The Hurting Circus

by Paul O'Brien

  “The second part of the match is the Heat,” the man said.

  “I know this stuff,” Kid replied.

  The man continued regardless. “And the Heat is where it begins to go wrong for our hero,” the man said. “The heel sees an opportunity to win, and he takes it. It’s the part of the match that the audience decides whether the babyface hero is worth supporting or not.”

  “Seriously, man. What are you doing up there? I can’t see you,” Kid said.

  “This part of the match is when bad things happen to good people.” The man stood and walked very slowly and feebly down the steps toward the ring.

  “What’s the matter with you?” Kid asked.

  “And, of course, the Comeback is when the babyface decides that he’s not having any more,” the man said. “He finds a reserve of strength, tenacity, and passion to lift himself off the ground and fucking fight like a man. This should drive the crowd wild. It should lift them to somewhere higher—to some kind of belief that we can all do that, if we’re pushed hard enough.” The shadowy mentor dropped his cigarette on the floor and stomped it out with his foot.

  “I’m going to start letting these people in now,” the front-of-house manager shouted from the opening door.

  “The hero can never give up during the Comeback phase,” the man said. “Never.”

  The man in the stands stood in the light. It was Ricky Plick, sore, beaten up, and severely weakened.

  “What happened to you?” Kid asked as he hopped the railing.

  “The Finish can happen out of anywhere,” Ricky said. “And our finish is happening now.”

  Kid was at his side now. Ricky could see that the boy was preoccupied by his frail condition, that he wasn’t really listening. “I’m fine, Kid,” Ricky said. “Someone nearly got me, is all. Now, I want you to listen to me.” Ricky grabbed Kid by both sides of his head. “The finish can happen suddenly,” he said. “If not, it can be seen from a mile away. Whatever finish you have lined up for tonight, change the fucking thing back.”

  “What?” Kid said. Ricky and the young champion could hear the stampede of excited fans enter the arena doors.

  “You change the finish back to what you and your father discussed,” Ricky said. “And then you keep yourself one hundred fucking miles away from Ade. You hear me?”

  Kid wanted to make his own mind up. He knew what he wanted to do—he knew what was right for business.

  “You see that world heavyweight title on your shoulder? I once picked that out of a grave,” Ricky whispered. “People have done awful things to each other for that title. Don’t make yourself one of them.”

  Jimmy dialed, let the phone ring twice, and hung up. Then he called again; just like Lenny had asked him to do. Lenny immediately answered, just like he said he would.

  “Jimmy?” Lenny said.

  “Pop?”

  “Jimmy, what’s wrong?” Lenny asked. He could tell straight away that his boy sounded scared.

  “I need your help,” Jimmy said.

  Lenny Long was standing in Babu’s hallway, just about ready to go to Madison Square Garden. He was dressed in his one suit and nice leather shoes that Ava had found him in a thrift store.

  Jimmy Long was standing in Pizza Pizza, just about ready to get out of there—except he couldn’t. The place was locked up and Jimmy wasn’t exactly in there as a customer. He was dressed in black and wearing a ski mask.

  “I’m in big trouble, Pop.” Jimmy said.

  Lenny looked at his watch as he quickly closed Babu’s door. He was going to be late for his own card. He had to somehow get to Long Island City and back to the Garden again in time for the matches. He began to run up the alley until he saw Tad Stolliday parked up ahead. Lenny looked behind him. There were no other real choices. If Lenny didn’t face Tad now, he knew he would have to face him in the Garden in front of everyone.

  Tad saw Lenny approach his car from the alley. He quickly got out of his car, even though Lenny was walking directly toward him.

  “What do you want?” Lenny asked.

  “Do you want me to conduct a piss test?” Tad replied.

  Lenny knew he’d be clean, but he was more than aware of the time it would take to clear his name. Time he didn’t have. “No,” Lenny said, then with a little more softness in his voice, “I’m sorry.”

  Tad looked Lenny up and down. “You going somewhere nice?”

  Lenny could see that Tad was willing to wait all night. He had some sandwiches packed, and a tall flask. “You know where I’m going,” Lenny said. “I even called your office today to make sure that it was cool.”

  Tad pretended not to know what Lenny was talking about. “Oh, the wrestling match in the Garden?”

  Lenny was losing time and patience. “Yes.”

  “Oh,” Tad said, leaving a huge pause. “Okay, then.” Lenny wasn’t sure if that was his cue to leave. “Why don’t you hop in, and I’ll drive you there?” Tad said.

  “Eh—I have to go to—my old man’s house, first. I want to walk into the Garden with him,” Lenny said. He had no intention of going to Edgar’s, but he wanted to shake his parole officer off so he could get to Jimmy.

  Tad said, “Jump in. You can have a sandwich and some peach tea.”

  Lenny couldn’t believe his fucking luck. He knew there was no point in trying to argue. No point in trying to run. He got in and watched as Tad drove at precisely the speed limit in the direction of his father’s house. Lenny knew time was ticking. His youngest son was in real trouble, and his oldest son was on the verge of the biggest match of his life.

  Kid opened his gear bag slowly. There was nothing unexpected waiting for him. It seemed that he had earned enough respect from the returning roster to at least have his gear shit-free. As he stripped down and took out his boots, Kid ran through all the scenarios in his head. He knew that Ricky was out there, and so was Ade. Lenny promised him that he’d be in the crowd, too. But what would make the most impact, and the most money? He could go with the script, and become the undisputed champion—and the face of wrestling. But was that what he wanted? He could also call an audible in the ring, changing the script. He could lose, slink away from the business, and live his life. He was sure that he’d be well compensated by the other side for doing so.

  As Ade said, did Kid think that Lenny had it in him to run the play all the way to the finish?

  As Kid put on his gear, he didn’t know.

  Lenny knew that as soon as he was dropped off at his father’s place, Tad would simply follow him. They were getting close, and Lenny needed to get his boy out of trouble and then speed his way to the Garden. By his watch, he knew the card had already started.

  Tad was still obeying every light and every speed limit. Lenny sat in the passenger seat holding Tad’s peach tea and an uneaten sandwich, at Tad’s insistence.

  “How do you think I should react to the shit you pulled at the press conference the other day?” Tad asked.

  “You follow all your case load around this much?” Lenny asked.

  “Are you getting lippy with me?”

  Lenny knew he had to back down, figure another way to get himself away from Tad. “It was an act,” Lenny said.

  “An act?”

  “Yeah, I know you won’t tell anyone this but, what we do sometimes is for show. Like a play.”

  Tad enjoyed having power over someone who was now in power. He saw Lenny’s face everywhere in the press, and got off on the fact that he could make Lenny jump as high as Tad wanted him to jump.

  “So it’s fake?” Tad asked.

  “You know, I said that once too,” Lenny said. “And a good man slapped the living shit out of me for it.”

  “Sounds like a threat,” Tad said.

  Lenny shook his head. They pulled onto Edgar’s street.

  “Did you try it?” Tad asked.

  Lenny wasn’t listening; he was too busy planning how he was going to get out of there.

  “Did you tr
y my hospitality?” Tad asked again, elbowing Lenny back to the present. “Eat. Drink something.”

  Lenny unscrewed the flask and watched whatever was in there slosh around as they came closer to Lenny’s father’s house. As the car brushed the curb, Lenny dropped the flask into Tad’s lap.

  “What the hell?” Tad said.

  “I’m sorry; butterfingers,” Lenny replied.

  Tad’s crotch and torso were soaked: a perfect reason for Tad to go home, Lenny thought.

  “Your father won’t mind if I—” Tad got out of his car.

  Lenny knew that Edgar had no idea they were coming. “Hey,” Lenny said as he followed Tad toward Edgar’s house. “I have to get—to the Garden. I just noticed the time.”

  “We’ve got time,” Tad said.

  We? Lenny thought.

  Tad opened Edgar’s front door, like he lived there. Lenny wanted to crack Tad’s fucking head open right there and then.

  Tad waddled down the hallway. “Is the bathroom this way?”

  Lenny could only nod and go into the house himself. He entered the living room to look for Edgar as Tad took his pants off in the bathroom. Edgar entered his kitchen from the back door, visibly a little shaken.

  “What’s the matter, Pop?” Lenny asked.

  “I—Jimmy is—I can’t find him,” Edgar said. “He was right here about an hour or so ago. Then he said that he was going down to Mrs. Cullimore’s house to clean her windows. He’s been doing that—for pocket money.”

  “Dad,” Lenny said, “I know where he is.”

  “He’s with you?” Edgar asked.

  “Not exactly.”

  Edgar heard a noise coming from his bathroom. “Is that him?”

  Lenny shook his head. “You have to help me.”

  Edgar’s fear turned to anger. “What did you do?”

  “I need your help,” Lenny said. “Jimmy is in trouble.”

  Edgar stopped. So did Lenny.

  “What kind of trouble?” Edgar asked.

  “He got himself into something, but I’m going to get him out of it. Now, listen to me: my fucking parole officer is following me everywhere. He can’t see where I’m about to go, or what I’m about to do.”

  Edgar looked weak as he heard more.

  “Pop, Jimmy is fine,” Lenny said, not knowing if that was the truth or not. “I just need to help him now. Can you contain this asshole?”

  Edgar needed a second to think. “I don’t know who’s in my house.”

  Lenny answered, “It’s—”

  Edgar interrupted his son. “I don’t know who’s in my house.”

  Lenny thought for a second, until it hit him. “Perfect,” he said, with a big grin on his face.

  “Lenny,” Edgar added. “Don’t let anything happen to the boy.”

  Lenny gave his father an assuring nod as he raced out of his house. Jimmy was a couple of blocks away; it would be faster to run. Edgar took his shotgun out of his cupboard. He would use it to contain his home invader. After all, Edgar hadn’t given anyone permission to enter his house.

  It would at least take a while to clean up any confusion. Time enough for Lenny to do what he needed to do.

  Lenny ran around the block in his leather shoes. He kept to the shadows—he didn’t want anyone to explain to the cops that they saw a man in a suit right about the time a crime was committed. Lenny ran as fast as he could, but he had no idea what he was running toward. When he came face to face with Pizza Pizza, he slowed down and composed himself a little. Better to take a second and figure out a clean plan than to rush in and make matters worse.

  He looked at his watch. He had less than an hour until the main event.

  Lenny walked up to the front windows and could see what he presumed was his son, still wearing a ski mask, crouched down under a table. Jimmy could hardly contain his joy at seeing his father.

  Lenny took another quick look around before pointing to the door and shrugging. Jimmy had no clue what Lenny was doing.

  “Where?” Lenny mouthed.

  Jimmy cupped his ear. Lenny knew that this was a bad idea. If he was even caught looking in the window of a place that had been broken into, Lenny knew that he would be heading back inside.

  “Fucking where?” Lenny mouthed a little more clearly this time.

  Jimmy put up his hands in question.

  “Where did you get in?!” Lenny shouted.

  Jimmy pointed up, and Lenny pointed up to clarify. Jimmy nodded. Lenny walked away from the window toward the alley at the side of the restaurant. He listened carefully for any squad cars or beat cops that might have been called out already. As he walked down the lane a little further, he could see the ladder that Jimmy was “cleaning windows” with, perched against the wall. Lenny used it, as his son had used it, to climb up onto the flat roof of the pizza place below. He stooped low and ran toward the skylight, which was smashed through with a brick.

  From the roof, Lenny could see Jimmy’s eyes through the ski mask looking back at him.

  “Pop!” Jimmy shouted.

  Lenny shushed him. “I’m going to get you out,” he whispered. Jimmy froze and looked to his left, toward the main window where Lenny had just been. “Pop?”

  “What is it?” Lenny asked.

  Jimmy paused. “A cop.”

  “What?” Lenny said.

  Jimmy whispered. “There’s a cop looking at me through the window.” Just as Jimmy spoke, his head became illuminated by the cop’s flashlight.

  “Pop?” said the boy as he ran to hide somewhere else.

  Lenny could then hear the rattle of the front door as the officer tried to gain access to the restaurant.

  “Police! Stay where you are,” the cop shouted.

  Lenny ran, grabbed the ladder, and pulled it up onto the roof with him. He marched the ladder over to the broken skylight.

  “I don’t want to go away,” Jimmy said. His voice was shaking with fear.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Lenny said. “Where is he?”

  “I don’t know,” Jimmy replied.

  “Can you see him outside?” Lenny asked.

  “No.”

  Lenny needed to know for sure before he dropped the ladder into the building. He carefully went to the roof’s edge that overlooked the alley. He could hear the nasal sound of a police radio just below him.

  “I need backup, over,” the cop said below.

  They had no more time to fuck around. Lenny sprinted back to the skylight and slid the ladder down to his son.

  “Go! Now, now, now,” Lenny said. But there was nothing below; no eyes looking back at him. All Lenny could hear was the crying sounds of a trapped boy.

  “Jimmy?” Lenny called.

  There was no answer.

  “Jimmy, I will whup you for the first time in your life if I have to call you again.”

  The boy was frozen in fear. Lenny wasn’t sure where the cop was, but he knew he needed to act now. “Fuck it,” Lenny said as he clambered down into the building. He pulled his suit jacket over his head as his new shoes touched down on the floor below. He waved Jimmy out from under the table where he was crouched.

  Seeing his father’s face jolted a terrified Jimmy to run toward him. Lenny lifted his boy and placed him as high up the ladder as he could. Lenny’s heart was thumping. He knew he had so much to lose. As he put his own foot on the bottom rung, the cop from outside began to bang on the glass.

  “Hey,” he shouted. “Police!”

  Jimmy wasn’t up and out yet, but Lenny had to start climbing anyway. The cop kicked the door a couple of times before firing a shot through the glass that actually made Jimmy scream. “Hurry!” Lenny shouted as Jimmy dragged himself up the last few rungs. Lenny made it about halfway before the cop grabbed his foot. His shoe popped off and Lenny made another three or four rungs before the tenacious cop grabbed his other ankle. Lenny looked down and tried to cover his face with his arm; he needed to see the police officer to land a good, st
iff kick. Both men’s eyes locked, and the cop began taking the rungs one by one. He was not giving up in the struggle. Lenny could feel his arms weakening under the weight and the struggle of both men. He looked up and saw the panic in Jimmy’s eyes. They both knew that below Lenny was at the end of the road. The last time they’d see each other with Lenny being a free man. The cop had made his way to Lenny’s waist now and both son and father could tell the fight was coming to an end.

  “Fight,” Jimmy shouted. “Fight back.”

  Lenny instinctively threw a back elbow that hit something. The cop stumbled down a few rungs.

  “Keep fighting,” Jimmy roared. He could see the cop reaching for his gun with one hand and holding onto his father with the other.

  “Now!” Jimmy shouted.

  Lenny stomped down and his shoeless foot slid off the mark a couple of times before Lenny landed a good solid shot to the police officer’s face that knocked him flat to the ground. Lenny threw his hand up to the highest rung he could grab and pulled himself hand-over-fist toward his boy. He powered himself to the roof and hoisted the ladder up in time to get out of there.

  As Lenny and Jimmy stumbled away, Lenny wondered how much of his face the cop had seen, and if they could get anything on him from the shoe he lost in the struggle.

  Lenny carried the ladder on his shoulder as they moved across the neighborhood by rooftop. He was now pretty sure that he had been seen—but not a hundred percent sure. Jimmy suddenly stopped and hugged Lenny tighter than Lenny had ever been hugged before.

  “I’m sorry,” Jimmy said.

  “It’s okay, son,” Lenny replied.

  “I’ve messed everything up,” Jimmy said. “I was trying to make some money, too, like you and Kid are doing. He owed us. But when I jumped down, I hurt myself and I couldn’t find anything to get back up again. I thought I was going to jail. I don’t want to go to jail.”

  Lenny looked back to make sure that no one was coming up on them. “It’s okay, son,” Lenny said as he kissed his son’s head. He had just enough time to get to the city and take his place in the front row at the Garden.

  Lenny had come a long way since he’d started in the wrestling business as a green kid selling programs.

  Lenny and Jimmy used the ladder to get back to the street. Lenny took off his other shoe and buried it in a trash pile. They could both hear the sounds of patrol cars in the distance as Lenny looked once more at his watch. He ditched the ladder over a hedge, took his son by the hand, and hailed a cab.