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Thursday, June 18, 2009

short story: the big show


Malcolm is laying back in his comfy cotton chair and sipping on his morning coffee looking out the front door staring at his 1980 Datsun. While cleaning off some coffee from his upper lip, Malcolm's thinking to himself if he would be able to get the old beast going to take his son, Martin to the Big Show. Born in 1978, the twelve year old is the middle aged father's pride and joy and looks forward to this huge wrestling event all year. Malcolm would feel bad if he wouldn't be able to take him to the live event. It's that engine, though he thought to himself. Why Today? Why now? As he was going to get his shoes on to start trying to fix the old clunker, he hears Martin's little footsteps walking down the hall.

"Good morning, Son" Malcolm says with the wide smile trying to hide the fact that their yearly day of wrestling fun might be canceled.

"Hey Dad!" Martin says gleefully as he reaches out to give his father a morning kiss and hug. "What time do you want to go? We are going right"

The Father didn't want to lie to his son. "We'll see. We hope so, son. We'll try our best. Ok?"

"OK, Dad. It doesn't matter but I would really love to go." The little tot says while hinting the he knows that they might not be heading downtown.

Martin heads to the kitchen to get some breakfast.

Meanwhile, Malcolm sneaks out to fix the car.

After breakfast little Martin runs up the stairs to the front door to see if his dad had solved the problem. He runs up to the front door window and places his face right up to the glass to leave an imprint of his nose and lips on the freshly cleaned glass. As he sneakingly pears out to the driveway looking at his father furiously working on his beat up automobile, he thinks to himself maybe this is the year they'll miss the Big Show. He felt bad for this father. Working so hard just for him. Martin goes over to the closet and picks up his size 5 sneakers and heads outside.

Martin runs up to his Dad bringing along his fathers jacket to give to him. He tells his Dad to put on his coat and if he could anything to help.

Malcolm tells his son to kneel down and put the flashlight right under there. He points to this huge black cylinder object forcing itself out from this other cylinder object which is coming from this square object. Martin didn't understand cars. Doesn't think he'd ever want to, but he tries to learn about it because he knows his fathers loves them. Working on cars all day is like Martin going to the Big Show.

It's his Dad's getaway.

Martin sits there pointing trying to understand his father's car lingo while trying to hand him the right tools. Martin's knowledge about cars is about as equal with his knowledge about tools but again, for the sake of his father, he listens like how his father listens to him when they talk about wrestling.


Before you know it, Malcolm's mother Linda comes out to check up on her two working men. "It's time for lunch. Want to take a break?"

The two didn't realize how much time had past. It felt like they were out there for just an hour at the most.

"Sure" said Malcolm as he places his tools down on the road underneath the Datsun and tells Martin "We'll take a crack at this again after a quick nap and lunch, son".

Martin smiles and rushes in to wash his hands.


A few hours later, the two reunite in the foyer and make out a gameplan on their next attack against the Big Project. They're sure they've got it this time.

As an hour flies by, the two talk about tonight's wrestling card and who will win and who should win, they chat about baseball, hockey, girls, food, the old times, music. Everything. They take breaks every once in a while, sit there taking sips of hot chocolate and enjoy the cool winter breeze. They get back to work.


Still Nothing.



As 6 o'clock rolls around they realize that it's a dead cause. It won't start. Nothing is going to happen. The car is dead and it'll need a professional.

Martin thinks about plan B. "Let's take a cab", he relays to his son crunched over brushing dirt and snow from his Hulk Hogan T-Shirt.

"It's OK, Dad. We don't have to go." Malcolm says contently. "This is all I needed. Some time with you. The Big Show was just a bonus. I just really wanted to spend time with you. I already got that just now."

Malcolm stares at his young son wondering where that sweet comment came from.

"How about we just take a walk to the video store and rent a few wrestling videos? That's good enough. Besides, We'll get the results tomorrow on the TV show.".

Still shocked by his son's statements, Malcolm bends down to help his son up from the ground and tells little Martin it's a plan as the pair walk in to clean up.

For the rest of the night, the father-son tag team sit on the couch and watch videos they've watched a million times before but every moment seems like they were there for the first time. Watching the Big Show live. But they both realize, however it's not the matches that they're for.

It's each other.


Happy Fathers Day.

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