Post by J-Hop on Aug 6, 2015 0:26:59 GMT -4
The New Breed
|| Monday August 3rd 2015 x Brooklyn, NY x ”Ben’s Restaurant & Bar”
It was a pretty solid day for the A/C to be on constant blast. Touching early nineties down in Brooklyn as I kept my dark tone inside the cool atmosphere of “Ben’s Restaurant & Bar” which was a medium-sized venue, mostly popular for all variety of sports, especially for Giants or Jets Football. Bills didn’t exist. With a platter of Hard Tortilla Chips and homemade Cheese dip sitting in front of me, my residence was here til’ time came for me to depart. Fresh off a huge event that was “Ante Up”, my work week wasn’t done yet. Oh no, there was still business on the table.
Darron sat across from me as he tried one too many times with attempts to sneak in his hands on my order. He had a Cheeseburger in front of him, that he ate halfway and he was reaching for my dish. Quick hands defense was what kept my eyes and focus off of the ESPN broadcast of “SportsCenter” on the big screen that hung on the spacious wall in front of me.
“Damn man, one chip? I can’t get one chip?” Darron held his hands up in wondering as I simply pointed to the burger in front of him.
“What about that burger there?”
He shook his head as he attended back to his meal as I cracked a smile, sliding my platter closer to me that was out of his long arm reach. I took a chip, diving hard into the “paint”, the thick cheese sauce as I took it up and down like a pro. No spills.
“You really don’t need that shit, Hops. You know we gotta head to Portland in a day or two!” He said, reminding of the obvious.
“Yeah I know and I’m prepared. Been prepared. My focus shifted right after “Ante Up”, homie. It’s that time to kick ass and take that check and cash it!”
“You fear the risk of spreading yourself too thin with doing this?” Darron asked, these tough, unneeded questions as he took a monstrous bite out of his burger, trying to chew casually.
I shook my head, sighing afterwards.
“I’m good, D! Trust ... If I ever get to that point, I know how to handle it. I won’t though. I’m smart about my body. Sure, I’m going to be about eighty percent come “Deception” but I can’t and won’t let it stop me. We’re getting this win!” I said, pretty much guaranteeing victory for what was going to be a tough battle.
“Shame what those fools did to the homegirl Arkia Fisk. I heard she from New Jerz!” Darron said as I nodded.
“Yeah she is. Seen her a couple times when I was at Juan’s old place. She’s a total badass! Just never get on her bad side ... You know, like Gooch and Gates did?”
Darron acted as if he was scribbling something down.
“Noted!”
“I fear for those two because what they committed to doing was awaking a sleeping beast. I never thought I’d see the day where a guy I respected and a guy who I once looked up to when I was on the come up in APW turned cheeks just like that. I never thought I’d see that on display, especially from Gooch. What happened to that good-hearted soul who always laughed and smiled, doing his thing as he gained fans all around and became something from nothing. He tasted success and fell in that trap like most do. Feel they can do anything they want, when they want.”
I shook my head as I held my hand up in the air to the nearby Waiter.
“It was supposed to be a great contest in which it was at points until I realized some odd instances in that match, especially during pin attempts. Gooch dressed as an official, I was expecting fairness, in which some cases, he was fair but as we all witnessed, it was a ploy to the end where, like savage dogs they set up Arkia and took her down to go off air leaving such a bad taste of Barbecue in our mouths. You two are going to pay for your actions this Friday night on Deception. I may not have the same brutal intentions that one Arkia Fisk may have, wanting to take both of you and deflate you with a ballpoint pen, but expect the exclusive trio of Sally Talfourd, Anthony Bailey, and Myself to do damage.”
The Waiter who had finished taking orders from the new faces that not long ago arrived, turned to see my hand up in the air as he made his way over.
“Yes Mr. Hopkins, what can I get for you?” He said, all prepared to write down.
“A refill on the Sprite? ... You know, they say we gotta obey our thirst.”
He laughed, nodding as he took my glass and walked off. Darron meanwhile just shook his head as he finished off what was left of his burger. I looked at him, awaiting a reason for his shaking head.
“What?” I asked.
“N-Nothing bruh.” He said, denying to answer.
“Nah ... What’s the deal?”
”That was so cheesy ... Obey your thirst!”
I shrugged my shoulders at Darron as I thought it was about something else. Closing my eyes and in turn shaking my head, I cleared my throat, continuing where I left off...
“So you two feel you are such badasses now, under the guidance of CJ Gates, you can proceed to walk over on anybody you choose, that being us as the first victims to you? A shitty two-on-one beatdown can’t really make you two a threat. The addition of Crusher Crenshaw, a great showing last week but he fell to Miss Sally Talfourd as he found himself already in a hole ... and now he has to team with you two to go against us three?”
I shook my head side to side as I cracked a grin.
“Luck is given but it won’t help you. CJ Gates, I can’t believe that the man I used to marvel at when I entered the fray turned to be this. Your accomplishments, I said one day I wanted to have those accolades and damn three years zoomed by faster than a Bugatti Veyron and it seems I’ve accomplished quite the list of things, including being a vital part of two solid terms as APW Tag Team Champs with Anthony Bailey and a term as APW Tap Out Champion. These past two shows. Deception and the Reunion Show, you’ve seen we still got our game strong as a tag team even after the layoff. Now to have an added bonus of a Hall of Famer, Sally Talfourd on our side in this match, I’m overjoyed. We are going to do great things as a unit and what we do this Friday is just the beginning to the awesomeness that will unfold.”
The waiter had come back with quickness, a quality that I admired, filled to the brim, a tall glass filled with Sprite. Giving him a handshake and a ten dollar tip, he nodded and walked off with something to smile about. You got to treat others like you want to be treated. First rule in the book.
“Bruh, he didn’t even check in with me over here to see if I needed assistance.” Darron said as he was stretched out across the “U-Shaped” Seat we were on.
“Well maybe that’s because you didn’t raise your damn hand?” I said, shrugging my shoulders.
He remained quiet as he went from his stretched-out position to sitting back upright. I placed my chin onto my hand as I rubbed the side of my face in the process, thinking of certain things that took place or was going to and then I thought about what occurred last week with me and Anthony’s opponents or should I say “Opponent” as it was one man fighting a battle.
“I need to deliver a shoutout to one man, Jac Gwyndlr, who last week showed balls, heart, and effort out in the ring. Under-manned, he still fought and competed and made it a hell of a battle, an interesting one. As a rook’, he showed the folks just who he was all about and that is a good thing. He earned respect for it and I hope for him, he continues showing off his skills and fighting with heart and effort. It will take him a long, long way possibly to the top. He’s got a matchup against another popular name in Rachel Elsworth. If he continues doing his thing, even more eyes will widen and folks will start noticing him. It’s a long, hard process that I had to endure. All have to endure in the early stages of their career. Again, appreciate the hard-fought battle last week!”
Taking a sip from the refilled glass, I tilted my head back as it cooled me off. It was hot, the A/C was doing as much as it could to serve all in the place but the heat was starting to be felt.
“APW, although a much different environment than I last remembered, it will rise to the greatest peak again. It’ll take time but with each passing week, we all as individuals will step up and make this company grow elite. A lot of new names, some new names that have been in the industry for quite the time with quite the resume get the chance to experience and at the same time help be a part of the company. It’s a great building block with what we have, especially the familiar faces that have come back. Sadly for the likes of Good Ole’ Gooch and CJ Gates, it won’t be great.”
“Man, between you, AB, and that chick Sally ... then to be dealt with by Arkia, that’s alotta fuckin’ Hell on their hands!” Darron spurted out as he chuckled afterwards.
“Alot of hell! From what I heard about Kia, ya’ll are marked men. All I’m saying!” I added with a shrug included as I continued sipping on the Sprite.
“What about Cre-Cren-Crusher...Crenshaw?” Darron said, trying desperately to get the man’s name out.
I laughed, a little too hard maybe as I shook my head.
“Yeah, Sally got a great match out of him. He came close but he knew in the end he couldn’t take the home girl out. She’s a legend. She is pretty much the Queen of APW. The Last Magician as well and everyone saw it when she put the man in his place when it mattered most. Some people call it a “clutch” skill in other districts. The same will occur Friday.”
“What about--“
“OH SNAP!!!”
A loud shout sending everyone in the small hotspot for a loop, a few teens came through the door as the lead man had looked right, in our direction as he obviously saw me in “chill mode” which really meant it was my time but I could never down folks who were the legs of support to my journey.
They rushed over, straight pass the other tables and folks as they reached their destination, my table. They had overlooked Darron as they eyed me, eyes glistening as they were ready to drop that infamous one-liner.
“Holy crap! You .. You’re Jair Hopkins!”
“In the flesh! What can I do for ya’ll!”
The kid smiled as he pulled out of his pocket, a heavily-worn old #TDB tee that was, I believe, the first edition of merchandise that was from Bailey, Williams and Myself. I nodded with a smile as the dude handed it to me. I marveled at it as it was pretty worn down but it was now more of a memorial piece, something hung up inside a plaque on the wall.
“I can definitely do that. Name?”
“Josiah Freeman!”
I nodded, smiling for a moment.
“Few additions and changes of letters and I’d be a fan of yours.”
Darron laughed, knowing I was referencing the beloved show “Boondocks”. The boys really didn’t catch it as I took the Sharpie I always started to carry around and signed my name on it with a nice message. I invested in two types of Sharpies. A black marker and a special white one for dark attires. Smart move. The kid had a wide smile on his face as his hands were shaking. The other one in the back stepped up with his phone out.
“Yo, is it cool if I can get a Selfie realll quick?” He asked, smile on his face.
I nodded, not knocking anything down as I was up for all requests. I got up as Darron followed suit. Not just the one kid, but all jumped in on the moment to get in the Selfie. All formed up one huge group as the dude snapped the photo. I threw up the infamous TDB hand sign as all went with success.
“NICCEEE!!!” He commented as he shook my hand, smiling wide as well.
The group went on off as they didn’t even bother to buy anything. Their day was made with this moment as it was just yet another solid deed in my personal deed account I had set up a long time, since the start of this journey.
“Damn kid, these folks light up when they see you around town. You are a damn hero to these kids!” Darron said as he went to sit back down.
“It’s crazy man. Reminds me a bit of how I was at times, running around town, local hot spots, hoping to catch famous faces for a signature or photo or something. I’m glad I can be a hero to them ... This city needs one.”
As I and Darron got comfortable again in our spots, we laughed a few times more before all had come to a fade.
