls if we let them. Don't let that happen Nate. Don't let that side consume who you are for material glory. Please.
And while Jude may take you too the past, and try to convince you that you need Genocide, let me say to you, as a member of your family, and as your apprentice, you don't need to do that. The past holds nothing for us. Only the future. We are the future Nate. Not Genocide. Genocide was the side of you that only wanted to break the hearts of the people that truly cared for him. But who's heart are you going to try to break, if Genocide comes out again. It'll be ours. Not just me, but everyone at CCWA&ICE. Don't go down that road Nate.
We see Sara standing again at the grave. She about to leave, when she turns around, and comes face to face with her father. Not AMP this time, but Will Schorg. He looks at his step daughter, and then at Becky's marker. He sighs, and looks up at her.
"I heard you had a visitor today at Nate's place." he says, calmly.
"Yea, 'he' showed up. But how did you know I would be here?" Sara tells him, looking down at the grass.
"You always come here when something bothers you...What did he have to say." he asks Sara.
"He just said he wanted to visit me. And he told me that you and mom brainwashed me into hating him." Sara lets out, looking up at Will.
Will nods, and looks away from his daughter, just sort of scanning the horizon.
"You don't believe him, do you?" he asks Sara.
"Of course I don't believe him," Sara begins, "I will never trust him. He decided his life was more important then being part of mine. As far as I'm concerned, he can rot in hell."
Will just nods his head, "Where's your cousin?" he asks.
"Kotomi?" Sara says surprised, "She went back to Japan for a bit with Kamikaze. I haven't heard from her in a couple days. Why are you asking?"
"If AMP is showing up, his brother is going to come crawling out of the woodwork soon too. It's how that family is." he tells Sara, "You better come home."
"What about not being welcome until I give up wrestling?" Sara says unsure by her step fathers recent kindness, "If you think I'm gonna give up wrestling now, while I'm so close, you're crazy."
"No, you don't have to give up anything. The game has changed, now that he's playing again." he says, take Sara's arm, "And I'm not going to let him win."
"The game? What the hell are you talking about Dad?" Sara says pushing Will away, "My life is not a game for you and him to play. Whats the deal?"
"Sara, you are the most generous, loving, and devoted person I know. And if he is able to get too you, he'll try to tempt you into doing things that are only going to hurt you. Thats why I wouldn't let him talk too you when you were younger." he tells her.
Sara stops walking immediately, looking at her step father. Will realizes that Sara isn't following him anymore and turns around.
"What?" he asks.
"You told me he never called. You said he didn't care about me." Sara says stunned, "How many times did he call?"
Will sighs, "Three or four times, years ago. But do we need to discuss this now?" he asks, trying to get Sara to follow him to the Schorg home.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Sara asks, "I mean, I've been thinking he give me up, and has only resurfaced now that I've started to make a name for myself...why didn't you tell me he had tried to make contact with me?"
"Sara, your mother wanted you too have nothing to do with him. She knew he didn't care about you." he tells her, "Trust me, you want nothing to do with Andrew Pettis, or the Pettis family. They don't care about you, or anyone else. Only themselves."
Will takes hold of Sara's hand, and she pulls away, "You don't have any idea do you?" Sara tells him, "This whole time, I've been thinking he didn't love me, and that he didn't even care enough about me to call. And now you tell me he did? He might have been calling to say he was sorry, and that," Sara begins to breakdown, "That...he loved me."
"Sara, did he say he loved you today when you talked?" Will asks her, to which she shakes her head no, "If he didn't today, while he was standing face to face with you, he wasn't going to say it over the phone. That man know nothing about love of anyone but himself. Don't think I keep anything away from you by doing what I did. I was just keeping him from corrupting you, like he would have."
"How do you know that!?" Sara screams at him, "How do you know what he was thinking!? Like you're mister moral standard!? You had moments where you treated mom like shit! You had moments where you loved wrestling more then any of us! How dare you act like your morally superior to anyone! I don't even care if it was the man that took advantage of my mother to make me! You had no right to keep him out of my life! I thought, I thought I was given away with no remorse because I wasn't worth anything! Why!? Because you have a grudge against Andrew Pettis!?" Sara continues to yell, "How do you know what he was going to say!?"
"You don't know him Sara. I do. I know what his intentions were. They weren't pure. They weren't because he felt remorse for giving you up. They were for his own selfish reasons....thats how Pettis' are!"
"Fuck you Will Schorg! I'm a Pettis damn it! Quit talking about Pettises like we're inferior, fucking, human beings! You could've given him a chance damn it! You could have let him speak to me! What harm would he have done talking on the phone!? Fuck you Will! This whole time I thought he didn't even care that I existed! Now I find out he called, and I didn't even know it because you screened him! Fuck you Will...Fuck you!"
Sara walks passed him towards her own car parked in the road outside the cemetery. Will tries to follow her, but she gets into the car, and starts the engine. Will pounds on the window yelling at Sara to roll it down, but she ignores him, putting the car in gear, and driving off with her tires squealing.
End...
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