Post by Lisa Seymour on Sept 13, 2015 16:44:37 GMT -5
“Nothing was beautiful and everything hurt...” - John Gable
Lisa Seymour: It was frightening. One moment I thought I was getting back the man I had come to know but it seems like a switch flipped in his head and then...I don't know...
It was a nice, simple restaurant in Ohio. I forget the name of it now but I remember that the whole place was lit with kerosene lamps, even the outside where Fred Hunterson and I sat with a pristine view of the lake in the evening as all the surrounding lights glimmered like stars off the ripples in the water. It was early in the fall season but the trees were already losing their leaves. It won't be far into November before they look dead and bare. Such a shame that the grand show of colors is going to be gone so earlier this time around. Even though usually I would feel engrossed in such an atmosphere, it seemed to keep a distance from me; like the spirit of it stood a few paces away, afraid that something I have caught will transfer over to it.
Anyways, I called Fred Hunterson down to see if he had heard anything from anyone about the movie or if anyone has heard from Philip Berger who has characteristically kept in his office for the time being. We both agreed that this was something went beyond the assurance of a simple phone call and so he agreed to meet with me for dinner to discuss it. He asked if Gable was going to be there as well but I told him that Gable's head was in another place and that it was probably best if he didn't come along.
So, we met up and eased our way through the conversation and talked about the movie a little. Turned out that Dave was going around and blaming everyone else for the flop, from the producers to the director to the actors; specifically Gable and myself. I knew all too well that the media had latched into the sensation that was John Gable and had been pummeling him into the ground as of recent. Though he didn't care much. He was use to it I guess.
Eventually that was what our conversation had switched to: Gable. Fred was curious as to how he was doing to which I nearly broke down at the thought of the whole roller-coaster ride I had recently gone through with him. I tried to keep myself composed and concentrated on staring into my coffee, it was late for a cup but I didn't really feel like sleeping. But, it had gotten cold at this point, especially quickly in the cool night air of September.
Fred Hunterson: Lisa...I'm going to be brutally honest. When it comes to Gable, it is best to just leave it alone and move on. Your career is going to bounce back from this. His...well, there is a specific reason people choose to avoid working with him.
I gritted my teeth as what he said echoed through my mind. Not from the potency of it but from the amount of times I had heard it from others. I wasn't going to pretend I didn't know what it meant but I had obligations to ignore it.
Lisa Seymour: I can't do that. If you knew what I knew, you would realize that it is not possible for me to just get up and leave.
Fred furrowed his brow as he instantly grew skeptical.
Fred Hunterson: Lisa...
Lisa Seymour: Fred, there is a point when it is not about a role anymore, when the 'investment' I have shifts and there are different things on the line; a different rationale, different principles, different drives...Even if it would be better for my acting career, I don't think I can walk away at this point, for my own reasons...
Fred shrugged as he shifted and swung his arm over the back of his seat.
Fred Hunterson: Hey, I am not one to tell you any different. There are more things in this world than fame and wealth. I remember when it wasn't about any of that for me. I guess my own principles and drives changed at some point without me realizing it. Others seem to find a way to go on without. I just hope you know what you want and that you are doing it for the right reasons. I have watched too many people in this business make the type of choice they didn't know was wrong until five, ten, fifteen years in, when it was too late. I just want to make sure that isn't going to happen to you.
I didn't lift my gaze from the cup, I just gripped harder around it. The choices we have to make...I guess it is not a matter of right and wrong, just a matter of accuracy. To be honest, I am still not too sure on my aim.
Lise Seymour: I know and trust me, I have been thinking about it a lot.
Have I? Didn't I just kind of jump in? Maybe, I was sucked in before I knew I had a choice. Well, I guess it doesn't really matter now, does it? Because now I have sewn myself to something beyond me and it was beyond me in such a magnificent but frightening way, in a way that I can only describe in explaining how it came to happen...
There is a man, a mental infection, a violation of dreams, a horrible animal filled with regressive hatred. He is what happens when one invests their very being into one purpose and that purpose rejects them. Some people might consider it a snapping point, but here at least, it is just the mask tearing away...His name is King Leukemia and despite common misconception, he is not Gable. I used to think the same thing, that it was just a nickname, a marketing ploy to sell shirts because it sounded like something that would attract eyes (that would be just like Gable to do). I used to think it was an act...But it isn't. It is very real. He is very real...
John Gable is the act. The man of professional-like confidence, the man of analysis, the man of spirit; he does not exist, as I have learned now. John Gable is a collection of knowledge of how to work people, how to play politics, how to walk and talk on stage; a compartmentalization twisted in on itself. King Leukemia is who exists when none of that matters anymore, when everything has fallen to pieces and there is nothing left to lose. He is what appears when facing the apocalypse and all formalities have become irrelevant; when all the politicians have burned up, all the artists have starved to death, all the teachers massacred, and when everything else has been turned to rubble. He arrives to give us what we all deserve...What we all need. Not-so-divine punishment.
If you believe there is someone in there that resembles a man with dreams then you have fallen for the act. I have personally looked into those eyes and instead of finding a person with regal and control (the John Gable I knew), I saw an abyss of no facades, no vanity, no reasons; just one flashing signal light off in the distance which guided him to the only purpose he now served...
I am only now starting to understand what he meant in his speech to Bates this week (after we had finally crossed paths again). So many times these videos he does just seem like mental games or cathartic ridicule and it seemed at first that this was the same but putting all the information I have learned recently together, I am figuring out that he had carefully crafted it as an address of warning to the whole of WCF and maybe even the whole of entertainment.
It was long into the night as we drove deep within a dimly lit alleyway that Gable had apparently scouted out before hand. Without a word (which is how he spent the whole drive there), he stopped the car and quickly jumped out and walked around to the trunk where he pulled out a cheap camcorder and an even cheaper tripod he had bought on the way down to the alley. I hesitantly stepped out and watched him as determination burned in his eyes. While he set up the tripod and camcorder in front of the car, I could see his breath in the cold night as the beams from the headlights blasted through. Seemed like an especially cold night so early in September.
Eventually everything was set up and once Gable was sure about the alignment of the camera, he walked over to where I was standing and grabbed me by both of my shoulders and gave me a reaffirming shake.
John Gable: We're gonna do it. We are going to state our claim right here. We are going to make them regret what they did to us.
He was smiling...It was the first time I saw him smile since he had disappeared. But even though the sight of his confidence was comforting, his words were a little more than worrisome and I couldn't help but feel a little anxious as I looked into his face and saw a man who was still trying to put himself together, pretending that he was whole...Or maybe he didn't realize he was broken to begin with.
I was careful not to let any doubt show on my face as I nodded. He nodded back and directed me to behind the camera. He then walked back to the car, turned off the headlights as to not blind the sight of the camera, letting the light overhead illuminate the shot, then climbed up onto the hood and sat cross legged atop it. He nodded to let me know to hit record. I gave him a thumbs up which was followed by a moment of silence as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to zone himself in. After this silence, he opened his eyes and sighed.
John Gable: Let's talk about WCF...Let's talk about wrestling. It is funny, after all that has happened to me the last few months, I am starting to realize that there must be something to this sport if it has survived this long and is so loved by the world, something I am apparently neglecting. I have theorized before on the matter of its popularity. Most recently I said it must be the flamboyant characters they seem to be in high supply of. But maybe it is something as simple as the violence; the blunt force against force nature that captures the blood lust of the oppressed and repressed people world wide. Maybe it is the simplicity of athletic competition. It strays away from anything too complicated that would give its watchers something to think about because that would risk causing them anxiety, pain, sadness, depression and so on. So instead, they give these people, who deal with plenty of their own troubles, two or three hours of momentary mental peace.
His voice was calm, smooth and understanding, like a parent to a child or a patient school master to a delinquent whom he knows is a good kid at heart.
John Gable: Maybe the reason I have not been so successful in my many endeavors is the fact that I don't abide by such. I was taught early in my life that the way you get where you want to be is by discipline and understanding what it is you want to do. I worked hard at uncovering all the secrets of films and the people behind them. I took my time to learn names and to understand what they offered to the craft. Names like Orson Wells, Humphrey Bogart, Billy Wilder, Paul Newman, and so on. I took what these giants had to offer and tried my best now to out do them in every single way! Not to fall into their devices but to build off of them and create something all my own.
Shouldn't it be the case that those with the most passion and talent should be the ones to grasp at and attain victory? That those who care the most and try the hardest should be the praised and the rewarded? This would be the case in a perfect world...and I know, this isn't perfect world and probably never will be. But, I am starting to learn from the world around me that being endowed with such a focused and collected mind might be a curse! That all my time spent trying to comprehend what most people take for granted might have been a waste when it could be easier to not care and slap on whatever comes to mind without a second thought. That originality will get you no where and that you are better off being derivative and falling back onto others' work and not give anything new to this world! They don't want it!
His tone changed, becoming a little more alert and mocking. He uncrossed his legs and slid down to the front of the car. He chuckled and looked away from the camera, deciding instead to stare at a chunk of wall that must have been knocked out by some significant force, for the dent stretched around into a whole foot in radius.
John Gable: In wrestling, it is not those with wit and strategy who are loved. No, that ends up not being the case ninety percent of the time. People love those who go in swinging away aimlessly, those who could tear a limb off or get their own limb torn off, those who encourage the idea that you don't need to think, just run blindly into the abyss! You only need passion and will-power to survive this world! Though I am starting to think it is the same for Hollywood...
Gable spat to the ground and stood up off the car before returning his gaze to the camera. He gritted his teeth and curled back his lips as I saw that below the view of the camera, his fists were clenched and shaking.
John Gable: The only dream I ever really had was to act! That was my passion! My refuge! My one fucking wish in the whole world! All I wanted to do was be up in front of the camera with all the blinding lights, the wires the hung everywhere and the ruckus of a whole film crew! It wasn't about the fame or money! I didn't give half a shit about being recognized by those pop culture magazines or being paid Brad Pitt type wages! I just wanted to act! That was all I asked for!
He sat back down on the car and pounded his fist on the hood. He ran both of his hands down his face as it started to become blotchy and red, partly from the cold and partly from the stress Gable was laying upon himself.
John Gable: Fuck!...It isn't even so much about the dignity of it! After the flop of Eye in the Sky, I was tempted to call up Philip Berger, one of the executive producers for the movie and say...
Gable mimicked a phone with his hand and put it next to his ear. This part was the hardest to watch for me.
John Gable: 'Hey Mr. Berger, I realize I am not your favorite person right now and I know I messed up big time and my name might be Boxoffice poison but I would be really appreciative if you could give me a role...It doesn't have to be a big one. I will take a bit part at this point. Please, I am just addicted to that life down in Hollywood...Being able to travel down that walk of fame, fantasizing about one day my name being on a star, even if I know it will never come to be. Being able to sit in the same cafes and diners as so many of my favorite actors, thinking maybe I could run into a few of them and pass comments about each others' work and wish each other the best of luck as we moved on.
'I just want to act, Mr. Berger! I'll do anything, I'll shine your shoes! Hell, I'll shine all the shoes in Hollywood if that will repair what I have done! I'll fetch your coffee, I'll take your calls, I'll drive your limos, just please give me a role so I can act!'...But I didn't because I know even if I did try to call him, he won't pick up! No one picks up my calls anymore! My name is lower than shit and so no studio will have me and even if I did manage to get through by some sort of miracle, I know exactly what he would say...
'I'm sorry, Gable. I truly am, but I am afraid I just can't do that. You see, you are just too much of a liability! You just don't make enough money! You just don't resonate with the movie goers! I can't afford to give you another chance! I am sorry but I just can't!'
Gable gripped his head and pulled down as he let out an agonizing scream. His eyes were bloodshot when he raised his head again and brought his knees to his chest.
John Gable: I'm too much of a liability! So, what happens next!? What happens now that I am left out here floating in my own dismay!? I have to turn to the one place that will accept me back! I have to swallow my pride and go to a land that drains what integrity I have left out of me! I will enter the doors of the WCF and listen as they laugh! They will ridicule me and remind me there is no leaving this company unless you get blown up, mutilated or massacred. You can't leave until you are unable to do anything else! Until you are branded by this company for life!
If there is a Divine Comedy, it is right here! If there is a god, apparently he thinks I don't belong in Hollywood, that instead I belong in the WCF! That my dreams don't matter and that it is hilarious when I try because he will shoot me back down to the one place I don't want to be; down to my own personal hell! Well, fuck God, fuck Hollywood and fuck the WCF!
At this moment all I can think of is a vow I made to myself that I had forgotten up until recently and that vow was to be the end of WCF! If I can't make my name on the silver screen then I will land my name in the history books by taking down one of the biggest companies in wrestling history and teach everyone that you do not fuck me!
WCF has ruined my life! It has humiliated me, destroyed my career, destroyed my friendships and broken my bones! It is time I returned every blow tenfold! And it starts this week with one name! Thomas mother fucking Bates! The man who proves that all you need in this world is to be bigger and stronger to get where you want to go. He shows us all that if you want to be successful, you just have to be strong enough to snap them in two. Don't be clever! Don't be quick! Don't be skilled or talented! Just be lucky enough to be born big, strong and simple enough to be loved by all!
Gable balanced himself and stood up on the hood of the car. Luckily enough, I was fast enough to grab hold of the handle on the tripod, loosen the vertical lock and follow with a pan upwards. A text book low angle shot and the light above turned him into a slight silhouette.
John Gable: Now, I am not going to be so cliché as to attack you for being racist or anything like that, that is not the reason I hate you. I honestly don't care that you're racist. I hate you because you're fucking stupid! I have been watching you for a bit now, mostly because you seemed like you were going to be the next big thing for a while. You were tearing the WCF up with your size, strength and ability, along with your vigilante squad of unmanageable biker fucks! You were everything the fans could ask for and more! Dominant, violent, rowdy but most importantly, marketable! You were born perfectly for a future of bashing in faces and winning titles!
So what happened?...Like the idiot you are, you let it run down your leg! My god! I watched you get opportunity after opportunity to prove who you are and what you can do but what happens every time? You get complacent and lose any hunger to go as hard as you can. It kills me! It really does! To watch literally what I have been talking about, someone who is born lucky and undisciplined get everything handed to them only to watch them unable to hold on to it because that is all they are: lucky!
Every time I have gotten a chance, as few times as I feel that has been, I shoot for the fucking stars!...Not with passion, but with precision! I look at my objective and understand what I am going up against and then I attack! That is exactly why I am a two time Tag Team champion as well as a three time, as well as longest reigning, Television champion! Because when I do something, I do it right! But, I guess that doesn't really get me far because I haven't had the opportunities you've had!
You've held other titles such as the trios and U.S. Championship. You were given those shots because they thought you were the next big thing! You've even gotten two, count them TWO, chances to take the World Heavyweight championship! That is why it is so painful to watch you fall! To watch you be so fucking stupid about it all. Because I am not getting those chances and if I am not getting those chances then I wish they would at least be given to someone who can capitalize on them!
Look at Dune! There is someone who has done the work that is necessary to become and stay world champion! He is undeniably one of the best World Heavyweight champions we have ever had! You had two chances to go up against him and both times you came up short! If anybody else got that chance to redeem themselves like you have, you bet your ass that they would be more prepared that second time around! But alas, this is the duality of the world we live in where such wasted decisions are made and the only way it can be rectified is to be lucky enough to be born as endowed as Mr. Bates...Fuck my life!
...Don't worry, there is more coming, that was not the end of his go at Bates or WCF, not by a long shot. It is just before I go on, I feel there is more you need to know...
The Monday after the movie came out and he lost against Joey Flash, Gable (physically as well as mentally) had disappeared. No one could reach him no matter what was tried; whether it be through text, e-mail, social media, etc. He seemed to vanish entirely. Swallowed up into years of failures. There were points where I feared the worst, thinking maybe this career of continuous loss finally overwhelmed him...But there was no room to think like that. All I could do was keep searching.
My first instinct was to check his home, but when I got there the place was empty. Completely cleared out. I didn't know him well enough to know where he would go next so the best thing I could do was contact someone who did. I raced through my mind, thinking who to talk to. It was difficult since he refused to talk about anything previous in his life if he could avoid it. Always blew any questions off with a “doesn't really matter now, does it?”. So, I had no way to know who to get in touch with from his extended past. But then I came to the realization that I had the resources to at least reach his former partners in WCF.
I immediately excluded all the ones whom I knew he despised...That didn't leave many. In fact as far as I could tell, that left only one person. Someone I knew for a fact that he kept in contact with long after they stopped teaming together. It took a little work to retrieve the number from the WCF offices, since at the time I didn't want it breaking out into the news that Gable had disappeared. If that got out, he would be further humiliated by the media who seemed to be nailing him entirely for the flop of Eye in the Sky. I just told them that if they didn't give me this requested information, then Gable was going to come down there and raise hell. From past altercation, they knew completely well how that would go and I received the number without further delay. I just hope that this was the right call to make...
Benjamin Atreyu: Hello?
Lisa Seymour: Mr. Atreyu?
Benjamin Atreyu: Depends...Who is this?
Lisa Seymour: Um...you don't know me but I work with John Gable. I'm his current manager...Or at least I hope that is still the case...
Benjamin Atreyu: Ah, yes. Gable mentioned you last time we met. Said you were pretty fresh to show business. Hope the entertainment world is treating you alright. If I know Gable, he is showing you the ropes...well, probably more berating you mercilessly hoping you get it. Don't worry too much. Gable is kind of stand offish but he just cares a lot.
Lisa Seymour: Well, you know Gable...
Benjamin Atreyu: Oh yeah, he is quite a character.
Character, what an apt word for it.
Benjamin Atreyu: How is Gable doing anyways? I heard the movie flopped hard. Been meaning to call.
That was not a good sign for my search...
Lisa Seymour: Well, that's the thing...I don't know where he is currently and I was calling hoping that maybe you might know where he is or at least point me in the right direction.
Benjamin Atreyu: Shit, should've figured he would do something like go off the grid. That knuckle-head, always with the dramatics...Well, I wouldn't worry too much about it. He tends to do these things. I am sure he will appear up eventually.
How was he not worried about his friend? Why was it that he could take this news so calmly and brush it off like it was an everyday thing? Did he not have the same fears I had? Did he not worry that maybe Gable was in trouble, having landed hard at rock bottom?
Lisa Seymour: Could you at least tell me where he might have gone to? Any spots that he tends to visit at such times?
Benjamin Atreyu: I'm afraid not. Outside of the locker room he kind of kept to himself so I can't tell you anything of any use. But I could give you the numbers of some people who might. Old actor friends of his but I don't think they will be of much help either, considering...
Lisa Seymour: Considering...?
Benjamin Atreyu: It is hard to explain. It is better if I just let them explain...
A few moments after I hung up, he texted me the numbers of a Mr. Humphrey Craig and a Ms. Alexis Evanovich...I had totally forgotten that Humphrey Craig was Gable's manager before me. It gave me a slightly queasy feeling with the idea of contacting him and asking about Gable since it wasn't exactly a secret that they had a falling out. I always wondered why but always figured it fell under the category of “these things just happen” and so I never poked or prodded about it. But now that I had to contact him, I wish I knew the specifics, as to avoid any landmines I could be walking into.
I tried to contact Alexis first but she didn't seem to be picking up so I just left a message in hopes she would eventually get back to me. So, it was to Mr. Craig I went. He was more responsive to my call. He seemed hesitant to meet at first but when I told him that Gable had disappeared and could be in danger, he eventually agreed to meet.
We agreed to meet at a cafe in the city. When I arrived, he was already sitting outside with a mocha-latte in his hand. I went inside and grabbed a cup of black coffee then returned back to the outside and took the seat across from Mr. Craig who had a trench coat draped over the chair next to him (no doubt preparing for the early oncoming Fall drop in temperature), his hair was slicked back and a five o'clock shadow covered his face. He dressed in a fairly formal attire of a white button up shirt and khakis.
He looked at me disinterestedly as he sat back in his chair, crossed one leg over the other, and placed his interlaced fingers in his lap. I'm not going to lie, it was a little intimidating with him waiting for me to make the first statement. I know Gable would tell me to wait and force him out of his silence but I was way too anxious and eager to ask. Though, I couldn't help but feel I was disappointing Gable, even in his absence.
Lisa Seymour: I...I guess I should start...
Humphrey Craig: I think that would be best.
I swallowed the jab and continued onward.
Lisa Seymour: It seems that Gable has disappeared...
Humphrey Craig: And?
I was stunned by the abrupt apathy he chose to display. It was one thing if they had a falling out but to outwardly show such a lack of sympathy was utterly shocking and repulsive to me. It appeared as if Mr. Craig acknowledge my shock as he uncrossed his legs and placed his elbows on the table, holding his head up over his still interlaced fingers.
Humphrey Craig: Lisa was it?
I nodded.
Humphrey Craig: Lisa, let me tell you something about Gable. He is dramatic and a glutton for attention. He wants you to go looking for him so he can feel like he still holds the attention of someone. He does this because people, including myself, have indulged him for way too long in giving him exactly what he is looking for. If all you currently know is that he isn't where he's supposed to be, then I will say there is nothing to worry about. He will turn up eventually. You have to not indulge him and let him come back of his own accord or else you are just continuing the chain.
There was that queasy feeling again. I could feel my hands shake but I kept them under the table in my lap. I wanted to yell and scream at him, to toss my coffee in his face but I refrained from doing so. I gritted my teeth and replied.
Lisa Seymour: But what if you are wrong?
He lowered and shook his head before raising it again with a tired look.
Humphrey Craig: Look...I am truly sorry what happened with Eye in the Sky. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy but Gable has to learn that maybe it is time he stopped blaming everyone around him and move on. As for you, you need to stop worrying about him, think about yourself. It might seem like he gave you a real opportunity but I was once in your shoes and at one point I realized that he had no interest in helping save my career which was in just as dire straights as his was, he was only worried about himself and that is all he ever will be worried about.
Lisa Seymour: I don't know what happened between you two but it can't honestly be so broken that you have no sympathy for him and what he is going through.
Mr. Craig stood up and grabbed his trench coat and threw it over his shoulder as he stared down the street.
Humphrey Craig: Oh no, quite the opposite. I worry about Gable all the time, just like you do. The difference is I hope he will snap out of it and come to his senses eventually. The problem is you believe his Hollywood act, you believe that he is some unrecognized genius that has yet to get his fair shot.
He turned his gaze upon me again. I looked down at my coffee
Humphrey Craig: But I am going to tell you something: He is just Johnny. He is not as special as he makes himself out to be. I am sorry to hear what he is going through, I really am. But, I am more sorry with what he has gotten you into; chasing him around the world when he will hardly appreciate any of it...
He paused for a moment, I assume he was waiting for a response from me but I refused to indulge him.
Humphrey Craig: Well, I best be going. I have a meeting later today. I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help in your journey. But I felt I gave the best advice, considering. I will say it just one more time before head off though. Stop worrying about Gable, because he is certainly not worrying about you. If he was, why isn't he here helping you through this mess as much as you're trying to help him? Seems kind of one sided to me.
He began walking away before I panicked and let out a plea.
Lisa Seymour: Wait, just one question!
He sighed visibly then turned back around almost with a tired sense of sympathy.
Lisa Seymour:...What happened, if it is not trouble to ask, between you and Gable?
Seemed as if his face melted into disappointment.
Humphrey Craig: That, itself, I am not really at liberty to talk about. You will have to ask Gable when you see him again, or ask Alexis. I figure you are going to try to get in contact with her. She will be able to tell you more than I can.
And with that, he was gone and I was left there with no more information than before and a cold cup of coffee. For a moment I questioned myself and wondered if what he said was true about it being one sided but looking back on it now, everything Mr. Craig said now seems fueled by his own bias distaste for Gable. Aren't most things that way? When you hear a rumor in Hollywood or something of the sort, isn't it just some jealous, hateful nobody sour that they couldn't quite make it as high as the accused like John?
Either way, the day afterwards I received a reply from Alexis Evanovich, apologizing for being unresponsive and saying how she has been watching my work and how impressed she was. She agreed to meet me at her home now that she finally had a break in her busy schedule. I knew perfectly well who Ms. Evanovich was...At least on a career level. She was an owner of a charitable organization and when she wasn't dealing with business there, she was one of the rising actresses of our time. It was starting to become that you couldn't open a magazine without seeing her picture. One of those...But as a person, I had no idea what she was like. I didn't even had any idea that Gable and her were friends. I guess the key phrase there was 'were friends'.
She had a nice home in the higher end suburban area of Ohio. It wasn't a Hollywood mansion or anything, modest in a way. But you definitely saw that her career was in a good place. She greeted me at the door with a bright smile and eagerly invited me inside but there was something odd in her eyes. Something tired and sad.
Our conversation was awkward and quiet at first as we sat in her living room. I stared to a wall covered in framed photos when something caught my eye. I stood up and walked over to what ended up being a picture of her, Craig and Gable all smiling with what appeared to be a film set in the background. They all looked so different. Alexis stood up and walked up beside me as a small chuckle escaped her.
Alexis Evanovich: That was the first movie we all worked on together...
Lisa Seymour: You all look so different now. Especially Gable...
Alexis Evanovich: Well, it was a good while ago now and unfortunately Gable has changed the most out of all of us. It is a rare sight to see him smile like that anymore...
I looked over to her as she seemed to get engrossed into the picture. She was so comforted by the memory that for a moment the tiredness in her eyes seemed to disappear.
Lisa Seymour: What happened?
And just like that, the tiredness was back. She frowned and lowered her head as we returned back to the coffee table and took a seat.
Alexis Evanovich: It is so complicated and it all happened in such a blur. We all went through something that we were not ready for, something none of us asked for.
Lisa Seymour: Mind if I ask what that was exactly?
She instantly tensed up and got a glazed over look in her eyes. There was a moment or so of silence before I tried to snap her out of it.
Lisa Seymour: Um...Ms. Evanovich?
She shook herself out of it and placed her face in her hands before quickly raising her head with a jolt as if she just remembered she wasn't supposed to do that.
Alexis Evanovich: I'm sorry...I guess I haven't getting been getting enough sleep lately. My schedule keeps me on my feet. But to be honest, I am not sure if I can answer your question, considering...But what I will tell you is that it seemed to affect Gable the most. Though Humphrey and I came up for air at one point. Gable, well it seemed what he wanted to do was go deeper, thinking that maybe there was a way out at the bottom. He had a thing about refusing to give up even if it was something that was beyond most of us. I sometimes worry that it is too late for him to come up for air but I still wait for the day...
Lisa Seymour: Do you have any idea where he could be now?
Alexis sighed.
Alexis Evanovich: Where ever he is, I am sure it is exactly where he wants to be. Gable never does anything without carefully calculating his next move, even if it doesn't seem to make sense. That is the thing about Gable. You can always be sure that he has his reasons.
At this point, I was beyond stressed with how everyone seemed to blow this disappearance off as some sort of trick by Gable! He might not be the most pleasant person in the world but I have never known him, in the time I have worked with him, to be so sick as to purposely have people worry about him and cause all this commotion just so he can feel important...Though there was a bit of me that recognized that all the people I have talked to so far know him better than I did and maybe they had a point but I refused to give in just yet.
Lisa Seymour: Aren't you worried? Everyone seems to be blowing him off! Doesn't it seem a little careless to shrug at his disappearance after such a major blow in his life?
Then she looked at me with the same tired sympathy that Humphrey gave me. I was starting to feel like a child.
Alexis Evanovich: Hun, I understand how worried you are and what it must seem like. I used to worry myself sick about Gable all the time. There was one point particularly when he disappeared off to Turkey just to get away from everyone.
Right, the infamous Gobble period right after he lost the Television title to Cheetah Fighter...
Alexis Evanovich: I used to be like you. I used to be infatuated with him. When I saw him, I saw someone who was going to change everything. I used to see someone who was going to take the world by storm. He could have to be honest, but...I don't even know. Sometimes I wish I knew what goes on in that head of his but I guess I wasn't the person he was going to let in...My advice to you is don't try to be that person for him either. Especially at moments like these, he doesn't want anyone in his head. I think there was only ever one person who was able to get in and...
She cut off in mid sentence as if again remembering it was something she shouldn't be doing.
Lisa Seymour: ...and?
Alexis Evanovich: Nevermind. Don't worry about it. There is nothing we can do about it now. Just promise me not to go after him. You have such a promising future. You are so talented. Don't let him do to you what he did to Humphrey and Me. Don't let him use you.
There was that accusation again. That somehow I was being used. I was tired of hearing it! I am a grown woman! I can protect myself and I am smart enough to know when I am being used! Just more distaste for Gable! I can't stand it. The rest of the conversation was sparse as we both seemed to force the conversation away from Gable. Eventually we both said our goodbyes and I walked out and down the driveway to my car but something weird happened...
When I reached my car, there was a man leaning against the driver side door. He wore a vividly red leather jack and a pair of aviator sunglasses.
Hophni: Forgive them. They both have been through a lot and are dealing with their own things in life.
Lisa Seymour: Um...Who are you?
He stepped away from my car and held out his hand. There was something warm and trustworthy about him. He felt like an old friend who I am just meeting for the first time. I should have been unnerved by it but instead I just shook his hand and stared with my mouth slightly gaped in bewilderment.
Hophni: I'm Hophni, a good friend of Gable's. And you're Lisa Seymour. Been wanting to meet with you earlier but I felt it would be beneficial for you to meet with them.
Lisa Seymour: Meet me...meet me for what?...
He chuckled as I felt as if I was reverting back to my younger self, timid and somewhat helpless. Who was this guy?
Hophni: To go get Gable, of course. I happened to know exactly where he is! Not far from here actually.
My excitement must have been apparent because a moment after he mentioned he knew where Gable was, he let out a hearty laugh. We jumped quickly into my car and pulled out of Evanovich's driveway, eager to fine where Gable has been hiding.
It now kind of seems like a mixed blessing now to have found Gable. Not only where we found him but to see him in the mental state he was in and continues to be in. It was almost like we found a different person entirely. It was more than apparent as he continued on his lambasting of Bates.
Where we left off, Gable jumped off the hood of the car rubbed his hands together to ward off the cold.
John Gable: Don't worry Bates, I am not fighting you on behalf of AoD...We have split ways. They didn't want to deal with such a failure and I have decided that I don't want to play for sides. I am tired of playing for teams, Rebellion, S-PAC, Hollywood, Angels of Destruction, doesn't seem to bring me anything but trouble. So, I come to you only playing for one team. The team of Gable. When I step into that ring, I don't have the support of a whole stable or even thousands of fans. I am not going to have much support at all.
He looked up at me and smiled before immediately returning his eyes to the camera.
John Gable: Okay, maybe I will have the support of someone, but that is all I need. It will be me and Lisa against the world! I am not concerned with what popular opinion says about me. I know the tabloids are taking their shots at me and I know people over the internet are ridiculing me for one thing or another but on Team Gable, we don't worry about what people think of us. The people can cheer for you all they want, I am not going to try to win them over. Because if they really want someone like you on top then I don't think I want the approval of those people.
You see, I think it is a different story for someone like you. Even though you could charge through all your problems like a wrecking ball, I think you are insecure enough that it matters if the people are cheering for you. I think you NEED a team under you. I think you find things like that important, because deep down I think you do all of this because you need validation. You need that Echo Chamber named DRG to keep your spirits up. I would even go as far as to say you have 'church' not to organize your little gang and create a plan of attack, but to feel like you are in charge of something even when everything spins out of control. You might like to act like it is about everyone with that all for one and one for all bullshit but lets be honest, it is all about you. You need to remain the top of a totem pole of some kind. I can tell because I recognize the look because I was just like you.
Whether it was Rebellion, S-PAC or whatever, I had to be the most important person in the room. It was so important to me. Hell, some would even say that is the exact reason I became an actor...maybe it was at first. But the point is I recognize selfish intent when I see it. The people might not see it, they might cheer you no matter what you choose to do but I assure you that it is there. You might not even realize it. You might believe the veil you lay it all under. Ignorance is regression...
But I have a question for you...What does a title mean to you? I am honestly curious because to most people it means validation and fulfillment. To me it was a ticket to gain some notoriety and eventually gain popularity that Hollywood couldn't ignore and make like a few wrestlers before me and return to my profession of acting. Not so much anymore...But you, I look at you and I don't think you take it nearly as seriously as anyone else. I think you look at something like the Television Title and the U.S. Title and see them as stepping stones to get up to the top to the World title...And even then I don't think you had enough motivation or hunger to achieve that. I think these titles only appear to you as new ways to get your dick sucked. Which is weird from a guy who claims to take heritage so seriously. The World title has some of the most exceptional heritage there is, with some of the biggest names in your business. So please, correct me if I am wrong. I am merely assuming at the moment. I could be reading you wrong, mostly likely not, but I could be...
For a moment Gable went silent and shook his head.
John Gable: Even if that isn't the case, was it all worth it, Bates? And I am not just asking you. I am asking everyone including myself, because I am not beyond questioning myself, are you?...But, what I mean is we sacrifice so much for glory, and not always things that are ours to sacrifice. I have betrayed friends and family for a shot at the big time. I have ruined others' career just to up my own. I did so many terrible things for my own benefit only to be left with nothing. Do I regret it? No, I can't! Because I still have so many terrible things left to do, to get where I am aiming for. Hell, there isn't even a title between us but I am sure we are going to tear each other apart in that ring because we are both down on our luck. This is the week we both need to prove we are both still threats but the problem is only one of us can win.
We both fell from grace around the same time and I almost have to laugh when I look at who it was that knocked us down. For you it was Dune and for me it was Joey Flash and now those mother fuckers are going to go at it at War with the World Title on the line. Does it dig into, the fact that you are going to have to watch it instead of participate in it? I know the idea bothered me for a while but not anymore because I have a plan...Though I am sure you have a plan too. You plan on beating me and then using that momentum to go into WAR and work your way to another title shot!
You see, there is a problem with that. Because that is exactly my plan! But our intentions are completely different. I imagine that your perspective on the titles haven't changed. In fact, with your recent loss, my theory on the reason you want to win that top prize has only been reinforced...Now, I told you what the titles used to mean for me but I didn't tell you what they mean for me now, specifically that World title.
I said I am going to be the end of the WCF and I fully mean to fulfill that claim! My plan is to beat you, go into WAR and murder, then face whoever is World Champion after Flash versus Dune and then hold this company hostage! And guess what...My demands can't be met unless the hostage dies...So, if I am wrong and you truly do love this business, then stop me. If Wrestling is as important to you as you make it seem, then prevent me from going on after this week! Do the business a favor and make sure I can't walk out of the ring under my own will! Break my legs, smash my fists, snap my neck! Do what it is going to take to stop me! Because if you don't do those very things then it is over for you! There will be no third chance for Mr. Bates! You will be delegitamized, demoralized and turned into over all dead weight!...DRG won't be able to save you from the depths I will send you to!
I am going to say it now! You are simply not going to win! This is too important to me! My mission has too much on the line for you to win! I am not going to be the one, after your string of losses, to let you get back up to the top with minimal effort! There will be no more Unstoppable Bates, there will be no more Ulitmate Badass, there will be no more mythical, career shattering Bates Boot! I am going to do the world a favor and stop this chain of the big, stupid, and destructive getting what they want. Tonight, Bates eats the fucking pin! And when I am done with you, I am going to continue my onslaught on the WCF and make them regret the days they spent ruining my fucking life...
The next words were enough to send a violent chill up my spine. It is one thing to see him say it in a video, it is another thing entirely to see him say it live and it has been so long since I heard them that it hit that much harder.
John Gable: I am King fucking Leukemia! I am the Cancer that Speaks! And I am going to kill this fucking giant!
After we stopped filming, he handed my the SD card and then took the camcorder and chucked it against the wall, sending it shattering into countless pieces.
John Gable: I am so fucking sick of cameras at this point!...
He then turned to me with an aggressive stare. I instinctively started backing up as he approached but I soon found my back against the wall. He was right in front of me with his fist clinched, breathing heavily through his nostrils, looking as if he was about to go nuclear...He raised his fist which made me close my eyes as my mind was thrown into a panic, afraid what he was about to do in this mental state. But when I opened my eyes again, his fist was against the wall, right by my head. His head was down and I could see tears dripping down to the ground. His voice broke through in a wavering lack of surety which was so unlike him even in his darkest hours.
John Gable: Who are you?...
I don't understand the question...
Lisa Seymour: Gable, it is me Lisa.
John Gable: I know. But who are you?! Are you someone who is going to stay by my side or are you going to be someone who is going to leave me like the rest. I am not the easiest person to work with...But I don't think I could do this alone right now...
I took a chance and I placed my hand against his cheek and lifted his head. His eyes were beyond red as I no longer saw a mental infection, a violation of dreams, a horrible animal filled with regressive hatred. I saw someone lost and confused. Someone who had been playing a character so long that he may just not know how to be a real human being...This is King Leukemia...
Lisa Seymour: I am not going to leave. I am going to stay by your side...
It came to mind to ask him what happened between him, Alexis and Humphrey but looking into his eyes, I knew this was not the time.
This is the role I have chosen to take. He might be King Leukemia but he needs someone. The only other person that could be there for him was no longer with us. She could no longer be there for him...When I learned about it, it was more than heart breaking...
When we found him, Hophni had directed me to a graveyard. This was more than nerve racking, considering my worries about Gable but Hophni assured me it was fine. We walked down a gravel path as a breeze came through and carried along the leaves that have already fallen this year. The whole graveyard was filled with the autumn colors of the red, oranges, yellows and so on. It might be morbid but I was completely swept up into the spirit of it while strolling through this land of the dead.
In the field of tombstones, sticking out among all the dead leaves and trees was Gable, sitting cross legged in front of a grave. I was about to call out for him but Hophni was quick to stop me. He shook his head and signaled me to stay back as he walked up to Gable 'til he was standing right next to him. Gable turned his head up to Hophni.
John Gable: How did you find me?...
Hophni replied to this with a knowing glance. Gable returned his eyes to the tombstone.
John Gable: Right... … ...I forgot she had passed away. I went to her house the Monday after slam, after everything had happened but she wasn't there...How could I forget something like that?
Hophni: You've been busy in a whirlwind...
John Gable: No excuse...not for someone like her. That is not something I should forget...
I slowly approached from behind. The closer I got, the most visible the headstone was until I stood behind Gable and could fully read the name in stone...: 'Amanda Sonnet'...
Lisa Seymour: Who was she?
John Gable: Someone who was too good for this world. She was someone I could count on even when everyone else had abandoned me. She was always there...
Hophni: In a perfect world, there'd be no bombs. In a perfect world, there'd be no songs...
Lisa Seymour: That's...
John Gable: It was a song she wrote. I used it...I will never forgive myself for not being there for her!
Gable dropped his head down in shame. I asked Hophni what he meant. He explained to me the whole situation of Amanda having stomach cancer and how it went mostly untreated. She spent her last days in the hospital and Gable had gotten it into his head that when she died, when he failed to be there because of his busy schedule, that she died in agony and utterly alone and Gable never forgave himself for abandoning the one person left who was there for him. She was also the inspiration behind 'Be kind, Rewind'...
I stared at the tombstone as Gable stood up and began down the gravel path. Hophni clasped my shoulder.
Hophni: You realize now that you are the only one that can be there for him?
Lisa Seymour: What about you?
Gable apparently heard us from a distance as he stopped but shortly after kept walking. Hophni replied as he continued to walk away.
Hophni: Something you need to learn about me is I don't stay somewhere very long. He needs someone who has the ability to stay by his side. Now c'mon, lets go...
Hophni let go of my shoulder then turned away and followed Gable down the path. All this had hit me like a brick. But I realized now the story of Gable and that I had a responsibility. What King Leukemia needed was a Queen...
Lisa Seymour: It was frightening. One moment I thought I was getting back the man I had come to know but it seems like a switch flipped in his head and then...I don't know...
It was a nice, simple restaurant in Ohio. I forget the name of it now but I remember that the whole place was lit with kerosene lamps, even the outside where Fred Hunterson and I sat with a pristine view of the lake in the evening as all the surrounding lights glimmered like stars off the ripples in the water. It was early in the fall season but the trees were already losing their leaves. It won't be far into November before they look dead and bare. Such a shame that the grand show of colors is going to be gone so earlier this time around. Even though usually I would feel engrossed in such an atmosphere, it seemed to keep a distance from me; like the spirit of it stood a few paces away, afraid that something I have caught will transfer over to it.
Anyways, I called Fred Hunterson down to see if he had heard anything from anyone about the movie or if anyone has heard from Philip Berger who has characteristically kept in his office for the time being. We both agreed that this was something went beyond the assurance of a simple phone call and so he agreed to meet with me for dinner to discuss it. He asked if Gable was going to be there as well but I told him that Gable's head was in another place and that it was probably best if he didn't come along.
So, we met up and eased our way through the conversation and talked about the movie a little. Turned out that Dave was going around and blaming everyone else for the flop, from the producers to the director to the actors; specifically Gable and myself. I knew all too well that the media had latched into the sensation that was John Gable and had been pummeling him into the ground as of recent. Though he didn't care much. He was use to it I guess.
Eventually that was what our conversation had switched to: Gable. Fred was curious as to how he was doing to which I nearly broke down at the thought of the whole roller-coaster ride I had recently gone through with him. I tried to keep myself composed and concentrated on staring into my coffee, it was late for a cup but I didn't really feel like sleeping. But, it had gotten cold at this point, especially quickly in the cool night air of September.
Fred Hunterson: Lisa...I'm going to be brutally honest. When it comes to Gable, it is best to just leave it alone and move on. Your career is going to bounce back from this. His...well, there is a specific reason people choose to avoid working with him.
I gritted my teeth as what he said echoed through my mind. Not from the potency of it but from the amount of times I had heard it from others. I wasn't going to pretend I didn't know what it meant but I had obligations to ignore it.
Lisa Seymour: I can't do that. If you knew what I knew, you would realize that it is not possible for me to just get up and leave.
Fred furrowed his brow as he instantly grew skeptical.
Fred Hunterson: Lisa...
Lisa Seymour: Fred, there is a point when it is not about a role anymore, when the 'investment' I have shifts and there are different things on the line; a different rationale, different principles, different drives...Even if it would be better for my acting career, I don't think I can walk away at this point, for my own reasons...
Fred shrugged as he shifted and swung his arm over the back of his seat.
Fred Hunterson: Hey, I am not one to tell you any different. There are more things in this world than fame and wealth. I remember when it wasn't about any of that for me. I guess my own principles and drives changed at some point without me realizing it. Others seem to find a way to go on without. I just hope you know what you want and that you are doing it for the right reasons. I have watched too many people in this business make the type of choice they didn't know was wrong until five, ten, fifteen years in, when it was too late. I just want to make sure that isn't going to happen to you.
I didn't lift my gaze from the cup, I just gripped harder around it. The choices we have to make...I guess it is not a matter of right and wrong, just a matter of accuracy. To be honest, I am still not too sure on my aim.
Lise Seymour: I know and trust me, I have been thinking about it a lot.
Have I? Didn't I just kind of jump in? Maybe, I was sucked in before I knew I had a choice. Well, I guess it doesn't really matter now, does it? Because now I have sewn myself to something beyond me and it was beyond me in such a magnificent but frightening way, in a way that I can only describe in explaining how it came to happen...
There is a man, a mental infection, a violation of dreams, a horrible animal filled with regressive hatred. He is what happens when one invests their very being into one purpose and that purpose rejects them. Some people might consider it a snapping point, but here at least, it is just the mask tearing away...His name is King Leukemia and despite common misconception, he is not Gable. I used to think the same thing, that it was just a nickname, a marketing ploy to sell shirts because it sounded like something that would attract eyes (that would be just like Gable to do). I used to think it was an act...But it isn't. It is very real. He is very real...
John Gable is the act. The man of professional-like confidence, the man of analysis, the man of spirit; he does not exist, as I have learned now. John Gable is a collection of knowledge of how to work people, how to play politics, how to walk and talk on stage; a compartmentalization twisted in on itself. King Leukemia is who exists when none of that matters anymore, when everything has fallen to pieces and there is nothing left to lose. He is what appears when facing the apocalypse and all formalities have become irrelevant; when all the politicians have burned up, all the artists have starved to death, all the teachers massacred, and when everything else has been turned to rubble. He arrives to give us what we all deserve...What we all need. Not-so-divine punishment.
If you believe there is someone in there that resembles a man with dreams then you have fallen for the act. I have personally looked into those eyes and instead of finding a person with regal and control (the John Gable I knew), I saw an abyss of no facades, no vanity, no reasons; just one flashing signal light off in the distance which guided him to the only purpose he now served...
I am only now starting to understand what he meant in his speech to Bates this week (after we had finally crossed paths again). So many times these videos he does just seem like mental games or cathartic ridicule and it seemed at first that this was the same but putting all the information I have learned recently together, I am figuring out that he had carefully crafted it as an address of warning to the whole of WCF and maybe even the whole of entertainment.
It was long into the night as we drove deep within a dimly lit alleyway that Gable had apparently scouted out before hand. Without a word (which is how he spent the whole drive there), he stopped the car and quickly jumped out and walked around to the trunk where he pulled out a cheap camcorder and an even cheaper tripod he had bought on the way down to the alley. I hesitantly stepped out and watched him as determination burned in his eyes. While he set up the tripod and camcorder in front of the car, I could see his breath in the cold night as the beams from the headlights blasted through. Seemed like an especially cold night so early in September.
Eventually everything was set up and once Gable was sure about the alignment of the camera, he walked over to where I was standing and grabbed me by both of my shoulders and gave me a reaffirming shake.
John Gable: We're gonna do it. We are going to state our claim right here. We are going to make them regret what they did to us.
He was smiling...It was the first time I saw him smile since he had disappeared. But even though the sight of his confidence was comforting, his words were a little more than worrisome and I couldn't help but feel a little anxious as I looked into his face and saw a man who was still trying to put himself together, pretending that he was whole...Or maybe he didn't realize he was broken to begin with.
I was careful not to let any doubt show on my face as I nodded. He nodded back and directed me to behind the camera. He then walked back to the car, turned off the headlights as to not blind the sight of the camera, letting the light overhead illuminate the shot, then climbed up onto the hood and sat cross legged atop it. He nodded to let me know to hit record. I gave him a thumbs up which was followed by a moment of silence as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to zone himself in. After this silence, he opened his eyes and sighed.
John Gable: Let's talk about WCF...Let's talk about wrestling. It is funny, after all that has happened to me the last few months, I am starting to realize that there must be something to this sport if it has survived this long and is so loved by the world, something I am apparently neglecting. I have theorized before on the matter of its popularity. Most recently I said it must be the flamboyant characters they seem to be in high supply of. But maybe it is something as simple as the violence; the blunt force against force nature that captures the blood lust of the oppressed and repressed people world wide. Maybe it is the simplicity of athletic competition. It strays away from anything too complicated that would give its watchers something to think about because that would risk causing them anxiety, pain, sadness, depression and so on. So instead, they give these people, who deal with plenty of their own troubles, two or three hours of momentary mental peace.
His voice was calm, smooth and understanding, like a parent to a child or a patient school master to a delinquent whom he knows is a good kid at heart.
John Gable: Maybe the reason I have not been so successful in my many endeavors is the fact that I don't abide by such. I was taught early in my life that the way you get where you want to be is by discipline and understanding what it is you want to do. I worked hard at uncovering all the secrets of films and the people behind them. I took my time to learn names and to understand what they offered to the craft. Names like Orson Wells, Humphrey Bogart, Billy Wilder, Paul Newman, and so on. I took what these giants had to offer and tried my best now to out do them in every single way! Not to fall into their devices but to build off of them and create something all my own.
Shouldn't it be the case that those with the most passion and talent should be the ones to grasp at and attain victory? That those who care the most and try the hardest should be the praised and the rewarded? This would be the case in a perfect world...and I know, this isn't perfect world and probably never will be. But, I am starting to learn from the world around me that being endowed with such a focused and collected mind might be a curse! That all my time spent trying to comprehend what most people take for granted might have been a waste when it could be easier to not care and slap on whatever comes to mind without a second thought. That originality will get you no where and that you are better off being derivative and falling back onto others' work and not give anything new to this world! They don't want it!
His tone changed, becoming a little more alert and mocking. He uncrossed his legs and slid down to the front of the car. He chuckled and looked away from the camera, deciding instead to stare at a chunk of wall that must have been knocked out by some significant force, for the dent stretched around into a whole foot in radius.
John Gable: In wrestling, it is not those with wit and strategy who are loved. No, that ends up not being the case ninety percent of the time. People love those who go in swinging away aimlessly, those who could tear a limb off or get their own limb torn off, those who encourage the idea that you don't need to think, just run blindly into the abyss! You only need passion and will-power to survive this world! Though I am starting to think it is the same for Hollywood...
Gable spat to the ground and stood up off the car before returning his gaze to the camera. He gritted his teeth and curled back his lips as I saw that below the view of the camera, his fists were clenched and shaking.
John Gable: The only dream I ever really had was to act! That was my passion! My refuge! My one fucking wish in the whole world! All I wanted to do was be up in front of the camera with all the blinding lights, the wires the hung everywhere and the ruckus of a whole film crew! It wasn't about the fame or money! I didn't give half a shit about being recognized by those pop culture magazines or being paid Brad Pitt type wages! I just wanted to act! That was all I asked for!
He sat back down on the car and pounded his fist on the hood. He ran both of his hands down his face as it started to become blotchy and red, partly from the cold and partly from the stress Gable was laying upon himself.
John Gable: Fuck!...It isn't even so much about the dignity of it! After the flop of Eye in the Sky, I was tempted to call up Philip Berger, one of the executive producers for the movie and say...
Gable mimicked a phone with his hand and put it next to his ear. This part was the hardest to watch for me.
John Gable: 'Hey Mr. Berger, I realize I am not your favorite person right now and I know I messed up big time and my name might be Boxoffice poison but I would be really appreciative if you could give me a role...It doesn't have to be a big one. I will take a bit part at this point. Please, I am just addicted to that life down in Hollywood...Being able to travel down that walk of fame, fantasizing about one day my name being on a star, even if I know it will never come to be. Being able to sit in the same cafes and diners as so many of my favorite actors, thinking maybe I could run into a few of them and pass comments about each others' work and wish each other the best of luck as we moved on.
'I just want to act, Mr. Berger! I'll do anything, I'll shine your shoes! Hell, I'll shine all the shoes in Hollywood if that will repair what I have done! I'll fetch your coffee, I'll take your calls, I'll drive your limos, just please give me a role so I can act!'...But I didn't because I know even if I did try to call him, he won't pick up! No one picks up my calls anymore! My name is lower than shit and so no studio will have me and even if I did manage to get through by some sort of miracle, I know exactly what he would say...
'I'm sorry, Gable. I truly am, but I am afraid I just can't do that. You see, you are just too much of a liability! You just don't make enough money! You just don't resonate with the movie goers! I can't afford to give you another chance! I am sorry but I just can't!'
Gable gripped his head and pulled down as he let out an agonizing scream. His eyes were bloodshot when he raised his head again and brought his knees to his chest.
John Gable: I'm too much of a liability! So, what happens next!? What happens now that I am left out here floating in my own dismay!? I have to turn to the one place that will accept me back! I have to swallow my pride and go to a land that drains what integrity I have left out of me! I will enter the doors of the WCF and listen as they laugh! They will ridicule me and remind me there is no leaving this company unless you get blown up, mutilated or massacred. You can't leave until you are unable to do anything else! Until you are branded by this company for life!
If there is a Divine Comedy, it is right here! If there is a god, apparently he thinks I don't belong in Hollywood, that instead I belong in the WCF! That my dreams don't matter and that it is hilarious when I try because he will shoot me back down to the one place I don't want to be; down to my own personal hell! Well, fuck God, fuck Hollywood and fuck the WCF!
At this moment all I can think of is a vow I made to myself that I had forgotten up until recently and that vow was to be the end of WCF! If I can't make my name on the silver screen then I will land my name in the history books by taking down one of the biggest companies in wrestling history and teach everyone that you do not fuck me!
WCF has ruined my life! It has humiliated me, destroyed my career, destroyed my friendships and broken my bones! It is time I returned every blow tenfold! And it starts this week with one name! Thomas mother fucking Bates! The man who proves that all you need in this world is to be bigger and stronger to get where you want to go. He shows us all that if you want to be successful, you just have to be strong enough to snap them in two. Don't be clever! Don't be quick! Don't be skilled or talented! Just be lucky enough to be born big, strong and simple enough to be loved by all!
Gable balanced himself and stood up on the hood of the car. Luckily enough, I was fast enough to grab hold of the handle on the tripod, loosen the vertical lock and follow with a pan upwards. A text book low angle shot and the light above turned him into a slight silhouette.
John Gable: Now, I am not going to be so cliché as to attack you for being racist or anything like that, that is not the reason I hate you. I honestly don't care that you're racist. I hate you because you're fucking stupid! I have been watching you for a bit now, mostly because you seemed like you were going to be the next big thing for a while. You were tearing the WCF up with your size, strength and ability, along with your vigilante squad of unmanageable biker fucks! You were everything the fans could ask for and more! Dominant, violent, rowdy but most importantly, marketable! You were born perfectly for a future of bashing in faces and winning titles!
So what happened?...Like the idiot you are, you let it run down your leg! My god! I watched you get opportunity after opportunity to prove who you are and what you can do but what happens every time? You get complacent and lose any hunger to go as hard as you can. It kills me! It really does! To watch literally what I have been talking about, someone who is born lucky and undisciplined get everything handed to them only to watch them unable to hold on to it because that is all they are: lucky!
Every time I have gotten a chance, as few times as I feel that has been, I shoot for the fucking stars!...Not with passion, but with precision! I look at my objective and understand what I am going up against and then I attack! That is exactly why I am a two time Tag Team champion as well as a three time, as well as longest reigning, Television champion! Because when I do something, I do it right! But, I guess that doesn't really get me far because I haven't had the opportunities you've had!
You've held other titles such as the trios and U.S. Championship. You were given those shots because they thought you were the next big thing! You've even gotten two, count them TWO, chances to take the World Heavyweight championship! That is why it is so painful to watch you fall! To watch you be so fucking stupid about it all. Because I am not getting those chances and if I am not getting those chances then I wish they would at least be given to someone who can capitalize on them!
Look at Dune! There is someone who has done the work that is necessary to become and stay world champion! He is undeniably one of the best World Heavyweight champions we have ever had! You had two chances to go up against him and both times you came up short! If anybody else got that chance to redeem themselves like you have, you bet your ass that they would be more prepared that second time around! But alas, this is the duality of the world we live in where such wasted decisions are made and the only way it can be rectified is to be lucky enough to be born as endowed as Mr. Bates...Fuck my life!
...Don't worry, there is more coming, that was not the end of his go at Bates or WCF, not by a long shot. It is just before I go on, I feel there is more you need to know...
The Monday after the movie came out and he lost against Joey Flash, Gable (physically as well as mentally) had disappeared. No one could reach him no matter what was tried; whether it be through text, e-mail, social media, etc. He seemed to vanish entirely. Swallowed up into years of failures. There were points where I feared the worst, thinking maybe this career of continuous loss finally overwhelmed him...But there was no room to think like that. All I could do was keep searching.
My first instinct was to check his home, but when I got there the place was empty. Completely cleared out. I didn't know him well enough to know where he would go next so the best thing I could do was contact someone who did. I raced through my mind, thinking who to talk to. It was difficult since he refused to talk about anything previous in his life if he could avoid it. Always blew any questions off with a “doesn't really matter now, does it?”. So, I had no way to know who to get in touch with from his extended past. But then I came to the realization that I had the resources to at least reach his former partners in WCF.
I immediately excluded all the ones whom I knew he despised...That didn't leave many. In fact as far as I could tell, that left only one person. Someone I knew for a fact that he kept in contact with long after they stopped teaming together. It took a little work to retrieve the number from the WCF offices, since at the time I didn't want it breaking out into the news that Gable had disappeared. If that got out, he would be further humiliated by the media who seemed to be nailing him entirely for the flop of Eye in the Sky. I just told them that if they didn't give me this requested information, then Gable was going to come down there and raise hell. From past altercation, they knew completely well how that would go and I received the number without further delay. I just hope that this was the right call to make...
Benjamin Atreyu: Hello?
Lisa Seymour: Mr. Atreyu?
Benjamin Atreyu: Depends...Who is this?
Lisa Seymour: Um...you don't know me but I work with John Gable. I'm his current manager...Or at least I hope that is still the case...
Benjamin Atreyu: Ah, yes. Gable mentioned you last time we met. Said you were pretty fresh to show business. Hope the entertainment world is treating you alright. If I know Gable, he is showing you the ropes...well, probably more berating you mercilessly hoping you get it. Don't worry too much. Gable is kind of stand offish but he just cares a lot.
Lisa Seymour: Well, you know Gable...
Benjamin Atreyu: Oh yeah, he is quite a character.
Character, what an apt word for it.
Benjamin Atreyu: How is Gable doing anyways? I heard the movie flopped hard. Been meaning to call.
That was not a good sign for my search...
Lisa Seymour: Well, that's the thing...I don't know where he is currently and I was calling hoping that maybe you might know where he is or at least point me in the right direction.
Benjamin Atreyu: Shit, should've figured he would do something like go off the grid. That knuckle-head, always with the dramatics...Well, I wouldn't worry too much about it. He tends to do these things. I am sure he will appear up eventually.
How was he not worried about his friend? Why was it that he could take this news so calmly and brush it off like it was an everyday thing? Did he not have the same fears I had? Did he not worry that maybe Gable was in trouble, having landed hard at rock bottom?
Lisa Seymour: Could you at least tell me where he might have gone to? Any spots that he tends to visit at such times?
Benjamin Atreyu: I'm afraid not. Outside of the locker room he kind of kept to himself so I can't tell you anything of any use. But I could give you the numbers of some people who might. Old actor friends of his but I don't think they will be of much help either, considering...
Lisa Seymour: Considering...?
Benjamin Atreyu: It is hard to explain. It is better if I just let them explain...
A few moments after I hung up, he texted me the numbers of a Mr. Humphrey Craig and a Ms. Alexis Evanovich...I had totally forgotten that Humphrey Craig was Gable's manager before me. It gave me a slightly queasy feeling with the idea of contacting him and asking about Gable since it wasn't exactly a secret that they had a falling out. I always wondered why but always figured it fell under the category of “these things just happen” and so I never poked or prodded about it. But now that I had to contact him, I wish I knew the specifics, as to avoid any landmines I could be walking into.
I tried to contact Alexis first but she didn't seem to be picking up so I just left a message in hopes she would eventually get back to me. So, it was to Mr. Craig I went. He was more responsive to my call. He seemed hesitant to meet at first but when I told him that Gable had disappeared and could be in danger, he eventually agreed to meet.
We agreed to meet at a cafe in the city. When I arrived, he was already sitting outside with a mocha-latte in his hand. I went inside and grabbed a cup of black coffee then returned back to the outside and took the seat across from Mr. Craig who had a trench coat draped over the chair next to him (no doubt preparing for the early oncoming Fall drop in temperature), his hair was slicked back and a five o'clock shadow covered his face. He dressed in a fairly formal attire of a white button up shirt and khakis.
He looked at me disinterestedly as he sat back in his chair, crossed one leg over the other, and placed his interlaced fingers in his lap. I'm not going to lie, it was a little intimidating with him waiting for me to make the first statement. I know Gable would tell me to wait and force him out of his silence but I was way too anxious and eager to ask. Though, I couldn't help but feel I was disappointing Gable, even in his absence.
Lisa Seymour: I...I guess I should start...
Humphrey Craig: I think that would be best.
I swallowed the jab and continued onward.
Lisa Seymour: It seems that Gable has disappeared...
Humphrey Craig: And?
I was stunned by the abrupt apathy he chose to display. It was one thing if they had a falling out but to outwardly show such a lack of sympathy was utterly shocking and repulsive to me. It appeared as if Mr. Craig acknowledge my shock as he uncrossed his legs and placed his elbows on the table, holding his head up over his still interlaced fingers.
Humphrey Craig: Lisa was it?
I nodded.
Humphrey Craig: Lisa, let me tell you something about Gable. He is dramatic and a glutton for attention. He wants you to go looking for him so he can feel like he still holds the attention of someone. He does this because people, including myself, have indulged him for way too long in giving him exactly what he is looking for. If all you currently know is that he isn't where he's supposed to be, then I will say there is nothing to worry about. He will turn up eventually. You have to not indulge him and let him come back of his own accord or else you are just continuing the chain.
There was that queasy feeling again. I could feel my hands shake but I kept them under the table in my lap. I wanted to yell and scream at him, to toss my coffee in his face but I refrained from doing so. I gritted my teeth and replied.
Lisa Seymour: But what if you are wrong?
He lowered and shook his head before raising it again with a tired look.
Humphrey Craig: Look...I am truly sorry what happened with Eye in the Sky. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy but Gable has to learn that maybe it is time he stopped blaming everyone around him and move on. As for you, you need to stop worrying about him, think about yourself. It might seem like he gave you a real opportunity but I was once in your shoes and at one point I realized that he had no interest in helping save my career which was in just as dire straights as his was, he was only worried about himself and that is all he ever will be worried about.
Lisa Seymour: I don't know what happened between you two but it can't honestly be so broken that you have no sympathy for him and what he is going through.
Mr. Craig stood up and grabbed his trench coat and threw it over his shoulder as he stared down the street.
Humphrey Craig: Oh no, quite the opposite. I worry about Gable all the time, just like you do. The difference is I hope he will snap out of it and come to his senses eventually. The problem is you believe his Hollywood act, you believe that he is some unrecognized genius that has yet to get his fair shot.
He turned his gaze upon me again. I looked down at my coffee
Humphrey Craig: But I am going to tell you something: He is just Johnny. He is not as special as he makes himself out to be. I am sorry to hear what he is going through, I really am. But, I am more sorry with what he has gotten you into; chasing him around the world when he will hardly appreciate any of it...
He paused for a moment, I assume he was waiting for a response from me but I refused to indulge him.
Humphrey Craig: Well, I best be going. I have a meeting later today. I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help in your journey. But I felt I gave the best advice, considering. I will say it just one more time before head off though. Stop worrying about Gable, because he is certainly not worrying about you. If he was, why isn't he here helping you through this mess as much as you're trying to help him? Seems kind of one sided to me.
He began walking away before I panicked and let out a plea.
Lisa Seymour: Wait, just one question!
He sighed visibly then turned back around almost with a tired sense of sympathy.
Lisa Seymour:...What happened, if it is not trouble to ask, between you and Gable?
Seemed as if his face melted into disappointment.
Humphrey Craig: That, itself, I am not really at liberty to talk about. You will have to ask Gable when you see him again, or ask Alexis. I figure you are going to try to get in contact with her. She will be able to tell you more than I can.
And with that, he was gone and I was left there with no more information than before and a cold cup of coffee. For a moment I questioned myself and wondered if what he said was true about it being one sided but looking back on it now, everything Mr. Craig said now seems fueled by his own bias distaste for Gable. Aren't most things that way? When you hear a rumor in Hollywood or something of the sort, isn't it just some jealous, hateful nobody sour that they couldn't quite make it as high as the accused like John?
Either way, the day afterwards I received a reply from Alexis Evanovich, apologizing for being unresponsive and saying how she has been watching my work and how impressed she was. She agreed to meet me at her home now that she finally had a break in her busy schedule. I knew perfectly well who Ms. Evanovich was...At least on a career level. She was an owner of a charitable organization and when she wasn't dealing with business there, she was one of the rising actresses of our time. It was starting to become that you couldn't open a magazine without seeing her picture. One of those...But as a person, I had no idea what she was like. I didn't even had any idea that Gable and her were friends. I guess the key phrase there was 'were friends'.
She had a nice home in the higher end suburban area of Ohio. It wasn't a Hollywood mansion or anything, modest in a way. But you definitely saw that her career was in a good place. She greeted me at the door with a bright smile and eagerly invited me inside but there was something odd in her eyes. Something tired and sad.
Our conversation was awkward and quiet at first as we sat in her living room. I stared to a wall covered in framed photos when something caught my eye. I stood up and walked over to what ended up being a picture of her, Craig and Gable all smiling with what appeared to be a film set in the background. They all looked so different. Alexis stood up and walked up beside me as a small chuckle escaped her.
Alexis Evanovich: That was the first movie we all worked on together...
Lisa Seymour: You all look so different now. Especially Gable...
Alexis Evanovich: Well, it was a good while ago now and unfortunately Gable has changed the most out of all of us. It is a rare sight to see him smile like that anymore...
I looked over to her as she seemed to get engrossed into the picture. She was so comforted by the memory that for a moment the tiredness in her eyes seemed to disappear.
Lisa Seymour: What happened?
And just like that, the tiredness was back. She frowned and lowered her head as we returned back to the coffee table and took a seat.
Alexis Evanovich: It is so complicated and it all happened in such a blur. We all went through something that we were not ready for, something none of us asked for.
Lisa Seymour: Mind if I ask what that was exactly?
She instantly tensed up and got a glazed over look in her eyes. There was a moment or so of silence before I tried to snap her out of it.
Lisa Seymour: Um...Ms. Evanovich?
She shook herself out of it and placed her face in her hands before quickly raising her head with a jolt as if she just remembered she wasn't supposed to do that.
Alexis Evanovich: I'm sorry...I guess I haven't getting been getting enough sleep lately. My schedule keeps me on my feet. But to be honest, I am not sure if I can answer your question, considering...But what I will tell you is that it seemed to affect Gable the most. Though Humphrey and I came up for air at one point. Gable, well it seemed what he wanted to do was go deeper, thinking that maybe there was a way out at the bottom. He had a thing about refusing to give up even if it was something that was beyond most of us. I sometimes worry that it is too late for him to come up for air but I still wait for the day...
Lisa Seymour: Do you have any idea where he could be now?
Alexis sighed.
Alexis Evanovich: Where ever he is, I am sure it is exactly where he wants to be. Gable never does anything without carefully calculating his next move, even if it doesn't seem to make sense. That is the thing about Gable. You can always be sure that he has his reasons.
At this point, I was beyond stressed with how everyone seemed to blow this disappearance off as some sort of trick by Gable! He might not be the most pleasant person in the world but I have never known him, in the time I have worked with him, to be so sick as to purposely have people worry about him and cause all this commotion just so he can feel important...Though there was a bit of me that recognized that all the people I have talked to so far know him better than I did and maybe they had a point but I refused to give in just yet.
Lisa Seymour: Aren't you worried? Everyone seems to be blowing him off! Doesn't it seem a little careless to shrug at his disappearance after such a major blow in his life?
Then she looked at me with the same tired sympathy that Humphrey gave me. I was starting to feel like a child.
Alexis Evanovich: Hun, I understand how worried you are and what it must seem like. I used to worry myself sick about Gable all the time. There was one point particularly when he disappeared off to Turkey just to get away from everyone.
Right, the infamous Gobble period right after he lost the Television title to Cheetah Fighter...
Alexis Evanovich: I used to be like you. I used to be infatuated with him. When I saw him, I saw someone who was going to change everything. I used to see someone who was going to take the world by storm. He could have to be honest, but...I don't even know. Sometimes I wish I knew what goes on in that head of his but I guess I wasn't the person he was going to let in...My advice to you is don't try to be that person for him either. Especially at moments like these, he doesn't want anyone in his head. I think there was only ever one person who was able to get in and...
She cut off in mid sentence as if again remembering it was something she shouldn't be doing.
Lisa Seymour: ...and?
Alexis Evanovich: Nevermind. Don't worry about it. There is nothing we can do about it now. Just promise me not to go after him. You have such a promising future. You are so talented. Don't let him do to you what he did to Humphrey and Me. Don't let him use you.
There was that accusation again. That somehow I was being used. I was tired of hearing it! I am a grown woman! I can protect myself and I am smart enough to know when I am being used! Just more distaste for Gable! I can't stand it. The rest of the conversation was sparse as we both seemed to force the conversation away from Gable. Eventually we both said our goodbyes and I walked out and down the driveway to my car but something weird happened...
When I reached my car, there was a man leaning against the driver side door. He wore a vividly red leather jack and a pair of aviator sunglasses.
Hophni: Forgive them. They both have been through a lot and are dealing with their own things in life.
Lisa Seymour: Um...Who are you?
He stepped away from my car and held out his hand. There was something warm and trustworthy about him. He felt like an old friend who I am just meeting for the first time. I should have been unnerved by it but instead I just shook his hand and stared with my mouth slightly gaped in bewilderment.
Hophni: I'm Hophni, a good friend of Gable's. And you're Lisa Seymour. Been wanting to meet with you earlier but I felt it would be beneficial for you to meet with them.
Lisa Seymour: Meet me...meet me for what?...
He chuckled as I felt as if I was reverting back to my younger self, timid and somewhat helpless. Who was this guy?
Hophni: To go get Gable, of course. I happened to know exactly where he is! Not far from here actually.
My excitement must have been apparent because a moment after he mentioned he knew where Gable was, he let out a hearty laugh. We jumped quickly into my car and pulled out of Evanovich's driveway, eager to fine where Gable has been hiding.
It now kind of seems like a mixed blessing now to have found Gable. Not only where we found him but to see him in the mental state he was in and continues to be in. It was almost like we found a different person entirely. It was more than apparent as he continued on his lambasting of Bates.
Where we left off, Gable jumped off the hood of the car rubbed his hands together to ward off the cold.
John Gable: Don't worry Bates, I am not fighting you on behalf of AoD...We have split ways. They didn't want to deal with such a failure and I have decided that I don't want to play for sides. I am tired of playing for teams, Rebellion, S-PAC, Hollywood, Angels of Destruction, doesn't seem to bring me anything but trouble. So, I come to you only playing for one team. The team of Gable. When I step into that ring, I don't have the support of a whole stable or even thousands of fans. I am not going to have much support at all.
He looked up at me and smiled before immediately returning his eyes to the camera.
John Gable: Okay, maybe I will have the support of someone, but that is all I need. It will be me and Lisa against the world! I am not concerned with what popular opinion says about me. I know the tabloids are taking their shots at me and I know people over the internet are ridiculing me for one thing or another but on Team Gable, we don't worry about what people think of us. The people can cheer for you all they want, I am not going to try to win them over. Because if they really want someone like you on top then I don't think I want the approval of those people.
You see, I think it is a different story for someone like you. Even though you could charge through all your problems like a wrecking ball, I think you are insecure enough that it matters if the people are cheering for you. I think you NEED a team under you. I think you find things like that important, because deep down I think you do all of this because you need validation. You need that Echo Chamber named DRG to keep your spirits up. I would even go as far as to say you have 'church' not to organize your little gang and create a plan of attack, but to feel like you are in charge of something even when everything spins out of control. You might like to act like it is about everyone with that all for one and one for all bullshit but lets be honest, it is all about you. You need to remain the top of a totem pole of some kind. I can tell because I recognize the look because I was just like you.
Whether it was Rebellion, S-PAC or whatever, I had to be the most important person in the room. It was so important to me. Hell, some would even say that is the exact reason I became an actor...maybe it was at first. But the point is I recognize selfish intent when I see it. The people might not see it, they might cheer you no matter what you choose to do but I assure you that it is there. You might not even realize it. You might believe the veil you lay it all under. Ignorance is regression...
But I have a question for you...What does a title mean to you? I am honestly curious because to most people it means validation and fulfillment. To me it was a ticket to gain some notoriety and eventually gain popularity that Hollywood couldn't ignore and make like a few wrestlers before me and return to my profession of acting. Not so much anymore...But you, I look at you and I don't think you take it nearly as seriously as anyone else. I think you look at something like the Television Title and the U.S. Title and see them as stepping stones to get up to the top to the World title...And even then I don't think you had enough motivation or hunger to achieve that. I think these titles only appear to you as new ways to get your dick sucked. Which is weird from a guy who claims to take heritage so seriously. The World title has some of the most exceptional heritage there is, with some of the biggest names in your business. So please, correct me if I am wrong. I am merely assuming at the moment. I could be reading you wrong, mostly likely not, but I could be...
For a moment Gable went silent and shook his head.
John Gable: Even if that isn't the case, was it all worth it, Bates? And I am not just asking you. I am asking everyone including myself, because I am not beyond questioning myself, are you?...But, what I mean is we sacrifice so much for glory, and not always things that are ours to sacrifice. I have betrayed friends and family for a shot at the big time. I have ruined others' career just to up my own. I did so many terrible things for my own benefit only to be left with nothing. Do I regret it? No, I can't! Because I still have so many terrible things left to do, to get where I am aiming for. Hell, there isn't even a title between us but I am sure we are going to tear each other apart in that ring because we are both down on our luck. This is the week we both need to prove we are both still threats but the problem is only one of us can win.
We both fell from grace around the same time and I almost have to laugh when I look at who it was that knocked us down. For you it was Dune and for me it was Joey Flash and now those mother fuckers are going to go at it at War with the World Title on the line. Does it dig into, the fact that you are going to have to watch it instead of participate in it? I know the idea bothered me for a while but not anymore because I have a plan...Though I am sure you have a plan too. You plan on beating me and then using that momentum to go into WAR and work your way to another title shot!
You see, there is a problem with that. Because that is exactly my plan! But our intentions are completely different. I imagine that your perspective on the titles haven't changed. In fact, with your recent loss, my theory on the reason you want to win that top prize has only been reinforced...Now, I told you what the titles used to mean for me but I didn't tell you what they mean for me now, specifically that World title.
I said I am going to be the end of the WCF and I fully mean to fulfill that claim! My plan is to beat you, go into WAR and murder, then face whoever is World Champion after Flash versus Dune and then hold this company hostage! And guess what...My demands can't be met unless the hostage dies...So, if I am wrong and you truly do love this business, then stop me. If Wrestling is as important to you as you make it seem, then prevent me from going on after this week! Do the business a favor and make sure I can't walk out of the ring under my own will! Break my legs, smash my fists, snap my neck! Do what it is going to take to stop me! Because if you don't do those very things then it is over for you! There will be no third chance for Mr. Bates! You will be delegitamized, demoralized and turned into over all dead weight!...DRG won't be able to save you from the depths I will send you to!
I am going to say it now! You are simply not going to win! This is too important to me! My mission has too much on the line for you to win! I am not going to be the one, after your string of losses, to let you get back up to the top with minimal effort! There will be no more Unstoppable Bates, there will be no more Ulitmate Badass, there will be no more mythical, career shattering Bates Boot! I am going to do the world a favor and stop this chain of the big, stupid, and destructive getting what they want. Tonight, Bates eats the fucking pin! And when I am done with you, I am going to continue my onslaught on the WCF and make them regret the days they spent ruining my fucking life...
The next words were enough to send a violent chill up my spine. It is one thing to see him say it in a video, it is another thing entirely to see him say it live and it has been so long since I heard them that it hit that much harder.
John Gable: I am King fucking Leukemia! I am the Cancer that Speaks! And I am going to kill this fucking giant!
After we stopped filming, he handed my the SD card and then took the camcorder and chucked it against the wall, sending it shattering into countless pieces.
John Gable: I am so fucking sick of cameras at this point!...
He then turned to me with an aggressive stare. I instinctively started backing up as he approached but I soon found my back against the wall. He was right in front of me with his fist clinched, breathing heavily through his nostrils, looking as if he was about to go nuclear...He raised his fist which made me close my eyes as my mind was thrown into a panic, afraid what he was about to do in this mental state. But when I opened my eyes again, his fist was against the wall, right by my head. His head was down and I could see tears dripping down to the ground. His voice broke through in a wavering lack of surety which was so unlike him even in his darkest hours.
John Gable: Who are you?...
I don't understand the question...
Lisa Seymour: Gable, it is me Lisa.
John Gable: I know. But who are you?! Are you someone who is going to stay by my side or are you going to be someone who is going to leave me like the rest. I am not the easiest person to work with...But I don't think I could do this alone right now...
I took a chance and I placed my hand against his cheek and lifted his head. His eyes were beyond red as I no longer saw a mental infection, a violation of dreams, a horrible animal filled with regressive hatred. I saw someone lost and confused. Someone who had been playing a character so long that he may just not know how to be a real human being...This is King Leukemia...
Lisa Seymour: I am not going to leave. I am going to stay by your side...
It came to mind to ask him what happened between him, Alexis and Humphrey but looking into his eyes, I knew this was not the time.
This is the role I have chosen to take. He might be King Leukemia but he needs someone. The only other person that could be there for him was no longer with us. She could no longer be there for him...When I learned about it, it was more than heart breaking...
When we found him, Hophni had directed me to a graveyard. This was more than nerve racking, considering my worries about Gable but Hophni assured me it was fine. We walked down a gravel path as a breeze came through and carried along the leaves that have already fallen this year. The whole graveyard was filled with the autumn colors of the red, oranges, yellows and so on. It might be morbid but I was completely swept up into the spirit of it while strolling through this land of the dead.
In the field of tombstones, sticking out among all the dead leaves and trees was Gable, sitting cross legged in front of a grave. I was about to call out for him but Hophni was quick to stop me. He shook his head and signaled me to stay back as he walked up to Gable 'til he was standing right next to him. Gable turned his head up to Hophni.
John Gable: How did you find me?...
Hophni replied to this with a knowing glance. Gable returned his eyes to the tombstone.
John Gable: Right... … ...I forgot she had passed away. I went to her house the Monday after slam, after everything had happened but she wasn't there...How could I forget something like that?
Hophni: You've been busy in a whirlwind...
John Gable: No excuse...not for someone like her. That is not something I should forget...
I slowly approached from behind. The closer I got, the most visible the headstone was until I stood behind Gable and could fully read the name in stone...: 'Amanda Sonnet'...
Lisa Seymour: Who was she?
John Gable: Someone who was too good for this world. She was someone I could count on even when everyone else had abandoned me. She was always there...
Hophni: In a perfect world, there'd be no bombs. In a perfect world, there'd be no songs...
Lisa Seymour: That's...
John Gable: It was a song she wrote. I used it...I will never forgive myself for not being there for her!
Gable dropped his head down in shame. I asked Hophni what he meant. He explained to me the whole situation of Amanda having stomach cancer and how it went mostly untreated. She spent her last days in the hospital and Gable had gotten it into his head that when she died, when he failed to be there because of his busy schedule, that she died in agony and utterly alone and Gable never forgave himself for abandoning the one person left who was there for him. She was also the inspiration behind 'Be kind, Rewind'...
I stared at the tombstone as Gable stood up and began down the gravel path. Hophni clasped my shoulder.
Hophni: You realize now that you are the only one that can be there for him?
Lisa Seymour: What about you?
Gable apparently heard us from a distance as he stopped but shortly after kept walking. Hophni replied as he continued to walk away.
Hophni: Something you need to learn about me is I don't stay somewhere very long. He needs someone who has the ability to stay by his side. Now c'mon, lets go...
Hophni let go of my shoulder then turned away and followed Gable down the path. All this had hit me like a brick. But I realized now the story of Gable and that I had a responsibility. What King Leukemia needed was a Queen...