Post by jackalofalltrades on Feb 27, 2016 21:29:19 GMT -5
[Off Camera]
“Law&Stew”
There had always been something calming in getting back on the road, riding the crowded roads and highways was one thing, no one enjoyed being stuck in traffic jams, did they? But the feeling you got when looking over the steering wheel offered you just a long empty stretch of open road and you could not see even a glance of anyone else.
Those were the moments she longed for, hearing the car’s engine purr or roar by her slightest command, thinking that she had such power over to something like the beast on wheels that she had, it made her smile. Of course just like with everything else, those happier moments did not tend to last forever, there always was a time when the music from the car’s stereo could not drown out thoughts of a time gone by.
She could still remember it all, the sounds, smells, tastes the sheer tension in the air in a place called that was once long ago called home.
***
“I told you child, I will not have any of that in my house!” Yelled the robust woman from the kitchen, those daughters of hers had been nothing but bothersome to her since it all started. Ruining her figure, chaining her to the house and to their father, a hopeless dreamer who filled their heads with dreams as untrue as his own.
In the corner of the room sat those two daughters, one older than the other was trying to teach the little sister some spanish, they were playing one of their silly games again. No child should waste their time in games when there were still chores to do.
“Cut it out you two! I am not telling you again!” Yelled the robust woman from beside her stow, making up some sort of a stew for the family she was mixing it up with a wooden spatula, scent of spices was heavy in the air, what she lacked in cooking skills she hid with powerful flavor, who cares if it wasn’t a la carte? It was food and if the princesses didn’t feel like eating, they could just starve for the day.
Opposite of her the playing went on and from the corner of her eye she saw the older one leaning to whisper something to her younger sibling, giggle that escaped as a result and the sniggers were enough for the mother, she stormed over to the corner her wooden spatula still in and and whacked her eldest on the head with it, that was far from a gentle hit either.
“I told you already, I don’t want to hear that in my house! Didn’t I tell you?!” She whacked her again, once, twice on the third time she tried it the girl grabbed on to the spatula and glared at her, those eyes. That glare was like looking in the mirror, she had her mother's eyes but apparently she had inherited her father's heart.
“Carajo!” Barked out the little girl hocking a spit down at her mother’s feet. A word she had learned from playing outside, not something she actually knew a meaning for but it was nothing good and that was enough for her. Which riled up her mother even worse, she grabbed her by that dark hair and dragged her on the floor of the small apartment.
“You spit at my floor in my house you little devil!? I’ll teach you to disrespect your mother! Lick it up! Lick it until it’s clean I said!” Shoving down her firstborn face first against the floor and the shiny spot that had spit on it she heard nothing, not even the cry of the younger sister watching it all take place, until her husband walked in the door and got between the two she stopped.
“Esperanza, por favor! What are you doing?! Let go of that girl!” Her husband yelled out making his way between the mother and the daughter as the crying little one trotted her way to grab him by the leg.
Looking at her husband the robust woman let go, she had some hair of her first born in her grip which she just stuffed in her apron pocket. “Dinner’s done soon” she said unceremoniously and walked back to the stove, Carlos looked at the floor, knelt down and wiped it clean with a piece of cloth. He picked the smaller girl in his arms and looked at the older one, still face down towards the floor.
“You okay, Princess?” He asked and heard a sniffle. “Are you crying Mija..don’t worry it’s okay to cry if..”
“I’m not crying!” was the response from the floor, looking up at her father, holding back her tears as hard as she possibly could, it could happen any moment but she fought with everything in her little body to keep it bottled up.
“it just hurt..” She finally admitted and clinged on her arms Carlos’s neck.
Who nodded and looked over to the stove where his wife kept on cooking like nothing had happened.
“I know, go on. Let’s get you two ready for dinner then you can set the table.”
Walking over to the small bathroom, one daughter hanging around his neck and other in his hold, Carlos knew that life was tough for them, he knew that Esperanza was not the easiest woman to live with but he also knew that she was the only mother to his daughters, and those two angels made it all worth it for him. Putting them both down he looked at them.
“Now be sure to help your sister Mija, check that the water is not too hot or cold for her and help her to the sink. You two need to work together until she gets a little bit older and can do it herself..”
Nodding along the tough one of the two opened up the faucet little sister mimicking her every move right next to her, that was not to make fun of her or anything father always said it was her way of learning to be just like her sister.
“Papi..I don’t want to set the table.”
She said soaping up her hands, then putting a little on her sister's hands too and watched as she celebrated clapping her little hands together. Watching the two Carlos put a hand on each of their heads.
“Now mija, I told you before. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t always want to do. No one can always do just what they want, that is not how this world works. We have rules and laws on how things are supposed to be and those can’t be changed just because someone does not like want to obey them.”
Pouting she washed her hands and grumbled.
“The law to set the table is the stupidest of them all then.”
Carlos had to hide his smile watching his eldest pick up her sister who was happily splashing in the lukewarm water with her hands, her way of washing them. He offered them a little stool to stand on and now even little sister could reach the water better and there was a warm feeling in the father’s heart watching how the eldest made sure both hands were clean before helping to wipe it with a fluffy towel.
“One day when you are older you can make more choices of your own mija, but right now. The laws you have to obey are the ones Mami and Papi tell you..”
Hopping down from the stool the little rebel proclaimed.
“But I don’t like being told what to do, Papi!”
He nodded and knelt down to look her in the face, lowering his voice to a whisper.
“Si, I understand it’s hard, but what if I asked you instead?”
She seemed to ponder that suggestion for a moment.
“Asked? Like pretty please and with sugar on top?”
He nodded and she gave it another thought.
“Okay, but just because you asked nicely Papi!”
She rushes to hug him tight, squeezing with all the might she had in her arms and Carlos let out a laugh.
“Good, now would you help your sister down before she hurts herself, pretty please? With Sugar on top?”
While the smallest of the family wobbled on the stool her sister turned opening up her arms.
“Come on carnalita, I’ll catch you?”
She shook her head and extended those little arms to her sister, Carlos looked at the two.
“Mija, just pick her up she might fall..”
Shaking her head the eldest of the two kept her eyes on the one stranded on a stool.
“She won’t fall, I’ll catch her Papi, I promise. Come on Carnalita, sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to..”
Realizing that his own teachings were being passed on Carlos stepped back, he leaned up on the bathroom’s door and watched when the little one moaned to her sister, who just kept encouraging her and before he could even blink the smaller sister jumped from the stool and right into the arms of her sister who held her safe. When she was finally let back down to the floor the little one trotted her way back towards the chair and Carlos had to intervene.
“Okay, enough trust exercises you two. We got to go and get some dinner.”
Grabbing the younger one by the hand his daughters walked on in front of him towards the dinner table and Carlos let out a silent sigh of relief, if Esperanza had seen this or had the little princess hurt herself..he would never hear the end of it. So he put the stool back next to the wall, washed his hands and walked on over to the dinner table where the daughters were setting tables and forks as Esperanza governed over the process.
“You took your time, the stew is getting cold. Sit down and eat already.” Said his robust wife and Carlos sat at the end of the table, one daughter to each side of him and Esperanza his queen to the other end of the table.
As Carlos handed out some stew to his daughters he watched as the eldest one mixed her food around a bit.
“What are you doing mija?”
She looked at him beaming with a smile.
“I’m mixing food so it is even on all sides Papi, that way it won’t be burning hot on one side or cold on other..I don’t want her to burn her mouth in this.”
Without even looking at her mother the eldest daughter offered her plate to little sister who took it and started mashing it up with her little fork, this brought a little glimmer to their father’s eyes.
“I am so happy to see this today. Because Mami and Papi won’t always be here, one day we’ll be gone and then you have to look over your sister Mija, you have to make sure no harm ever comes to her, protect her, do you promise to do that for Papi,please?”
She looked back at him with a little twinkle in her eyes.
“..pretty please?”
“..with sugar on top”
He replied and eagerly the eldest sibling nodded in response.
“I promise Papi, I’ll teach her right from wrong and help her do as laws tell us to live..”
This sensitive moment was brought to a halt by the slam from the other end of the table, Esperanza glared at them.
“Enough poetic speeches Carlos, you and your daughters better eat your food before it gets cold!”
***
That brought her back to the current moment, parking her dark vehicle, turning off the engine she took a deep breath, checking her phone for the time and realized she could not push it back anymore, those words of her father still rang in her head.
“..one day we’ll be gone and then you have to look over your sister Mija, you have to make sure no harm ever comes to her, protect her, do you promise to do that for Papi,please?”
Chacalita: I promise, Papi..
Saying it out loud she felt he was there sitting next to her, getting out of the car the dark haired beauty made her way to the bus station, it took her a good few moments to scope out what she had come for, walking up to a woman who stood her back at Chacalita she cleared up her throat.
Chacalita: Carnalita, it’s been far too long?
She opened up her arms and watched as her little sister turned around to face for the first time in years.
[Off Camera]
“Carnalita”
There they stood, two sisters from the same parents, you might not have thought it at first but comparing the two of them you could see that the two were related by blood and Chacalita could not believe how much her little sister had grown, she had been a brat when their roads took a different turn but what she saw now was something surreal, a young woman looking just like she herself had those years ago when she left on her own.
“Not too big to give me a hug are you little sis?” Chacalita tried to put up a smile, standing there with her torn jeans, leather jacket and biker boots she was nervous as hell, but this was one meeting she had to do stone cold sober.
“Sure...” The younger woman gave her sister a half-hearted squeeze, almost seeming a little embarrassed by the whole thing. “Th- Thank you for coming.”
Squeezing her back tighter than she had originally meant Chacalita could actually smell her sister's scent, it was just like back when they were kids, she held back her tears again. Just like so many times at home, but her voice did quiver a little bit as she responded. “of course, I’m your sister mija. I’ll always be there for you.”
Letting her go from the embrace Chacalita looked at what had been her kid sister and stroked her cheek just a little.
“Look at you, all grown up. How are you doing? How’s home?”
“Home...” The young woman’s lips started to quiver. “...I... mother, she... she passed away.”
Within an instant what had started as a smile was wiped away as Chacalita looked at her sister in disbelief, almost hoping her to say it was a joke, but the more she saw her lips quiver the more certain she was of her words; this was no joke.
“Mami..she’s really? Oh god mija, I..” This was the point where most people would say how sorry they were but Chacalita did not feel sorrow over this, she had lost her empathy and every other positive emotion for their mother after Carlos, the doting father of both siblings had died, instead of pretending to be sorry Chacalita knew exactly what she had to say.
“You can stay with me, if you want? I mean it’s not much of a living but you should not be on your own carnalita. Maybe we could find you a good school and I could help out with the rent and you’d get yourself a career and..”
“One thing at a time. I... could I really stay with you? I... I’m kinda scared to do everything myself. Mami wasn’t always nice to me, especially after Papi died, but...” She looked at the floor. “She was home. She was my security. I don’t want to be alone.”
Taking the younger woman’s bag Chacalita pulled her in next to her. Scared? How the hell did she think Chacalita felt? Where would she take a kid..well she may not have been a kid anymore but she was always that little one to her and now she had offered to take her with her on the road. Where? Amongst the guys, the drinks and the smoke? Carajo..she should have at least taken a few puffs before this after all.
“No need to worry about that now mija. You can come with me, my car’s right around the corner and we’ll work things out. I mean it’s not the high life of the rich and famous but we are familia and I’ll do what I can to help you, are you hungry? What would you like?”
“I... I dunno. Whatever you want, I guess. I don’t want to be any trouble.” It was obvious she felt a little awkward. “So... what are you doing nowadays?”
“I’m uh.. I’m a wrestler actually. Just started at this new place called L.A.W and..” She was not sure what to make of the look on her kid sister’s face and so Chacalita seemed somewhat reserved while carrying the bag to the dark car, putting it in the back.
“..only had one match for now but I got a pretty big one coming soon on a Pay Per View, it’s called Rising Stars 2016 and I’m on a battle royal, with five other women who want to win it too.”
She held the passenger door open for her.
“It’s stupid isn’t it?”
Her sister said nothing for a few moments, before speaking up. “That’s... actually kinda cool. Can I come watch you?”
The response took the Jackal Of All Trades by surprise she was in a bit of a shock and just repeated her sister's words like a parrot: “Can you? Oh I mean sure, yeah of course you can. I’ll try to get you a good seat for it so you can see me win the whole damn thing!”
Realizing she may not need to “kayfabe” it up with her Chacalita let out a nervous chuckle. “Or get my ass handed to me, depending on how things go I suppose. I mean I won my first match and the same woman is in on this one but.. five other people is kinda different from just one, you know?”
“I suppose. But you’ve always been strong. I believe you can do it. Papi always said to chase your dreams right? He never reached his, maybe, but... you can reach yours. And nothing in this world would make him prouder... or me for that matter.” She smiled up at her big sister.
Oh man here come the tears again, hold it back girl, tough bitches never cry. Chacalita just helped her sister to the car and made her way to the driver’s seat. “Oh you bet carnalita, buckle up and I’ll take you to the best taco place we can find first then we’ll go and get you one of those fancy VIP tickets you can come backstage and see how things work for the big night” and not to mention somewhere where Chacalita could keep an eye on her in the process, but after the kid had buckled herself up Chacalita started the engine, revved it up a just a bit and smiled at her sister.
“Let’s go make Papi proud!”
With that the two badasses headed of to a joint road once again, hoping life would be generous or at least fairer to them than it had been before.
[On Camera]
“Rising Star”
We are taken to a view where a dark haired woman, one of the newcomers of Ladies All Star Wrestling simply known as Chacalita preparing in her the locker room.
Chacalita: Well would you look at that? I made it through my first match as a winner, some could see this as a clear sign to call themselves undefeated or rant and rave about the start of a winning streak, but I am not here to talk to you about that am I? No, I’m here to let you all watching that tonight I have been given an extraordinary opportunity to showcase my skills and talents in the squared circle not just against the very woman I faced on my first match in Latoya Hixx but I also get to take on a rather motley crew of ladies besides her so Amy, Michelle, Kayla, Etsuko to say that I have been looking forward to this would be a huge understatement.
You see being relatively new to this wrestling thing especially here in LAW I understand that mere mention of my name is not going to make you all tremble in fear, I get that. I am also not expecting you to give me a whole lot of credit because of my win over Latoya, because anyone who has a pair of working eyes along with a pair of working ears and a functional brain can see that that poor girl, she just isn’t alright is she? I know it sounds harsh of me to criticize someone like that after having just one match against them. Truth being told things could have gone either way, we both debuted on the same night but since things went the way they want and I won, that is at least something I can hold over Miss Hixx whether she likes it or not.
Pacing back and forth the dark haired beauty kept her eyes on the camera filming her.
Chacalita: You come out of whatever hold you hide in Latoya and you dare to talk about my win like it was something someone else decided, going into the match I warned you, I told you what would happen if you don’t take me seriously and then after it you try to sell my win short while you don’t have a win in your name, sister let me tell you something: I am the one who beat you in that ring, ME, No one else did it for me. I did not win because you slipped up or because you allowed me to win, no none of that bullshit. You came in to the match against me assuming you would win with ease and by tonight you would be already going after a championship. Well as you can see by now the fact is that we are in a match with four other women, it is not about just the pair of us tonight but if you have a problem with me or the way our match went Latoya, I am more than happy to have a rematch with you at any given time the management sees it suitable, if you got a problem with me or the way I do things in the ring, don’t hide behind a damn camera or whisper your words to some interviewer when no one else is around, I’ll settle this with you in the ring like it should be and if you don’t want to do that Latoya, if you got a problem actually doing more than flapping those padded lips of yours about it, I suggest with as much courtesy as possible that you sit down and shut the hell up whenever you feel like spitting out my name in the future.
There was a fiery passion flaring up in the latina’s eyes as she spoke those words, taking a moment to calm herself down before going on.
Chacalita: You see, I am not out here to disrespect anyone I meet in a match. I give everyone a fair chance to act professional with me but if you choose to conduct yourself like my last opponent did I am not just going to sit on my ass and let you treat me like I don’t matter. So let that be known to everyone in this match and everyone else watching too, I am not here to give anyone shit but I will not be taking any either, you got that ladies? Tonight I am going to go out there with the rest of you and I will do my best to make sure that once our match is over, once the night is over, no one will have a doubt about just who I am and what I am capable of doing in that ring.
Chacalita: I am not someone who can say that I have a legacy in this business, I can’t claim to have generations of experience in my family either, my parents were not wrestlers, I haven’t had years of training with the legends of the industry heading into this but I do have something a lot of people in this business seem to lack and that is respect. Respect for the ones who came before me, respect for the ones who go out there every night and leave it all in the ring for the fans who spend their money to see us, respect for the people who are prepared to see me out there. That seems to be a thing so many have forgotten all the way from rookie greenhorns like me to the legends at the very top of it all.
What I may lack in experience I make up in heart, determination and dedication to be the very best that I can be out there, every time I go out. I don’t need a shock collar to keep me going, I don’t need to talk down to my opponents to feel better about myself, you will see it from what I do every single time. Yeah you can sit there and wonder, wow look at the rookie talking a big game going into her second match but ladies, if I don’t believe in myself, I have no trust in my own abilities, who else will have it and how could I ever expect any of you respect me if I don’t respect myself?
She steps back a little sitting down on a chair.
Chacalita: I am going to make you believe in me tonight, come hell or high water I will go out there and make sure that whoever wins this Battle Royal will be working hard to earn it as long as I am there, you hear me ladies? I am not going to go there in front of the fans, in front of the roster and management just to get embarrassed and humiliated because of someone’s ego. If I lose to someone because they are better than me, I will accept that and work even harder to be even better the next time I get a chance, but if you cheat me out of what I have coming?
She tilts her head to the side a little and nods.
Chacalita: I’ll be coming to get some payback for that one, no matter how many times it takes, no matter how long I have to wait but if you do dirty on me, I will not be forgetting it. That is not a threat by the way, that is a promise. I may not be the most technical of the wrestlers out there, you may not be seeing me doing impressive death defying moves either but if there is something I know it is how to fight for what is mine, that is something I have done my whole life and just because I am in a squared circle does not change the fact that I will keep fighting for what I see as mine, because no one is going to hand me anything in this business. I am not expecting a free ride because I had it rough or assuming I deserve some special treatment because life had not been as favorable for me as it has been for some. Oh no honey, I am completely fine with the fact that there are those who worked less or did less to get where they are, I can fully accept that some have lived a life rougher than me, but none of them have lived my life and gone through what I have gone through, so tonight. I am going to do just what I have always done: go out there and pull no punches, I am not laying down for anyone’s ego if you want to eliminate me from the match you better expect me to put up a fight for it.
She flashes a bit of a smile for the camera, leaning back on her chair.
Chacalita: You still there folks? Are you believing in what I am saying yet or do I have to wait for after Rising Stars for you to understand that I am ready to back up what I say? I’m not out here to claim I deserve every single title out there given to me, I am not demanding that I am treated like a Hall Of Famer because I got a debut win under my belt. I am letting everyone know that I am ready to work for every single thing I achieve in Ladies All Star Wrestling, I am not afraid of work or anyone they put in front of me. If I don’t get it right the first time that won’t matter, if I fail for the second or third or fourth or fifteenth time, it won’t make a difference to me. Call me stupid, call me loco or call me determined but I will keep coming back for what is mine and I can be out there against one, two, five or how many women you have to put there for me to prove myself.
I am here to learn and if earning the respect of our fans means I have to go through each and every one of these five women with me in the ring to earn it; so be it. It can be five ,twenty five or fifty five for all I care. I am determined to make a name in this place and I will make sure that once that name is made it won’t be forgotten in a hurry and Latoya, if there won’t be much you can be proud after you have had enough of wrestling business, you can at least be proud of the single fact that you were Chacalita’s very first prey.
She beams at the camera with her pearly white teeth.
Chacalita: Tonight is a perfect chance for each one of us in this match to make a lasting impression on everyone watching, we may not be competing for gold, we may not have a storied rivalry that has lead us all here, but if we go out there wanting do better than everyone else, putting our hearts, minds and bodies on the line.. We can do it. I will do my best to make sure that our battle royal is remembered out of tonight, if you choose to look past me and just focus on your own egos, if you care more of how you look out there or that you may have to actually sweat a little to make this match the best it can be, then you may just find your selfish selves out of the ring sooner than you think. There can be only one winner between us but if we do our best and leave everything we have in the ring, we can make every fan out there leave the show feeling like a winner as well.
She stands up and walks to the camera, leaning in.
Chacalita: So Latoya, Amy, Kayla, Michelle and Etsuko. Let’s go out there and show them just how much we deserve to be a part of this roster tonight, time to break out the real rising stars of this bunch and leave the pretenders where they land, see you out there ladies.
With that she turns off the camera and we fade to black.