Post by Johnny Reb on Jul 5, 2010 11:38:32 GMT -5
Sometime later, in the early afternoon, Johnny walks out of his motel room. With his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, he hurries to the room next to his and begins to pound on the door with boyish enthusiasm.
Johnny: C’mon, Chuy! Let’s go! I wanna get there early!
It takes a few minutes, but the door opens slightly, and a wizened Hispanic face peeks out, accompanied by a drifting grayish haze.
Don Jesus: What the hell, Bernardo? You scared the shit outta me. What’s your hurry?
Johnny tries – and fails – to look apologetic.
Johnny: I just don’t wanna be late.
Jesus looks at him oddly and opens the door wider to allow him in.
Don Jesus: Ok, Bernardo. What’s this all about?
Reb allows himself to be ushered inside a room that is practically identical to his own. He’s practically bouncing up and down in anticipation.
Johnny: I… got a phone call today. From Dixie!
Chuy frowns, puzzled.
Don Jesus: Of course you did, Bernardo. You’re from the South, you get phone calls from there.
Grinning, Johnny shakes his head.
Johnny: No, no… Dixie Pride. My …old girlfriend… She’s comin’ to see me!
Jesus takes a deep breath and sits on the edge of the bed as he realizes who Reb is talking about. He knows all about Dixie Pride, and he is suddenly enveloped by a sense of foreboding.
Don Jesus: Isn’t she the girl who broke your heart and stole your rug?
Johnny falls silent and looks at his manager for a moment. It’s true. They’d had some problems in the past. Their budding careers had been, at the time, incompatible. And to be fair, Reb had kind of ignored her on occasion, in favor of advancing his own profession.
Johnny: Well, yeah… But that was a long time ago. We’re different people now.
Chuy raises an eyebrow and looks at him sharply.
Don Jesus: Are you?
The Inveterate Confederate is suddenly struck speechless. He gets the feeling that he just said something wrong, but he can’t quite figure out what it is.
Johnny: I… um. I think so?
As Jesus continues to stare at him, an unreadable expression on his face, Reb feels more and more uncomfortable with the subject at hand. Still, he tries again.
Johnny: Or… not?
Sighing, Chuy shakes his head slowly.
Don Jesus: Bernardo was right. You need to get laid. Your judgment’s all…
Unable to find the correct words in English, Jesus makes a gesture with his hands to indicate that his protégé’s judgment is questionable, at best. Johnny scowls.
Johnny: That ain’t what this is about. C’mon, Chuy. She’s just passin’ through. Gonna come see the show, an’ then we’re gonna maybe go out for dinner afterward. That’s all.
Chuy nods.
Don Jesus: Right. Just dinner. You have to admit, though… it’s kind of funny that she calls you now. When you have gold again.
Reb stares at his mentor in disbelief at what he’s implying. He goes on the defensive, wanting desperately to believe that Dixie is interested in him for other reasons.
Johnny: It ain’t like that! Besides, it was tryin’ to hang onto a title that broke us up in the first place!
Don Jesus: Ahhh…sometimes I forget how young you are, Bernardo. Come. Sit. Let me tell you a story.
Johnny drags a chair over and has a seat, facing Chuy. He’s heard dozens of the old man’s stories, and they rarely ever make any sense. Still, out of respect, he’s prepared to listen.
Don Jesus: A long time ago, Bernardo, I was a lucha. And, like you, I could fly. That was…before I found my true calling, you see. You don’t grow up wanting to be a curandero, not in this day and age…
Anyway, I was at a show in Tijuana, and I met this girl. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had big brown eyes, and huge…
Chuy grins and holds his hands in front of his chest to indicate a well-endowed young lady.
Don Jesus: We spent, like, a whole summer together, talking, laughing… she was amazing, Bernardo. And I was in love with her. I wanted to marry her. So I saved up the money I had, and I bought her a ring. Then I took her to the nicest restaurant I could afford – which was only a taco stand, but it was also the nicest restaurant in all Tijuana at the time…
Johnny’s attention is riveted on Chuy, now, captivated by the story.
Johnny: So, you proposed, and she said yes, right?
Jesus shakes his head sadly.
Don Jesus: That is not how it worked out, Bernardo. I spent the whole night trying to work up the nerve to ask. After dinner, she took me back to her place.
He pauses significantly, remembering that night in detail.
Don Jesus: We started making out… and that’s when I found out something very important, Bernardo.
Johnny: What?
Don Jesus: She was not a woman.
Reb looks distinctly uncomfortable with this revelation.
Johnny: Ugh! Why do you have to tell me things like that?
Don Jesus: So that you will learn, Bernardo. As soon as I realized what she was, I got the hell out of there. That girl broke my heart. You see?
Johnny: Yeah, but… Trust me, Dixie ain’t no dude.
Don Jesus: No. But she broke your heart once. She could do it again. You understand what I’m getting at, Bernardo?
Reb sighs heavily. He is torn. On the one hand, he wants nothing more than to have Dixie back in his life. On the other, he is wary of her potential to hurt him.
Johnny: Yeah, I get it. I’ll be careful. I just wanna see her again.
Chuy nods, satisfied that his long and mostly relevant tale had the desired impact.
Don Jesus: Good. You must let nothing distract you tonight. The girl is not as important as sending a message to your opponents.
Johnny: Oh, don’t worry about that, Chuy. KashVille might be the number one contenders for our tag titles, but I ain’t gonna let ‘em get the idea that me an’ Doc are pushovers. Tonight’s just a preview of things to come.
Don Jesus: That’s the right attitude, Bernardo. Just keep one thing in mind.
Johnny: What’s that?
Don Jesus: Cheese…is not an acceptable substitute for underwear…
Johnny: C’mon, Chuy! Let’s go! I wanna get there early!
It takes a few minutes, but the door opens slightly, and a wizened Hispanic face peeks out, accompanied by a drifting grayish haze.
Don Jesus: What the hell, Bernardo? You scared the shit outta me. What’s your hurry?
Johnny tries – and fails – to look apologetic.
Johnny: I just don’t wanna be late.
Jesus looks at him oddly and opens the door wider to allow him in.
Don Jesus: Ok, Bernardo. What’s this all about?
Reb allows himself to be ushered inside a room that is practically identical to his own. He’s practically bouncing up and down in anticipation.
Johnny: I… got a phone call today. From Dixie!
Chuy frowns, puzzled.
Don Jesus: Of course you did, Bernardo. You’re from the South, you get phone calls from there.
Grinning, Johnny shakes his head.
Johnny: No, no… Dixie Pride. My …old girlfriend… She’s comin’ to see me!
Jesus takes a deep breath and sits on the edge of the bed as he realizes who Reb is talking about. He knows all about Dixie Pride, and he is suddenly enveloped by a sense of foreboding.
Don Jesus: Isn’t she the girl who broke your heart and stole your rug?
Johnny falls silent and looks at his manager for a moment. It’s true. They’d had some problems in the past. Their budding careers had been, at the time, incompatible. And to be fair, Reb had kind of ignored her on occasion, in favor of advancing his own profession.
Johnny: Well, yeah… But that was a long time ago. We’re different people now.
Chuy raises an eyebrow and looks at him sharply.
Don Jesus: Are you?
The Inveterate Confederate is suddenly struck speechless. He gets the feeling that he just said something wrong, but he can’t quite figure out what it is.
Johnny: I… um. I think so?
As Jesus continues to stare at him, an unreadable expression on his face, Reb feels more and more uncomfortable with the subject at hand. Still, he tries again.
Johnny: Or… not?
Sighing, Chuy shakes his head slowly.
Don Jesus: Bernardo was right. You need to get laid. Your judgment’s all…
Unable to find the correct words in English, Jesus makes a gesture with his hands to indicate that his protégé’s judgment is questionable, at best. Johnny scowls.
Johnny: That ain’t what this is about. C’mon, Chuy. She’s just passin’ through. Gonna come see the show, an’ then we’re gonna maybe go out for dinner afterward. That’s all.
Chuy nods.
Don Jesus: Right. Just dinner. You have to admit, though… it’s kind of funny that she calls you now. When you have gold again.
Reb stares at his mentor in disbelief at what he’s implying. He goes on the defensive, wanting desperately to believe that Dixie is interested in him for other reasons.
Johnny: It ain’t like that! Besides, it was tryin’ to hang onto a title that broke us up in the first place!
Don Jesus: Ahhh…sometimes I forget how young you are, Bernardo. Come. Sit. Let me tell you a story.
Johnny drags a chair over and has a seat, facing Chuy. He’s heard dozens of the old man’s stories, and they rarely ever make any sense. Still, out of respect, he’s prepared to listen.
Don Jesus: A long time ago, Bernardo, I was a lucha. And, like you, I could fly. That was…before I found my true calling, you see. You don’t grow up wanting to be a curandero, not in this day and age…
Anyway, I was at a show in Tijuana, and I met this girl. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had big brown eyes, and huge…
Chuy grins and holds his hands in front of his chest to indicate a well-endowed young lady.
Don Jesus: We spent, like, a whole summer together, talking, laughing… she was amazing, Bernardo. And I was in love with her. I wanted to marry her. So I saved up the money I had, and I bought her a ring. Then I took her to the nicest restaurant I could afford – which was only a taco stand, but it was also the nicest restaurant in all Tijuana at the time…
Johnny’s attention is riveted on Chuy, now, captivated by the story.
Johnny: So, you proposed, and she said yes, right?
Jesus shakes his head sadly.
Don Jesus: That is not how it worked out, Bernardo. I spent the whole night trying to work up the nerve to ask. After dinner, she took me back to her place.
He pauses significantly, remembering that night in detail.
Don Jesus: We started making out… and that’s when I found out something very important, Bernardo.
Johnny: What?
Don Jesus: She was not a woman.
Reb looks distinctly uncomfortable with this revelation.
Johnny: Ugh! Why do you have to tell me things like that?
Don Jesus: So that you will learn, Bernardo. As soon as I realized what she was, I got the hell out of there. That girl broke my heart. You see?
Johnny: Yeah, but… Trust me, Dixie ain’t no dude.
Don Jesus: No. But she broke your heart once. She could do it again. You understand what I’m getting at, Bernardo?
Reb sighs heavily. He is torn. On the one hand, he wants nothing more than to have Dixie back in his life. On the other, he is wary of her potential to hurt him.
Johnny: Yeah, I get it. I’ll be careful. I just wanna see her again.
Chuy nods, satisfied that his long and mostly relevant tale had the desired impact.
Don Jesus: Good. You must let nothing distract you tonight. The girl is not as important as sending a message to your opponents.
Johnny: Oh, don’t worry about that, Chuy. KashVille might be the number one contenders for our tag titles, but I ain’t gonna let ‘em get the idea that me an’ Doc are pushovers. Tonight’s just a preview of things to come.
Don Jesus: That’s the right attitude, Bernardo. Just keep one thing in mind.
Johnny: What’s that?
Don Jesus: Cheese…is not an acceptable substitute for underwear…
