The exercise:
Write about: the wrestler.
Spent most of the day with Max, as Kat had a client late morning and I generally hang out with him in the afternoon. We hung out with his cousin and aunt for a good portion of it, and also ran a couple errands in town.
Ridiculous how tired that's left me.
Mine:
I have a job to do and I do it well. Maybe it's not the greatest job in the world, but if you're only gonna be happy with that distinction then there's only one person on the whole planet with job satisfaction. The rest of us just gotta be okay with what we do to pay the bills I guess.
Some guys are paid to win. I'm paid to lose. I'm a jobber - I do the job for the guys the promoters decide need to win and look good doing it. I'm a little guy, so they usually stick me in there with their biggest guys. The seven footers. Sometimes the six foot six guys they bill as being seven feet tall.
They toss little old me all around the ring, looking all powerful and unstoppable like. My fight with them isn't the point. I'm there to build up their next fight, usually against some other big fella. Everybody knows I'm going to lose. The trick is to make the other guy look as awesome as possible in the few minutes we have together.
It's not like I've never won a match. Back when I was starting out I got my hand raised a time or two. But then I started losing and it just sorta... never stopped.
I'm getting on in years now. Maybe not in most professions, but this one ages you real quick like. The human body can only take so much punishment, even when it's "fake".
So, sure. I wouldn't mind one last win before I hang up my boots. But there ain't a promoter around who is going to pay me to beat anybody. There's no money in that. Sure, it would be a nice gesture, a big thank you for all the blood, sweat, and tears I've left in their rings. There's just one problem with that though.
This ain't the sort of industry that believes in nice gestures.
2 comments:
Well, it might have left you ridiculously tired, but you certainly produced a nicely detailed piece of writing for your prompt; with the depth of detail and the care of the prose it reminded me quite a lot of "A Fighting Chance". I think the second and third paragraphs were the two that really reinforce that impression, though the sentiments flow beautifully through the whole piece. The last line's a killer, too.
And I note you're still working on the comments too, catching up steadily. Nice work!
The wrestler
"'Ere, 'e can't come in 'ere," said Mad Coyote, Sixticton's undefeated wrestling champion. David paused for a moment, between the red-and-white elasticated ropes of the wrestling ring, and that proved to be a mistake. With a sudden twang they flipped, and David was tied up in there like WWF choreography. He mouthed the word "ouch" and untangled himself.
"The sign says all challengers are welcome," said Mr. Frincham. He and his class were stood at the side the ring watching. Some might have described the silent, wide-eyed children as spooky.
"Yeah, but no school-kids, like," said Mad Coyote. He stuck a finger in his ear and twisted it like a pool-player chalking his cue. Still like that, it squeaked.
"My name's David," said David, untangled at last. He stuck his hand out. "I'd like to challenge you, Mr....?"
"Goliath," said the wrestler uncertainly. "Look, you're too young. You're going to break like a snooker player."
"David versus Goliath!" said David. "There's a publicity sign for you."
"No slingshots," said Goliath quickly. If you were looking for it, there might have been a hint of movement amongst Mr. Frincham's class, as though they were concealing weaponry.
"David beat his whole wrestling class," said Mr. Frincham. "He wants to challenge you."
"Fine," said Goliath. "Someone get the kid a waiver so that he's got no come-back when I add three new right-angles to his spine. And someone get the kid insurance, living in a wheelchair for life gets expensive."
David smiled, and waited with the patience of someone who knows that the class that they came top of was actually the local Olympic squad.
Greg - yeah, this one came from too many years as a wrestling fan. I still follow it but I haven't actually watched it in ages.
I like this little twist on David and Goliath. The finger in the ear details were a nice addition, and I think I would be one of those who'd describe the surrounding children as spooky :)
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