Post by Jana Rikar on May 18, 2018 17:34:40 GMT
(FYI- Link to a Previous CD for Reference on this one - Connections and Legacy Thanks Jana)
"Legacy Reborn"
Forest Lawn Cemetery
Norfolk, Virginia
2:15 PM Thursday 5/17
The clouds still look ominous above the skies of Norfolk, a thunderstorm just passing through heading out to sea, but more on the western horizon. Vehicles driving along Granby Street and along I-64 are simply background noise as an umbrella is seen. The umbrella covers a small bench in front of a mausoleum, the name RICHARDS across the top. The umbrella shakes, forcing water off of it, then starts to close but opens back up quickly as the rain begins again and a laugh is heard from under the umbrella.
“Ok, Ok, I get it, Daddy. Don’t put the umbrella down yet!”
Jana Rikar sits on the bench under the umbrella, her hair slightly damp. Wearing a blue blouse, shorts, and sandals, she smiles, looking towards the mausoleum.
“I know it wasn’t the most glorious of debuts against Elena. I did manage to get a couple moves in before she tried to splatter my gray matter on the mat, but I did it. I went out there and can call myself a wrestler now.”
Jana shuffles her feet slightly.
“I know I’m gonna get better, and I know it’s gonna take some time, but you told me when I was little that I could do anything, and I did. I brought back Defiant for a short time. I married Lex, and now, I’m continuing the legacy of the Hill and Richards families. And I’m not even 21 til January.”
The rain starts to pour down harder, the wind picking up slightly as a crack of thunder is heard.
“Daddy! Ok, I won’t get the big head, I get it. Stay humble and earn your stripes. That’s what you and Todd and Uncle Vince and Uncle Jake did. It’s just been such a wild ride for the last year. I thought I lost everything after Defiant closed. I spent nearly everything in the trust, trying to bring back something that was better off shuttered. And I know it was foolhardy but I had to, for Mom, for Todd, for you. I just wanted to relive history, relive the good old days, when it was us on the road, seeing the world and learning. I missed it, after settling here and graduating from Norview with honors. But I learned so much more when we were in Singapore, Germany, Greece, India, and everywhere else. People think I’m all upper crust and such because I know words, but it’s the life experiences that have made me who I am, not some fancy words that I learned from a dictionary.”
The thunder rumbles loudly as Jana cringes, scrunching her eyes.
“Will you quit that!”
She laughs out loud as the thunder rolls through again, the rain pouring down harder now. Water puddles under her feet as she takes her sandals off, setting them behind of her to keep them dry. She looks around the cemetery, noticing that she’s the only one out in the middle of the storm.
“Seems like I’m all alone out here. But I’ve not been all alone on this journey, Daddy. Kaden’s been amazing in helping me train, though I’m not sure what’s going on with him now. He was supposed work with me on Monday but he’s gone AWOL. Samantha is upset that he’s not contacted her. And Caliee may have to face him in a match but still, something weird is going on. I can ‘feel’ it… and No, Daddy, it’s not because he’s my ex boyfriend. It’s sorta like when people thought I could see the future in my colorings, but different. Maybe I’m getting that second sight again, maybe I’m just thinking too much. Kaden did say not to think in the ring, to just let things flow and go.”
Jana sighs softly to herself for a second then perks up.
“And Lex has been wonderful. He’s been there in the ring and in the gym with me. And we meet so many people too. I mean just last week I met the band Alice in Chains, the guy with Letterman on the Late Show, and two other musicians that Lex knew, You probably knew them to, maybe. .. And OH… MY… GOD.. I met Keith Urban today!!! Lex brought him by the gym today and.. I looked horrible but he didn’t care.. Lex I mean.. I’m not sure if Keith did or not, but still, it’s just … Wow. Just Wow , ya know?”
The rain starts to slack up a bit as Jana looks down at her phone. She scrolls through for a few seconds and smiles, stopping a photo.
“I’m sure most people thinks it’s silly but I still keep a picture of you and me on my phone. Momma had it and scanned it and some of your old videos over to me so I could always keep it with me anywhere I went. You’re holding me in your hand so we’re looking eye to eye with each other, even though I was like 3 years old and you’re over 7 feet tall. Momma said you always watched over me when I was a baby. And I know you’re watching over me, in the ring, in the gym, and even now as it rains...”
The rain slowly subsides and stops as Jana smirks slightly.
“I wish I knew how you did that!”
She lowers the umbrella and looks over her shoulder as an ominous dark cloud heads towards her. Lightning crackles through the air and thunder rumbles loudly behind it quickly.
“Ok Daddy, I’ll see you when I get back from Pittsburgh. I Love You.”
She grabs her sandals and starts to walk way but she runs over to the door of the mausoleum, fishing something from her back pocket. She kisses it and places it on the door, slid behind a small plaque that reads-
JACK RICHARDS 10/18/1959 - 7/20/2003
Jana steps back, and the item, a small picture of her in her wrestling gear, is partially visible behind the plaque. She scampers away towards her car as the darkened skies fill with lightning again. The car lights flash as she reaches it, opening the door. Jana slides in the driver’s seat, closing the door as the bottom of the skies falls out. A rush of rain pours down as she starts the car, wiping the moisture from her face as the wind and rain makes the visibility impossible to see. The storm intensifies for a few minutes as she sits waiting, then slacks up as the storm pushes out over the coast. Jana looks up and smiles.
“That was close. Thanks Daddy.”
She pulls away from the parking lot, heading towards Granby Street as the storm breaks. A small glimmer of sunlight shines down through the clouds onto the mausoleum, a sparkle hitting her picture.
Collins Residence
Virginia Beach, Virginia
11:15 PM Thursday 5/17
With the high tide scheduled to come in, Jana and Lex Collins sit out of the beach in front of a small campfire, his arms wrapped around her.
“Time to make the magic happen.”
“Now? I thought that we…”
Jana looks over her shoulder at Lex, who simply closes his eyes, trying to hold back a laugh.
“OHHH! That Magic!”
Jana giggles and turns on her phone, holding it up to take a selfie.
“So my first match didn't go so well. But hey, it's a learning curve that I've got to catch up with. And I know that in nearly every match I'm going into, I'm the underdog. And that's going to be truthful for probably a good 3 to 6 months, maybe even a year. But I'm ready for that. I know that it's going to be rough. I know that it's going to be troublesome. I'm just happy right now that I'm not falling through the ropes like I did when I first started training.”
She giggles softly, reminding herself of the times when she DID fall through the ropes..
“So, my opponent, Jessalyn Hart, makes her debut in Pittsburgh against me. And it may be her WWH debut but it’s definitely not her first match in the biz. Not mine either, though it’s just my second.”
“Jessalyn, you've had a multitude of matches. You've been wrestling for quite a while and… frankly, you're really a lot like Elena. Not quite in style and substance but in attitude. Both of you don't care about what happens both of you enjoyed them selecting some pain. Both of you have a very high threshold. But that's something I can't worry about. So I'm not going to say that I'm going to come out here and I'm going to beat Jenna because, quite honestly, I don't know if I can… but I'm going to try because that's my job. I'm supposed to go out there and 1) give it my best and 2) do all that I can do try to win the match. But the bottom line is, what I have to do is basically survive. Survive and capitalize. And I'm not talking about you know making sure my I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed and keeping everybody on your P's and Q's. I'm talking about weathering the storm.”
A flash of heat lightning lights up the night sky but Jana doesn’t flinch.
“I’m talking about taking a few hits and getting back up. Being aggressive as much as I can without opening myself up to making a mistake. And ultimately, I've got to be ready to capitalize on when you make a mistake. And Jessalyn, you're going to make a mistake. Whether it's missing a move because I duck or completely mistiming something because I'm quicker than you thought it would be, or maybe me rolling out of the way. But in that small instant, that's the time that I've got to capitalize and I've got to use what knowledge and training I have to make a sustained offense, or even just hit the Feat of Destruction and see if I can get those 3 seconds that I need to get the win.”
Jana’s eyes stare into her phone.
“Jessalyn, it's going to be a tough match but I’ve got to extend it as long as I can because the longer it goes, the more chance I have to get the win. It's not going to be easy but I expect that. It's going to be painful but I expect that. But what you need to worry about, Jessalyn, is the unexpected. Because that's the one thing that I have going for me. Nobody expects me to win. Nobody expects me to survive. Nobody expects me to take advantage and capitalize to get those three seconds I need. Simply put, when you least expect it, you're going to fall. Take me lightly, and I’m gonna make you pay for it. Elena may have stomped my head into the mat, twice, but I got back up. I’m still here and I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. I’m looking for my first win and with it, my legacy will begin and my family's legacy will be reborn.”
Lex slowly stands, pulling Jana up with him as the waves encroach on the campfire.
“So until we meet in the ring in Pittsburgh, Jessalyn, The Time Bomb is gonna be waiting… Tick Tick Boom.”
Jana throws up the victory sign with her fingers.
“Be Well.”
The waves crash on the beach, dousing the campfire and sending the picture into darkness.