Post by Xavier Lux on Nov 21, 2022 21:07:41 GMT -5
Los Angeles, California – Thanksgiving Day, 1993. A young Xavier Lux, about eight years old, sits at a small kitchen table with his mom, a full meal laid out on the table freshly made, or rather, picked up from Boston Market chicken, or in this case, Turkey with a side of mac & cheese and French fries. She would love to cook a full meal for her son, complete with his favorite pie, pecan, for desert but the truth of the matter is she had to work this morning, and the night before, and soon she’ll have to go to work again. So, this and a pack of Oreos with a 20-ounce Cherry coke will have to do. Xavier doesn’t complain, and he is ready to enjoy his meal, grabbing his plastic fork, ready to stab the turkey when his mom slaps his hand away playfully.
“First we say grace.” she tells him softly.
“Oh, right!” He says excitedly as he puts the fork down and then puts his hands together in prayer, resting his forehead against them and closing his eyes. His mom says a small prayer, but before saying amen, she looks towards Xavier.
“Your turn son, you know the rules, what are three things you are thankful for this year?”
He opens his eyes and breaks his hands apart, and then grabs his mom’s hand who had extended hers in anticipation. He thinks on it for a moment before answering.
“Let’s see, I’m thankful for you of course Mom and all you do for me…” She miles.
“I’m thankful for the wrestling figures you got me…” She laughs while rolling her eyes.
“Boy, get serious.”
“I am! They’re so awesome! The arms move up and down and the legs kind of turn, the ones you got me before, didn’t move at all!”
“Xavi…”
“Okay, okay. I’m thankful for… baby Jesus?”
“Well, it’s not Christmas yet but I’m sure he likes that. Last one…”
“This is hard ma….”
“You can do it…”
He thinks on it, his facial expression changing multiple times to show his mom he is really making an effort. His eyes then light up as he answers.
“Scorpion! I’m thankful for Scorpion!”
Her smile is swept away, ‘not again’ she whispers to herself.
“Why?” She asks concerned. “I told you to stop watching that stuff, it's not good for you.”
“But Mom, he’s the best! He’s my hero! He’s so cool.”
“There has got to be something else you are thankful for instead of a man you don’t even know.”
“But I do know him! I know everything about him! Plus, he’s the best wrestler ever, that’s all I really need to know! AH-men! Can we eat now?”
She sighs deeply.. “Sure” she says, and Xavier begins to dig in. She watches him tear-eyed, the more she hopes he will outgrow wrestling, and that… man… The more he seems to embrace them.
“You’re going to be a wrestler when you grow up aren’t you Xavi?” She asks, already knowing the answer.
“Of course, I am!” He says with a mouthful. Once he swallows, he continues. “I’m going to be the best! I’m going to earn lots of money and buy all kinds of stuff for you and me… “
“Oh yeah?” She questions him, amused once again. “What kind of stuff?”
“I don’t know, like a big house for you and me to live in… with a big pool… Lots of clothes, lots of cars… ooh, by then they’ll probably have those cars that can fly and like teleport and stuff. I’m going to have one of those, you watch!”
“A car that can fly and teleport?” She asks giving him a look. “Boy you crazy.”
“Yeah! Like Back to the Future, but better!”
He goes back to eating and she watches, she loves him, no matter how hard it has been to raise him and how much harder it’s going to get. She’ll do what she can to raise him right, so he doesn’t need anything and so that he can achieve all his dreams, even if it means becoming a wrestler, like his hero… Like the father he doesn’t know… Like the father that doesn’t know him… All one of the same.
=X=
Miami, Florida – Thanksgiving Day 2022. Xavier, his current self, sits at the end of a large mahogany table, all by himself, with a meal fit for a king placed in front of him. He is in the large dining room of his home in Miami, Florida. Normally he spends Thanksgiving in his come in Los Angeles but that is still being rebuilt. Across from him is the filming crew for the World Series of Wrestling, comprised of a couple of cameramen, the director, an assistant and the butler and chef hired for the night. There are two plates served, one for him and one for…
“Wish you were here ma’…” He says, and then says a prayer, almost word for word, like his mom used to pray. He then looks at the meal in front of him and sighs… He then grabs the glass to his right and drinks a little bit of the clear liquid in it. Water. He puts it down and acts like it is the most disgusting thing he has ever drunk before. He then looks up at the camera right across from him and takes another deep breath. He exhales.
“Three things I’m thankful for… Over the years I have become a very bitter man, if you’ve been watching this show you know that is mainly thanks to my relationship, or lack thereof, with my now deceased father but also what I see as a year of struggles in XWF. Others may see it as an okay career so far but when you are used to greatness, mediocrity is not an option.”
“But in the WSOW, by reliving my past, facing the memory of my father and my anger towards him, my bitterness, but also remembering the face of my mother, I have grown. Or at least I feel like I have.”
“So, when thinking about what or who I am thankful for, that is who I will begin with… my mother.”
“I’ve recently visited her grave, thanks to a ‘friendly’ reminder from my Godfather, and good friend, Paco… He reminded me that she is the one my focus should be on and he’s right… She was the one that was always there for me… So, when I visited her site two weeks ago, I had not drunk since getting cleaned up for the ‘day in the life of’ special. So, I stood there, in front of her tombstone, sober… I began by apologizing, for not visiting her site in a while… and I guess the reason, though I didn’t say this then, is that the pain is still too much. I lost her too soon, she was my rock, and when she went, I simply wasn’t ready. Like I’ve mentioned before here, my father wasn’t there for me either, so that just made it worst. Took me years to recover, and if I go there, the pain of not having her outweighs the good memories… But I told her, first and foremost, thank you for all she did… Her effort, as a single mother, was never lost on me… Leaving the life she had lived behind to take care of a child she wasn’t ready for, or even want, couldn’t have been easy… I told her that I hoped I showed her enough when she was alive that I appreciated it all… I apologized, because like I said, after her passing, I turned even more bitter, and let my hatred for my father consume me.. Consume the love I have for her. Lastly I told her, that ended that day, I was moving on… If the WSOW had done anything for me, is help me get through that stage of my life… and with Paco’s help of course, I’m focusing instead of filling my heart with her memories, with her love outweighing the pain now.”
He drinks some more water again and even though he seems a bit tear eyed, he keeps it together and continues.
“Second, I am thankful for my Godfather… and former manager, nah screw that, he is still my manager, inside but more importantly, outside of the ring. Paco, so thankful to you… If anything, he filled the void left by the father I always wanted. He’s been there with me since I was a teenage boy with a wrestling dream. He was there when I won my first official match, my first tournament, my first title but probably more important, my first loss… He was there during my 11-year absence from the sport I love, and when I returned, he was there… When I won my first tag team gold ever last year, he was there… When I won the World Championship that my father had won in what he called his home promotion, again last year, he was there… He helped mold me into the wrestler I became, and while I may not have become yet the man he wants me to be, I can be man enough to accept that and know I am a work in progress and that’s a start. Plus, he has assured me that becoming that man doesn’t mean giving up drinking, just managing it… So sorry Peter, I’m not quitting, it’s not happening; I will continue to borrow your ranch to sober up. Ha.”
Xavier calls for the butler and he rushes over, Xavier tells him he can’t drink any more water and to bring him a glass of wine, any kind… He’s not a wine drinker but anything is better than water. The butler rushes off and less than a minute later he is back and tries to show the bottle to Xavier, but he tells him he doesn’t care and just to serve it. He does and Xavier gulps it down with a quickness. He then asks for a refill but doesn’t touch it.
“Better. Third, I am thankful for you guys filming this, the World Series of Wresting, This-is-Awesome promotions, and the man behind it all, “The Sauce Boss” Tim Applesauce… We’ve never met before this, but thanks to him and everyone behind the decision to give me a golden ticket. I am in XWF, and I think the person there had to earn it or fight for it or likely just handpick by the management… Whatever the reason, I knew I wouldn’t get one from them… But it’s cool, is not like I was looking for it because I was of the frame of mind then, due to my struggles, that I wasn’t good enough. But you came to me directly instead and asked, so thank you.”
“Thank you for inviting me to this event? Sure. But more for forcing me to step out of my comfort zone and join this competition against 64 of the best wrestlers the world has to offer today.”
“For asking me not only who I am but who I want to be. I’ve been to a few places in the last couple of years, and all ask for a “bio…” But you asked for more than that, you asked us to hold nothing back and really tell us who we are on the inside and out. To put it all on the table for the world to see and not care about the judging eyes.”
“For asking me who I would want to face if I could face anyone, alive or dead which forced me to realize the only person I ever really wanted to face was my father once and for all and once I picked him, I let it all out.”
“For forcing me to open myself up and let people, complete strangers, into what is like to live a day in my life… A good day, not the bad ones… but thanks to this event, the bad ones are beginning to be outweighed by the good ones.”
“For asking me to do this for no one else but me.”
“For these things, and more, I am thankful ma’. Amen.”
Xavier smiles, which is something he rarely did, but lately he is being doing it a lot more. He grabs the glass of wine and drinks. The assistant yells cut, and the producer and cameramen applaud. Xavier looks up.
“Got what you wanted?” They nod happily.
“Good, now get the fuck out.” He says this as the smile disappears just as quickly as it appeared. All of them look at each other astonished, wondering if he just said what they think he said and not knowing what to do.
“I’m just kidding, come on, let’s eat, not going to eat this whole meal by myself. Move your asses.”
They breathe a sigh of relief and quickly put down the equipment and join him for the meal.
=X=
The next morning, Xavier is on the outside of his house with a puzzled look on his face. He is standing by his three-car garage, decked in a black CCPE tank-top, sweat shorts and sports sandals. In front of him, it’s the brand new, ONE OF A KIND, 2023 Kayfabe Airlines "Axtgriff" Sports Utility Concept EV. It is not sitting on the ground but on the bed of an 18-wheeler, with a custom WSOW custom paint job. The 18-wheeler, not the Axtgriff, that has its own custom paint, but we aren’t sure if that is what has Xavier puzzled. The filming crew is already rolling, catching his reaction, and a WSOW official is next to him, ready to answer any questions he may have.
“So, you are telling me, that I can win this?”
“Absolutely.”
“And if I do, can I get it in the color I want?”
“Um, no. This is a one-of-a-kind vehicle, this is the one, if you win it, you’ll win it as is.”
“But if I do win it, I can then give it a paint job, right?”
“I mean, I guess so, it’ll be yours. Though we would probably need to double check that, and we need to make sure that the World Series of Wrestling and Kayfabe Airlines logos are still there somewhere as well as This-is-Awesome Promotions logo.”
“Right.”
“You should be excited, aren’t you excited?! I mean this could be parked into one of your garages behind you!”
“Um, well, about that that.”
He pulls out his phone and opens his security app and then opens the garage doors, all three of them. Behind door number you see a 1957 Harley Davidson Roadster, sequoia green in color, fully restored and looking amazing. Behind door number two a 1969 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, Brewster green in color, also in amazing condition. Behind door number three is the original Hummer, from 1992 and this monster is all black in color, and so massive looking that it makes the Axtgriff look like a Hot-Wheels toy. The official looks at all three vehicles with absolute amazement.
“I think I’m good here.”
“Well, um, yeah, I can see that… But can any of them teleport you anywhere and any when you want?”
“Say, what now? Like the DeLorean in Back to the Future? ”
“Um, well not quite, you see-“
But before she can answer he hops on the bed of the truck and then walks up to the vehicle and the doors magically open.
“Wait Xavier, please be careful! Do not touch the panel in the middle.”
She is calling for the driver and the other assistants to go help him, and by helping she means get him out of the car.
“You mean this panel right here?”
“Yes, please, this vehicle is just for show! We need to go show it to the other competitors!”
Both the driver and the assistants get up on the bed of the truck and are heading for the Axtgriff when suddenly the doors close inwards and a few humming sounds are heard, like a jet engine starting, and just as they get to it, it disappears. They all look at each other with a ‘what just happened’ look. They then look at the WSOW official who is too stunned to speak.
=X=
EL Paso, Texas – Thanksgiving Day, again, 2022. It’s nighttime and the Axtgriff is parked just outside of Paco’s home. There are number of cars parked and a “fiesta” can definitely be heard being had inside. Xavier Lux is standing at the door, no longer wearing what he was wearing when he stole-err-borrowed the Axtgriff. Instead, he wears nice black dress pants, tan colored dress shoes and a gray button up long sleeve shirt. In one hand he holds a bottle of expensive looking champagne and on the other a pie of sorts picked up from Paco’s favorite Latin bakery. He looks to be hesitating and appears to be working on his breathing but finally finds the courage to ring the doorbell. No one answers though and he rings it again… After a few moments the music gets turned down and then someone is heard approaching. The door gets opened and there is Paco who is taken back by seeing Xavier at his door.
“Xavier? Mi’jo, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
“Hey borracho, visiting you of course. Yeah, everything is fine.”
“Lux, you never visit me. Ever, what happened? You’re supposed to be in Miami with those World Series of Wrestling folks.”
“I was, then just had another breakthrough and was introduced to a new shinny toy that could possibly be mine so I thought I would test it… and here I am…”
Paco looks at him beyond confused.
“Look, godfather.. Every year you invite me to Thanksgiving, and I say no…. You invite me to ‘day of the day’, and I say no, including this year… Thought I would mix it up and say yes for a change… If you would still have me of course.”
Paco’s eyes light up like a turkey tree, hey, it isn’t Christmas after all despite how much this is starting to sound a lot like A Christmas’ Carol.
“Of course mi’jo! Of course! VIEJA, come here, look who’s here!”
Paco calls his wife but instead it’s his nephew who comes, Giovanni Santana, aka “Cholo”.
“PELON?! What the hell are you doing here?! You hate people!”
“Alright, maybe this was a bad idea-”
“Ah relax amargado, just messing with you! How you get here? Could have called us to pick you up at the airport.”
“Oh, I didn’t take a plane… I came in that..”
Xavier nods to the Axtgriff and Cholo looks at the amazing looking vehicle and his eyes grow wide.
“Dude that ride is sick!! AND I LOVE THE COLOR! Can I take it for a spin?!”
“Absolutely not.”
Paco puts his arms around Lux and takes him inside to meet the rest of the family. Cholo makes sure they are gone and then sneaks out of the house.
“Oh I’m taking it for a spin, simon que si!”
=X=
=X=
Fin
=X=
=X=
Post Credit scene:
Back in Miami, a day ahead, the WSOW official is on the phone desperately talking to someone on the other end, not knowing what to do. The driver and assistants are just sitting on the edge of the truck’s bed, waiting. Just then the Axtgriff re-appears and all three jump back scared. The assistant thanks the man upstairs and quickly puts the phone away.
“Oh my God! You’re back! Thank you Xavier, you have no idea the sort of trouble I would have been in! Please come out so we can take it to the next contestant!”
The doors swing open and out steps… Cholo! With a huge smile on his face, he looks around recognizing Xavier’s home and his fancy toys. He hops down and comes face to face with the WSOW official.
“Who the hell are you? Where is Xavier?!”
“Hola mamacita! He sends his regards, and he says, he’ll take it!”
“He’ll take what?!”
“That purple beauty behind me! No matter the price, he’ll buy it!”
“It’s not for sale! It’s a prize and he was supposed to tell me why he thinks he deserves to win it!”
“Ah well, he said, he deserves to win it because he is a man of charity, like me and when he wins it he will donate the vehicle to charity so many unfortunate people, mainly me, can take the advantage of the amazing features this vehicle has to offer. I mean have you taken it to space? It handles amazingly in Mars!”
“What? YOU, WHAT?! That’s not possible, I don’t have time for this, let’s go!”
She motions for everyone to wrap it up and get out of there as Cholo simply laughs… He then turns his attention to Xavier’s vehicles and smiles.
“Alright amigos, who’s next?”
=X=
“First we say grace.” she tells him softly.
“Oh, right!” He says excitedly as he puts the fork down and then puts his hands together in prayer, resting his forehead against them and closing his eyes. His mom says a small prayer, but before saying amen, she looks towards Xavier.
“Your turn son, you know the rules, what are three things you are thankful for this year?”
He opens his eyes and breaks his hands apart, and then grabs his mom’s hand who had extended hers in anticipation. He thinks on it for a moment before answering.
“Let’s see, I’m thankful for you of course Mom and all you do for me…” She miles.
“I’m thankful for the wrestling figures you got me…” She laughs while rolling her eyes.
“Boy, get serious.”
“I am! They’re so awesome! The arms move up and down and the legs kind of turn, the ones you got me before, didn’t move at all!”
“Xavi…”
“Okay, okay. I’m thankful for… baby Jesus?”
“Well, it’s not Christmas yet but I’m sure he likes that. Last one…”
“This is hard ma….”
“You can do it…”
He thinks on it, his facial expression changing multiple times to show his mom he is really making an effort. His eyes then light up as he answers.
“Scorpion! I’m thankful for Scorpion!”
Her smile is swept away, ‘not again’ she whispers to herself.
“Why?” She asks concerned. “I told you to stop watching that stuff, it's not good for you.”
“But Mom, he’s the best! He’s my hero! He’s so cool.”
“There has got to be something else you are thankful for instead of a man you don’t even know.”
“But I do know him! I know everything about him! Plus, he’s the best wrestler ever, that’s all I really need to know! AH-men! Can we eat now?”
She sighs deeply.. “Sure” she says, and Xavier begins to dig in. She watches him tear-eyed, the more she hopes he will outgrow wrestling, and that… man… The more he seems to embrace them.
“You’re going to be a wrestler when you grow up aren’t you Xavi?” She asks, already knowing the answer.
“Of course, I am!” He says with a mouthful. Once he swallows, he continues. “I’m going to be the best! I’m going to earn lots of money and buy all kinds of stuff for you and me… “
“Oh yeah?” She questions him, amused once again. “What kind of stuff?”
“I don’t know, like a big house for you and me to live in… with a big pool… Lots of clothes, lots of cars… ooh, by then they’ll probably have those cars that can fly and like teleport and stuff. I’m going to have one of those, you watch!”
“A car that can fly and teleport?” She asks giving him a look. “Boy you crazy.”
“Yeah! Like Back to the Future, but better!”
He goes back to eating and she watches, she loves him, no matter how hard it has been to raise him and how much harder it’s going to get. She’ll do what she can to raise him right, so he doesn’t need anything and so that he can achieve all his dreams, even if it means becoming a wrestler, like his hero… Like the father he doesn’t know… Like the father that doesn’t know him… All one of the same.
=X=
Miami, Florida – Thanksgiving Day 2022. Xavier, his current self, sits at the end of a large mahogany table, all by himself, with a meal fit for a king placed in front of him. He is in the large dining room of his home in Miami, Florida. Normally he spends Thanksgiving in his come in Los Angeles but that is still being rebuilt. Across from him is the filming crew for the World Series of Wrestling, comprised of a couple of cameramen, the director, an assistant and the butler and chef hired for the night. There are two plates served, one for him and one for…
“Wish you were here ma’…” He says, and then says a prayer, almost word for word, like his mom used to pray. He then looks at the meal in front of him and sighs… He then grabs the glass to his right and drinks a little bit of the clear liquid in it. Water. He puts it down and acts like it is the most disgusting thing he has ever drunk before. He then looks up at the camera right across from him and takes another deep breath. He exhales.
“Three things I’m thankful for… Over the years I have become a very bitter man, if you’ve been watching this show you know that is mainly thanks to my relationship, or lack thereof, with my now deceased father but also what I see as a year of struggles in XWF. Others may see it as an okay career so far but when you are used to greatness, mediocrity is not an option.”
“But in the WSOW, by reliving my past, facing the memory of my father and my anger towards him, my bitterness, but also remembering the face of my mother, I have grown. Or at least I feel like I have.”
“So, when thinking about what or who I am thankful for, that is who I will begin with… my mother.”
“I’ve recently visited her grave, thanks to a ‘friendly’ reminder from my Godfather, and good friend, Paco… He reminded me that she is the one my focus should be on and he’s right… She was the one that was always there for me… So, when I visited her site two weeks ago, I had not drunk since getting cleaned up for the ‘day in the life of’ special. So, I stood there, in front of her tombstone, sober… I began by apologizing, for not visiting her site in a while… and I guess the reason, though I didn’t say this then, is that the pain is still too much. I lost her too soon, she was my rock, and when she went, I simply wasn’t ready. Like I’ve mentioned before here, my father wasn’t there for me either, so that just made it worst. Took me years to recover, and if I go there, the pain of not having her outweighs the good memories… But I told her, first and foremost, thank you for all she did… Her effort, as a single mother, was never lost on me… Leaving the life she had lived behind to take care of a child she wasn’t ready for, or even want, couldn’t have been easy… I told her that I hoped I showed her enough when she was alive that I appreciated it all… I apologized, because like I said, after her passing, I turned even more bitter, and let my hatred for my father consume me.. Consume the love I have for her. Lastly I told her, that ended that day, I was moving on… If the WSOW had done anything for me, is help me get through that stage of my life… and with Paco’s help of course, I’m focusing instead of filling my heart with her memories, with her love outweighing the pain now.”
He drinks some more water again and even though he seems a bit tear eyed, he keeps it together and continues.
“Second, I am thankful for my Godfather… and former manager, nah screw that, he is still my manager, inside but more importantly, outside of the ring. Paco, so thankful to you… If anything, he filled the void left by the father I always wanted. He’s been there with me since I was a teenage boy with a wrestling dream. He was there when I won my first official match, my first tournament, my first title but probably more important, my first loss… He was there during my 11-year absence from the sport I love, and when I returned, he was there… When I won my first tag team gold ever last year, he was there… When I won the World Championship that my father had won in what he called his home promotion, again last year, he was there… He helped mold me into the wrestler I became, and while I may not have become yet the man he wants me to be, I can be man enough to accept that and know I am a work in progress and that’s a start. Plus, he has assured me that becoming that man doesn’t mean giving up drinking, just managing it… So sorry Peter, I’m not quitting, it’s not happening; I will continue to borrow your ranch to sober up. Ha.”
Xavier calls for the butler and he rushes over, Xavier tells him he can’t drink any more water and to bring him a glass of wine, any kind… He’s not a wine drinker but anything is better than water. The butler rushes off and less than a minute later he is back and tries to show the bottle to Xavier, but he tells him he doesn’t care and just to serve it. He does and Xavier gulps it down with a quickness. He then asks for a refill but doesn’t touch it.
“Better. Third, I am thankful for you guys filming this, the World Series of Wresting, This-is-Awesome promotions, and the man behind it all, “The Sauce Boss” Tim Applesauce… We’ve never met before this, but thanks to him and everyone behind the decision to give me a golden ticket. I am in XWF, and I think the person there had to earn it or fight for it or likely just handpick by the management… Whatever the reason, I knew I wouldn’t get one from them… But it’s cool, is not like I was looking for it because I was of the frame of mind then, due to my struggles, that I wasn’t good enough. But you came to me directly instead and asked, so thank you.”
“Thank you for inviting me to this event? Sure. But more for forcing me to step out of my comfort zone and join this competition against 64 of the best wrestlers the world has to offer today.”
“For asking me not only who I am but who I want to be. I’ve been to a few places in the last couple of years, and all ask for a “bio…” But you asked for more than that, you asked us to hold nothing back and really tell us who we are on the inside and out. To put it all on the table for the world to see and not care about the judging eyes.”
“For asking me who I would want to face if I could face anyone, alive or dead which forced me to realize the only person I ever really wanted to face was my father once and for all and once I picked him, I let it all out.”
“For forcing me to open myself up and let people, complete strangers, into what is like to live a day in my life… A good day, not the bad ones… but thanks to this event, the bad ones are beginning to be outweighed by the good ones.”
“For asking me to do this for no one else but me.”
“For these things, and more, I am thankful ma’. Amen.”
Xavier smiles, which is something he rarely did, but lately he is being doing it a lot more. He grabs the glass of wine and drinks. The assistant yells cut, and the producer and cameramen applaud. Xavier looks up.
“Got what you wanted?” They nod happily.
“Good, now get the fuck out.” He says this as the smile disappears just as quickly as it appeared. All of them look at each other astonished, wondering if he just said what they think he said and not knowing what to do.
“I’m just kidding, come on, let’s eat, not going to eat this whole meal by myself. Move your asses.”
They breathe a sigh of relief and quickly put down the equipment and join him for the meal.
=X=
The next morning, Xavier is on the outside of his house with a puzzled look on his face. He is standing by his three-car garage, decked in a black CCPE tank-top, sweat shorts and sports sandals. In front of him, it’s the brand new, ONE OF A KIND, 2023 Kayfabe Airlines "Axtgriff" Sports Utility Concept EV. It is not sitting on the ground but on the bed of an 18-wheeler, with a custom WSOW custom paint job. The 18-wheeler, not the Axtgriff, that has its own custom paint, but we aren’t sure if that is what has Xavier puzzled. The filming crew is already rolling, catching his reaction, and a WSOW official is next to him, ready to answer any questions he may have.
“So, you are telling me, that I can win this?”
“Absolutely.”
“And if I do, can I get it in the color I want?”
“Um, no. This is a one-of-a-kind vehicle, this is the one, if you win it, you’ll win it as is.”
“But if I do win it, I can then give it a paint job, right?”
“I mean, I guess so, it’ll be yours. Though we would probably need to double check that, and we need to make sure that the World Series of Wrestling and Kayfabe Airlines logos are still there somewhere as well as This-is-Awesome Promotions logo.”
“Right.”
“You should be excited, aren’t you excited?! I mean this could be parked into one of your garages behind you!”
“Um, well, about that that.”
He pulls out his phone and opens his security app and then opens the garage doors, all three of them. Behind door number you see a 1957 Harley Davidson Roadster, sequoia green in color, fully restored and looking amazing. Behind door number two a 1969 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, Brewster green in color, also in amazing condition. Behind door number three is the original Hummer, from 1992 and this monster is all black in color, and so massive looking that it makes the Axtgriff look like a Hot-Wheels toy. The official looks at all three vehicles with absolute amazement.
“I think I’m good here.”
“Well, um, yeah, I can see that… But can any of them teleport you anywhere and any when you want?”
“Say, what now? Like the DeLorean in Back to the Future? ”
“Um, well not quite, you see-“
But before she can answer he hops on the bed of the truck and then walks up to the vehicle and the doors magically open.
“Wait Xavier, please be careful! Do not touch the panel in the middle.”
She is calling for the driver and the other assistants to go help him, and by helping she means get him out of the car.
“You mean this panel right here?”
“Yes, please, this vehicle is just for show! We need to go show it to the other competitors!”
Both the driver and the assistants get up on the bed of the truck and are heading for the Axtgriff when suddenly the doors close inwards and a few humming sounds are heard, like a jet engine starting, and just as they get to it, it disappears. They all look at each other with a ‘what just happened’ look. They then look at the WSOW official who is too stunned to speak.
=X=
EL Paso, Texas – Thanksgiving Day, again, 2022. It’s nighttime and the Axtgriff is parked just outside of Paco’s home. There are number of cars parked and a “fiesta” can definitely be heard being had inside. Xavier Lux is standing at the door, no longer wearing what he was wearing when he stole-err-borrowed the Axtgriff. Instead, he wears nice black dress pants, tan colored dress shoes and a gray button up long sleeve shirt. In one hand he holds a bottle of expensive looking champagne and on the other a pie of sorts picked up from Paco’s favorite Latin bakery. He looks to be hesitating and appears to be working on his breathing but finally finds the courage to ring the doorbell. No one answers though and he rings it again… After a few moments the music gets turned down and then someone is heard approaching. The door gets opened and there is Paco who is taken back by seeing Xavier at his door.
“Xavier? Mi’jo, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
“Hey borracho, visiting you of course. Yeah, everything is fine.”
“Lux, you never visit me. Ever, what happened? You’re supposed to be in Miami with those World Series of Wrestling folks.”
“I was, then just had another breakthrough and was introduced to a new shinny toy that could possibly be mine so I thought I would test it… and here I am…”
Paco looks at him beyond confused.
“Look, godfather.. Every year you invite me to Thanksgiving, and I say no…. You invite me to ‘day of the day’, and I say no, including this year… Thought I would mix it up and say yes for a change… If you would still have me of course.”
Paco’s eyes light up like a turkey tree, hey, it isn’t Christmas after all despite how much this is starting to sound a lot like A Christmas’ Carol.
“Of course mi’jo! Of course! VIEJA, come here, look who’s here!”
Paco calls his wife but instead it’s his nephew who comes, Giovanni Santana, aka “Cholo”.
“PELON?! What the hell are you doing here?! You hate people!”
“Alright, maybe this was a bad idea-”
“Ah relax amargado, just messing with you! How you get here? Could have called us to pick you up at the airport.”
“Oh, I didn’t take a plane… I came in that..”
Xavier nods to the Axtgriff and Cholo looks at the amazing looking vehicle and his eyes grow wide.
“Dude that ride is sick!! AND I LOVE THE COLOR! Can I take it for a spin?!”
“Absolutely not.”
Paco puts his arms around Lux and takes him inside to meet the rest of the family. Cholo makes sure they are gone and then sneaks out of the house.
“Oh I’m taking it for a spin, simon que si!”
=X=
=X=
Fin
=X=
=X=
Post Credit scene:
Back in Miami, a day ahead, the WSOW official is on the phone desperately talking to someone on the other end, not knowing what to do. The driver and assistants are just sitting on the edge of the truck’s bed, waiting. Just then the Axtgriff re-appears and all three jump back scared. The assistant thanks the man upstairs and quickly puts the phone away.
“Oh my God! You’re back! Thank you Xavier, you have no idea the sort of trouble I would have been in! Please come out so we can take it to the next contestant!”
The doors swing open and out steps… Cholo! With a huge smile on his face, he looks around recognizing Xavier’s home and his fancy toys. He hops down and comes face to face with the WSOW official.
“Who the hell are you? Where is Xavier?!”
“Hola mamacita! He sends his regards, and he says, he’ll take it!”
“He’ll take what?!”
“That purple beauty behind me! No matter the price, he’ll buy it!”
“It’s not for sale! It’s a prize and he was supposed to tell me why he thinks he deserves to win it!”
“Ah well, he said, he deserves to win it because he is a man of charity, like me and when he wins it he will donate the vehicle to charity so many unfortunate people, mainly me, can take the advantage of the amazing features this vehicle has to offer. I mean have you taken it to space? It handles amazingly in Mars!”
“What? YOU, WHAT?! That’s not possible, I don’t have time for this, let’s go!”
She motions for everyone to wrap it up and get out of there as Cholo simply laughs… He then turns his attention to Xavier’s vehicles and smiles.
“Alright amigos, who’s next?”
=X=
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